Two years ago, I purchased a West Bend 1 1/2 or 2 pound horizontal loaf style
machine. It does a good job of kneading. (Prior to this purchase, I was
mixing my bread dough on a KA. I still do for large quantities of flour.)
I don't like the way West Bend bakes the bread. The bread comes out with a
very irregular top crust and it seems the left end of the loaf doesn't raise
properly.
So I put the timer on dough cycle. Depending on what bread I am making, I may
either let the dough go though the whole cycle, of mixing and raising in the
machine, or I will take it out at the end of the 40 minute mixing cycle,
knead the dough for a couple of seconds, form a ball and let rise in a
covered bowl for an hour or so.
Either way, I shape the loaves the way I want to, bake them in the oven, and
they at least, look like a loaf of bread.
Now I have a question. I bake only Kosher breads. (That is, I don't mix nor
use any dairy products with meat products in my dough or utensils, bead
machine, etc.) Many of the bread recipes call for milk. I have substituted
water, orange juice, and nondairy forms of milk in the place of regular milk.
But I saw a rye bread recipe that called for sour cream. Any suggestions?
Lou Lesky
llesky@aol.com