Love the Bread Machine

[Topperace]

Don't think we have bought a loaf of bread in over seven years....

[Midnightmoon]

We used to use a bread machine all the time. Back when I used to be able to eat bread, I always preferred it to be home made instead of store bought.

[Crabman]

They definitely make good bread!

[mharrison]

My wife just made a loaf today, split it with my Dad. He came by and got it while it was still warm.

[Isaacs]

Has anyone had any success making any good chewy Italian bread? Recipe?

[nambarc]

Where are you camping I want some.

[Topperace]

Originally Posted by Isaacs

Has anyone had any success making any good chewy Italian bread? Recipe?

Try this one...
https://breaddad.com/bread-machine-italian-bread/

[Topperace]

Originally Posted by nambarc

Where are you camping I want some.

Colorado River TT.... come on over

[spoon059]

We have a bread machine, but last year my wife started her own sourdough and now makes her own bread in the oven, rather than the bread machine. She'll often make a nice round sourdough (like an artisan style) for pasta meals, and she'll make some sourdough sandwich bread a couple times a week for the kids. Nothing like FRESH, warm, hearty, non-preservative homemade bread! Costco sells nice King Arthur AP flour, and we have a restaurant store nearby that sells King Arthur high gluten flour in 50 lbs bags. Bought a couple food grade 5 gallon buckets that we store it in too.

We still use the machine to make some dough on occasion.

[Riich]

Originally Posted by spoon059

We have a bread machine, but last year my wife started her own sourdough and now makes her own bread in the oven, rather than the bread machine. She'll often make a nice round sourdough (like an artisan style) for pasta meals, and she'll make some sourdough sandwich bread a couple times a week for the kids. Nothing like FRESH, warm, hearty, non-preservative homemade bread! Costco sells nice King Arthur AP flour, and we have a restaurant store nearby that sells King Arthur high gluten flour in 50 lbs bags. Bought a couple food grade 5 gallon buckets that we store it in too.

We still use the machine to make some dough on occasion.

My wife does the same thing and nothing beats the homemade sourdough bread. She also makes sourdough pancakes that are incredible. She won't use anything but the Wheat Montana Farms and Bakery brand of flour.

My mouth is watering...

[ARoamer]

Whole wheat and dark rye flour made at home. Just too much extra stuff to take on the road, but I'll make a couple of loaves to go.

[jetlag]

Many many moons ago, and we were much younger, I bought my bride a bread machine. It was huge and looked just like R2 D2 in Star Wars. They are much more petite these days.

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by jetlag

Many many moons ago, and we were much younger, I bought my bride a bread machine. It was huge and looked just like R2 D2 in Star Wars. They are much more petite these days.

For a quick minute I wasn't sure if you were talking about wives or bread machines...

[craigav]

I love fresh bread as well. I think I will purchase one for my GF. Are they all about the same or do some have features that I should consider when buying one?

[jetlag]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

For a quick minute I wasn't sure if you were talking about wives or bread machines...

Lol, you are quick

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by jetlag

Many many moons ago, and we were much younger, I bought my bride a bread machine. It was huge and looked just like R2 D2 in Star Wars. They are much more petite these days.

I still have one of these--works great!

[SmokerBill]

Originally Posted by jetlag

Many many moons ago, and we were much younger, I bought my bride a bread machine. It was huge and looked just like R2 D2 in Star Wars. They are much more petite these days.

I have one of these old Sunbeam machines, and it's probably 15 or 20 years old. A few months ago it quit turning the mix paddle. After a little research on the internet, I bought a new drive belt ($10), installed it, and it works like new again. It might be that the oldies are the goodies. Like RVs, you gotta fix them sometimes.

[TommyD]

There are several on the market. Any recommendations?

[Wade&Laura]

Originally Posted by Isaacs

Has anyone had any success making any good chewy Italian bread? Recipe?

I'm not sure what website I saw this one on but we've had good luck with this one (I'm not sure it's chewy, though)

Bread Machine Italian Loaf - 1lb loaf

Ingredients

3/4 cup cold water
2 cups bread flour I recommend King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon active dry yeast

Instructions

Place water, bread flour, sugar, salt, olive oil, and active dry yeast in the pan of the bread machine
in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
If you have an Italian Bread cycle, press that. If you don't, select Basic Bread cycle. Press Start. (I used a French bread cycle)
The machine will now make the bread. Once it's done baking, remove it from the machine and serve.

[muckinfuss]

I was born into an Italian family so here's what my grandmother did and passed on to my mother. As an aside, my grandmother worked with her mother and older sister during the WW1 years as cooks in Egypt as the railroad lines were being expanded. She was a pro. I'm looking at notes she wrote in her recipe journal: It shows that Italians use two types of flour when making their bread...type 1 which has a higher protein number than American bread flour and it can absorb more moisture. The other flour is '00'. The only thing I know about that one is that it's preferred for pizza dough. It supposedly is responsible for the crisp crust and the '1' flour is what gives the chew. Naturally I don't believe these came from a Kroger, since an awful lot of stuff was purchased at the Italian store when I was a kid!