Let them eat....bread!

About a year ago, my step-mom gave me a bread machine she'd bought at a yard-sale for $5.

I even put it IN a yard-sale this past fall with no takers.

So it has sat in my mother's garage for months.

But I started looking for little ways here & there to budget better, so I dragged it out & you know what? I'm not half bad at this! I wish I'd taken pictures, but for once, I wasn't a camera nut.

BUT, I did learn a thing or two for bread machine beginners, things that looking back, I keep saying DUH.

#1....measure EXACTLY!

     Yes, this is the biggest "Captain Obvious" statement ever. BUT, you have to remember, I cook. I don't bake. If I do, it's a box cake mix that I just make it LOOK awesome or I roll out sugar cookie dough & decorate! My everyday method is throw ingredients together & "poof" it's yummy food! So, follow the instructions in your machine's manual. (Though I've now got a load of PINS with tips)

#2....let the bread cool INSIDE the bucket, IN the microwave.

    No, seriously. It slid almost perfectly out of the bucket & it kept it nice & soft with no wrinkles or collapsing. And it sliced so pretty too!! I love my long bladed-serrated Cutco knife!

#3....Vital Wheat Gluten

     Seriously, buy some. They sell it at Wal Mart & it's not expensive. Because most people that are using a bread machine don't have time for the hand kneading that naturally produces more gluten.

#4....premix

    Now this tip is more for someone like me who has 5 people eating the bread so that you're constantly making bread. I mix all of my dry stuff in quart bags & label them with the amount of water, butter, & yeast to add in & which buttons to push on the machine to get it going. This is awesome because my 13 yr old can come home & start a loaf so I'm not up til all hours of the night so that I can pull my bucket out of the machine. (Even "short" cycles are almost 3 hours, so starting one after work, yeah, I'm ready to crash before it's done). 

Hopefully I can get some pictures next loaf!