Hello,
I just joined, thanks to info from a friend of mine, Dennis. Your digest is
really interesting and I enjoy what I have read so far. I have been baking
bread by hand since I was about 12 years old (I'm 28 now), but my hubby
recently bought me a bread machine which I adore. I like the hands on
baking because it is soothing, and will always use that method to make rolls
I think, but the bread machine is quick and convenient (especially since I
work and it is nice to come home to fresh bread), less messy, and my son
likes to watch it work through the little window (I guess I am less exciting
to watch). I have tried kits and plus I have adapted some favorite recipes
and am quite pleased, except for a couple of questions....
...when I make 50% whole wheat by hand it raises better than any other
variety, but in the bread machine it doesn't...why? I've also tried 100%
whole wheat and multigrain bread in the machine and it doesn't rise much
(though it is still soft and tasty). I do have gluten which I have used
when it was called for? Should I avoid the whole wheat cycle and stick to
regular? Plus, when I have made recipes where I am to add things, like
raisins or whatever, part way into the process (at the beep in the knead
cycle), the things do tend to accumulate more near the bottom, even though I
do poke at the dough with a soft spatula to help things mix (you know what I
mean). Advice?
I have a super yummy recipe that I got from somebody (Please forgive me but
I don't remember who) on the eat-l recipe list. The chocolate chips melt
and make chocolate swirls (yummy). I added pecans too since I ran out of
walnuts...here it is
Chocolate Walnut Bread (1 1/2 pound loaf)
1 egg+enough water to = 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1 tbsp dry milk
1 1/4 tsp yeast
3/4 c chocolate chips
1/4 c chopped walnuts
Measure carefully, placing all ingred in bread machine pan in the order
recommended by the manufacturer. Select sweet cycle, do not use delay. Add
chips and walnuts at beep in knead cycle.
Notes: I had to add a bit of water during the kneading, but I didn't really
measure it and you guys may wish to keep an eye on it and adjust it for
yourselves, plus the original recipe used only 1 tsp yeast, which likely is
fine but I didn't try it that way.
Bye for now, please feel free to e-mail me or post answers to my (probably)
silly questions. ;-)
Mindy
mvinqvist@mta.ca