MrsRobinson
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Posts posted by MrsRobinson
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7 minutes ago, LucyStoner said:
The worm gear on KitchenAid mixers will wear out after regular use on stiff dough. When I was baking 2-3 times a week (bread on weekends + pizza dough at least 1x a week), the worm gear on our professional model lasted roughly a year. Fortunately, replacing it is not a difficult DIY. We have done it several times now. This is true for most KA mixers made since the early 2000s apparently. The older ones are more durable but I’ve never been able to score an old one anywhere.
This is good to know. Thanks.
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1 minute ago, Arctic Mama said:
Those look like perfectly normal bread loaves. BRAVO!
Really?! They do?? Whew, what a relief! ?
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Update! I did it! My first two loaves are done and baked all the way through, which was a top concern. The pat and pinch method in my cookbook was not very detailed and the loaves sort of had their own ideas about shape so they dont look uniform at all, lol, but oh well.
I used tips from you guys and let it rise in the microwave with a cup of warm water. I also used the paddle for the initial mix then used the dough hook to knead in 2 minute intervals with 2 minute breaks.
Dh and the kids love it so I'm calling it a win!
I'm supposed to bring something to a bonfire this weekend so I think I'm going to try the hearth bread recipe for that!
Thanks for getting me started baking bread you guys!
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Mommyof1: my boys' asthma is flaring right now, too. I'm blaming the unseasonably cold temps. They breathe better in warm air. I actually turned on the furnace in the house the last 2 nights to help them and I usually don't have to turn it on until November. Maybe Halloween some years.
Well, with the boys not feeling well and dd has a full blown cold with a low grade fever, no school bookwork happened yesterday. I did lots of reading out loud through the day, they watched lots of science videos, the toddler did some letter recognition games on his learning tablet from the library, and the big kids did lots of drawing.
I also had time to do a bunch of laundry and bake some yummy treats to cheer everyone up. Today, I'm going to try bread! ? Wish me luck!
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4 minutes ago, marbel said:
This thread is inspiring me to get the rye flour out this weekend!
Have fun and enjoy! ?
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8 minutes ago, KrissiK said:
I buy flour in bulk from Costco, but I do go through it quickly. A #50 bag of bread flour from Costco
50 pounds?! ? How do you store it?
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37 minutes ago, marbel said:
I am another one who learned to bake bread with King Arthur. Their 200th anniversary cookbook has their hearth bread recipe and lots of ways to vary it.
This recipe is on my list to try! Thanks!
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1 hour ago, Ktgrok said:
Thanks for the bread machine suggestion. I hadn't come across that one and that's a good price for a Cuisinart product.
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1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:
If you want to mix it up apple tea rings are super easy and look amazing once you’ve done the basic bread!
I looked these up and they look so fun! My kids would love that for poetry tea!
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23 minutes ago, KathyBC said:
I read the book, but putting out $ for the pizza stone threw me off. ? I have made this one a few times, though, and it's awesome:
https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/homemade-artisan-bread-easiest-bread-recipe-ever.htmlI have a pizza stone but, yeah, definitely don't want another cookbook if I can help it, lol!
Thanks for the link to the recipe. That one is even easier to follow than the one on the 5 min website.
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Great gift for dd! Crock Pots and Crock Pot cookbooks are my go-to gift for family and friends starting out on their own.
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I googled artisan bread 5 min a day since a few of you have mentioned it. In browsing the website, it gives a master recipe for an artisan loaf on a pizza stone and lots of links to cookbooks, lol. ?
Do the cookbooks include recipes for sandwich bread? The method is interesting and there are some other recipes on the site, like brioche, that look fun to try but I really do want a good routine of making homemade loaf bread.
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25 minutes ago, Danae said:
Something tragic could happen -- I know two people who have killed their Kitchen Aid kneading bread. Stay right there and if the motor starts to strain or slip turn it off immediately.
That would be tragic! Mine was a gift from a dear friend that loves to bake and got me started about 15 years ago. I think of what a generous gift that was every time I use it. ?
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1 hour ago, happysmileylady said:
The one I have right now is this Zojirushi. Except mine is a slightly older version I bought of craigslist used. I have only had this one a few months and it seems to be a bit more quirky than my previous one. I had a Westbend previously that I liked better. But when I moved I got rid of the pan because it had been well used and the posts for the paddles were starting to pull loose. But then I found I couldn't order a replacement pan. The Zojirushi works well enough but it seems to be more sensitive and I keep ending up with loaves with sunken tops. Lots of folks LOVE Zojirushi brand but so far, I had better luck with my westbend. I had the westbend for probably 6 or 7 years, and I was using it 3 or 4 times a week on average.
Thank you for the links and info on the bread makers. I put the Westbend one and a cheaper Hamilton Beach one in my Amazon wish list so maybe if I start making bread, dh will get the hint and get me a machine as a gift. ?
I think it might be handy for midweek but maybe I could manage to do it the old fashioned way on the weekends/ when company comes, etc.
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33 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:
I keep 5 lb buckets with gamma seal lids. I buy a lot of things in 25 lb bags.
Where do you keep all those huge buckets?!
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31 minutes ago, KathyBC said:
What got us off and running was having a way to 'proof'. We were just making 1-2 loaf batches to start, so would stick the bowl in the microwave with a cup of hot water. That did the trick. Now I can just put a damp cloth over my 5-loaf batch, pop it on top of the fridge for an hour and it's ready to shape into loaves.
So that's what the fancy "proving drawer" on Great British Bake Off is all about! ? Good to know I might need to experiment with that. The temp thingy in my kitchen says the humidity is currently 39%.
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2 minutes ago, LuvToRead said:
I buy unbleached flour in bulk and store it in the fridge in my garage. I also buy yeast in bulk and store in my freezer, and I've never had any trouble with my bread no rising. I never knead by hand, always in my Kitchen Aid with a dough hook. My mixer is an Artisan, not the professional model, so I knead in 2 minute increments and let my mixer rest. For whole wheat bread, the additional of wheat gluten will give you a lighter texture. Oh, and I always use cold water, it just takes longer for the bread to rise. Unless I am in hurry, I use 1 tsp yeast. The more yeast you use, the quicker bread rises, but I prefer a slower risen bread.
I think the number one thing to remember is bread really isn't that fussy. If you add too much water, your final product will be a big spongier, but it will still be delicious. Likewise, if there isn't enough water, the bread may be a bit dense, but still delicious. Just don't use hot water, or you will kill your yeast.
Okay, so nothing too tragic will happen here? ?
I have the Classic model of the kitchen aid mixer so I need to let it rest so the motor doesn't overheat?
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17 minutes ago, SamanthaCarter said:
The paddle is for beating batter, the dough hook is for kneading. You might have both steps on your recipe, so switch it out.
Hmm... this is interesting. The whole wheat recipe says in step 1 to beat mixture with electric mixer, scraping sides as needed. Then in step 2, you knead the dough by hand. Other recipes are very similar.
Great, so out of eight bread recipes in this cookbook, only one doesn't call for kneading by hand. Can you knead it in the stand mixer with the dough hook anyway, even if the recipe instructs hand kneading?
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17 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:17 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:
We do a lot of baking at our house. I like unbleached flour (because why have extra chemicals applied to my food when the only difference is the color of the flour), but the largest size it comes in is 25 pound bags. We usually go through 2 a month. As far as storage, I have a large rubbermaid container that holds about 10 pounds that fit on my pantry shelves. I used that for years (my pantry is not in my kitchen) but it was anyone having to always go get it. Now I'm using the largest Tupperware modular mate rectangular container because it fits in my cupboards. They were pretty expensive but not all my baking supplies are neatly stacked in my cupboard and easy to get at. Extra supplies (aka the rest of the bag) just get the top rolled down and stuck in the pantry. But for things that get stored longer I use 3 gallon pails (that I got free from asking at different bakery departments) with Gamma lids (because those are supper easy to open/close and keep critters out)
Personally I would still use the dough hook because it's more durable than the paddles and I would worry about breaking the paddle.
I think my quote is messed up so I hope this is readable...
I use unbleached flour for all the baking I do now. Muffins, cookies, cakes, and lots more. Really bread is the only thing I've never tried, which I guess is why I'm wanting to get started. The next new kitchen challenge for me.
Good to know about the dough hook. I probably would've broken my paddle attachment. ?
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25 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:
I just buy regular old all purpose flour. When the baking sales come up, I stock up. In particularly, usually around Thanksgiving/Christmas and Easter time frames, that's when the flour usually goes on rock bottom sale prices. I buy the 5lb bags, but I usually get several in one shopping trip, usually up to whatever the limit is and usually make one or two more trips. That's about the max on my storage space in the pantry for it. I do NOT buy giant bulk bags mostly because I just don't have a good storage solution for a single large 25lb bag of flour. But, 5 bags of 5lb each, those fit and store very neatly in my pantry. I have a storage container like this in my pantry where I dump the open bags. But mine is actually double the size, it will easily hold 10lbs of flour.
This ? is something I can do! I don't know what it is about a giant bag of flour but its intimidating!
I use a bread machine. I love my bread machine. It's kind of like using a crockpot. Dump it all in and go. In fact, back in 2013 when DH lost his job, I got a full time overnight job plus a part time afternoon job, and still, I was the primary cook. So often, I would throw a main dish in one crockpot, a side in the second and then bread in the bread machine-dinner...done.
This ? is also right up my alley! Its like leaving the house to do errands and the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer are all going and dinner's in the crock pot! Love that feeling! Maybe I need to add bread machine to that list! ?
I can say that bread that I make in the bread machine is generally more dense and not as soft and spongy as a generic loaf of white bread in the store. I don't know if handmade bread ends up with a different texture because handmade bread is too much work for me lol. However, in terms of actual QUALITY......I don't think HANDmade bread is going to be all that much better than HOMEmade bread that uses a bread machine.
This is great info. What bread machine do you have?
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I'm hoping there are some bread bakers here that can help me get started!
1. I am reading recipes in my old Better Homes and Gardens plaid cookbook and the recipes call for a LOT of flour. So is this where buying flour in bulk at a warehouse store or Amazon comes in? I will make a few rounds of bread to get the hang of it before I buy a huge bag of flour but I'm wondering what container you store all that flour in and where do you keep it in your kitchen? Or do you just buy a regular bag of flour every time you are at the store? Lol
2. The recipes I'm reading say to mix the dough with a stand mixer but only one recipe (and not the first one) specifically says to use the dough hook attachment. Do I use the paddle attachment if the recipe doesn't specify?
3. My cookbook also has bread machine recipes, which wasn't an option I had thought of, but the recipes are literally one step compared to the oven recipes' six steps, so now I'm wondering if that's the way to go. ? I guess I just always assumed that bread machines would turn out lesser quality bread or something.
Anything else I should know before heading into the kitchen?
Please help me become a bread baker, guys! ?
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Dark and rainy here, too, Critter. I think I might have to kick off soup season tonight with my favorite: copycat Zuppa Toscana. Gotta do something enjoyable to offset the dreariness, right?
This week went completely sideways school wise and everyone looked at me like I had two heads earlier when I said it was time to sit at the school table and get started. ? Okaaaay... onto plan B. Educational show followed by an hour at the library, which gave us plenty of new things to keep them learning and exploring this afternoon.
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Grrr... Another off day today. People came over today and they just left so now I have to take a kid to an appointment. Its always something. ?
Maybe tomorrow we can finish the week strong?
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We had a home economics day today. Mega house cleaning all around, even the toddler helped rinse dishes and Clorox wiped door knobs and light switches. ? We also tackled grocery shopping and baking bread.
I'm hoping to have a relaxing evening in tonight. There are a couple of interesting looking history docuseries on Netflix the kids want to try and if those fail, we can just watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. They are too young to pick up on the innuendo that pops up in that particular show. ?
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S/o of Quill's pie crust thread: I need bread baking tips please UPDATE: I did it! Pic attached
in The Chat Board
Posted
I scrapped my dinner plans last night and made an Italian soup instead so we could eat some of the bread with dinner. ?