Traditional Welsh Recipes

Bread Making Machines

by Marion Jones

Are the mixes for bread making machines any good? Yes, some of them are, but the problem with all mixes for bread making machines is that they limit your choice and discourage your creative talents. That may sound a little harsh, but if you think about it for a minute, I think that you will agree.

If you rely on mixes for bread making machines, you can only make the bread for which you can find a bread machine mix and you can only put the bread machine mix in the bowl and switch the bread making machine on. You are not encouraged to alter the bread machine mix for fear that it will not work.

What is the alternative? Well, the old-fashioned cookbook, of course! Not just any old recipe book, but a specialized recipe book for bread making machines. Bread making is a very easy, but rather tiresome process. The ingredients are ubiquitous, household items: water, flour, yeast, salt, sugar and oil.

You already have those items in your cupboard. By using previously tried and tested gourmet bread recipes, you can gradually concoct your own - unique, tasty recipes.

I once made a fantastic loaf by adding all the left-over vegetables from my Sunday lunch. It was lovely, but I could never quite reproduce it, because I did not write down the weights and measures. I could only remember that it had green beans, potatoes and sweet corn in it!

Mixes for bread making machines will never ever provide that, will they? Furthermore, bread machine mixes are fairly expensive compared to the cost of 14 ounces of flour. I usually vary the ingredients too: honey instead of sugar, milk instead of water, olive oil or butter instead of just corn oil. Rock salt instead of sea salt or visa versa. I am sure that you can see what I mean.

Bread machine mixes are limited and limiting. A bread making machine is a  great way to use up leftovers. I have often put meat and fruit in my gourmet bread. My principle is: if it'll go in a sandwich it'll go in the dough - like an Indian stuffed paratha or stuffed naan bread.

Not only will using your head when making bread yourself save yoyu going to the shop, but it will allow you to use up left-overs, which will sve you money

Stop buying mixes for bread making machines - they are a waste of money. Instead be creative with a bread machine recipes cookbook.