Taking the leap [Archive]

Deberosa

08-03-2008, 06:40 AM

Shamrock, thank you for all of your great information here! Thanks to that info I am getting started in bread making.

I ordered my Zoriushi(sp?) machine and will get the Nutrimill next. That will be my first purchase with my new raise! I think I will start with Hard Red Wheat and Spelt based on your posts, but I need to find a local source. I'll visit the coop in the city soon but for now I'll just try the flours at the grocery store to get used to doing this.

Any other suggestions for a real newby? Oh, I also got Bread Making for Dummies. ;-) I've been collecting all kinds of other break making books and info from the web and from books at yard sales.

Shamrock1121

08-03-2008, 07:25 AM

Shamrock, thank you for all of your great information here! *Thanks to that info I am getting started in bread making.

I ordered my Zoriushi(sp?) machine and will get the Nutrimill next. *That will be my first purchase with my new raise! *I think I will start with Hard Red Wheat and Spelt based on your posts, but I need to find a local source. *I'll visit the coop in the city soon but for now I'll just try the flours at the grocery store to get used to doing this.

Any other suggestions for a real newby? *Oh, I also got Bread Making for Dummies. ;-) *I've been collecting all kinds of other break making books and info from the web and from books at yard sales.

WOO HOO!!! ;D

1. I'd suggest using the recipes that come with the Zojirushi (commonly shortened to "Zo") to get you started. They are designed for the machine and will help to get you accustomed to using the bread machine. Did you get the small machine, or the big one? Expect a few failures. Bread is one of the most humbling things in the baking world.

2. I never bake in the machine, but use it for making dough. I baked in my first Zo to keep the heat out of the kitchen, and you'll get good results using it for baking as well as making dough. I'll PM you some of my favorite recipes.

You'll find 1-pound recipes for bread machines, but when you bake them in the Zo, they are flat/squat loaves (the pan is just too large to make a nice 1-pound loaf. Recipes that make 1-1/2 and 2-pounds of dough work best when baking in the Zo.

3. I generally make 2-pound recipes and make 2 loaves out of it. Because of some of my wierd ingredient additions, I generally get more than 2-pounds of dough.

4. I've never had a failed recipe out of the book, "Bread Machines For Dummies" by Glenna Vance and Tom Lacalamita. Tom Lacalamita has another bread machine book - "The All-New Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook" which is also very good. Check your local library for books. I've accumulated a large selection of them over the years, but like most books, you'll use only a few recipes out of it.

5. I prefer hard WHITE wheat, but I do use some red wheat. You'll find red wheat has that acidic taste commonly associated with whole wheat flour that many people find "icky". Because I got the hard red wheat at a bargain price, I couldn't resist purchasing it and usually mix it 50/50 with white wheat to temper that whole wheat taste.

6. Know which type of yeast to use. I keep both active dry yeast and SAF-Instant on hand (I purchase both in bulk packages and keep them in the freezer). When you make bread on the Quick Cycle, you MUST use an instant type (fast-acting) yeast.

7. Don't be afraid to open the bread machine and check the condition of the dough while it's mixing/kneading. You want the dough to form into a soft ball that is sticky to the touch. You can add water or flour as needed. I never load-and-leave my bread machine. I generally need to adjust something.

8. Do you have a kitchen scale? (A simple/inespensive one is just fine.) I think it's a valuable tool for breadmaking. Do you have an instant-read thermometer? When baking bread in the oven, testing the temperature of the loaf is a better method for testing for doneness than any other method.

9. Don't hesitate to ask questions.

Happy breadmaking! :D

-Karen