Robert Browning said it best: “If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” Given Mr. B’s affection for this heavenly food, I do believe he would rejoice with me in celebrating January, otherwise known as Breadmachine Month!
Here’s how I envision us revelling…. While Liz is off at a Hot Yoga for Poets in Hoopskirts class, Mr B visits me in my kitchen for tea and toast. It’s a blustery, cold winter day in Ottawa. Over steaming mugs of tea we gossip about Dicken’s latest “friend” and muse about one day writing a food and romance blog. Gorging on fat slices of my Oatmeal Molasses Bread (fresh from my breadmaker)—toasted to perfection and slathered in thick buckwheat honey—he proclaims, “Ey my dear, the invention of the breadmaker completely surpasses the creation of sliced bread!” Indeed, he is right. This little gem of baking efficiency warms the ingredients to the perfect temperature before mixing the ingredients to form a soft dough, then allows the dough to rise with grace, and in a grand finale… bakes the shaped loaf to heavenly perfection—all in one unit. All you, the human baker need do is measure the ingredients into the breadpan, insert the breadpan into the machine and press start. About four hours later when the bread is baked, the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread will waft in the air of your humble abode. At which time you will don your oven mitts, pull the bread from the breadmaker and turn out a hot, fragrant loaf of bread. Do allow it cool for one hour before slicing. As Mr. Browning would undoubtedly agree: “If thou makest bread in the fashion of old, thou wilt have toiled from sunrise to sunset, dirtied many pots and bowls for the yield of but a few wretched loaves.”
During the eighties, I loved making bread from scratch. Truth be told, however, it was a full day affair; time consuming and very messy indeed. When I became a Mother and began working full time I did not have the time to spare for my first love. Tissues please…sniff, sniff. In 1994, when I first laid eyes on my very own breadmaker, the heavens and the stars aligned. I was dizzy with elation as I thumbed through the bread machine manual and recipe book and dreamed of the endless possibilities; whole-wheat loaves, cinnamon raisin buns, soft dinner rolls, French baguettes, Christmas fruit breads…. She was a Westbend model; compact, clunky, noisy, and a wee bit on the heavy side, yet full of promise and runway potential. By fluke, I discovered a characteristic undisclosed in the manual: the Dough menu option could be used in conjunction with the Timer delay function. That’s when Westie began working overtime and her popularity as a standard appliance in my house rose to Number One. She mixed the ingredients overnight as I slept and I arose in the morning to fresh dough ready to be shaped and baked before I left for work. During the day she mixed up pizza dough, ready to be rolled out upon my arrival home from work. Sadly, I pushed Westie beyond the borders of breadmachine endurance and burnt out the motor in about two years. We parted ways on a wet, cold November garbage day. Westie shed no tears but I did. After this, just the sight of a Fleischman’s yeast package would be enough to bring a tear to my eye, rekindling memories of Westie and my breadmachine possession obsession. As Christmas drew closer, I asked myself how I could possibly live through the festive season without making buns, loaves, and sweet breads in my breadmaker? At this point I realized the only solution was to have multiple breadmakers—at least two —one would never be enough!
Over the last 15 years I have had as many as five breadmakers at once with each one boasting a unique option to prolong my need to keep it, i.e. a 3lb loaf option, a jam option, pasta making abilities, super-fast rapid loaf, a “bake for one hour more” feature, etc. Recently, I downsized to two breadmachines. My favourite feature is still the Dough-Timer delay option which I use to mix the ingredients while I sleep. I awake to a lump of dough ready to be shaped and baked first thing in the morning. Just like breadbaking used to be; a daily affair, done first thing in the morning.
I do believe Mr. Browning would appreciate this feature too. Perchance he referred to it when he whispered, “There, that is our secret: go to sleep! You will wake, and remember, and understand.”
Be not afraid….go forth and celebrate Breadmachine Month. Breadmakers are simple and easy to use. The loaves you create will be nutritious and delicious. Dare I say, Mr. Browning and I guarantee you will never want to eat a morsel of store bought bread again!
Note: For any of the 2 lb bread recipes I give below you can shape the dough into buns, using the Dough cycle option and following the bun-making instructions in the Oatmeal Molasses Bread/Bun recipe.
To get you started, here are a few tips and recipes (below).
Tips when using your breadmaker:
· Please DO NOT substitute or omit liquid, milk powder, salt, syrup, sugar, butter, flour or yeast. Breadmaking is an exact science. All of these ingredients need each other to produce a perfect loaf.
· Measure ingredients carefully and accurately.
· Be sure to scoop flour into the measuring cup and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife—do not shake down or pack the flour!
Breadbaking 101: Art meets chemistry.
While you don’t need to be Picasso or know the entire periodic table, good bread is all about good chemistry between the ingredients, and you and your creativity. Liquid, flour yeast, sugar and salt, may sound like boring party guests but in the bread scenario but each play a vital role in getting a rise out of the dough. Never omit or adjust any one of them or your loaves will be flops. Here’s what the ingredients do:
Flour contains gluten, a protein that “entangles the air”, elasticizes the dough and helps the dough rise. Canadian all-purpose flour contains enough gluten to produce excellent loaves. Only wheat and rye flours contain gluten.
Liquids can be water or milk. Water gives a crisper crust while milk produces a more tender-textured loaf.
Yeast makes the dough rise. Use breadmachine yeast when making bread or dough in your breadmaker.
Salt controls the yeast’s activity, prevents the loaf from over-rising and collapsing and boosts the bread’s flavour. Without it, bread is deadpan dull to the palette!
Sugar feeds the yeast and gives a delicate brown crust.
Shortening can be butter, margarine, oil or lard. Butter gives bread a soft texture and a tender crumb.
Eggs add to the lightness of the bread and tend to slow down the action of the yeast.
Maple Nut Bread
Makes one 2 pound loaf
1 ¼ cups water
2 tsp maple flavouring
¼ cup buttermilk powder or skim milk powder
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar – packed
2 tbsp butter or margarine
3 ½ cups all-purpose Canadian flour, Robin Hood, Five Roses or bread machine flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (or a mixture if you like!)
1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast
Place the ingredients into the breadpan in the order given and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the BASIC cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.
Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg and Raisin Bread
NOTE: In this recipe you will be using the Sweet Cycle and adding the raisins after the breadmachine begins mixing. Be sure to listen for the Add Ingredients beeping sound about 10-15 minutes into the mixing cycle, then lift the lid of the breadmaker and pour the raisins into the mixture.
Makes one 2 lb loaf
1 1/3 cups water
1 egg
¼ cup buttermilk powder or skim milk powder
1 ¼ tsp salt
¼ cup brown sugar – packed
2 tbsp butter, margarine or shortening
3 ¾ cups all-purpose Canadian flour, Robin Hood, Five Roses or bread machine flour
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 ½ tsp breadmachine yeast
1 cup Thomson raisins
Set raisins aside and place the rest of the ingredients into the breadpan in the order given and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the Sweet cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.
English Muffin Loaf
Makes one 2 lb loaf
1 cup of milk at room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp butter, margarine or shortening
3 cups all-purpose Canadian flour, Robin Hood, Five Roses or bread machine flour
1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast
Place the ingredients into the breadpan in the order listed and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the BASIC cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.
Cheese Dill Bread (Superb for Salmon Sandwiches!)
1 1/3 cups water
½ cup cottage cheese
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp butter, margarine or shortening
1 cup whole wheat flour, preferably Canadian made or Five Roses or Robin Hood or whole wheat flour for the bread machine (available at Bulk Bard and health food stores)
2 ¾ cups all purpose flour preferably Canadian made or Five Roses or Robin Hood or white flour for the bread machine
1 ½ tsp dried dill or 2 tbsp fresh dill, cut into little bits-with scissors
1 ¼ tsp bread machine yeast
Place the ingredients into the breadpan in the order listed and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the BASIC cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.
Mustard Rye Bread
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup Dijon mustard or peppercorn mustard
¼ cup buttermilk powder or skim milk powder
¾ tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar – packed
2 tbsp butter, margarine or canola oil
1 cup whole wheat flour, preferably Canadian made or Five Roses or Robin Hood or whole wheat flour for the bread machine (available at Bulk Bard and health food stores)
2 cups cups all purpose flour preferably Canadian made or Five Roses or Robin Hood or white flour for the bread machine
¾ cup Rye flour
1 tbsp dill seeds
1 ¾ tsp breadmachine yeast
Place the ingredients into the breadpan in the order listed and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the WholeWheat cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.
Oatmeal Molasses Bread or Buns
(For 2 lb bread machine loaf or 18 round buns)
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup skim milk or buttermilk powder
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup molasses
2 tbsp butter (room temperature)
2 cups whole wheat flour for the bread machine
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or white bread machine flour
¾ cup quick cooking oats
½ cup 7-grain or 12-grain cereal (Bulk Barn)
1 ½ tsp breadmachine yeast
Put the ingredients in the breadmachine pan in the exact order given above. Place the pan into the bread machine. Select the 2lb loaf size and select the Wholewheat cycle. Press start.
To make buns:
Select the Dough cycle on the breadmaker after inserting the pan. When the Dough cycle is complete and signal beeps, remove dough from the breadmaker.
Divide dough into 18 evenly sized dough pieces. Using your primary math skills: divide dough into three even size pieces, then divide each third into six pieces. Be sure to cover the dough to be worked with plastic wrap. It should be touching the dough to act like a skin.
To shape each bun, knead each piece lightly: Push dough away from you with your thumbs, then fold over on itself, then repeat. Then, holding the dough piece in your hand, gently pull the dough from the top of the ball and push this into the underside, as if you were shaping a mushroom. Then gently roll the round dough piece under the palm of your hand (on a cutting board) with your fingertips gently touching the cutting board surface, as though you were rolling the dough in a round cage or playing a shell game!
Place each round ball on a large pizza pan lined with parchment paper. Place balls about 1 inch apart. No worries if they are touching, they will just bake together. Also, remember to cover dough to be worked or baked with plastic wrap at all times. This prevents a skin from forming on the dough.
Preheat oven to 350F. Set oven rack to middle of the oven.
Set dough to rise:
Place pan of dough balls over a cookie rack, resting on top of a warm pan of water. Cover dough balls with plastic wrap (touching the dough) and a heavy tea towel. The objective is to create a warm, humid and draft-free environment. Let rise until just double in bulk (about 35 minutes).
When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap, brush with milk and sprinkle with a little oatmeal and lightly press into dough.
Bake in centre of oven for 25-30 minutes. These buns make a lovely tower of buns on a round, festive tray, wrapped in cellophane and tied up with a pretty bow. Brings a whole new meaning to Nice Buns!
Huge Hollywood snowflakes are falling here in Ottawa. Up to 10 cm is one the way today. The Rideau Canal Skateway will be open for skating very soon. Winterlude, snowslides, Beavertails..Yahoo! Oh right, the chicken recipe...May I suggest this elegant little ditty? Thank you to Malena for inspiring me to share it. This dish is easy to prepare and looks lovely on the plate with a little cooked Quinoa, rice, or roasted potatoes and some colourful green veggies like beans, bok choy, or asparagus! Guest worthy and picture worthy too.
