Bread Machine?
 

I have been thinking of buying a bread machine....do any of you all use one? Which one and why??

I had one that made a round loaf.... that was difficult to utilize for a sandwich. So, I bought a new one that makes a square loaf.... still don't really use it. I thought I'd make more healthy bread, but nope. I really liked the white bread straight out of the machine with lots of butter. MMMMM But after gaining 20 pounds..... So, there it sits in my attic next to the ice cream machine and a few others machines I can't remember at the moment :)

I have a West Bend that my son bought for me and it's ok for bought mixes. I love the royal hawaiian mix, it is a sweet bread. Other than that I don't care for it. If I'm making dough from scratch, I would rather go ahead and mix it and then knead on a board and let rise according to directions. I don't really make bread that much and it's just something else to have to drag out and clean before putting away again. I really like yeast rolls and have been made them several times this winter, come summer I won't do that. Unless you make a lot of bread, I wouldn't recommend it. So many gadgets and I love to have my part of them. I run out of room to store them.


sassy granny

I have had several machines and I loved them. I am not currently using one as its just he/I now as kids are gone and its a 2lb one which makes too much for us. I guess I could make a loaf and freeze the other half, or just make a 1 lb loaf. I have had an Oster, a couple of Breadman's, whatever was on sale!
The brand names are all the same. This last one I got makes the crust a little tough but its fine. Love smelling it when it bakes. It does use alot of counter space.
You will get a free little cookbook with the instruction booklet. I did buy several bread machine cookbooks that I used but for convience I just buy the box mix off the shelf at grocery.

I have a new Hamilton Beach it makes a Square loaf and you can make different sizes with it and different brownness selections for the kind of crust you want , I personally love mine and the family prefers this bread to store bought
any day, and if I don't use the whole loaf I just wrap it in tinfoil and put inside a zip-lock bag and freezer. Hope this helps you I got mine at Sears. :)

Panasonic 1 1/2 lb rectangular loaf. We have two and run them one to two times a day. We have had a bread machine for over 20 years and tried different brands but brought all of the others back.

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SD-Y.../dp/B00005QFL0

Maybe this is of help. I did not read it as I am set with bread machines.



http://www.bestbreadmachinereviews.com/

I have started using my bread machine again lately. It seems like I go in spurts. I don't use it to bake the bread, just to mix the dough and raise it. It is so easy. I just put everything in and walk away. It raises really nicely. I don't like the way it cooks the bread at all so I put it in a loaf pan after the first raising, let it raise again and bake it in my oven. Peggy

Oh my goodness! I would be so lost without my bread maker. Several years ago, my mom just had to have one for Christmas. So, dad got her one. It was a West Bend, and makes up to a 2lb loaf. She used it maybe 6 times in all the years she had it. (Guess she didn't really have to have it that bad, huh?) ;)
Anyways, I finally talked her out of it last fall. Brought it home, cleaned it up and then.... sat it in the bottom cupboard for a little over a month. I was absolutely terrified to use it, what if I did something wrong and broke it, or what if it was so old it caught fire or something else totally ridiculous is all that kept running thru my mind each time I thought about using it. Finally decided, what have I got to lose by trying it. Afterall, the house is insured and enough people live here to help carry out the sewing machines. I used it, nothing bad happened, and the bread was incredible! I now use it several times a week, mainly for garlic bread and super buttery, flaky, cresent roll dough. I am now in the market for a bigger one, if they make 'em any bigger that is, and thinking about buying bread flour in bulk at Sams Club!

I bought my Sunbeam breadmaker through Amazon.com about 2 years ago. I use it in spurts but I am so glad I have it. My main use of it is for mixing the dough and letting it go through its first rising. Then, I take it out, shape it into loaves and let it rise before baking it. It cost me about $29. Well, worth. Sometimes, when I am on a roll, I will make three batches in a row (if I start in the early morning) and then freeze most of the loaves. Money well spent.

Love mine...use it alot! Great for potato bread, Italian bread...lots of wonderful recipes...look on google for them!

I have one and love it. It's called a "Bread Box" and I have no idea who makes it. It was given to me by a friend who didn't want it.

There is only one thing I don't like about it. My favorite bread is a crusty bread (French baguette, sour dough loaf, italian loaf - etc) and I don't think there is a bread machine in the world that can make a crust like that. SO ... I use the machine to make the dough (I can't make dough, I knead the bread too hard and it doesn't rise properly), then I reshape it and bake it properly so it gets a nice crust on it. My machine has a setting for making dough only.

I have one- my second machine. We used the first one until it just quit and I bought another. I used it a lot until I found a recipe for beer bread that is so easy to make. Now I usually make the beer bread when I make bread. We love it and we have a baked loaf more quickly. I still have the bread maker though. I loved the recipes that used some cake mix for a sweet bread and also loved making italian bread.

Good luck. I usually use Amazon to find recommendations.

Greetings!

I use my bread baker sporadically to make rye rolls. My tip would be to check Goodwill for one. See if you like it and use it.

I have had several - different brands -- and have never gotten a decent loaf from one. I must be the only one.

[QUOTE=PJisChaos;4940768] I now use it several times a week, mainly for garlic bread and super buttery, flaky, cresent roll dough.

Good Morning,
Would you share the recipes for these? I have a bread machine which I haven't used in a long time. I make sourdough bread 3-4 times a month.

Thanks,
Jennifer

I have a Welbilt that I bought at the GW for $9 and it was brand new in the box. I see them all the time at the thrift stores so someone doesn't like them. I use mine at least once a week and bake sourdough bread in it. It lasts us for several days and doesn't get hard. You have to do things a little different than what the booklet tells you. If you want a really good recipe for sourdough I will PM it to you. We never buy bread, haven't for about 8 or 9 months so it definitely will save you money. I see the newer ones make a loaf style bread that gives you smaller slices. I might try that one next. I think it is Westbend that I saw.

I have a zojurishi (sp?) that we bought several years ago. I use it nearly every other day and bake all the bread that we use. It can be programmed for different recipes, and it does really well for the recipe that I use. I mill my own flour, so I programmed the machine for this heavier flour. The machine is a workhorse and I would definitely buy this brand again. It makes a horizontal loaf that gives you sandwich size slices - they'll fit in the sandwich bags! When we got it I thought I would bake occasionally so we could have fresh homemade bread. But we don't buy any bread at all. Our 2 sons that were still at home at the time don't want any other bread!

I have a Sunbeam that I have had for 15 years. I use it for dough, only. I have about 3 recipes I use regularly, but in the winter only. It's too hot to bake in the summer. I make regular white, part whole wheat and seeded bread. It is all good. My one pound loaf doesn't last long around here, even though we are just 2.

When the loaf came out good it was great, but I made a lot of hockey pucks years ago and I also ained weight. Its all about the yeast.

Went down that road and came back to my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook. I can make 4 loaves with a lot less fuss with it. Gave three away, none of them worked quite right. As with quilting, you can do alot of thinking as you sew, so too with bread, kneading dough is good for the soul and great for the hands and fingers. This is the best exercise you can give your hands, nice warm dough and what helps your hands, helps your quilting.

I too have one and love it. Like others, I use it for making dough but do the last rise in a regular bread pan and then cook it in the oven. I have had several brands over the years and it doesn't seem to make much of a difference as to the brand.

Some things I would consider:
1. I like one that allows for different bread sizes. I personally want one that will make a 2 lb. loaf.
2. If I do cook in the machine I want one that makes a rectangular loaf.
3. I don't know if there are others, but Breadman has one that has retractable paddles so that if you do bake the bread in the machine there isn't a hole in the bottom of the loaf.
4. If you are going to use it for dough you may want to consider how long the dough cycle is. Some are just an hour but some are 1-1/2 hours.
5. I like one that signals (beeps) when it is time to add things like raisins or nuts.

I use mine all of the time for bread dough, yeast rolls and lately I have been making bagels.

I love my bread machine. Use it all the time, have a recipe for cinnamon rolls. use the dough cycle for them, it does all the work. all i have to do, is roll them out, spread the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar on them, roll them up, slice and put in pan to bake. They are delicious!

I own a 2# sunbeam that also makes breads , dough, pasta , and even Jam. LOve LOve it. I make bread about three times a week and freeze the leftovers for bread crumbs. Makes great strawberry jam also. Only prob I have is findind Semolina Flour for the pasta. we are only two people in our house, but love bread ( ITALIANS ) hehe

I have several bread machines and use them both. Panasonic and Well Built.
Be sure that you buy a machine that makes a 2 pound loaf because if you choose to use a boxed bread mix...they only are made for 2 pound machines. I make bread several times/week because I do NOT want to eat the "high fructose corn syrup" that is in most store-bought brands.
I have found a wonderful recipe for a "Crusty Potato Bread" online...and it is delicious. PM me if you want it.
I love the idea of throwing the ingredients in the machine and then leaving (errands, swim meets, etc) and coming home to a warm loaf of bread.
I buy bread flour and yeast in bulk at Sam's Club....keep the flour in tupperware ---it keeps forever. I freeze the yeast and only bring out a small jar full at a time.
I would say BUY A BREAD MACHINE although I am sure that you can find them at yard sales, etc...since it was a fad for a while and now others are selling their machines. I LOVE both of mine.

Jackie,
Would you please share your recipe for the cinnamon rolls??

IF you use the machine to make and bake the bread...doesn't matter if it is blazing hot outside... Love the bread with homemade strawberry jam...mmmmmm!

I did not like mine . The bread seemed tough and not as light as traditional home made bread. Now if you are not accustomed to regular home made bread you will think it is heaven!

I enjoy the process of making the bread myself , so I got rid of mine a long time ago.

Borrow one and use it until you get it out of your system. It will not take more than a month. We were gaining weight, so I use mine rarely now. Plenty of them at Goodwill and garage sales for under $10 in TX.

I have the same brand and it is my second one and I do love it. I do make a lot of dough in mine and then make what ever with that. I just like letting the machine do the work. Those that quit using theirs due to weight gain says to me....yummy bread. Yes it is. If I used mine weekly I would mention the weight thing as well. Who can resist hot bread? No one at my house. Who ever wrote about the Hawaiian Bread in the box. Lucky you, can't find it where I live anymore, and we miss it!

Sorry, I just seen this question for me. I am not getting into the new (to me) board at all.

Garlic Bread (1 1/2 lb loaf)
Water, 80*F 9 ounces(1 cup + 2 Tbsp.)
Bread Flour 3 cups
Dry Milk 1 Tbsp.
Sugar 1 Tbsp.
Salt 1 1/2 tsp.
Dried Parsley Flakes 1 Tbsp.
Garlic Powder 1 1/2 - 3 tsps. (We LOVE garlic here so I use a bit more than 3 tsps.)
Butter or Margarine 1 Tbsp., cut into 4 pieces
Active Dry Yeast 2 tsps.
--OR--
Fast Rise Yeast 1 1/2 tsps.

That's it, add it all in according to your machines directions(mine requires all liquids in first), make sure the knead bar is IN the pan before adding ingredients(UGH!! Don't ask) and I never use the water/dry milk combination as dry or powdered milk is horribly expensive! I use whole milk, fresh from the fridge and replace the water AND dry milk measurements with it. ie.., instead of using the 1 cup + 2 Tbsps of water and 1 Tbsp of dry milk, I use 1 cup + 3 Tbsps of cold milk. Set it for medium bread color and wait the 3hrs and 40 mins for it to be done.

Enjoy!

I have an older Panasonic and is has served me well for years. It is simple to use and makes great bread.

Thanks for the suggestions of letting it rise the first time and taking it out to rise again and then baking in a conventional oven. We have 2 machines DH bought, he used them at first but that was a long itme ago.
Maybe I will try it now.

I love my Sunbeam , it makes the rectangle loaf. I make three one pound loaves in it.I let it do all the mixing then take the dough out and put it in my bread pans to rise then bake in my regular oven. Yesterday I made 3 loaves of whole wheat bread and while it was rising in pans I mixed up dough to make two pans of chelsea buns and one of garlic sticks...yummy!!!!

I have had bread machines for years! Mine are Hitachi and I love them. I have 7 children and am able to make 2 batches at a time. I usually make the dough in the machine, then form rolls or loaves. I wouldn't live without them! I also enjoy making up my own recipes! Have fun! :)

I have a Panasonic bread maker - I love it - I was surprised how easy it is - just put all the ingredients it - set it and wait for the smell. Its great in the winter time - and you can set it to go off early in the morning and have hot bread when you wake up and have coffee. I love mine.

What I like about mine is I can throw the ingredients in and turn it on and go to bed. In the morning it is all ready for us.

Saw your post of the garlic bread recipe, would you share your crescent roll recipe as well. I love my breadmaker except it is a square loaf and the crust is pretty think when done, so I use it on dough setting thru the first rise then take it out and put it in bread pan and let it rise again and bake in regular oven. Deliish!

I always used the Royal Hawaian Bread Mix from Wal-Mart, but the no longer carry it and haven't been able to find it locally. We loved the loaf it made. Have also tried Hamburger buns, but they haven't turned out all that well, I didn't think. So would love the crescent roll recipe when you get a minute.

Thanks a bunch

I am on my third breadmaker. Love it. Store bought bread doesn't 'cut' it in our house. lol

my daughter n I were at the local goodwill an they had bread machines(they all looked like new) so she got her one wiped it out, then we made a loaf of tester bread it worked great and cost a whole $4.99 so if you dont know if you want to invest alot of money, check you local goodwill, also I dont know about where you are at but here Tuesdays are Target day.........thats when they bring stuff to goodwill
have a great day