Say: Breadmaker!

So… my Love bought me a shiny new bread machine.  I’ve had a really hard time getting TIME to bake bread like I used to.  Between teaching (grading papers, planning, etc), playing with the Imp, and trying to maintain some type of order to our lives, I just don’t bake bread anymore.  BUT, I have been buying bread.  And unhappily at that.  Homemade GF bread beats the *socks* off any frozen or other form of GF bread available in the markets. And let me just say this:  I’ve tried them ALL.

I think baking my own bread for this many years has spoiled me.  When I get a load that just doesn’t turn out as light, spongy and fabulous to which I am now accustomed, I just turn it in to garlic bread, crostini, bruschetta, or some other such thing.

But people!  I need my bread!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the bread machine.  It gets RAVE reviews and it beats the GF bread perfectly (unlike my last bread machine which made me mix the batter BEFORE putting it in the machine.. umm… NO!).  I asked for this particular machine because of the reviews – and it’s quiet too!  It even makes a “normal” looking loaf of bread.  (Meaning:  the same shape as a “traditional loaf” pan does.)  Gotta love that.  The paddles didn’t leave a giant hole (or holes… as there are two on this machine) either.  Genius, I tell you!  So really – it’s not the machine!  It is completely it’s operator.  😀

So, when my Love got this fabulous bread machine, I thought I would take it on its maiden voyage with a proven recipe that I LOVE.  I made my Pepita-powered bread which has never failed me… until I stuck it in the bread maker.  Believe it or not, there was NO issue with the mixing.  I think the problem came with the rising time.  Maybe it didn’t have enough time to rise sufficiently?  What I am now eating for my bread this week is a dense loaf (a la old school rye bread) of  Pepita Bread.

To be perfectly honest, my heart sank along with the loaf.

I thought about playing around with the moisture level, the programming of the machine to allow more rise time, etc. But then – DUH!  I have a whole group of people I can ask!

So I’m asking YOU!

  • Have you converted any of your bread recipes to be used in a bread machine?
  • Do you use a bread machine for your GF bread?
  • Got any tips to share?

In the meantime, I am making Cheesey Bread (Faux Chebe Bread) that whips up and bakes in less time than it takes the Midge to read a couple books at my feet.  (PERFECT!)  The bonus part:  she loves to “help” by standing on a chair and dumping in the cheese for these tasty buns too.  There is nothing more beautiful than having your own personal baking assistant who makes you laugh when you hit the switch too high and the tapioca flour F—–L——-I——-E——-S!!  Life is good!

But, surely I’m not the only one asking for help with bread machine conversions, am I?
Thanks for your ideas and input, everyone!
My bread-craving tummy thanks you too!
xoxoxo!
~Kate

Comments are closed.

%d bloggers like this: