Breadmakers

[MyLitespeed]

My husband has decided that he wants to buy a bread maker. I don't really want one since I don't eat that much bread. He is saying it would be really nice to have fresh bread all the time. I use to make it by hand many years ago, several loaves at time.

He is aware that I'm not keen on the idea since I would probably end up the one actually having to measure all the ingredients and put it in. Yes it would be a whole lot simpler then making by hand but still one more thing I would have to do.

I have tried talking (gently) him out of it, but he is determined to get one. He knows I don't want one.

My question is do I just let the silly thing sit there and hope he will make it (or try to) himself or wait until he ask me. If he asks me to make it (I don't want to) what do I say to him.

[tulip]

Um, just say no? Sounds like there's more to the story, but I'm not going to go there. If he gets the breadmaker, he will make the bread or he will go without fresh bread.

What part of that does he not understand?

[Aint Doody]

It's not too hard to run one. If he really wants one let him make the bread. I have a friend whose husband got really into it. He made little loaves for friends which was really nice.

My dh keeps saying he wants a Jack LaLane Juicer. I keep telling him we have a blender that will do the same thing. So far we don't have the juicer.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

FWIW, here's a 2006 short TE thread about bread machines:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...815#post152815

[sgtiger]

"It's your machine, honey, help yourself. Here's a bread machine recipe booklet I picked up for you."

If it's something you're not into, then why should you be the one doing the work? He's the one who wants it, let him figure out how to use.

ETA: I guess I'm lucky. My husband wouldn't ask me to do something that he knows I disdain. Even though I'm a SAHM, he does most of his own laundry, ironing, etc. He occasionally cooks for us too. Only if he's really pressed for time would he ask me to iron something for him. He's better at the ironing anyway.

[Irulan]

"It's your machine, honey, help yourself. Here's a bread machine recipe booklet I picked up for you."

If it's something you're not into, then why should you be the one doing the work? He's the one who wants it, let him figure out how to use.

ETA: I guess I'm lucky. My husband wouldn't ask me to do something that he knows I disdain. Even though I'm a SAHM, he does most of his own laundry, ironing, etc. He occasionally cooks for us too. Only if he's really pressed for time would he ask me to iron something for him. He's better at the ironing anyway.

Where's our "I'm with stupid" smiley?
Totally, his project, his gig... I mean, it's just another power tool...for the kitchen! Why should you feel obligated at all?

[shootingstar]

... I mean, it's just another power tool...for the kitchen

Well, maybe that's the way for some people to consider to get motivated to use it...that the breadmaker..is like the barbecue grill....another power tool to show off products from its application

[Tuckervill]

Forget the bread machine. Get him the book "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day". Make dough every two weeks and have bread fresh out of the oven every day at dinner!

But if he wants it, he has to make it, no matter which way you go!

Karen

[tulip]

Forget the bread machine. Get him the book "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day". Make dough every two weeks and have bread fresh out of the oven every day at dinner!

But if he wants it, he has to make it, no matter which way you go!

Karen

Great recommendation--and great bread!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Forget the bread machine. Get him the book "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day". Make dough every two weeks and have bread fresh out of the oven every day at dinner!

But if he wants it, he has to make it, no matter which way you go!

Karen

Thanks Karen, I've been hearing about this book for a while now. I just looked at some preview pages on Amazon which described the whole technique pretty well, and decided to buy the book used there. I look forward to my first batch!
You can read the beginning of the book here in the preview pages:
Artisan bread in 5 minutes book
It all makes perfect sense to me, and I used to bake a lot of bread from scratch back in the day, but have not all the spare time now. This looks like less work than even a bread machine!

[shootingstar]

If a neighbour has a breadmaker for you to borrow for 1-2 days..and give him some easy recipes to select and try himself.

My partner does cook, there's no clear-cut division of time how we split it among ourselves. We each have our cooking areas of expertise that we symbiotically complement each other.....he's great on making all sorts of pureed soups from root veggies that he makes up from his head, whereas I enjoy making whatever focaccia from scratch that we might want, he's the better, creative salad maker, I'm the more decent stir-fry dish creator, etc. We'll will cook across our areas of weakness but "weakness" often means need to consult a recipe/other person (if person is around), or an end result that is not as dynamic.

If you should do the breadmaking, hopefully he can complement with another existing cooking expertise..

I agree too much bread...ain't necessarily good as one grows older ..all those carbs if not burnt off from cycling...

Best of luck.

[IvonaDestroi]

My husband has decided that he wants to buy a bread maker. I don't really want one since I don't eat that much bread. He is saying it would be really nice to have fresh bread all the time. I use to make it by hand many years ago, several loaves at time.

He is aware that I'm not keen on the idea since I would probably end up the one actually having to measure all the ingredients and put it in. Yes it would be a whole lot simpler then making by hand but still one more thing I would have to do.

I have tried talking (gently) him out of it, but he is determined to get one. He knows I don't want one.

My question is do I just let the silly thing sit there and hope he will make it (or try to) himself or wait until he ask me. If he asks me to make it (I don't want to) what do I say to him.

tell him beforehand you will have nothing to do with it. If he asks, tell him you wanted it, YOU use it!

[ZenSojourner]

Arrrgh, Bleeker!

NO BAKING POWDER! I threw mine out awhile ago because it was too old.

I MEANT to get some more.

*grump grump grump*

[smilingcat]

Arrrgh, Bleeker!

NO BAKING POWDER! I threw mine out awhile ago because it was too old.

I MEANT to get some more.

*grump grump grump*

and

Ok, so I finally got around to ordering the breadmaking books suggested here.

What I REALLY want is crusty french baguettes! Hope there's a recipe in one of those books for that.

I'm bit confused now. Ar ya' lookin' for a sodabread? or ar ya' lookin' for a baguette?

For a sodabread, you need acid to make the bread rise. So if you are planning to use baking soda (sodium bicarb), you need to use either buttermilk or milk + TBS of vinegar or ... You need some kind of acid no matter what with soda bread.

soda bread as baugettes. now that's interesting...

Oh for a crusty baugettes, you get that effect with steam in the oven as it's baking. The trick provided in the book that really works is the pan of boiling water underneath (on a lower rack) the pan where the bread is baking. water can not touch the pan. Isn't pan also Spanish for bread??

smilingcat

[ZenSojourner]

Baking POWDER

Not baking SODA

I just got confoozled. BleekerStGirl mentioned baking powder and I thought I needed it.

Actually what I need and don't have is unbleached all purpose flour. I have BLEACHED all purpose flour, and I bought BREAD flour, and neither will work well for the recipe in the artisan breads cookbook.