I know this one has you scratching your head, but have you ever had fresh bread…like the just out of the oven kind? If you haven’t, you’ve definitely been missing out. Besides that, a bread maker has so many uses that you’ve probably never thought considered. See why I – and you – need a bread maker in in our lives.
Healthy, Fresh Bread
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My first inspiration for trying to make my own bread was to be healthier. I’d started reading the labels of bread I pulled off the supermarket shelves and I was just disgusted. I was feeding preservatives and chemicals I couldn’t even pronounce to my family! I didn’t know if it affected us poorly, but I didn’t want to find out either.
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When I first started making bread, I was doing all of the mixing, rolling and kneading by hand. It was time consuming and tiring. I loved the results but as a working mom, I couldn’t keep up with doing the work regularly. When I bought a bread machine, it enabled me to make bread whenever I wanted.
When I bought a bread machine, it enabled me to make bread whenever I wanted.
Pizza
A bread maker isn’t all about baked bread. You can create dough too. Buns, rolls and even pizza dough. The pizza dough is a special treat in my house. I know you can buy dough at most grocery stores but it’s not the same as making it at home. I can make it partially whole wheat to sneak more grains into my kids’ diets or I can use some honey instead of sugar. Mine usually has olive oil rather than vegetable oil. Basically, what I’m saying is I enjoy throwing in whatever sounds right at the moment.
Everyone in the house is always excited to roll out the dough and choose their toppings. It’s a fun way to have a healthy dinner. On my end, I’m happy because I can sneak a few some nutritious foods into my family without complaints,
Rolls, Buns and Bagels Too
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You don’t ever really think about how many grain products are in your life until you start baking. Whether I’m searching for bread maker recipes on the internet or flipping through a recipe book, I’m always reminded of all of the options. Dinner rolls, hamburger buns, bagels, cinnamon rolls and croissants are some of the plentiful possibilities.
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Pasta
If you’re like me, you’ve always wanted to make pasta but never thought you would have the time. As it turns out, maybe you do. Sure you’ll have to roll it out afterward, but you can throw the ingredients into the machine and walk away. Then, just refrigerator or freeze the dough until you’re ready to roll out the pasta if you don’t have time that day.
If you’re serious about making pasta, there are a few tools that will help make this process easier. The first is a pasta maker to roll out and cut your pasta, and if you plan on making ravioli, you’ll probably want a ravioli plate tool.
Cakes and Sweet Breads
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When I say bread machine, you probably think a loaf of whole wheat bread. The prospects are much broader than that though. From chocolate challah bread to banana or chocolate chip bread, you can make those dessert breads you love. Those last-minute bake sales will be a piece of cake. Everyone will think you’ve spent hours slaving over your treats but in reality, you tossed the ingredients in and walked away.
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Be Gluten-Free
There are many benefits to having a bread machine. If you need to or want to be gluten-free, then being able to make your own bread will help you to create bread, pasta and other items right at home. You can even make protein bread if you’re a diabetic or need a high-protein, low carb alternative. The flexibility of making your own bread is invaluable for anyone who has to accommodate special diets.
Jams, Butters and More
You thought a bread machine could only make bread. Guess what!! It can do so much more. If you like having fresh jam, you can save yourself some work and use the machine. You can also create the best butters like apple butter. Plus, chutneys and ketchups are a cinch too. I think this is the wonderful extra of having a bread maker.
If you’re feeling more creative, you can use your machine to do a variety of things like make pudding, casseroles and even breakfast.
You Need a Cookbook
Typically most bread machines come with a cookbook, but you need much more than just those few recipes. A quick search of the internet will bring up a plethora of recipes but I’ve found that having a physical book is helpful so that you have a record of your favorite breads at your fingertips. Also, most books have tips, tricks and troubleshooting sections built into them (which is something you’ll definitely need as you experiment). Other helpful areas the books cover are: types of grains, terminology and
My Cookbook Recommendation
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When I bought my second bread machine, several suggestions for recipe books came up on Amazon. There was one that really caught my eye and it had fabulous reviews. It was The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook.
Before I bought this book, I used some recipes given to me by a relative and I searched the internet. It sufficed, but it was tedious. Plus, I honestly never bookmarked recipes and I couldn’t find them again.
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After I bought this book, I had so many recipes I didn’t know what to do. This year, I vowed to bake a new recipe every week. The book has 300 recipes, so I won’t get too far in a year but we all have to have goals!
I guess the moral of my story is with a machine in your life; you’ll start whipping up all of those mouthwatering things you’ve imagined without the backbreaking work. Everyone in your house will be happy with the treats you create, and who doesn’t love the smell of fresh bread?
