Can anyone recommend a bread machine that makes good whole wheat? - Page 2

 


I know precisely what you mean. I believe it's not the machine that you
need to change, it's your recipe and method.  In short, the best way to
improve the bread-maker cycle is to 24 hours before you intend baking,
mix together in a plastic bowl about half your flour, just half tspn of
yeast, and sufficient water to produce a stiff dough consistency. (Just
use a spoon to mix, no need to work it with your hands.) Let it stand
covered on a bench for up to 36 hours, observing that it bubbles and
becomes spongy. Then add this to your breadmaker along with the rest of
the flour and yeast, other ingredients, a measure of sugar, and water.

You have to decide whether you will go with a commercial grain bread mix
using proper baker's flour, or compromise with the economy route using
ordinary kitchen cake-making flour supplemented with added gluten or
bread improver. The difference in cost works out to be a factor of 2 to
3 for me, but YMMV if you can find a bulk supplier of bread-making flour.

In any case, the group to follow is alt.bread.recipes


Homebaked bread, homegrown tomato, sharp cheese, salt & pepper = Heaven!

My directions above omit one key step: *lots* of experimentation!!
I suggest that you temper your ambition at first by using 1/3 white
flour until you have prefected the loaf, then gradually go over to
trying all whole wheat if that's desired. I doubt that most commercial
loaves would be 100% whole grain, would they? The cracked grains in
grain bread will benefit from the 24 hour ferment, by being softened.

HTH
--
John Savage                (my news address is not valid for email)