Bread Machine vs. Handmade
I just used a bread machine for the first time to make bread and it almost felt like cheating but the bread tasted great! How many people use bread machines at home, and how many make the dough and bake themselves?
Which do you prefer?
Hillary
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17 Comments:
I love my bread machine! It was given to me secondhand and I really enjoy making fresh bread. I've had to slow down though because my husband will come home and devour the whole thing like its the last loaf of bread on earth! I've also tried the 'no knead' bread recipe and had success with that also.
hammondcheese at 7:12PM on 08/19/08
My roommate has a bread machine and I think it's great. Yes, handmade tastes better but the bread machine tastes better than store-bought. I've tried to get myself to hand make bread and it ends up not happening, but with the bread machine, I can make the dough and then forget about it. No rising, no kneading etc. And my absolute favorite feature of the bread machine is the timer. My roommate set the machine so that the bread would be baked in the morning. It was awesome waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread! That almost beats the taste of the handmade bread.
blankplate at 7:17PM on 08/19/08
I usually make bread by hand because I really love the process but I will sometimes use the dough cycle of my machine to save time. I pretty much always do the final shaping by hand and bake in the oven because I am not crazy about the shape of the bread machine loaf.
mrsmoosie at 8:56PM on 08/19/08
To me the only way is hand made - you need to see the dough and work with it to know when it's right - the machine can't duplicate that.
Lilartist at 10:20PM on 08/19/08
I like the convenience of the machine, just drop in ingredients and forget it. I think the bread is generally pretty good, especially if I don't have the time to invest in making handmade. However, I hate the loaft shape I get with mine. It's either gargantuan or oddly shaped. I prefer handmade, but sometimes the machine gets the job done just fine. Plus, I'd rather have the machine bread vs. store bought any day.
saffron4859 at 10:29PM on 08/19/08
Even if I could afford a bread machine, I don't think I'd buy one. I don't know anyone who still makes bread and when I tell my friends I really enjoy doing it, they look at me like I'm a freak. That being said, in my opinion the whole point of freshly baked bread is the idea that you made it with your hands, the idea that you waited for it to rise and you punched it down and kneaded it yourself and did all of those wonderful things that your hands were made for.
PumpkinBear at 11:03PM on 08/19/08
I've never made bread in a bread machine. I got started making bread before those things were fashionable, or maybe even before they existed...(not sure when they became available.) If I was just starting with breadmaking, the machine might be appealing, but now I don't see a need for one.
Usually I use my Kitchenaid for the bulk of the kneading. Before I had the Kitchenaid, I'd sometimes use my food processor. But for me, a big part of the fun is baking different shapes, so even if I had a bread machine, I'd probably just use it for kneading, and that seems a big waste of counter space.
I've gotten to the point where I pretty much make all the bread we eat, and that includes hamburger buns and pita bread. About the only bread-like thing I buy is tortillas, and sometimes I'll even make those.
dbcurrie at 11:25PM on 08/19/08
I've had a bread machine - it died many years ago and I would never buy another.
I do use my kitchenaid - and, for most breads, I use instant yeast. Some of my breads are ready to go into the oven less than 1 1/2 hours after starting.
The bread machine bread tasted fine, but I like being able to shape and bake it differently.
thewrighttaste at 1:47AM on 08/20/08
I know lots of people who use the bread machine for the first two steps (mixing, first rise). Some don't like the square loaf shape so they form the bread as desired, do the second rise, then bake in a conventional oven.
I love homemade bread and the very LAST thing I need is to make that task easier - which would make it easier for me to have it more often.
therealchiffonade at 4:59AM on 08/20/08
I just started making bread, and my mom offered me a bread machine (free appliances at my age/income are a godsend) but I turned it down - there's just something about kneading a loaf of bread that I love! It gives you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction I don't think could be replicated with a machine.
embolini9 at 6:50AM on 08/20/08
Oh, and about the time issue - I don't generally eat bread, so if I make it it's a treat. I think of it as a Sunday afternoon project, like if I'm watching a movie I'll pause it to punch it down/bake it, etc., plus there's something so cozy about smelling baking bread on a Sunday afternoon as you're watching a movie, it's sort of a ritual for me.
embolini9 at 6:52AM on 08/20/08
I've had my bread machine for nearly 15 years. It's primary use is as a rice cooker, so I cook rice daily with it, but the bread function hasn't been used in over 10 years. I may eat bread once every few weeks to a month, and the bread has to be pretty fresh-baked; otherwise, it gets tossed.
My mother always went to a Japanese bakery to get our bread products so I was raised on perfectly square bread with no heels, so it annoys me when I buy bread that's not square and has heels. Since I don't eat the edges of bread, having misshapen bread makes for a very small sandwich. :P
Cassaendra at 7:41AM on 08/20/08
I've always made bread by hand, I really enjoy the whole process. On a cold winter day when it's snowing I'll make some bread and a big pot of stew or something. My sister gave me a bread machine several years ago and she said, "Just shut up, you're going to love it." She was right; when time is short I love it and the bread is delicious. Bread Machine Baking/Perfect Every Time by Lora Brody & Millie Apter has great recipes. Enjoy your machine!
ride&cook at 8:06AM on 08/20/08
I would love to make bread by hand, and sometimes I do, but usually it's not realistic - I spend the cooking time I have on other projects. So my bread machine, which was a gift two years ago, is a huge help. I still occasionally buy a loaf from the local bakers at the greenmarket, but despite the rising costs of flour, my bread machine loaves are still less expensive, and they're much, much better than regular store-bought stuff.
producestories at 8:44AM on 08/20/08
I start it in my bread machine as i have really bad arthritis and it can be hard for me but then after it rises i put it in a loaf pan and let it rise again and bake it in the regular oven.
www.organicandnaturalmom.blogspot.com
love2cook at 8:29PM on 08/20/08
I could see it both ways. Bread machines are convenient if you don't have all day (or a couple hours) to spend but still want some fresh bread with dinner.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 11:18AM on 08/22/08
Both. The machine does a fine job of kneeding and working the dough, then it comes out, gets formed into a loaf and put in the oven and cooked by hand. I hate the loaf shapes the bread machine makes, but I have 2 kids and a full time job (okay more then full time, I'm pulling 10-11 hour shifts 5 days a week) and don't want to spend all the time needed to make the bread by hand.
thepirateking at 11:26AM on 08/22/08