I have a new love in my life - homemade bread. Like many people these days, I am trying to be better about what I feed my family and myself. I try to pay attention to the ingredients in the products I buy and to at least limit the junk in our house. I've made a commitment to myself to always consider if I can make a food myself before buying something pre-made. If I make it myself I can control what goes into it, and it's often better and cheaper that way. I'm also a busy (and sometimes lazy) mom, though. If it isn't quick and easy, it probably won't last in my house. This is why I absolutely L-O-V-E my bread machine.
I first received my bread machine as a gift probably 8 years ago. I had great intentions when I unpacked it and tried a couple of the Quick-cycle recipes in the book that came with it. The bread was good, but not great, and I soon lost interest. The machine then sat on a shelf for years collecting dust. When I started preparing for Thanksgiving 2009, however, I pulled it out again and tried a couple of full cycle recipes. WOW! The warm, fresh flavor and fluffy texture was soooo much better than the quick loaves. I started experimenting with a few recipes and, within a few months, decided to try making all of our everyday bread. Without the bread machine I would NEVER have even considered doing all the kneading and rising cycles by hand.
I don't think I've bought a loaf of sliced sandwich bread in close to a year. Using the bread machine is as easy as measuring in a few ingredients and usually takes less than 10 minutes to assemble most loaves. Then I just hit Start and forget about it for about 3 hours. Mine has a timer so I assemble the ingredients in the morning and schedule the loaf to be ready when I get home after work. It's such a nice welcome to come home to a house that smells of baking bread!
I did go through several less than stellar results and even a few complete failures. I've learned a few lessons and figured out a few tips for more consistent success. I've found 2 or 3 recipes that make great sandwich and toast bread and have tweaked them to be just right (for my taste, anyway). I also have a couple of special occasion recipes I enjoy making for company.
It doesn't end there, though. Once I had the basic loaf thing down, I started thinking about what else I can make with the bread machine. I've made a variety of sweet breakfast/fruit breads. I often use the Bake cycle to make delicious fresh fruit jam or jelly. I've made homemade pizza crust, fresh baked pretzels, crusty french rolls, hamburger buns and hot dog buns using the Dough cycle to do most of the work, shaping by hand and then baking in the oven. And the more success I have, the more confidence I have in trying new bread and dough recipes using the bread machine and even a few mixed by hand.
Many of the recipes I use make a large batch so I can have some now and freeze some for later. Since homemade bread doesn't have any preservatives, it won't keep nearly as long as packaged loaves, but most freeze beautifully and thaw quickly. I place what I expect to use in 2 - 3 days in my bread box and then freeze the rest immediately. Then I can pull just what I need from the freezer and never have to run out for bread to finish a meal or make a sandwich.
If you have a bread machine collecting dust or have thought about getting one, I encourage you to give it a try. I'd be happy to share tips and recipes, though I am no expert.
So how does this balance for me?
Heart/Body/Mind: Having control over the ingredients lets me eliminate many preservatives and other bad stuff from our diet.
Time: It takes a few minutes to make, longer for the things I shape and bake by hand, but it's easy and I really enjoy it!
My Wallet: I think it's a little cheaper, but not a huge savings. I personally buy higher quality, often organic flours and such, so my loaves may be more than the cheapest pre-packaged loaf you would find, though definitely cheaper than many with comparable ingredients.
The Earth: Honestly, I don't think that commercial bread manufacturing is a huge ecological problem, but every small step helps, right?
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