OK Folks, here is a multi-response to some recent questions/comments
about bread appliances (sorry, it's a lengthy one):
Panini Maker:
I purchased a "Belgian Waffler" from Sur La Table a year ago. It is made by
VillaWare (company located in Ohio, but the instruction book was printed in
China so the appliance may come from there as well). I can't remember what
it cost, but somewhere between $69-$89 feels right. Its attraction was a
set of removable heating surfaces allowing cooking versatility. One set of
"plates" has the deep pocketed surface to produce belgian waffles. The
other set has a flat side and flipping over has a ridged side. It opens
fully to lay flat if desired. Therefore, one can make belgian waffles or
use the second set of plates as a griddle (flat side) or a grill (ridged
side). The instruction book even gives a recipe for panini so it obviously
can be used for that as as well as for making pancakes, grilling meat etc.
I rather get more bang for my buck instead of getting a one purpose
appliance. Check with S. la T. to see if they still carry this appliance.
Breadman Bagel Maker:
Friends gave me this appliance last year and I like it. I do believe it
makes bagel making easier and my family thinks the results taste like the
"real thing" (my husband and I were born in New York City and raised on
bagels so draw your own conclusions). I have gone the "do it from scratch
route", but I honestly for whatever reasons think the machine ones are
better and less trouble to make. Now, for the details. Our friends thought
that one added the ingredients to the machine, PRESTO, bagels emerged! NOT!
First you make the dough, let it have a first rise, form it into rings and
THEN you use the machine to first submerge 4 small bagels at a time, in
boiling water. The cooking tray is then raised above the water level to
bake under the heating element in the lid. The process is fairly quick and
easy though it must be repeated several times to use up all the dough. I
usually make the dough in the bread machine (sometimes programming the
night before so the dough is ready when I awake). Most bread doughs make
wonderful bagels. Using pre-packaged bread mixes and both machines not only
streamlines the process, but you can make some awesome specialty bagels
with unique flavors.
Breadmaker:
I'll admit it, I'm a hands on type of gal, but I do own a breadmaker. I do
not like the texture of or look of breads baked in one. The ability to
produce dough is another thing entirely. A breadmaker is an invaluable tool
to mix, knead and rise dough when you are short on time. I never fully
utilized this feature until I read Marcy Goldman's "A Treasury of Jewish
Holiday Baking" (a terrific, must have book). Marcy said that if you are
not intending to bake your bread in the breadmaker anyway that you can use
bread recipes calling for 6-7 cups of flour. This means a bread machine can
prepare all your standard 2 loaf recipes. I can produce "magical" bread by
machine mixing and hand shaping/oven baking.
One last note for those of you who haven't fallen asleep reading this ;-) I
wanted to address the difficulty in general of kneading wet, "artisan"
doughs such as Maggie Glezer's recipes. Many bread baking gurus suggest
that these doughs be made in a mixer because of the difficulty of working
with such sticky doughs. I sometimes just like to do it by hand anyway. I
have made the ciabatta and baguettes from Maggie's book (they are super!)
by hand using the following method. I mix and knead the dough right in my
large mixing bowl. I keep one hand "clean" and use it to turn the bowl. I
use my "wet" hand along with a plastic, flexible bench knife/pot scraper to
turn and fold the gloppy mess. Eventually, there is definitely a difference
in the look and consistency of the dough that signals its development. It
will not look like a less wet dough (smooth and with a definite form), but
nonetheless it will bake up fine. You can't avoid at least one sticky hand
and you won't be able to work with a real rhythm, but that is the nature of
the beast. The bowl gives you some control so that the dough doesn't spread
all over. To get rid of that sticky hand, try a baker's trick: rub some
extra flour between both hands over a sink. The gooey stuff will absorb the
flour and rub off your hands in a jiff. Please try this, before investing
in more products.
TIA for your patience
Ellen aka Gormay