The Bread Thread!

[k15n1]

dough on my hands.

Take a little flour and rub it off. Then, rinse and dry. Or just mix a little more flour into it before dumping it on the counter.

I hear complaints about kneeding all the time. Don't really understand it. It doesn't take long and it's not hard on your hands. If it is hard on your hands, you need to work on your technique or see a physician. If making bread really was so hard or time consuming, it wouldn't have such a long history.

Sorry to be Mr. Negative. I try to encourage people to make their own bread but I always get complaints and excuses. And they always give the the oddest reasons...

 

[Beekissed]

Someone gave my mom a bread machine once when they first came out...she tried it once or twice and passed it on to me. I gave it away without trying it. Now, I was a single mother of 3 boys and working long hours...but I always found time to make bread by hand because the time consuming part is really in the baking and not the kneading/mixing.

There are a lot of things I do or incorporate to save me time and I've tasted some really tasty bread machine bread...so I'm not putting down the machine generation.

I guess the only reason I never used one was because I really feel a connection with past generations when I have my hands in bread. The thought that millions of women down through all the ages have made their bread in such a manner makes me feel connected to all those women, my mother in particular.

I knew one old lady who had this enormous wooden, shallow, trough-like bowl that she said was passed down through her family for over 100 years or more and that it was for bread making. After seeing that, I got the bright idea of just making my bread right in the bowl and kneading it there also...it worked great and saves all the flour mess all over the counter or table. My mother saw me doing it that way and she tried it also...found it to be good and made cleanups so much easier.

Sure wish I had a giant, wooden bowl to make bread in.....

BTW: The bread turned out lovely and tastes soooooo good with the butter melting off it!

 

[moolie]

Hubs makes all of our bread, by hand--no bread machine or mixmaster. He generally makes a basic sandwich whole-wheat bread with wheat he grinds himself, since we got our wheat grinder a few months ago, but he also enjoys making artisanal loaves with organic unbleached white flour.

I grew up eating home made bread, he didn't but really enjoys the process and the results, and our kids prefer home made bread to anything else out there.

 

[Wannabefree]

Well the wrong flour made my bread taste strangely close to canned biscuits...ya know...the cheap ones that taste like their cardboard package I tossed it to some very thankful chickens and made another batch The last batch was goooooood

 

[Beekissed]

I've been making my bread into what I call WV flatbread for some time now but I took it even flatter after seeing the sandwich thins in the store. Success! I've found that this form of bread makes dough go further, keeps the bread fresh longer and keeps it from drying out because each piece is encased in it's own crust.

The shape/size also makes it easy to place into ziploc bags and freeze if I want or just store in the fridge. Anyone who has ever tried to fit a loaf into a ziploc bag knows just what I'm talking about....oof! :/

It also makes sandwiches easier to eat compared to sliced homemade bread and one doesn't have to have such a thick slice for the sandwich...just cut this flatbread in two and enjoy!

 

[Wannabefree]

Sounds good! I may try that eventually. As it stands...I have to make bread again tomorrow. Neighbor kids gobbled it all up I did get enough for a burger tonight though

 

[BarredBuff]

You all need to post these recipes!!! I want to make bread soon and good bread that rises!!

 

[Lesa]

Well, k15n1- you certainly are Mr. Negative. You took four words out of my post and made it sound like I don't like to get my hands dirty. I really think it might be rude to ask my customers to wait for service, while I add flour to my hands and rinse. I do make my own bread-both with the machine and without. I didn't realize your bread making technique was the one and only. Perfect way to discourage another SS member. Enjoy your bread.

 

[Beekissed]

Awww, Lesa...don't get mad! Some of us SS folks are just rough around the edges...real rough! My granny always said those kind of folks just serve to make others smoooooooth when they rub us the wrong way.

I'm sure it wasn't an intentional roughness!

Here...have a slice of WV flatbread covered in butter....

 

[nachoqtpie]

I agree with BB!! RECIPES PLEASE!!!!!!