In Defence Of Bread Machines

[lordkenmore]

Saving fresh baked bread is easy.

except for one small thing: not eating all up before some bread can be flung in the freezer!

 

[lordkenmore]

"Depending upon the type of bread find can get away with perhaps two to three days (streching it), but weather also plays a factor."

I haven't done experimentation, but this is my understanding too, based on what I've read. A very simple bread, like French, is pretty much something that has to be eaten up fast. Or else frozen. James Beard even warned about this with his "French Bread Style" bread in BEARD ON BREAD--it's best fresh, and only good for half a day or so.

Add other ingredients, and the life can increase.

In fact, now that I think of it, I remember starting with a FANNY FARMER bread recipe. Who knows how old it was (it was 1960s revision of the book, but I assume the recipe is older). It used both milk and butter. Which I think will help the bread hold up. And that might have been a Good Thing once when housewives had to bake bread, and didn't have a KA mixer or a big freezer to store bread in.

 

[whirlcool]

Out Hitachi bread maker had a teflon coated baking compartment in it.

For proper texture on French Breads I line the oven rack with unglazed terra cotta tiles and preheat the oven for at least 30 minutes before putting in the bread. Then throw some corn meal on the tiles. Then when I put my french bread recipe in I occasionally use a spray bottle and spray some water on the tiles while the bread is cooking. I do this about once every 10 minutes until the bread is 75% of the way baked. They texture is perfect!

 

[mattl]

I generally make an eggy Challah bread, mix it in the machine then dump it into a regular pan to rise and bake.  I tend to over do it at first, no unusual to see a 1/3 of the loaf gone the first day, but the rest easily lasts a week in a plastic bag.  tends to get a touch dryer but no mold issues.

 

[launderess]

Uses For Day Old "French" Type Breads

You may get another day out of the loaf by lightly steaming in the microwave. Simply place cut slices of the bread in either a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, sprinkle with cold water, wrap closed and microwave in short 30sec bursts until softened. While not good as fresh baked will do for spreading butter, making garlic bread, or snacking. One cavet, one has to eat the bread soon after steaming or it will start to harden and turn rubbery.

Of course you can also cut up the bread and make croutons, aforementioned bread crumbs, or perhaps bread pudding.

 

[launderess]

Speaking Of Bread Shelf Live

Has anyone noticed that the average shelf life of "plastic wrapped" supermarket bread is now between one to almost two weeks? God only knows what they are putting in store brought bread these days but for it to stay fresh for so long kind of puts one off eating the stuff.

If you want homemade breads that will last a few days look for recipes that use honey, molasses and such as sweetners, and have lots of oil and eggs.

 

[spookiness]

Toastmaster Breadmaker's Hearth

Attached photo is a stock photo of what I have. It is a combination toaster oven, convection oven, and breadmaker. The bread pan (pictured) removes, and a metal cover goes over the mechanism. There is a bottom pan that slides in, and a wire rack.

It is the handiest appliance in my kitchen! Its a great tool for a single-person household. I bake/broil chicken in it, and I have a muffin pan that perfectly fits and makes a batch of muffins. Guests will frequently ask why I have two microwave ovens, since it looks like one and is about the same size.

I have had it for something between 8 and 10 years. Apparently these were only made for a short while due to reliability issues. This past winter, the breadmaking mechanical mechanism finally bit the dust, but I still use it as an oven. I used to make the basic recipe white and multigrain breads in it. It could also do plain cake mixes and quickbread mixes, so it was easy to make a snack.

If I could buy a new replacement, I would in a heartbeat! It may be fixable, but I haven't taken it apart.