Homemade Bread

Freezer section - next to the biscuits. We use Rhoads. You set in a bread pan in the morning. Let it rise all day. Put in the oven for 25 min before dinner. Voila - homemade bread.

Actual homemade - too much work for this SAHD. And the bread machine looks cool - just haven't saved up the "dough" yet. aaahahaha - I am slapping my knee on that one!

I used to bake bread alot I would spend an entire day doing it making 3 batches (6 loaves) at a time. I would freeze it, sliced before freezing. If you have a micro brewery near you ask them for some of their yeast, beer yeast gives such a wonderful taste, just use a sterile mason jar w/lid. gl

Home made bread is WONDERFUL - there are tons and tons of recipes. If you get into it the book 'Beard on Bread' by James Beard is superb (and a classic). Otherwise, try Epicurious.com for lots of recipes. I don't know how cost effective it is - if you are baking instead of buying bakery/artisan bread it will save you $$$, if you are baking instead of buying Wonderbread, maybe not as much. BUT - you get to have way better bread and control what ingredients go into it so you can do whole grains and avoid all the processed garbage that is in much bread. Most recipes are for two loaves - don't try to scale down bread recipes until you are really experienced. Homemade bread freezes wonderfully - just wait until it is completely cooled, wrap tightly in saran wrap and then in a freezer bag. Have fun. Kids LOVE making bread.

I have a bread machine. It does not save that much time and hand kneaded bread is infinitely better.

If you want a 'sandwich' white bread this is great (from the Joy of Cooking) -

http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/613004-White-Bread

You can substitute up to 50% whole wheat flour in almost all bread recipes. Using bread flour for the rest makes a big difference (bread flour is higher in gluten - the protein that is essential in the texture of your bread). If you want all whole grains, you need to use a recipe that calls for that.

The bread you bake at home might definitely be healthier than the bread you get at the store. Cost-wise, it depends. I don't know if you can make a loaf for less than the cost of cheap white sandwich bread from the grocery. But it might be in the running against some of the fancier, healthier breads, which in my neighborhood go from about three to five dollars a loaf. And there's nothing kids like better than bread fresh from the oven (except dessert, of course).

Bread isn't difficult to make once you get the hang of it. It just takes time because you have to hang around and let it rise once or twice. I don't have a bread machine, but I hear that a machine can make it easier. Make only the bread you need (or can freeze), though, because your bread won't have anything in it to retard staleness.

There are a gazillion recipes! Try the one you have first, see what you think of it, and then look at others. My standard homemade loaf is a corn meal bread that most people seem to like (except for my husband, who only likes the standard white bread mentioned above - oh well).

I've thought the same thing in the past and tried to make my own. I was never satisfied with the result. If you're looking to replicate the soft squishy store bought bread, I'm not sure it is possible. My loaves were always dense and crummy. They also did not slice well for sandwiches.

So I suppose it is all in what you're looking for. If you go in with a preconceived notion of what you're looking for, you may be disappointed.

PS. I've tried bread machines and "free form" and was not satisfied either way.

I am having the same debate with myself. I'm trying to make whole grain bread and am having problems finding one that is like the bread you buy at the store - I'm looking for something good for sandwiches. I found that using the Kitchen Aid mixer to kneed it then transfering into loaves was too much work for me. The breadmaker does cut down on that work a lot. I'm still tweaking my recipe, but I'll tell you what I've got so far. It's almost there.
In bread machine on whole wheat setting, light crust. Liquids first.

1 1/4 c water
2 T honey
2 T butter softened
1 1/4 t salt
2 c whole white wheat flour
1/3 c AP flour (I try to use unbleached, unbromated)
3/4 c quick oats (or regular oats I run through the food processor)
1 1/4 t bread machine yeast
1/8 c vital wheat gluten

Its the best I've gotten but not perfect. Adapted from the Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread on allrecipes.com

Bread can be very simple, or very complex. One can spend 3 days prefermenting the dough, buying ovens which jet steam in order for that perfect crispy french or italian crust... or just throw the ingredients in a bread machine in 5 minutes and walk away.

There are some EXCELLENT bread books out there... one trick, is to always punch and proof (let it rise to double it's size, punch it down, let it rise again, punch it down) twice.

My father is the 3 day per batch kind of baker. His bread is so good, that I'm actually incapable of making my own. I've been helping him since I was a child, and it's just a time investment that I don't make. <grin> Although I'll take his whenever he makes extra! (He makes over 70 different kinds of bread, a dozen on a regular basis, the rest as the mood strikes or one of us asks for a special recipe.) So instead, because bread up here is $4-$6 a loaf, heck, even wonderbread is $2-$3 I buy mine from a local bakery in their day old section. $1 instead of $6.

King Arthur Flour is his/my favorite flour company. Phenom flour. Failing that Whole Foods has a grinder you can use yourself.

Baking is a science (cooking an art), so get ready to experiment!!! And have fun! It's a great hobby.

Oh. And #1 trick??? Invest in a very good breadknife. One that slices through like a hot knife through butter. I recommend Wustoff or Henkles both very highly.

You cannot beat the flavor and smell of homemade bread...with butter...Man could live on that I'm pretty sure...

Since you mention the price...have you thought of checking out local Bread outlets? I used to visit the Orowheat Outlet Store....and that was the best bread for $$. Definitely cheaper than making it.

Another option is to go to your favorite local grocery store chain early in the morning and you'll find tons of 'day old' bread, which means nothing, and it's 50-75% off.

GL!

Yes, we bake our bread. I also mill the wheat into flour, which is even more cost effective. And, it isn't hard. I have a handy machine that does it for me. You might google Bosch mixers in your area and find someone who sells them. They usually offer free or inexpensive classes that teach you how to mill your flour and bake delicious bread. My family loves it. I bought a second mill when we realized we have a couple of gluten sensitive children. So, now I mill rice for rice flour for our gf bread as well. So yummy. Nothing at all like the store bought cardboard. ;)

my family enjoys amish white bread ;) if you have a stand mixer its very easy. i make 4 loaves at a time because its soo yummy!!!

We have a bread machine and a whole wheat recipe my husband has tweaked (yes, I'll admit, he's the one who ends up making the bread around here). When we rely solely on our homemade bread, we save anywhere from $12-15 a week (we have a big family, and everyone loves bread). We buy the ingredients in bulk (you can even get bulk yeast at Sam's), so it is really very cost effective. With the bread machine, it's not difficult at all. You just throw the ingredients in and let the machine do the work. If you're doing it by hand, you're going to be spending a lot more time at it.

My one big beef, and this may sound silly, is that it is hard to slice "normal" sized slices for sandwiches with homemade bread, especially if the loaf turns out more crumbly than normal. It's not enough to only buy store bread, though.