Irish Potato Brown Bread

I had a hankering for grilled cheese and wanted to try a new recipe, but one that seemed like good sandwich bread (that would absorb lots of lots of butter!).  I found this recipe in the cookbook I tend to use (it's a behemoth, but tons of ideas/recipes to work from), did a quick ingredients check (yes, yes, yes!), and tried it.  Here's the recipe:

Irish Potato Brown Bread (2 lb. loaf)

1 2/3 cups water

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp. honey

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1/3 cup instant potato flakes

2 Tbsp. gluten

2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. yeast

I have never made bread with instant potato flakes before, and I've seen several recipes call for it.  And now I know why - the whole wheat + the potato flakes are a great combination - hearty and moist!  A nice version of honey wheat bread.

I can already tell that it's not a bread that will last too long.  But thankfully, between grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and I used it to dip in my Pasta Fagoli soup that night, there's only a couple slices left for the next day (think breakfast toast!). 

Is a bread machine worth it?

While my immediate answer is "YES, YES, YES!", buying a bread machine isn't just a quick trip to the store and getting a small appliance.  A bread machine is a big purchase, and cost up in the upwards range of $200 (here's a list of Amazon's best sellers).  Only you can decide if homemade bread is worth the time and upfront cost.  To help illustrate the costs, here's the breakdown of making a loaf of simple white bread:

• 1 1/3 cups Water - $0.02
• 4 1/4 cups Bread Flour - $0.45
• 4 Tbsp. Sugar - $0.03
• 2 Tbsp. Dry Milk - $0.10
• 2 tsp. Salt - $0.03
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. Butter (I use unsalted and cut it into pieces) - $0.10
• 2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast - $0.25 (buy in bulk or jars...packets are too expensive!)
• Electricity to use the bread machine for almost 4 hours - $0.20

Total cost to make one 2 lb. loaf of bread:  $1.18

When you involve the cost of buying the bread machine, I realize that we are not saving a lot of money by making homemade bread -- at least, not compared to what we could spend for the cheapest bread in the grocery store.  But when you start thinking the cost of buying pizza dough from the grocery store, artisan breads from the bakery, and the "better loaves" in the bread aisle, the cost is looking better and better.

And, with all of that said, you cannot put a price on knowing exactly what is in your bread, the smell that wafts through the house, and the excitement you get when you pull that freshly baked loaf out of the bread machine.  And...the most important of all - homemade bread tastes better.

So what's the bottom line?
That's up to you to decide.  If you find that you like a variety of breads (as well as the other goodies you can make), enjoy the idea of making homemade bread (but don't always have the time to knead and let the dough rise), and are willing to invest in a good appliance that can last for years and years, then go for it and splurge on a bread machine.  You'll be happy you did.

Marionberry Jam in the Bread Machine

I've had the bread machine for awhile, and until today, haven't attempted the Jam course.  Why?  Due in part to not having a big desire to can it and that the girls aren't really into jams/jellies yet, the idea of making homemade jam has interested me, but there hasn't been a compelling need.  Until now.  I have a bunch of spinach that I need to use!

What does spinach have to do with jam?

Well...my meal plan for the week didn't include spinach, and I had this fabulous organic bunch that I needed to use.  I have this recipe book called Deceptively Delicious, where the basic premise is to "sneak" fruits and vegetables in everyday food by incorporating pureed versions of those healthy varieties into the meal.  I haven't made anything in it yet because the girls actually like fruits and vegetables (for now).  But the light bulb went off with this bunch of spinach, and I flipped through the cookbook and found a recipe for Blueberry Oatmeal Bars that called for spinach puree.  And, my husband is starting to bring lunches to work, and oatmeal bars is a great snack to put in there!  Bonus!!!!

Again, where does making oatmeal bars fit into making jam in the bread machine?

Okay, okay, I digress.  The recipe called for 1 cup of blueberry preserves (which I didn't have), but I did have marionberries (similar to a blackberry) that I froze earlier this summer.  The blackberries thawed, and I used the Jam Cycle in my bread machine to make homemade preserves!  Here it is:


Marionberry Jam in the Bread Machine

2 1/2 cups marionberries
1.75 oz. box powdered fruit pectin
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Add all ingredients to the bread machine.  Incorporate the sugar and let sit for 15 minutes so the sugar dissolves.  Start the Jam Cycle, and 1 hour and 20 minutes later - Voila!  You have jam!  And it tasted absolutely fabulous - I can't believe I waited this long to make jam.  Here's a note my bread machine users:  your output isn't that much (3-4 cups at the most) because the mixture has to be pretty much even with the blades.  So for this recipe, I canned one jar, and put the rest in the recipe:  Blueberry Oatmeal Bars with Spinach.  The bars are cooling now...I'll post a comment to let you know how they taste (and whether anyone can detect the spinach)!

Italian Whole Wheat Flatbread...molto gustoso!

Here's a dough recipe that I tried for the first time today.  Why dough and not a complete loaf out of the bread machine?  Honestly, I ran out of time.  I had great intentions of making a great dipping bread for dinner tonight (angel hair pasta with homemade sauce with ground turkey).  Then, 4 p.m. rolled around and I didn't have 3 hours and 45 minutes to make something.  I flipped through The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and this popped out - easy ingredients and ready fairly quick, in about 2 1/2 hours (which I had!).  And, I really liked the idea of using whole wheat flour.  Here's the recipe:

Italian Whole Wheat Flatbread
2/3 cup water
1 cup milk (I had whole)
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast

Add ingredients - set to Dough cycle (1 hour, 50 minutes in my machine).  Once the dough is finished, roll out into a 15x10x1 inch oiled metal pan (I had Pyrex).  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. 

Okay, I'm going to pause here.  First, I got home about 10 minutes after the Dough Cycle was finished and the dough rose so much that it actually looked like a loaf in the viewing window.  I couldn't imagine it rising any more...so I took it out (very wet dough) and rolled it out, dimpled it with a spoon, drechned it with olive oil, sea salt, and sprinking half of it with Italian seasoning (thinking the girls wouldn't like the specs of spices!):

It "rested" for maybe 15 minutes...while the oven preheated.  I baked for 20 minutes at 425, and turned out nice and golden brown (see above).

Did you see how much more it rose?  This wasn't flatbread at all...but ended up becoming the good dipping bread I was aspiring to originally!  This was really easy to make, and we have a lot leftover after everyone in the family - even the girls - had their share (I think croutons are in this loaf's future).   
I think there's a lot more opportunity to be  reallycreative with this - I'd say more sea salt (I probably only used a couple teaspoons), more spices (even adding some to the dough), and if you wanted it flatter, 1/2 tsp less of yeast.  Maybe even olives and rosemary.  Or, cheese melted on top.  All in all - it's a winner and something I can go to if I don't have the time to do a whole cycle.

Leftover stale bread...now what?

I have to admit, I have a bad track record with stale bread.  I'll make it for a specific meal (say as an accompanyment for soup) and maybe toast the next morning.  Then, I forget about it.  One resolution of starting this blog is to make sure I use my bread until the entire loaf is gone!  For example, here's what happened with what I've made this past week:

• White bread - First it was used to dip in chicken noodle soup, then made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch
• Pizza Dough - Made four dough balls - used two for dinner, the other two went into the freezer to be used laster this week
• Dutch Apple Cake - Still eating it!  It's delicious and not stale at all...maybe there's 1 or 2 slices left and they will be gone by the morning.

For inspiration, this site on raising a family on a budget has a lot of great ideas for leftover bread, including:

• Bread Crumbs
• Croutons
• French Toast
• Bread Pudding
• Stuffing/Dressing
• Breakfast Casseroles & Stratas
• Use as a base when making a meatloaf.

What do you do with your leftover bread?

Let them eat cake! Using the bread machine!

Let me preface by saying I've never made a cake using a bread machine.  In fact, I'm not much of a baker...not because I don't want to be, but because I eat all of it.  Thankfully, I have a husband who has an office full of hungry men - so I can start pawning baked goodies onto him. 

This recipe comes from the Zojirushi booklet that came with the bread machine, so I'm anticipating it will be tasty (as all the recipes I've tried in that booklet - including Simple White Bread and the pizza dough - have all been fabulous).  Here's the recipe (using the "Cake" cycle):

Dutch Apple Cake
3 Large Eggs, Beaten
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil (I used Canola)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (I ran out...so used some honey)
2 cups All Purpose Flour
3 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Allspice
2 tsp. Cinnamon

When beep sounds, add 1 1/2 cups Peeled and Chopped Apple (which I lightly tossed in flour to help it stay suspended).  In 2 hours, you've got cake!

How did it taste?  Pretty great - has a banana bread consistency, but with apples.  A great breakfast sweet "bread" - not sure I'd really call it cake.  I put some butter on a slice and it was even better.  Again, 3/4 of my family agreed (Maddie is a tough one to please!).

When the moon hits your eye. Like a big-a pizza pie. That's amore.

We started a tradition of having pizza each week...okay, so it's only happened twice, but it's anticipated to a be tradition!  3/4 of the family likes it (Maddie isn't much of a fan of any foods that are combined), and it's really easy to make...especially when you have veggies or meats that are going out of style in the fridge.  I've never been a big fan of the store bought pizza dough, and while I don't mind getting pizza out in town once in awhile, you can beat the cost (and flavor) of making it at home. 

Did I mention it's an easy meal to clean up too? 

The Dough
1 1/4 cups Water
1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 3/4 cups Bread Flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

Put in the bread machine...2 hours later...Voila - you've got dough!  I break it up into four pieces, and it makes 4 10" pizzas, medium crust.  It's a bit tough to work with once it gets out of the bread machine, so I tend to make the dough around lunchtime and then wrap up in plastic wrap until I'm ready to make it that evening.  It's also really easy to freeze...put the plastic wrapped dough in the freezer, pop up the morning you want to make it.

Now the sauce...I got this recipe from a cooking class I attended last year, and I'll never buy pizza sauce again. 

Homemade Pizza Sauce:
1 28 oz. Can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning (I used Pasta Sprinkle from Penzey's)
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder (or 5 cloves fresh, minced)
1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Add ingredients in a food processor (we have a Vita-mix), and blend.  It's good in the fridge for a week or so.  It makes a lot, so what I did was divided in 1/2 cup portions and put it in the freezer.  1/2 cup is good for about 2-3 pizzas.

My husband's favorite is pepperoni and sausage and mushrooms with thin crust.  I personally am a fan of the thicker crust and more obscure ingredients - last night I made it with dried figs, cremini mushrooms, mozzarella, and basil.  Magnificent!

Basic White Bread

Who doesn't love white bread?  The recipe is the basic one that's actually posted on the side of the bread machine.  And for good reason - it's delicious!  Yesterday, I made chicken noodle soup and I couldn't think of a better side.  The girls love it - Maddie requests a full piece, only if she eats the inside, and Elsie prefers the crustier edge to be cut more like bread sticks.  Me?  I lather mine up with butter and dip! 

For this recipe, and most bread machine recipes, add the wet ingredients first.  Always add the yeast last, right on top of all the dry ingredients.  I used the Basic Cycle and set the crust to Dark (which doesn't really come out that dark...just a bit crunchier than Medium). 

Simple White Bread:
1 1/3 cups Water
4 1/4 cups Bread Flour
4 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Dry Milk
2 tsp. Salt
2 1/2 Tbsp. Butter (I use unsalted and cut it into pieces)
2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast


White Bread - Made on 2/7/12



Beginning my bread machine journey...sort of

It wasn't so long ago when my husband bought me a bread machine.  I had been wanting one for awhile, as I've heard of these lovely recipes my mother-in-law made in her bread machine.  Hearty loaves, sweet breads, funky ingredients.  We had just moved into our first home, and I had the desire...urge, really...to become a "homemaker."  I wanted to make things from scratch, to bake, to craft, to create. 

But the reality of it is that I'm a mother of two toddlers (Elsie - age 1, Maddie, age 2) and work full-time.  I don't have a lot of time to make things from scratch, to bake, to craft, to create...which made the prospect of a bread machine - the idea of "set it and forget it" but still have the smell of fresh baked bread waft through the house - was even more alluring. 

So one day...in August 2012, Allen, my dear, thoughtful, lovely husband, purchased the largest, handiest appliance I've ever owned:  the Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Breadmaker:


And so the journey begins...this blog is in part a tribute to the trial and error of breadmaking (and other things you can make in this contraption), recipes, ideas.  The other part?  This blog is a tribute to the life of a busy household trying to have something homemade once in awhile.