Making your own loaves of bread and pizza dough with a bread maker has become a popular and tasty way to make homemade bread for the family. There are many benefits to making your own bread, and a bread making machine is very convenient and easy to use.
Bread Machines and How They Work
Bread machines were first introduced in 1986 and have taken off, especially in the UK and America. A bread machine mixes the ingredients, lets them rise (or proof), and then bakes the loaf of bread. Once the process is started, there is nothing more for you to do. A bread machine is a great gift for a busy family because they can set it in the morning, go to work, and when they come home, it will be finished. Typically, it takes three to four hours from start to finish.
Recently, bread machines have been produced that only take an hour to bake the bread, but experts tell us that the flavor is not as good, but if you need bread more quickly, these would be the machines to look for.
Making Your Own Bread
Homemade bread is made with the most basic of ingredients: oil, water, salt, flour, and instant yeast. The wet ingredients are put in first and then the dry, and because you are using an instant form of yeast, as soon as the water and the yeast connect, the yeast begins to work on the mixture.
The loaves of bread that come out of the bread machines weigh approximately one and a half pounds, which is slightly smaller than the loaves of bread from the store.
The Benefits of Bread Machines
One of the best benefits of making your own bread is that you know exactly what ingredients are going into the bread. Store-bought bread has a longer shelf life because it has preservatives in it. Your bread from your bread machine won’t have that, so it will naturally have a fresher taste.
You are also able to monitor the quality of the oil and flour, and you can make whole wheat bread and muffins, both of which are healthier alternatives to mass-produced bread. If you are one who has allergies, you will be able to monitor exactly what you want in your bread dough and be able to cut out anything you are allergic to.
You can also add different seeds or raisins to the dough if you like. Since the loaves are smaller, you can set up your machine every other day, and you will always have fresh bread for sandwiches, French toast, or with peanut butter and jam.
