Many years ago I had a bread machine - a first generation bread machine - it was huge, heavy, and made bread in the wrong direction. It wasn’t a loaf but more of a cylinder of bread. It was weird. Since those early days bread machines have come a long long way and range in price from around $60 to upwards of $300+ … that is a lot of money and an investment.
However, like most people I find it is so satisfying to walk into my kitchen and be bowled over by the smell of something baking and nothing smells as wonderful to me as bread baking. Cookies, cakes, and brownies all have a special place in my heart but there is just something so comforting and magical to me about the aroma of a fresh loaf coming to life in my oven! An amazing little miracle of flour and water that creates a vehicle for my favorite grilled cheese sandwich, or simply a warm slice of deliciousness with a big smear of real butter. Nothing beats it!
I love to make all kinds of breads from scratch, whether it is a crusty French loaf or a quick buttermilk biscuit - it is all luscious! For me, it’s kind of a therapeutic process that involves patience, accurate measurements, and lots of waiting. I always enjoy the process and feel gratified by the result.
Well, guess what? As much as I enjoy the ‘from-scratch’ process, this Christmas I got a new, modern, less weird bread machine ... and I kind of love it! It’s easy to use, makes a normal shaped loaf, and (the best part of all) we can have fresh bread everyday! (I will report back here in another post when I have to go on a strict carb-free diet because I’ve gained a thousand pounds!)
The truth is that I work full-time so ‘from-scratch’ bread making is reserved for holidays and other special occasions due to time constraints. This fabulous new machine allows us a little slice of heaven whenever we want it! I won’t ever give up making true ‘from-scratch’ breads but this is a nice occasional substitute.
Here’s some pictures of my first loaf:
If you love the art of bread making and baking as much as I do you might also enjoy a wonderful book written by William Alexander titled 52 Loaves: A Half Baked Adventure. It is the delightful story of a man in search of the perfect loaf of bread … that includes growing and harvesting his own wheat!
Didn’t get a new bread machine for Christmas?
Well, here’s my fabulous recipe for a delicious French ‘from-scratch’ loaf:
Pane Francese Casalingo (Home baked French bread)
7 cups of all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 ½ cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Butter & cornmeal
Warm the mixing bowl prior to adding the ingredients. You can do this by filling the bowl with hot water while you are gathering your ingredients and pouring out the water out when you are ready to begin mixing.
Grease the inside of the pans with butter and sprinkle with cornmeal. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. **
Combine 2 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix these ingredients. Add the water and olive oil and beat for 2 minutes with dough hook attachment. Slowly add the remaining flour and beat for 5-6 minutes. Dough should come together in a ball.
Place dough in a bowl that has been greased with olive oil. Turn the dough over so there is olive oil all over it. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
Punch the dough down and cut it into 2 equal pieces. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Roll each piece of dough into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle. Roll it up from the longest side and place in the prepared pans, seam side down. Make several cuts in the top of each loaf. Cover and let rise again until double in size.
Bake for about 25 minutes.
**This recipe works best using a French bread pan or baguette pan. I bought mine from a local kitchen store in Tallahassee called Brown’s Kitchen, www.brownskitchen.com, 2551 Capital Circle NE, 850.385.5665.
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