Good Things

[dancerjodi]

Hanging out in the kitchen
Chestnut Farms Bacon
Wandering around Home Depot
Hot Cocoa
Castle

We received a free bread machine, courtesy of some friends that don't use theirs anymore. The bread is coming out well as far as consistency, but there's not a lot of flavor. I've tried a basic wheat and last night a small white brioche. Maybe I'll try an Italian loaf next? Do you have any bread machine tips? I'm hoping to make bread for thanksgiving, but want to nail it down beforehand to make sure that we get a good loaf out of it.

Comments

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

Bastard Bread

Halfway between 1 1/3 and 1 1/2 cup hot water
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1/3 cup corn flour
2/3 cup oatmeal
1 Tablespoon dry milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine/quick rise yeast

Select "Whole Wheat" and your choice of crust (I'm a Medium fan myself). Dense & flavorful enough to slice thin and still hold up to tomatoes, and makes superb toast. I chop up the bumpy top left at the end & fry in olive oil for salad croutons (or, in cooler weather, chowdah croutons.)

Thanks!

[dancer.livejournal.com]

Do you know if this makes a 1.5 lb or 2 lb loaf, roughly? :)

Re: Thanks!

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

It's a generous 2 lb loaf.

[rubicat.livejournal.com]

Don't be afraid to add seeds, oats, or even flaxseed to the bread machine. You can substitute a few things for the flour - for instance, Trader Joe's has an Almond Flour that you can substitute in for flour up to a certain amount. Plus, there's artisanal whole-grain flours that you can get from Whole Foods and hippie co-op type places. :)

Also, "dough enhancers" have been used for ages to just give bread that certain yum factor. You can try a starter, or you can add-in something. Here's an article:

http://www.baking911.com/bread/101_ingredients_doughenhancers.htm