Bread?

[teddy037.2]

They make Budweiser that's to die for? I've never seen it sold 

well, with InBev running the show now, I like to imagine there is some hope 

[somegirl]

I've been trying to do more kitchen stuff but haven't tried bread yet.  One quick trick I learned with unsliced bread - if its a day or two old you can rub the crust with wet hands then throw it back in the oven for 10 minutes @ 350 and the bread will be nice again. You can get 3-4 days out of a loaf doing this.

If you don't eat bread that quickly, you can also put it in the freezer (slice it first).

BTW, never refrigerate bread...it is the fastest way to make it go stale.

[Bun-bun]

I got a bread maker from my sisters estate a few years ago, but never used it. Thought about selling it, but they don't seem to be worth much in resale terms.\
Maybe I oughta give it a try.

[r_ciao]

too much trouble

had a bread making machine before
used it maybe a handful of times.

[somegirl]

If you want to make bread on a regular basis (whether with a machine or not), I recommend getting some dedicated containers for each type of flour, wheat gluten, etc. that you use and keep an appropriate measuring cup in each container.  Keep the containers labeled and all together near your bread machine (or whatever you make the dough in).

Once you have everything set up then it's actually not a lot of work to make a loaf. 

If you had to dig out each ingredient separately, run to the store because you don't have something, find a measuring cup/spoon for everything, have to clean them up every time, sometimes in the middle of the recipe because you don't have enough, then yes it becomes a lot of work.

Kind of like keeping your tools well organized before doing wrenching.  If you have to hunt for every tool, can't find something and have to run out to the hardware store, wrenching is a lot more work.

Also store the yeast in the fridge; it loses its effectiveness over time at room temperature.

[VisceralReaction]

We go through 50-pound bags of King Arthur "Lancelot" four or five times a year.

Bread is good.

Wow that's serious flour, wish I could get that locally here.
I love doing alot of artisan breads, my dream is to build brick oven to bake them in

[mstevens]

Wow that's serious flour, wish I could get that locally here.
I love doing alot of artisan breads, my dream is to build brick oven to bake them in

We live not far from King Arthur and drive up there every once in a while. They ship, so you can get it everywhere. "Lancelot" is 14.2% protein and it's easy for us to get, but the "Unbleached Bread Flour" that many supermarkets carry is 12.7% and not too bad.

too much trouble

had a bread making machine before
used it maybe a handful of times.

As far as bread machines go, we're fans with some qualifications. I can't remember the last time we baked in the machine, but for our basic sandwich bread it's great: toss in the ingrediments, push the button, walk away. When it beeps, pull out the dough, put it in the pullman/pain de mie pan, and start the oven heating. Couldn't be quicker or easier, and the loaf doesn't have wierd holes in it. Bread machines can also be nice for some very wet, sticky doughs or to have something ready to go at a specified time. Most are not all that bad at baking for those that don't want to deal with a final rise in a bread pan, ovens, etc.

I'm tempted to say that those who find bread machines too complicated should just stick with Wonder Bread or find a good local bakery. There's not much simpler than dumping a few ingredients in a machine, pushing a button, and pulling out hot bread after a while. If you can find a decent recipe you get pretty good bread. It's not going to give you great artisanal bread - for that, you'll have to get your hands dirty. And maybe build an oven out in the backyard.

[duqette]

Yah, I bake bread. I bake a beer loaf for my church (really). Sometimes when I really get into it I get out the sourdough starter and make some sourdough. The beer bread is our favorite around here, though.

Somegirl, you're in the right area for a good sourdough starter! I've got one that lives happily in the back of my fridge that I've had for years now. I'd be happy to share if you're interested.

IMHO, though, the sourdough starter is best used for sourdough pancakes. They cook up sort of like tangy blini. Add a little butter, little powdered sugar: 
Mostly I make quick breads; biscuits, popovers, even bagels on the weekends. And pie. Homemade crust, of course.

[DesmoLu]

oooh, a bread thread! fun!

I don't do it often but I enjoy baking bread. Mostly I am making pizza crusts, though as I can wholly live off of pizza and so can Matador.

For those intimidated by bread baking, start with the quick breads like scones, corn bread or even flour tortillas - it'll introduce you to the basics but the recipes are far less delicate and off course, not time consuming.

Somegirl, you're in the right area for a good sourdough starter! I've got one that lives happily in the back of my fridge that I've had for years now. I'd be happy to share if you're interested.

are you serious? i've been looking for a good one for ages! let me know and I'd gladly cover shipping.

[DesmoLu]

My all-too-often eaten breakfast bread. This is the first time I tried baking them. I went raspberry picking, made jam and had to bake these to go along:

[mstevens]

They cook up sort of like tangy blini

"Tangy blini" would be a good name for a rock band.

[mstevens]

My all-too-often eaten breakfast bread. This is the first time I tried baking them. I went raspberry picking, made jam and had to bake these to go along:

OK, now I'm officially irritated - those are your first croissants?!. My wife has "pastry fingers" and is a very skilled baker. I'm not all that shabby, myself, and we've been baking for decades. We can make croissants, but apparently only in class. Every time we've tried them at home we end up with a soggy, greasy mess. They always work fine in croissant class. I have no idea what the problem is, since puff pastry isn't a problem and most of the processes are similar. My secret shame (note to self: not so secret any more!) is that when we bake croissants at home they're frozen ones from Premiere Moisson in Montreal.

[duqette]

oooh, a bread thread! fun!

are you serious? i've been looking for a good one for ages! let me know and I'd gladly cover shipping.

Yes, I'm serious about the sourdough starter, but now I have to go check it .... 

Yup, it's fine.  One of the nice side benefits of living in the San Francisco Bay Area: good sourdough.

I'll happily send some to you, but you're in Texas, right? It won't last there, or if it does, it'll change. How desperate are you?  I'd be willing to try, if we can figure out how to ship it without it exploding. 

[Langanobob]

When I was a kid growing up in SoCal there was an OroWheat bread bakery nearby that used to run 24-7.  When we were hungry in the wee hours of the morning  we'd sneak in via the loading dock door and grab a hot unsliced loaf off the conveyor belt.  Man that stuff was good if beer was all you'd had in the last 5 or 6 hours.  We made a regular practice of it and never got caught.  To this day I try to make amends by buying Orowheat products.

[DesmoLu]

OK, now I'm officially irritated - those are your first croissants?!. My wife has "pastry fingers" and is a very skilled baker. I'm not all that shabby, myself, and we've been baking for decades. We can make croissants, but apparently only in class. Every time we've tried them at home we end up with a soggy, greasy mess. They always work fine in croissant class. I have no idea what the problem is, since puff pastry isn't a problem and most of the processes are similar. My secret shame (note to self: not so secret any more!) is that when we bake croissants at home they're frozen ones from Premiere Moisson in Montreal.

I'm betting the problem is the butter. Do you know what butter you use in pastry class? It is probably some premium brand artisan butter with a European style fat content. Then you go home, buy regular US-style butter with less fat and get all this unnecessary water in your dough. Try to find some local dairy or a premium brand of butter next time! Or, you can try to compensate by having a less wet dough to start but might take some experimentation.
Also, how do you proof at home vs class? That can make a difference.

These were my first croissants but I confess, I interned for one of the top pastry chefs in NYC had many great dough tips from her!