Nakia Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) I LOVE baking bread. I was on a roll last summer and baked a lot of our bread. I have gotten out of the habit, but I want to start up again. Actually I have some rising right now! :D One of the problems I ran into before was that I never baked enough, and when we ran out, it was a lot of times easier just to grab some pre-made at the store. I want to avoid that problem this time. I have a deep freezer so it will be nice to be able to make extra and freeze it. So my questions are: How often do you bake bread? How many loaves do you bake at once? How many loaves does your family go through in a week or month? Also do you use a different recipe for things like rolls, hamburger buns, etc? I have both a white and a wheat recipe that we love. Could I just use those recipes to make other those other things? Thanks! Oh, and any other tips are very welcome!!! ETA: I don't have a bread machine. Not sure if that makes a difference in your answers. Edited March 4, 2009 by Nakia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita in NC Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I make bread every day in my bread maker. Sometimes even twice a day. I try not to run out of bread, so when I get down to half a loaf I start a new loaf. There are 5 of us in the family and we pretty much go through a loaf a day. We mostly make whole wheat but I also make butter rolls, pizza dough, cinnamon raisin bread, etc.... I joined a wheat co-op so that I could get a good price on organic wheat flour (although most of the people in the co-op buy the wheat berries and grind their own). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I made 4 loaves yesterday and had to make another 4 today. Drives me nuts LOL. I try to bake twice a week, but it depends on what the menu is for the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfside Academy Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I spent the $$ a few months ago and invested in the Bosch Universal Mixer. I make 4 loaves at a time. We don't go through bread that quickly (which is shocking w/ 3 boys) so I just wrap the loaves really well and throw them in the freezer. I use Marilyn's wheat bread recipe from urbanhomemaker.com and I really like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I bake at least once a week. I recommend a Kitchenaid or other mixer which can knead the dough for you. This makes bread making very easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I bake four loaves at once (I have a Bosch and so just do one big recipe at a time). And I probably bake a couple times a month - just depends on how fast we eat the bread up (my ds often decides he doesn't like toast for breakfast, so will just not eat it). I will let the loaves cool completely and then slice them and put half a loaf in a gallon freezer bag and freeze it that way. Makes it very easy to take out a piece or two at a time if that's all I need, instead of waiting for the whole loaf to thaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I baked bread every week and sold it at our local farmer's market this last summer. I think I got a little burned out on baking, because I haven't baked regularly since then. But I need to start again, if only for my family. I tried to bake once a week, usually 4 laoves of bread, and 2 loaves of french bread for the week for a family of 7. It's insane to think that we pay $1-$2 for a loaf of French Bread when we can bake it for about $0.42 per loaf! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I bake 3 loaves about once per week, but only dh eats wheat, so that's for his toast and for his work sandwiches (he's a big toast eater, and not overweight, so I make as much as he eats.) I have a deep freezer. Last spring I doubled up on my bread baking for a while and froze bread for a couple of months. But not for longer as dh doesn't like it in there. But I've baked 4 loaves at once. Bread ought to last at least a week, especially if you put it in the fridge (dh likes it that way, some don't), but if it's not too hot, it will last that long out of the fridge. It will dry out, though, if not in plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I bake one giant ww-oatmeal loaf each week for the kids, and two loaves of challah once every other week for them as well. DH is heavily addicted to bread from the store, and we are fortunate to have access to decent bakery Italian bread at 99 cents a loaf -- he goes through about 2 loaves a week. I also buy tortillas twice a month. My kids are little and I do not eat bread, so we don't need to make much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 I bake at least once a week. I recommend a Kitchenaid or other mixer which can knead the dough for you. This makes bread making very easy. I do have a KitchenAid mixer. I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithseed Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I bake 6 loaves at once. I'm trying to find a pattern to get into that will allow me to do once a week baking and have a lot of bread meals. Here's what I've found so far. 6 loaves will last a week, so I'll need to do that every week. If I start at about 2 in the afternoon, I can bake all those, plus about 3 batches of muffins before 5. I'd like to add in some dinner rolls and such, but just haven't figured out how to get my groove with it just yet. Lord willing, my house will be completed this summer, so I'll have more space than 5x8 to work with...not to mention 2 ovens (oh, the bliss!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 We are down to just 3 of us at home, so I don't need as much bread as I did when we had 3 kiddoes at home. But I still figure why waste the effort, so I bake at least a batch of 6 loaves at a time. If I am baking in advance of expected company, I will bake two batches. If I start them about 45 minutes apart or so, I can bake them back to back. I use the same recipes for rolls, or cinnamon rolls. On occasion I would make a smaller batch of just 4 loaves and add a tad more sweetener and oil to it, maybe even an extra egg and do up just cinnamon bread and cinnamon rolls. Nummy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Just had to say... I was on a roll last summer :lol::lol::lol::lol: I only occasionally bake bread--doesn't matter how much I bake, it all gets eaten within a day or two. I do make Easter Bread (Pasca? I think it's called) and give that away at Easter time. Then I make 6 mini loaves. Regular, store-bought bread goes fairly quickly here, if you want to compare--our family of 4 (with ds gone) goes thru 2-3 loaves of wheat bread a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I back 2 loaves at a time, and do it about twice a week. I can't seem to "get ahead" and get any in the freezer which would be nice. I haven't ventured beyond the bread really..... every time i try rolls - they don't work. UGH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Youngs Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) I have a book for you~ http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/ If you love that chewy, fresh from the french bakery bread, you need this book. It really takes 10 minutes a day to mix and you can keep the dough in the fridge for two weeks, tear off a chunk and let it raise and bake. The skinny on it is this: flour, sea salt, yeast and water. You let it raise on the counter for 5 hours and then you can bake four loaves from a single batch or mix up a double to get 8 loaves. We've baked it in bread pans for loaves, but our favorite is to make a rounded boule bread on my pizza stone. It's crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside. Perfect. I'm going to mix up another batch.......... Edited March 4, 2009 by 5Youngs sp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 Just had to say... :lol::lol::lol::lol: I only occasionally bake bread--doesn't matter how much I bake, it all gets eaten within a day or two. I do make Easter Bread (Pasca? I think it's called) and give that away at Easter time. Then I make 6 mini loaves. Regular, store-bought bread goes fairly quickly here, if you want to compare--our family of 4 (with ds gone) goes thru 2-3 loaves of wheat bread a week. I didn't even notice that Chris! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaof2andtwins Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 So my questions are: How often do you bake bread? How many loaves do you bake at once? How many loaves does your family go through in a week or month? Also do you use a different recipe for things like rolls, hamburger buns, etc? I have both a white and a wheat recipe that we love. Could I just use those recipes to make other those other things? Thanks! Oh, and any other tips are very welcome!!! ETA: I don't have a bread machine. Not sure if that makes a difference in your answers. I don't have a bread machine. I have a Bosch Universal mixer. It can mix 6 loaves at a time. Typically, I make 4 at a time. This lasts our family of 6 about a week. I use the same recipe for dinner rolls, but I have a different recipe for hamburger buns. Jennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfside Academy Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I don't have a bread machine. I have a Bosch Universal mixer. It can mix 6 loaves at a time. Typically, I make 4 at a time. This lasts our family of 6 about a week. I use the same recipe for dinner rolls, but I have a different recipe for hamburger buns. Jennie I'd love to hear your recipe for hamburger buns! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 Well, I've baked four loaves of white today and some pita pockets. I might do some wheat tomorrow. I am over baking for today. :001_smile: Thanks for all the help!! BTW, I'd love that hamburger bun recipe too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I use one basic recipe for most of our bread. It has 3 cups of flour in it. For loaves or sandwich rolls, I use 2 cups wheat and 1 cup white. For hamburger buns, I use the same recipe but with 1 cup wheat and 2 cups white. I have a different recipe for pizza dough and I use quiverful's cinnamon roll recipe for those. I bake the morning that I need it as we prefer our homemade bread to be very fresh. We use a bread machine because it cuts the time and work down; if it is started by 9am, it is ready by lunch (it's actually DD's chore to start it). I only use the dough cycle because I prefer how the oven bakes over how the machine bakes. We usually shape it into sandwich rolls because we prefer that over loaves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 My guys get as much as I make (whatever that may be) plus whatever we buy (whatever that may be.) If it runs out, we eat something else. I guess I'm a meanie... Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I LOVE baking bread. I was on a roll last summer and baked a lot of our bread. I have gotten out of the habit, but I want to start up again. Actually I have some rising right now! :D One of the problems I ran into before was that I never baked enough, and when we ran out, it was a lot of times easier just to grab some pre-made at the store. I want to avoid that problem this time. I have a deep freezer so it will be nice to be able to make extra and freeze it. How often do you bake bread? As soon as we take the last loaf out of the freezer I bake. Approx. every 2 weeks. How many loaves do you bake at once? Approx. 9-10 loaves each time. How many loaves does your family go through in a week or month? My family eats a loaf a day. Also do you use a different recipe for things like rolls, hamburger buns, etc? Nope. Same recipe is shaped into the different styles if neeced. We mostly stick to the bread loaf though. I have both a white and a wheat recipe that we love. Could I just use those recipes to make other those other things? Yes. Thanks! Oh, and any other tips are very welcome!!! ETA: I don't have a bread machine. Not sure if that makes a difference in your answers. I don't have a bread machine either. I use a k-tech mixer and my grain mill, of course. :) I have to mix up two batches to get my 9 loaves, and I don't have that many bread pans just yet so I bake and start over again. I need more pans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Well, I've baked four loaves of white today and some pita pockets. I might do some wheat tomorrow. I am over baking for today. :001_smile: Thanks for all the help!! BTW, I'd love that hamburger bun recipe too! would you share your pita pocket recipe, pretty please. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted March 5, 2009 Author Share Posted March 5, 2009 would you share your pita pocket recipe, pretty please. :001_smile: I use the one here. It is yummy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I bake 2 loaves at a time and I bake bread once a week. Usually Monday is bread baking day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 We have two adults, 2 small children. DH doesn't eat sandwiches, but loves artisan-style crusty loaves. Girls like grilled cheese but mostly toast. I bake sandwich style twice a week: 1 loaf each on Monday and again usually on Friday. I switch between whole wheat (white/wheat mix), oatmeal bread and 100% whole wheat (now that I've found a great recipe from Peter Reinhart!). I do focaccia at least once every two weeks. I do no-knead style about 1+ times a week. (go to my blog and you'll find the link to various bread baking sites... breadtopia.com is a super great resource. I don't really do multi-purpose recipes (1 kind of dough making lots of different stuff). I just like the variety of different kinds too much. I also do cinnamon rolls about once a month on Fridays for Saturday morning using Alton Brown's overnight recipe (foodnetwork.com)...super easy and really, really, really good. I guess I bake a lot! It has become such a part of my routine that I didn't really think about it until I typed it out! The girls really like to help and it's kind of therapeutic for me, too. I have a stand mixer and end up doing about 50% hand kneading now...seems to make a better loaf because not as much flour gets added in when you can feel the texture with your hands. Everyone says I'm too verbose! Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I bake two loaves, twice a week, and make tortillas and other stuff in between. My favorite hamburger roll recipe is here. I double it and make really big sub rolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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