Do you own a bread maker? We we do and lately with the cost of bread going up we have been making our own. Do you own a bread slicer? I don't and I am wondering which one is the best kind? If you own a bread slicer can you please let me know which kind you have? And how much it cost?

Thanks

Sherry

also do you have a favorite bread recipe you would like to share?

I do own a breadmaker and slicer and I love them both except for the fact that they are already packed away for the move. I would love to start making bread again.

The slicer I had was from black and decker. It is only about 8 years old but it worked great and it wasn't much money either.

I would love to hear the recipes that people have to share!

Me too! Currently my DH~aka AlanB. is in the process of making a sour dough. He has the flour and water mixture in a jar in the cabinet.

This is a great question!!! I just have to wonder if it would be worth the investment. I LOVE bread...esp. fresh baked bread. How much does it normally cost to make a loaf, any idea? I wonder if it would be worth just trying to get a loaf pan and make a trial loaf? We might actually have a loaf pan...hmmm...*goes to check*.

I cant wait to try mine. I bought my mom one a few years ago for Christmas and she never used it and I was helping her move this weekend and she gave it to me. I cant wait to try it.

I have had one for years. I love it and really have not used it since the move. I like to make zuchini bread when I get to much from the garden. Pizza dough is great to make and proof in it.

I have one and think it is great. I have made several pizza crusts with it (super easy) too. I dont' own a slicer though. I have often wondered if it was cheaper to make your own. I make it cause Ilove fresh bread, not necessarily because its cheaper...

Here's my favorite easy bread recipe. I use it for sandwiches once in a while, but it is a heavy bread, not light like sandwich bread

1 12 ounce can of beer*Any variety
3 1/4 cups SELF Rising flour
3 T sugar

Mix until dough forms

Bake for about 45 minutes on 350

That's it! Super easy!

I have a question about bread makers too. I have one and rarely use it because I have not liked the quality of the bread that comes out. It seems to have a really hard crust on the outside. I wondered if most of you just use it to make the dough and then bake it in a loaf pan? Or maybe I just need the right recipe. Even the inside of the bread isn't as good as my dad's homemade bread. I love homemade bread, but haven't been pleased with what comes out of my bread maker, so my machine just sits there gathering dust.

I'm pretty much one a constant diet of some sort and I only do a certain type of bread (40 cal) so I don't think a breadmaker would work so well for me but I LOVE LOVE LOVE having a waffle maker. I bought one at walmart for $9.42 everyday price w/ a no stick coating and I will use about 2 cups whole wheat or white wheat flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 2 egg yolks, 2 eggs whites beaten to stick peak, and 1.5-2 cups milk with a bit of stevia to sweeten. This makes around 20 waffles for much cheaper than the store, plus I have made something extremely healthy vs. white flour. I just spray pam after every few sets on the waffle iron since it is no stick instead of adding oil or butter into the mix. You could go cheaper by using white flour if you don't care about the nutrition as much. I make huge batches and freeze them and reheat in the toaster. I also do homemade pancakes like this.

Marbear-great Idea my kids are always eating frozen waffles. How long can you freeze for? Not that they would last that long anyways. And maybe I'm an idiot but what is stevia? Is it like splenda because that's what we use for everything.

First off, I have never had frozen waffles or pancakes go bad: 3 kids plus my DH loves them, too. One night a week my son gets to pick and he always wants waffles (aka "square pancakes") or pbj so I just make a huge batch then and by the time my DH and kids get finished they eat half right then and there. The toaster crisps them right up.

Second, stevia is an herb that tastes sweet and is stable at high temperatures so it can be used for baked goods though it does not provide the same structure sugar provides. It has a slight anise/licorice quality...not terribly strong, though... to the taste, so I find it works best in non-bitter things (good for tea, smoothies, chocolate milk, and waffles) and I think it is not good in things that are naturally bitter (coffee or koolaid...though I do use it w/ a little sugar in koolaid to take the edge off). You can buy it in powder, liquid, or the actual plant (if you don't mind green bits in what you are sweetening). I think 1 tsp sweetens a gallon of tea. I buy the liquid b/c I think th epowder does not mix as well. It is available at Kroger in the natural foods seciton if you want to try it, but I purchase it through ebay in larger quantities b/c I can get a better deal (about $5/bottle vs $10-$13). It actually helps lower blood sugar so it is great for diabetics. Definitely look into it. I have used it for 2-3 years and we like it.

No bread maker here. I just do it by hand. I like it that way though, it's relaxing to me.

I make this bread almost every other week Beginner's Bread

We love it. I think she says on there (and I figured it up on my own too) and it's approximately $.45 per loaf of bread. I like to make it in big batches (4 at a time) so I'm not heating up the house all the time. I make 4 loaves and we have it for breakfast with butter and jam or for lunch for sandwiches. Also occassionaly for dinner alongside whatever I made (not all in the same day, that would be bread overload).

We also LOVE to make french toast out of this bread. I do a lot of the week's cooking on Sundays and so frequently after this bread is finished baking and cooled I slice it and then make it in to French Toast. I freeze it in a single layer and then put it in Ziploc Gallon bags and keep it in the freezer. It's another great thing to pop in the toaster and have instead of waffles or pancakes. DS LOVES french toast and fortunately he likes to eat it dry (no butter or syrup) so it's not too messy (he's only 2).

I too may homemade waffles and pancakes (frequently sweet potato or apple pancakes) and flash freeze those and then heat those in the toaster.

While I'm the subject I also make pita bread and tortillas.

As PP stated, I can really control the ingredients (like sneaking sweet potatoes into the pancakes and using 1/2 whole wheat flour 1/2 white flour) and I think it's cheaper. I also really enjoy baking. I tend to do all this kind of stuff on Sundays and so it saves me time during the week.

To answer the original question, I don't have a bread machine. I thought about getting one but decided it was just cheaper and easier *for me* to make it myself. And since I'm making four loaves at a time I figured it was easier to do it my way.

I am very interested in getting a bread slicer though and glad to hear someone has one and likes it.

Thanks for this thread! I love it.

Linz

I do have a bread machine and LOVE it! I make white, wheat, sourdough, onion and rye breads, pizza crust, and dough for rolls/hamburger buns. Usually I use the machine to make the dough and then bake the bread in the oven...I prefer the smaller, longer loaf than the wide short one that comes out of the machine. Also, to make the crust softer I butter all sides of the loaf and stick it in a plastic bag (while it's still hot), it keeps it nice and moist!

Here's my fave dough recipe...it makes 24 dinner rolls (fits nicely in a greased 9x13 pan) or 8-12 hamburger buns (depending on how big of a bun you want). Just flatten the dough to shape into a bun and place on greased cookie sheet

1 C. warm milk (70-80degrees)
1/2 C. butter, softened (not margarine)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 C. sugar
1 1/2 t. sea salt
4 C. bread flour
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast
Layer in bread machine in order suggested by manufacturer. Select "dough"setting. When cycle is complete turn dough onto lightly floured surface and divide into desired number of balls and place in pan. Cover and let rise 15 minutes. Bake in preheated 375 oven for 13-16 minutes or until golden brown.

I have replaced 1/2 of the bread flour with wheat flour and it came out fine.

I can't take credit for this though...it came from recipezaar.

Now I'm drooling for hot homemade bread with melted butter...yummy

I just started using a breadmaker someone gave me from a garge sale that was NEW IN THE BOX!!!!! ALl instructions. still wrapped up. WAHOO!!!! My berad has come out hard on the sides also, and this last time I baked it for half the directed time and it was perfect. Dunno!
I am definately interested in a slicer, because I can tell you our slices are no where near recommended size. !