3 bread machine recipes
Many people consider bread machines a waste of space, but I've had several and made good use of them over the years. Unfortunately the blade of the best one went missing. Then Mom and Dad gave me their old one, but it promptly broke. So I have gone without for several years.
A few days before the flood I saw a Black & Decker model on sale at Canadian Tire for about $65, and purchased it. Of course I didn't have an opportunity to try it out for some time. Finally, I was preparing to bake the first loaf on Monday evening when the second flood hit. I was seriously pissed, but refused to be deterred. After the water had been turned off and the firefighters had left, I finished assembling the ingredients in the pan, hefted the machine to Sylvie and Sarah's place, and baked it there.
The recipe was designed using Create-A-Bread software from Bread Machine Digest.
Flood Bread
3-1/2 Cups 50% Wheat / 50% Bread Flour with 1 Tbsp. Soya Flour in the bottom
1-1/8 Cups Water
3 Tbsps. Butter
3 Tbsps. Dry Buttermilk Powder
2 Tbsps. Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Imitation Maple Extract
1-1/2 tsps. Sea Salt
2-1/2 tsps. Bread Machine Yeast
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Oat Bran
Add ingredients in the order recommended in your bread machine's instruction manual. The last two ingredients should be added partway through the first kneading, when the machine beeps for added ingredients. Makes a two-pound loaf.
I used the white bread setting as directed by the Create-A-Bread recipe. The loaf was lumpy with an unusually crunchy crust, but otherwise it was delicious. Next time I'll try cutting down the flour a bit and using the whole wheat setting. Three-and-one-half stars.
So this week I went a little nuts with the new machine. Altogether I've made four loaves of bread. I lost track of how I made one of them, which is why I'm making notes about the rest.
Spelt Apple Sauce Bread
1-1/8 Cups Water
2 Tbsps. Raw Sugar
3-1/2 Cups Light Spelt Flour
1 Tbsp. Gluten
2 tsps. Bread Machine Yeast
1-1/2 tsps. Sea Salt
3 Tbsps. Unsweetened Apple Sauce
3 Tbsps. Dry Buttermilk Powder
1-1/2 tsps. Cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Soya Flour
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
Add ingredients in the order recommended. Makes a two-pound loaf.
It didn't rise very well, turning out heavy and dry, altogether unimpressive. I liked the spelt taste, but the texture was unpalatable. Next time with spelt flour I'll try following somebody else's recipe more closely. Two stars.
My favourite bread ever, which I used to make frequently, the traditional way, was Maple Oatmeal Bread from the Harrowsmith Cookbook Number Three. Over the years I've tried to concoct a bread machine version, but never come close. Last night I found a comparable recipe online, which I scaled up slightly for my machine, also adding oat bran for a little texture.
Maple Oatmeal Bread
1-1/3 Cups Very Hot Water
2/3 Cup Quick Oats
1/4 Cup Softened Butter
1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
4 Cups Bread Flour
1/3 Cup Raw Sugar (Maple Sugar was recommended)
1-1/4 tsps. Salt
2-1/2 tsps. Instant Yeast
1 Large Egg Unbeaten
1/4 Cup Oat Bran
Combine hot water, oats, butter, maple syrup and salt and allow to cool until lukewarm. Combine ingredients in order recommended in bread machine instructions, adding oat bran partway through the first kneading, when the machine beeps for added ingredients. Bake on the sweet/egg bread setting if available, otherwise white.
This bread is slightly sweeter than my old favourite, and not quite as soft, but that's to be expected from a bread machine. It's still the closest approach so far. It rose best of any bread in the new machine so far. I will definitely make this one again, and set the machine for a medium or dark crust instead of light, because it turned out quite pale. Four-and-one-half stars.