Bread Machine Bread
Well, it might not be the same as making bread the real, old-fashioned way,
but it mostly beats the pants off all that time-consuming faffing about.
Even if I do miss the exercise.
Truth is it ain't that cheap though - assuming you use the quality of ingredients I do you'll end up spending around the same price as commercial bread.
I suppose that makes sense - on the one hand saving every penny on inferior ingredients just the legal side of poisonous, coupled with vast industrial production lines that utilise unappetizing emulsifiers to pump their dough full of dirt-cheap air all generate massive economies of scale to bring their costs down.
On the other hand the bastards will rip you off as much as you can take.
You could easily halve the cost by using cheaper flour, sunflower oil instead of butter and bulk buying, but here's the breakdown for my simple white loaf:
Truth is it ain't that cheap though - assuming you use the quality of ingredients I do you'll end up spending around the same price as commercial bread.
I suppose that makes sense - on the one hand saving every penny on inferior ingredients just the legal side of poisonous, coupled with vast industrial production lines that utilise unappetizing emulsifiers to pump their dough full of dirt-cheap air all generate massive economies of scale to bring their costs down.
On the other hand the bastards will rip you off as much as you can take.
You could easily halve the cost by using cheaper flour, sunflower oil instead of butter and bulk buying, but here's the breakdown for my simple white loaf:
| Ingredient | Cost |
|---|---|
| 550g Allinson strong white flour | 33p |
| 3 tblsps/42g President butter | 26p |
| 1 sachet/7g Allinson yeast | 16p |
| 320ml milk | 14p |
| 2 tblsps/24g Billington's Golden unrefined granulated cane sugar | 5p |
| 0.339 kWh electricity ~ 3 hours 15 minutes usage | 5p |
| 1½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt | 1p |
| Total | £1 |
Herb and Mustard Bread
bread veg
Makes a 1kg loaf
Ingredients
- 350ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- 540g strong white flour
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 scant tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon Colman's mustard powder
- ¾ packet of dry yeast
Do the bread machine thing.
Pretty nice actually - thought the tarragon is a tad overwhelming so go easy with it.
Oatmeal Bread
bread veg
Apparently a loaf I made in my American bread machine whilst I was living in New York.
It seems to have been good enough to make notes on the recipe leaflet that came with the device.
Damn useful that bread machine - and not only for making bread;
all that empty space inside the machine's casing also came in handy for smuggling back my tiny valuables when the time came to flee.
Makes a 750g loaf
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (10 oz) water
- 1½ Tblsps vegetable oil
- 2 Tblsps maple syrup
- 2¼ cups (10¾ oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (3½ oz) whole-wheat flour
- ½ cup (1½ oz) rolled oats
- 2 Tblsps powdered milk
- 1½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp active dry yeast
My suggested additions:- 1 tsp cinnamon
- grating nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins
Put the ingredients in the inner pan in the order listed.
Select Basic Wheat cycle and Light setting on your Breadman machine
or your machine's equivalent. Push start.
Ah yes, push start. You'd be lost without that instruction eh?
Multigrain Beer Bread
veg vegan bread
I made this with one of those pre-prepared flours
containing 20% flaked wheat grains, flaked barley grains,
kibbled rye grains, sunflower seeds, linseed seeds and millet seeds. Otherwise you'll have to add your own.
I used my machines 1kg Programme 1 setting, which worked OK. As with all bread-machine loaves it's best to check the consistency of the dough during the first kneading and add water or flour as required.
I used my machines 1kg Programme 1 setting, which worked OK. As with all bread-machine loaves it's best to check the consistency of the dough during the first kneading and add water or flour as required.
Makes a 800g loaf
Ingredients
- 500g white seed and grain flour or 400g strong white four and 100g mixed grains and seeds
- 40g stoneground wholewheat flour
- 200ml pale ale or stout
- 100ml water
- 2 tblsps olive oil
- 1 tblsp black treacle
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 packet dry yeast
Stick all the ingredients in your bread machine.
Go to the pub.
If you've chilled your beer so you can drink the rest of it, boil the added water and the mixture will be about the right temperature.
Turn it on.Go to the pub.
Really nice bread - I liked the crust especially.
It doesn't keep very long though, that beautiful crust sets to concrete in a day or two.
Tomato Bread
veg bread
This started out as a way of using up a leftover half-tin of tomatoes.
The loaf is an attractive pink colour and has a good taste, but could probably be more tomatoey.
I made up the volume of liquid with milk (and some yoghurt), but I think you could just use tomatoes. And some tomato purée.
And maybe some sun-dried tomatoes.
As with all bread-machine loaves it's best to check the consistency of the dough during the first kneading and add water or flour as required.
As with all bread-machine loaves it's best to check the consistency of the dough during the first kneading and add water or flour as required.
Makes a 800g loaf
Ingredients
- 550g strong white flour
- ½ tin chopped tomatoes or more
- milk up to 320ml
- 3 tblsps butter
- 2 tblsps sugar
- 2 tblsps yoghurt
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 packet dry yeast
- 1-2 tblsps chopped herbs: thyme/rosemary/basil
Make up the volume of tomato to 320ml using milk.
Stick all the ingredients in your bread machine.
Turn it on.
Check the dough for consistency - adding more milk/flour as required.
Stick all the ingredients in your bread machine.
Turn it on.
Check the dough for consistency - adding more milk/flour as required.
Entertaining colour, good taste, bit chewy if I'm honest. Could use more tomato.
Seems to keep very well.
Seems to keep very well.
Very Tomato Bread
veg bread
A more tomatoey bread than my underpowered previous tomato bread.
I followed the first recipe's 1½ teaspoons of salt and it did end up slightly oversalted - must be from the tin of tomatoes;
so don't overdo the seasoning.
I used all-tinned-tomatoes rather than the half-milk version, and ended up using about ⅘ of a 400g tin. I still haven't decided what to do with the rest ;)
Again I made it in my bread machine, on the 1kg wholemeal setting with a medium browning.
I used all-tinned-tomatoes rather than the half-milk version, and ended up using about ⅘ of a 400g tin. I still haven't decided what to do with the rest ;)
Again I made it in my bread machine, on the 1kg wholemeal setting with a medium browning.
Makes an 800g loaf
Ingredients
- about 320 ml of tinned chopped tomatoes
- half dozen sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 3-6 spring onions
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil or butter
- 1 packet yeast
- 550g strong white flower
Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes it's nice to have chunks, but not great mouthfuls.
Chop the onions how you like - I chose not to have identifiable slices by quartering lengthways before cutting them up crosswise.
Add everything to the bread machine, turn it on, wait for it to start kneading and check the liquidity,
adding more chopped tomatoes (or flour) as required.
A very attractive and tasty loaf, though mine didn't rise as evenly as I'd hoped.
I reduced the amount of sugar anticipating the tomato would provide extra, but perhaps I should have used 2 tablespoons?
I also did make up some of the dough using white flour with mixed grains and seeds in it.
Hey it's yourbread - put in it what you want!
Hey it's yourbread - put in it what you want!
Semolina Bread
veg bread
I had a burst packet of semolina to get rid of (and a glass of beer)
and apparently bread made with high-protein durum wheat flour has a richer, more elastic texture.
Which is true.
It does seem to yield a rather chewy crust though.
Semolina loaves are often decorated with beaten egg and sesame seeds before rising, slashing and baking. So something to think about.
It does seem to yield a rather chewy crust though.
Semolina loaves are often decorated with beaten egg and sesame seeds before rising, slashing and baking. So something to think about.
Makes a 1kg loaf
Ingredients
- 50g semolina
- 250g stoneground wholewheat flour
- 200g strong white flour
- 20g butter
- scant 200ml water
- 100ml beer
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tblsps black treacle
- 1 packet yeast
Set your bread machine to 1kg wholewheat loaf, fill 'er up and let 'er rip.
Hold a bit of the liquid back and check the dough for consistency once the machine starts kneading. Adjust accordingly.
Hold a bit of the liquid back and check the dough for consistency once the machine starts kneading. Adjust accordingly.
Good bread - I love the way it smells when proving, and the dough has a fantastic elastic feel too.
Probably a good bread to make by hand. If I could be bothered.
Probably a good bread to make by hand. If I could be bothered.
Rye Bread
veg bread
Quite a nice, robust rye bread that's less dense than those Continental versions.
It doesn't rise as much as other bread, depending on the quantity of white flour you've used, but still makes a substantial loaf with a tight crumb that's good for thin sandwiches.
Use your machine's 1kg wholemeal loaf setting.
It doesn't rise as much as other bread, depending on the quantity of white flour you've used, but still makes a substantial loaf with a tight crumb that's good for thin sandwiches.
Use your machine's 1kg wholemeal loaf setting.
Makes a 1kg loaf
Ingredients
- 330ml water
- 1½ tblsp butter
- 1½ tblsp vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tblsp sugar
- 180g rye flour
- 300g wholemeal flour
- 60g strong white plain flour or additional wholemeal if you don't want a slightly lighter loaf
- 1 packet dried yeast
- 1-2 tsp caraway seeds optional
Warm only 300ml of the water with the butter, add to all the other ingredients in your bread machine and start it up.
Adjust the moistness, adding the other 30ml water if necessary, once the machine has begun to knead the dough.
Adjust the moistness, adding the other 30ml water if necessary, once the machine has begun to knead the dough.
Classic White Bread
veg bread
A recipe that came with my Lidl (Silvercrest) bread machine,
and that I use most regularly for standard white loaves.
I've had to reduce the quantities slightly to prevent the loaf from attempting to escape the confines of its tin and glueing itself to the machine lid.
I suppose the recipe will work adequately in other bread machines?
I've had to reduce the quantities slightly to prevent the loaf from attempting to escape the confines of its tin and glueing itself to the machine lid.
I suppose the recipe will work adequately in other bread machines?
Makes a 1kg loaf
Ingredients
- 300ml milk or water
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 540g strong white flour
- 1 packet dry yeast
Fill the machine, select the French cycle
or your machine's equivalent and the Light setting.
Press start.
Scandinavian Rye Bread
bread veg
I had a go at making this recipe, or at least these ingredients, in my bread machine on it's 1kg wholewheat setting.
It pretty much didn't work at all - rising poorly and unevenly,
and producing a dense loaf with, bizarrely, enormous holes in it.
Probably not the ideal bread machine bread then.
Probably not the ideal bread machine bread then.
Makes a 750g loaf
Ingredients
- 175ml full-fat milk
- 175ml water
- 2 tbsp dark soft brown sugar
- 1 x 7g sachet of fast-action dried yeast
- 250g rye flour
- 200g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- sunflower oil, for greasing
Put the milk, water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat very gently, stirring constantly,
for just a few seconds until the liquid is lukewarm and the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl.
Stir in the yeast and leave for 10 minutes until there is a light froth floating on the surface.
Put all the flour, rye and white, in a large bowl, stir in the salt and caraway seeds, then make a well in the centre. Pour the warm yeast mixture on to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon and then your hands to form a soft, spongy dough.
Turn the dough out on to a well-floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. Kneading this dough can be hard work so you'll need to roll up your sleeves and give it some welly.
Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with oiled cling film. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Put the dough on a floured work surface and knock it back with your knuckles, then knead for another minute.
Shape the dough into a fat oval or round loaf, pulling the dough from the top and sides and tucking it underneath to make a neat shape.
Place the loaf on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and score the surface 4 times with a sharp knife. Cover it loosely with the oiled cling film and leave to prove for a further 40-50 minutes until it has doubled in size once more.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Bake the loaf in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes or until it is well risen and the base sounds hollow when tapped sharply. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Stir in the yeast and leave for 10 minutes until there is a light froth floating on the surface.
Put all the flour, rye and white, in a large bowl, stir in the salt and caraway seeds, then make a well in the centre. Pour the warm yeast mixture on to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon and then your hands to form a soft, spongy dough.
Turn the dough out on to a well-floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. Kneading this dough can be hard work so you'll need to roll up your sleeves and give it some welly.
Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with oiled cling film. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Put the dough on a floured work surface and knock it back with your knuckles, then knead for another minute.
Shape the dough into a fat oval or round loaf, pulling the dough from the top and sides and tucking it underneath to make a neat shape.
Place the loaf on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and score the surface 4 times with a sharp knife. Cover it loosely with the oiled cling film and leave to prove for a further 40-50 minutes until it has doubled in size once more.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Bake the loaf in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes or until it is well risen and the base sounds hollow when tapped sharply. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Or just throw it into your bread machine. But don't do that - it's rubbish.
Makes a very strongly flavoured rye bread, if you like that kind of thing.
Makes a very strongly flavoured rye bread, if you like that kind of thing.