Bread Bakers......

[JenniferErix]

Ok, let the great debate begin!

Do you make bread with a machine, or by hand kneading?

Do you use sotore dry yeast or do you use "Starter"?

Do you buy actual whole grain flour, or go with bleached?

Do you bake with a gas stove or electric?

Do you prefer glass bakeware, or cast iron or other metal?

Does your rollin' pin have dents in it? (Kidding, my DH said I had to ask for all the hubbys! haha)

[MonkeyMamma]

Okay well I have never actually made a loaf of bread. I did however make rolls this year for Christmas. First time ever.

I hand kneaded. I don't even know what a bread machine looks like.

dry yeast

bleached flour

electric stove

I think I used metal but I'm not sure.

They rolls looked crappy but tasted great. I would love to make homemade bread.

[MonkeyMamma]

Oh yeah - no dents on the rolling pin!!

[Earthy]

I have a bread machine, works great and easy to do. I also knead by hand and make my own.

I use whole wheat flour and unbleached.

I have an electric stove -not by choice it was here already.

I have nonstick bread pans, would like a pampered chef stone one though.

My rolling pin does not have dents;) It is wooden though and gets lots of use.

[dalynnrmc]

I don't bake - my dh is a baker by profession. Here's his answers....

Do you make bread with a machine, or by hand kneading?
By hand (and he's giving me a "why are you asking me that stupid question???" look).

Do you use sotore dry yeast or do you use "Starter"?
would rather use a starter

Do you buy actual whole grain flour, or go with bleached?
just depends on what kind of bread you're making

Do you bake with a gas stove or electric?
prefer gas

Do you prefer glass bakeware, or cast iron or other metal?
never heard of cast iron baking pans, for bread. it'd be other metal.

(He's worked in bakeries since he was 15. He's only, actually not QUITE 30 years old, and has been baking for half of his life. So,yeah. I don't bake. LOL)

[Emma's#1fan]

Do you make bread with a machine, or by hand kneading?
hand kneading

Do you use sotore dry yeast or do you use "Starter"?
yeast

Do you buy actual whole grain flour, or go with bleached?
both

Do you bake with a gas stove or electric?
gas

Do you prefer glass bakeware, or cast iron or other metal?
I prefer glass for baking but use all of the above

Does your rollin' pin have dents in it? (Kidding, my DH said I had to ask for all the hubbys! haha)
no

Patty

[dalynnrmc]

(BTW, on the rolling pin thing.... I left it out because I was asking dh. Just now I asked him about a rolling pin for bread... You don't use a rolling pin for BREAD! ROFLMBO! And um, the rolling pin we have is WAY TOO HEAVY for me to pick up and hit anything with! It's made of oak....)

[Emma's#1fan]

My rolling pin is a large PVC pipe. My dad bought one long pipe and cut it up, sanded down the edges, and gave each of his daughters one for Christmas many years ago. To this day, it is the best rolling pin I have ever used.:D
Patty

[JenniferErix]

My rolling pin is a large PVC pipe. My dad bought one long pipe and cut it up, sanded down the edges, and gave each of his daughters one for Christmas many years ago. To this day, it is the best rolling pin I have ever used.:D
Patty


Crap-ola that's FUNNY!
I love stuff like that! Isn't that the coolest thing?

Anyway, my grandmother used to use an old cast iron pan to make her cornbread, so I figured I toss that in the options.

And yes, dear, I know that rollin pins are not used in making a loaf of bread, but it was a funny question relating to baking that hubby wanted to know. (He was picturing the old hag lady from "Hee Haw" Anyone remember THAT lady? haha!)

I knead by hand.
I use dry active store yeast.
I use all kinds of flour but regular all purpose flour is used most often.
I prefer a gas stove, but stuck with my apartment electric.
I have glassware that I loooove! But my granny used to use cast irons to bake with!
I have a marble rollin pin (Works, but realy just for decoration) And the only dents are in Hubby's head! hahahaha!

[DanielsMom]

Do you make bread with a machine, or by hand kneading? Hand

Do you use sotore dry yeast or do you use "Starter"? starter for sour dough, yeast for everything else

Do you buy actual whole grain flour, or go with bleached? Never use bleached, ick.

Do you bake with a gas stove or electric? electric

Do you prefer glass bakeware, or cast iron or other metal? Use glass, wish I had stainless!

Does your rollin' pin have dents in it? Nope, mine's marble too. Seems like everthing sticks to the thing no matter what I do.

[kbabe1968]

Do you make bread with a machine, or by hand kneading? Used to use a bread machine a lot. BUT I'd use it to the dough stage and shape, rise and bake myself.

Do you use sotore dry yeast or do you use "Starter"? never done a sourdough. I keep yeast on hands - packets though.

Do you buy actual whole grain flour, or go with bleached? When I was able too, whole wheat.

Do you bake with a gas stove or electric? gas. Still looking for a stove that has electric oven, but gas cook top - don't think they exist. Gas is best for stovetop cooking, but electric (my opinion) is more precise for oven baking.

Do you prefer glass bakeware, or cast iron or other metal? Stoneware (micro clay baker)

Does your rollin' pin have dents in it? No dents. :)

Okay, that being said, I am giving my bread machine to my SIL. NOW that I have to bake gluten free (no wheat, rye or barley), I can't really bake "real" bread. The stuff I make would probably choke most of you! But it's the closest thing to bread I can get. I have a few recipes that for a day or two taste good, after that, they are breadcrumbs! DAG I miss gluten!

:)

[KrisRV]

well this depends on how much time I have and what we are doing. Yes I have done both with the girls so they know how to do it...

[JenniBear]

I had a bread machine that I bought on clearance @ KMart when it went out of business here....$30! It wasn't all fancy, just a simple machine but boy howdy I LOVED it! It died an untimely demise after being left in the car all day in the hot Texas summer (but don't remember why it was in the car in the first place!!)....I had the bread machine for 8 years. I bought another one more expensive when the old one died...but it was a total waste and ended up giving it away to my aunt...

So now I knead by hand....It kills my wrists...I have to take a lot of breaks between kneading.....

Gas stove...

usually I have loaf pans for the loaf breads, but for French bread and rolls I use cookie sheets

store bought yeast

UNbleached flour and whole wheat flour

[hisbride]

Do you make bread with a machine, or by hand kneading? I use a large mixer to mix then hand knead the dough into loaves.

Do you use store dry yeast or do you use "Starter"?
Instant yeast

Do you buy actual whole grain flour, or go with bleached? I buy wheat grain and grind it into fresh flour

Do you bake with a gas stove or electric? Electric

Do you prefer glass bakeware, or cast iron or other metal? I have some great metal bread pans.

[P.H.]

Considering that we are wheat farmers, I'm ashamed to admit that recently we've been buying more bread than making it ourselves. We do have a grinder, but it's a hand grinder and not much fun to use. What type of grinder do you have, Hisbride, and do you like it?

It must be nice, DaLynn, to have a baker in the family! Do you make your own starter, and could you share the method? Or do you buy it? A homeschooling friend gave me some kefir, which can be used as a starter for sour-dough bread or pancakes. We did a lot of that last winter.

I finally got a Pampered Ch. loaf pan stone, Kris, and used it for the first time this week. The bread turned out very well.

We've baked bread using electric, gas, and wood-burning stoves. We just sold our wood-burning range this spring. The children called it a monster, and my husband complained every summer that it was taking up too much room in our rather small kitchen. *Sigh* I was the only one who kissed it good-bye!

[Earthy]

I LOVE Pampered Chef stuff....:)...my kitchen is full of it...:)....

[hisbride]

I have a Whisper Mill. It is not very quiet but they tell me it is quieter than most mills. I saved my money to get it and I have had it about 5 years.

[dalynnrmc]

i have to say again, just because it's what comes in my brain every time i see this thread come back to the top:

You dont use a rolling pin to bake bread!! :lol:

[JenniferErix]

No, but it is in my "Baking" supplies and it just so happens that hubby thought it was a funny question. So I included it. That's all.

[dalynnrmc]

LOL Oh I know... not meaning to be... whatever. I just think it now when i see the thread, that's all. :lol: Just tryin to be funny.... I'll shoo now. ;)

[Eye of the Storm]

What I do (right now):

Use the KA mixer to mix & knead.

Use dry yeast I buy in bulk (via internet)

Use whole wheat AP flour I mix myself (because I haven't found it for sale anywhere)

Bake in a gas oven

I use aluminum pans - two of the three are alledgedly non-stick, but I grease them anyway.

My rolling pin is marble(!), but I don't use it to shape bread anyway.

I've done bread more ways than I have time to recount here, but what I'm doing right now is what I've typed above.

[JenniferErix]

Bake in a gas oven

For this, I am jelous!
Hahahaha!

[chicamarun]

I use a mixer to knead it and mix it all up
use dry yeast from costco
use bread flour from costco
bake in an electric oven
have 4 baking pans - 2 are that silicone stuff but the last rise in that pan gets fat and then the loaves don't fit in my bags (I sell the bread too sometimes)

I have a wooden rolling pin from ages ago and don't usually use it unless I am working on a certain design or playing :)

[Eye of the Storm]

I use a mixer to knead it and mix it all up
use dry yeast from costco
use bread flour from costco
bake in an electric oven
have 4 baking pans - 2 are that silicone stuff but the last rise in that pan gets fat and then the loaves don't fit in my bags (I sell the bread too sometimes)

I have a wooden rolling pin from ages ago and don't usually use it unless I am working on a certain design or playing :)

Where do you get your bags?

[P.H.]

Okay, that being said, I am giving my bread machine to my SIL. NOW that I have to bake gluten free (no wheat, rye or barley), I can't really bake "real" bread.
:)


What a fun thread for us bread-bakers, but, if you don't mind my asking, why would you start it, since you can't eat bread?? Maybe you still do bake bread for your family, but just can't eat it, yourself? Just wondering. I am sorry that it's off limits for you now. That would be a real test of will-power!

[Deena]

What a fun thread for us bread-bakers, but, if you don't mind my asking, why would you start it, since you can't eat bread?? Maybe you still do bake bread for your family, but just can't eat it, yourself? Just wondering. I am sorry that it's off limits for you now. That would be a real test of will-power!
Jennifer Erix started this thread, Krista just joined in....

[P.H.]

Thanks, Deena! I guess I didn't go to the beginning. 'Sorry, Jen and Krista!

[vantage]

[quote=JenniferErix]Ok, let the great debate begin!

Do you make bread with a machine, or by hand kneading?

I do some of each. I have a machine that makes nice rectangular loafs with the nice rounded tops that we all like. I sometimes use the machine to make the bread and take it out after the first rise then punch it down and shape it and cook in oven. This allows me to make doughs in the machine that would not bake well in the machine.

Do you use sotore dry yeast or do you use "Starter"? I buy bulk yeast and store it dry. I will make a starter in advanced for certain breads like Herman Sour Dough and the like. Otherwise I "start" the yeast just before getting the ingreadients together for the bread. Making and maintaining a starter is a good survival and frugality skill.

Do you buy actual whole grain flour, or go with bleached? That all depends on what kind of bread I am making. Sometimes I like white bread with a super light texture that whole wheat does not easily give. I do prefer bread flour for most bread baking over all purpose however. I also prefer unbleached when buying "white" flour. I hope to get into grinding my own berrys when we go rural next year.

Do you bake with a gas stove or electric? I have an electric oven. I plan on having both an electric and a wood oven in my next house.

Do you prefer glass bakeware, or cast iron or other metal? I hate glass bake ware. I use tin or iron bakeware. I also prefer cast iron for most cooking except for sauce pan and pan/grilling meat on the stove top. For the meats, I use a caphelon pan that is about 18 inches wide and 6 inches deep. I want to try it for making bread some day.

Does your rollin' pin have dents in it? (Kidding, my DH said I had to ask for all the hubbys!

I have a huge commercial sized rolling pin. I need to get a smaller one for the kids to use. My hubby used to work in restaurant equt. supply and I have many things we bought at a discount from his employer.

[kbabe1968]

:) I love PC!!!! :D

Geez Prairie...just jump in the middle now, why don't you! (note joking tone!).

Sigh...I can smell the bread baking in all your houses with great jealousy.

You enjoy your bread while I scarf down my homemade gluten-free white chocolate coconut macadamia nut pan cookies. I'll feel just fine! :D

[P.H.]

Yes, chuckling as I write, I actually try to avoid overly-much bread, too, because of a carb imbalance; but I still enjoy making it and wondered if you do, too, even though you can't eat it. There's just something about kneading a warm lump of dough...

I just may have to go back to your beautiful blogspot and look for that G-f, W-ch, C-mac nut cookie recipe! On the other hand, the name implies it might be rich in carbs. But I could enjoy the smell! (Still chuckling)

[kbabe1968]

:) Yes....well...I guess there's protien in the nuts, right?

I don't make them often, it was a treat b/c everyone around me has been having treats...I was feeling treat starved! :D

Not on my blog yet...will be by the end of today :D (totally adaptable for gluten eaters).

[P.H.]

I could make the cookies for the family and stay with the nuts myself. I do that type of thing often. Thanks for the recipes!