Since I've been on the subject lately on saving money at the grocery store, I thought I'd tackle the subject of costs that you can't avoid. You can always keep your bills down by taking it easy on the expensive convenience foods, and making a menu plan has saved me tons of money. But what do you do when the price for things you need to buy, like milk and bread, keep going up?
In the push for alternative fuel sources, pursuing ethanol has created shortages of wheat, corn and dairy products. Sara Lee has raised bread prices four times in the past 18 months and the price of wheat has increased by almost 30%.
Despite my husband's insistence that we should get a steer and keep it in our backyard, the only reasonable way to keep our costs down is by making my own bread.
My bread machine is a fantastic model by Oster that I have found to be pretty idiot proof, but when making your own bread, there are some things that you should know to increase the odds of a great end product. Bread can also be made the old fashioned way, but I prefer to dump all the ingredients into the pan and let the machine do the work. I also sometimes use the machine to make the dough, then shape it and bake it in the oven.
Here are some tips:
1) The most important aspect of making bread is exact measurements. When measuring wet ingredients, use only measuring cups marked with the cups/ounces on the side. After filling the cup, place it on a level surface and view it at eye level to make sure the amount is exact. Before adding it to the bread pan, double check.
When measuring dry ingredients, always use a scraper or the back of a butter knife to level off the measurement. Also, never use the cup to scoop the ingredients (for example, flour or sugar). By doing so, you can add up to one extra tablespoon of ingredient. Fill the measuring cup with a spoon or a second cup before leveling off.
2) When placing ingredients into the bread pan, add liquid ingredients first, then dry ingredients. Add yeast last, and only when you are ready to start the machine.
3) Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature, unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Temperature can vastly affect the way the bread rises and bakes.
4) Use fresh ingredients, especially yeast. If you're unsure how old your ingredients are, or if you're not sure if they have been properly stored, discard them and buy new.
5) If your bread machine has an expressbake option, always use a fast rising yeast. Do not use active dry yeast for expressbake cycles, because the dough will not rise properly. Always use hot water in the range of 115-125 degrees F. Use a cooking thermometer to measure. Water that is too hot can kill the yeast and cool water will not activate it. Use less salt for expressbake settings. Using less salt provides you with a higher loaf. For best results, use flour expressly meant for bread machines for expressbake settings.
6) Check your doughball. Although the bread machine kneads the dough for you, you can still check the consistency. During the second kneading cycle, lift the lid of the bread machine and look at the doughball. If it appears sticky or wet, add flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the doughball appears smooth and circles nicely in the pan. If it appears flaky, add water, one teaspoon at a time, until the doughball appears smooth.
7) If you live at a higher altitude, your dough will probably rise faster and your flour drier. To compensate, increase the amount of water in the recipe, sometimes as much as 2-4 tablespoons per cup. Reduce the amount of yeast by 1/8 to 1/4 per teaspoon of yeast. Reduce the sugar by 1-2 teaspoon per teaspoon of sugar.
8) When making dough for rolls, pretzels or pizza crust, or if you want to bake your bread in the oven, coat your hands with olive oil before removing the dough from the machine. This will keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the air out, then shape as desired. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour, before baking. To shorten the rising time by half, preheat the oven at 200 degrees for five minutes, then turn it off. Place the covered dough into the oven and close the door. Recipes using whole grain or unrefined flours contain less gluten and may not rise as much as those using white flour. This will not affect the flavor of your bread.
To get you started, here are some recipes:
Crunchy Honey Wheat Bread
1 and 2/3 cups water
2 teaspoons butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
2/3 cup toasted, slivered almonds
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Measure and add liquid ingredients to the bread pan. Measure and add dry ingredients (except yeast) to the bread pan.
Use your finger to form a well in the flour where you will pour the yeast. Yeast must never come in contact with a liquid when you are adding ingredients. Measure the yeast and carefully pour it into the well.
Snap the baking pan into the breadmaker and close the lid.
Choose the whole wheat setting and crust color. Start the machine.
Herbed Tomato Pizza Crust
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Measure and add liquid ingredients to the pan.
Measure and add dry ingredients (except yeast) to the pan. Snap the pan into the bread machine.
Forming a well in the flour with your finger, measure and add the yeast, making sure the yeast does not come in contact with the liquid ingredients.
Close the lid and choose the dough setting. Start the machine.
When dough is finished, oil your hands with olive oil and dump the dough onto a floured surface. Need several times to remove air. With a rolling pin, press dough into pizza pan. Prick surface with a fork. Bake at 450 degrees for 4-6 minutes.
Spoon pizza sauce into center of dough and spread to within one inch of the edge. Top with desired cheese and additional toppings. Bake 12-15 minutes longer or until crust is cooked through and cheese is melted but not brown.
Old Fashioned Oatmeal Bread
1 and 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
4 cups bread flour
2/3 cup quick cooking or regular oats
2 tablespoons dry milk
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast
Measure and add liquid ingredients to pan. Measure and add dry ingredients (except yeast) to pan. Using your finger to form a well in the flour, pour the yeast into the pan. Do not let the yeast touch the wet ingredients.
Snap the pan into the bread machine and close the lid. Choose the 'Sweet' setting on the menu and choose your crust color. Start the machine.
Cheddar-Chive Bread
1 and 1/4 cups water
4 cups bread flour
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh or freeze dried chives
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 3/4 teaspoons yeast
Add liquid ingredients to the pan. Add dry ingredients to the pan, except for yeast. Make a hole in the flour with your finger and add the yeast to the hole. Snap pan into bread machine and choose 'Basic' setting. Choose crust color. Start the machine.
In the push for alternative fuel sources, pursuing ethanol has created shortages of wheat, corn and dairy products. Sara Lee has raised bread prices four times in the past 18 months and the price of wheat has increased by almost 30%.
Despite my husband's insistence that we should get a steer and keep it in our backyard, the only reasonable way to keep our costs down is by making my own bread.
My bread machine is a fantastic model by Oster that I have found to be pretty idiot proof, but when making your own bread, there are some things that you should know to increase the odds of a great end product. Bread can also be made the old fashioned way, but I prefer to dump all the ingredients into the pan and let the machine do the work. I also sometimes use the machine to make the dough, then shape it and bake it in the oven.
Here are some tips:
1) The most important aspect of making bread is exact measurements. When measuring wet ingredients, use only measuring cups marked with the cups/ounces on the side. After filling the cup, place it on a level surface and view it at eye level to make sure the amount is exact. Before adding it to the bread pan, double check.
When measuring dry ingredients, always use a scraper or the back of a butter knife to level off the measurement. Also, never use the cup to scoop the ingredients (for example, flour or sugar). By doing so, you can add up to one extra tablespoon of ingredient. Fill the measuring cup with a spoon or a second cup before leveling off.
2) When placing ingredients into the bread pan, add liquid ingredients first, then dry ingredients. Add yeast last, and only when you are ready to start the machine.
3) Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature, unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Temperature can vastly affect the way the bread rises and bakes.
4) Use fresh ingredients, especially yeast. If you're unsure how old your ingredients are, or if you're not sure if they have been properly stored, discard them and buy new.
5) If your bread machine has an expressbake option, always use a fast rising yeast. Do not use active dry yeast for expressbake cycles, because the dough will not rise properly. Always use hot water in the range of 115-125 degrees F. Use a cooking thermometer to measure. Water that is too hot can kill the yeast and cool water will not activate it. Use less salt for expressbake settings. Using less salt provides you with a higher loaf. For best results, use flour expressly meant for bread machines for expressbake settings.
6) Check your doughball. Although the bread machine kneads the dough for you, you can still check the consistency. During the second kneading cycle, lift the lid of the bread machine and look at the doughball. If it appears sticky or wet, add flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the doughball appears smooth and circles nicely in the pan. If it appears flaky, add water, one teaspoon at a time, until the doughball appears smooth.
7) If you live at a higher altitude, your dough will probably rise faster and your flour drier. To compensate, increase the amount of water in the recipe, sometimes as much as 2-4 tablespoons per cup. Reduce the amount of yeast by 1/8 to 1/4 per teaspoon of yeast. Reduce the sugar by 1-2 teaspoon per teaspoon of sugar.
8) When making dough for rolls, pretzels or pizza crust, or if you want to bake your bread in the oven, coat your hands with olive oil before removing the dough from the machine. This will keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the air out, then shape as desired. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour, before baking. To shorten the rising time by half, preheat the oven at 200 degrees for five minutes, then turn it off. Place the covered dough into the oven and close the door. Recipes using whole grain or unrefined flours contain less gluten and may not rise as much as those using white flour. This will not affect the flavor of your bread.
To get you started, here are some recipes:
Crunchy Honey Wheat Bread
1 and 2/3 cups water
2 teaspoons butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
2/3 cup toasted, slivered almonds
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Measure and add liquid ingredients to the bread pan. Measure and add dry ingredients (except yeast) to the bread pan.
Use your finger to form a well in the flour where you will pour the yeast. Yeast must never come in contact with a liquid when you are adding ingredients. Measure the yeast and carefully pour it into the well.
Snap the baking pan into the breadmaker and close the lid.
Choose the whole wheat setting and crust color. Start the machine.
Herbed Tomato Pizza Crust
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Measure and add liquid ingredients to the pan.
Measure and add dry ingredients (except yeast) to the pan. Snap the pan into the bread machine.
Forming a well in the flour with your finger, measure and add the yeast, making sure the yeast does not come in contact with the liquid ingredients.
Close the lid and choose the dough setting. Start the machine.
When dough is finished, oil your hands with olive oil and dump the dough onto a floured surface. Need several times to remove air. With a rolling pin, press dough into pizza pan. Prick surface with a fork. Bake at 450 degrees for 4-6 minutes.
Spoon pizza sauce into center of dough and spread to within one inch of the edge. Top with desired cheese and additional toppings. Bake 12-15 minutes longer or until crust is cooked through and cheese is melted but not brown.
Old Fashioned Oatmeal Bread
1 and 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
4 cups bread flour
2/3 cup quick cooking or regular oats
2 tablespoons dry milk
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast
Measure and add liquid ingredients to pan. Measure and add dry ingredients (except yeast) to pan. Using your finger to form a well in the flour, pour the yeast into the pan. Do not let the yeast touch the wet ingredients.
Snap the pan into the bread machine and close the lid. Choose the 'Sweet' setting on the menu and choose your crust color. Start the machine.
Cheddar-Chive Bread
1 and 1/4 cups water
4 cups bread flour
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh or freeze dried chives
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 3/4 teaspoons yeast
Add liquid ingredients to the pan. Add dry ingredients to the pan, except for yeast. Make a hole in the flour with your finger and add the yeast to the hole. Snap pan into bread machine and choose 'Basic' setting. Choose crust color. Start the machine.
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4 comments:
Are your recipes based on a 2 lb loaf? I'm not sure if 4 cups of flour would fit into my bread machine! (I'm super interested in the cheddar-chive bread!)
MMMM! Sounds yummy! My SIL promised me her bread machine that she no longer uses, and my grandma is going to give me her wheat grinder that she no longer uses. It could be a recipe for fun!
Kat--yes, the recipes are based on a two pound loaf. I have the measurementss for the 1 1/2 pound loaf if you want them.
You don't need a bread machine or commercial yeast to make really fabulous bread, or expensive additives like almonds or even honey. I've recently started making my own sour dough bread. I even made my own starter. No-knead recipes require virtually no "hands on" prep-time--just lots of rising-- and turn out really well. The only expensive thing involved is an enameled iron dutch oven I had anyway, but any large, heavy oven-proof pot with a lid will do. I made my starter following video instructions I found at www[dot]breadtopia[dot]com. I also followed the instructions there for maintaining the starter and getting it ready to use. The recipe I use is 1 c. starter, 2. c. bread flour, 1 c. whole wheat flour, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1 cup water. You stir this up to make a ragged dough. Flour a bowl and set it aside to rise at room temp. for 12-18 hours. After that turn it out onto a floured board and sprinkle it with flour. Let it rest about 15 min. Then fold it into quarters, flatten and repeat several times. Don't spend more than a minute or two on this. It should be a pretty good doughy consistancy now. Shape it so it will fit into your dutch oven (mine is oblong so that's the shape of my loaf, most are round.) But don't put the dough in the pot; just let it rise on a floured piece of parchment paper & covered with a dish towel. Let it rise 3-4 hours. About 30 - 60 m. before baking preheat the oven to 450 with the pot in it. When the oven is ready, score the top of the bread and holding the edges of the parchment lower it into the heated pot, parchment and all. Place the lid on the pot and let it bake 30 min. Remove the lid and let it bake 5-10 min. more, unless its already done.
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