|
||||||||
Breadmaker questions. |
![]() |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,702
|
Breadmaker questions.
I have just started using a breadmaker and have been using ready mixed packets.
Does it work out cheaper to buy the ingredients separately? Is it much more work to do it this way? Before I started using the breadmaker, I used to normally buy a large loaf for about £1.35. The ready mix for a small loaf costs about 67p, so I think making my own, including the electricity/butter actually costs more, but it's more convenient for me and tastes better/is healthier. What do others think about the cost of making their own v shop bought? Thanks. |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
You can buy a 1.5kg very strong white flour for £2 and a tin of easy bake yeast for £1.
You will get 3 standard loafs out of the flour and I think it's 16 loafs out of the yeast. |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: up the stairs!
Posts: 11,649
|
As degsyhufc says, its cheaper to buy your own ingredients. I've never used ready mixed packets in my machine but what ever works for you I guess.
I do think that if you're gonna use ready mix you may as well buy shop bread TBH it'll have all the same stuff in it, like "improvers" etc anyway. |
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Fort William
Posts: 22,269
|
Quote:
I have just started using a breadmaker and have been using ready mixed packets.
Does it work out cheaper to buy the ingredients separately? Is it much more work to do it this way? Before I started using the breadmaker, I used to normally buy a large loaf for about £1.35. The ready mix for a small loaf costs about 67p, so I think making my own, including the electricity/butter actually costs more, but it's more convenient for me and tastes better/is healthier. What do others think about the cost of making their own v shop bought? Thanks. |
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Leeds
Posts: 2,164
|
I always buy the ingredients myself rather than the mixes, I find it cheaper plus you can make what you want then. Once you have bought your tin of yeast it lasts ages so its really just your flour as most people have sugar, salt & butter/ marg in the house anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: At home, on my computer!
Posts: 5,442
|
Quote:
You can buy a 1.5kg very strong white flour for £2 and a tin of easy bake yeast for £1.
You will get 3 standard loafs out of the flour and I think it's 16 loafs out of the yeast. I make my own bread normally, but sometimes use the packet mixes for more 'speciality' bread, like seeded bread, because it is cheaper than buying all the separate ingredients. |
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
|
Just checked and the very strong bread flour is £1.48.
I find it better than just strong bread flour which is cheaper. It's not so much the taste but the consistency of the dough and the texture of the finished bread. |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 30,072
|
I agree about ready mix not being much better than buying a loaf, preservative and ingredients wise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: At home, on my computer!
Posts: 5,442
|
Quote:
Just checked and the very strong bread flour is £1.48.
I find it better than just strong bread flour which is cheaper. It's not so much the taste but the consistency of the dough and the texture of the finished bread.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,456
|
I never use the mixes because as someone said they have too much other stuff in. Once you are set up for making bread from scratch it is really quick. On one shelf in a cupboard I have my bread flours, yeast, sugar, salt and dried milk powder. Then I stick the bread pan on the scales, weigh in the ingredients and stick it in the machine... Job done!
|
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Leeds
Posts: 2,164
|
Quote:
I never use the mixes because as someone said they have too much other stuff in. Once you are set up for making bread from scratch it is really quick. On one shelf in a cupboard I have my bread flours, yeast, sugar, salt and dried milk powder. Then I stick the bread pan on the scales, weigh in the ingredients and stick it in the machine... Job done!
|
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 30,072
|
I too have a baking cupboard
. Just above my breadmaker with scales at hand.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,702
|
Quote:
As degsyhufc says, its cheaper to buy your own ingredients. I've never used ready mixed packets in my machine but what ever works for you I guess.
I do think that if you're gonna use ready mix you may as well buy shop bread TBH it'll have all the same stuff in it, like "improvers" etc anyway. [ Quote:
I never use the mixes because as someone said they have too much other stuff in. Once you are set up for making bread from scratch it is really quick. On one shelf in a cupboard I have my bread flours, yeast, sugar, salt and dried milk powder. Then I stick the bread pan on the scales, weigh in the ingredients and stick it in the machine... Job done!
Wheat flour, yeast, salt, chickpea flour, vegetable oil, dextrose, flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid.) Does anyone know what the last dodgy sounding ingredients are? Quote:
you put butter in???
Don't you add it to yours? Quote:
I tend to buy the Tesco own make strong white flour - 68p for 1.5kg - to me, it tastes the same as the more expensive brands. So, for me it works out cheaper than buying bread, and tastes nicer.
I make my own bread normally, but sometimes use the packet mixes for more 'speciality' bread, like seeded bread, because it is cheaper than buying all the separate ingredients. |
|
|
|
|
|
#14 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 70
|
Dextrose is a form of sugar
Ascorbic Acid is another name for vitamin C which I've seen in other recipes (1/2 a tablet or so) as an aid to get a better rise. |
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,702
|
Thank you
|
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,250
|
I don't use butter in my bread recipe, always use vegetable oil instead.
Only reason is the dough recipes I've used over the years have always used oil ![]() Busy making bread atm as I make loads of bread rolls at the weekend for my packed lunches during the week
|
|
|
|
|
|
#17 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,702
|
Good idea, but do they keep fresh until the end of the week (without the preservatives that shop bought bread has).
Maybe you freeze some? |
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 715
|
Just used a packet mix in my bread machine added water, a drop of milk and a knob of butter excellent, home made bread needs to be eaten on the day for best results.
The chemicals in sliced bread prevent it from going dry but it soon goes mouldy. |
|
|
|
|
|
#19 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 30,072
|
Quote:
Good idea, but do they keep fresh until the end of the week (without the preservatives that shop bought bread has).
Maybe you freeze some? |
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,250
|
Quote:
Good idea, but do they keep fresh until the end of the week (without the preservatives that shop bought bread has).
Maybe you freeze some? ![]() Some of my man sized rolls I make http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/a91d7a31.jpg |
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,457
|
I don't know if anyone on here is from York but I visited there recently to stay with a friend and we visited a little deli called the Hairy Fig. They sold about 5 different varieties of flavoured breads and were absolutely delicious.
I have tried to find somewhere that sells them in Leeds but had no joy so I thought I would give it a go myself using the breadmaker. As it was the first time I bought a ready mix - sun-dried tomato and chilli from Waitrose. It finished about 30 minutes ago and is absolutely delicious! I followed the instructions except changing the butter to veg oil and I can't believe how well it has turned out and how nice it is. So to move on - I don't want to keep buying ready mixes as they are expensive and they don't allow me to indulge in any whims I may have for flavours. Now I have the basic ingredients - flour, yeast, oil, dried milk but I obviously want to add extra ingredients such as olives, herbs, seeds, garlic, cheese, fruit etc. Can anyone offer advice on using these extra ingredients - should I weigh them and then remove that amount of flour? Can they all be added at the beginning? Thanks for any 'top tips'! |
|
|
|
|
|
#22 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,823
|
those rolls look amazing
I am making bread for the first time today made a packet mix and have some from scratch stuff rising at the minute. The bread mix i used was this one - its just baked and it smells gorgeous. I just out of the oven and seems to taste ok. I did have breadmaker, but it didn't seem to be working properly and I ditched my first mix, well hubby did, and he also got rid of the mixing tool so its useless. |
|
|
|
|
|
#23 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: At home, on my computer!
Posts: 5,442
|
Quote:
I don't know if anyone on here is from York but I visited there recently to stay with a friend and we visited a little deli called the Hairy Fig. They sold about 5 different varieties of flavoured breads and were absolutely delicious.
I have tried to find somewhere that sells them in Leeds but had no joy so I thought I would give it a go myself using the breadmaker. As it was the first time I bought a ready mix - sun-dried tomato and chilli from Waitrose. It finished about 30 minutes ago and is absolutely delicious! I followed the instructions except changing the butter to veg oil and I can't believe how well it has turned out and how nice it is. So to move on - I don't want to keep buying ready mixes as they are expensive and they don't allow me to indulge in any whims I may have for flavours. Now I have the basic ingredients - flour, yeast, oil, dried milk but I obviously want to add extra ingredients such as olives, herbs, seeds, garlic, cheese, fruit etc. Can anyone offer advice on using these extra ingredients - should I weigh them and then remove that amount of flour? Can they all be added at the beginning? Thanks for any 'top tips'! From what I can see, cheese, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and seeds can all be added at the beginning, but fruit (raisins etc) and nuts should be added later (mine has a beeper that tells you when to add them - it's about 45 minutes into a just under 3 hour bake. I have tried a herb bread and a cheese and sun-dried tomato bread, both of which came out delish, but I do fancy trying your tomato and chili bread - perfect for the summer, to have with cheese. |
|
|
|
|
|
#24 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,250
|
Quote:
Now I have the basic ingredients - flour, yeast, oil, dried milk but I obviously want to add extra ingredients such as olives, herbs, seeds, garlic, cheese, fruit etc. Can anyone offer advice on using these extra ingredients - should I weigh them and then remove that amount of flour? Can they all be added at the beginning? Thanks for any 'top tips'! Here's my basic white bread dough recipe, which you can add what you like to, for something that little bit different with hardly any adjustment to the recipe. 560g Strong Flour 5g Dried Yeast or 10g fresh 10g Salt 20ml Oil 300ml Water For savoury breads keep the recipe as it is, and just add the extra bits you want. For sweeter style doughs add 20g of caster sugar to the basic recipe. For adding the extra bits, I just play it by eye tbh by just adding enough till I think it looks right ![]() Any dry ingredients can be added from the start of the mix, anything soft like dried fruit has to be added right at the end of the kneading process, as the kneading will damage soft stuff by breaking it up and may ruin the look of your dough also the acids in soft fruit can affect the rise of the dough ![]() If using grated cheese, I find this gets lost taste wise in the dough, so I always just top off rolls with cheese before baking ![]() With making bread doughs get used to your recipe first, before messing with it too much and trying different things. Also all bread flours are different and require different amounts of water, again this is why practice is important. If using Sainsburys strong white or Hovis strong white flour the above water measure is perfect. If you have anymore questions post them here and I'll try and help
|
|
|
|
|
|
#25 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,435
|
Quote:
I never use the mixes because as someone said they have too much other stuff in. Once you are set up for making bread from scratch it is really quick. On one shelf in a cupboard I have my bread flours, yeast, sugar, salt and dried milk powder. Then I stick the bread pan on the scales, weigh in the ingredients and stick it in the machine... Job done!
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 18:27.



