Gluten Free Baking - cuisinart, bread

Click here for more information We bought this machine based on a recommendation from a friend at work and other reviews we read on Amazon. First of all, let me say that this is a great product. The recipes are easy to follow and the bread is outstanding. We brought the machine with us when we visited relatives over the holidays, and two of them are now going to get machines for their families.



FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WROTE NEGATIVE REVIEWS, AND THOSE WHO HAVE READ THEM, PLEASE READ THIS!! For my first loaf I went to the store to get flour. At the store I talked to the guy stocking the flour aisle about what kind of flour to use (note that the recipes specify "bread flour"). The grocery store guy and another woman who joined in the discussion assured me that I could use all purpose flour, so that's what I bought. The loaf came out so-so. It was quite dense, and the middle of the loaf was sunken instead of nicely puffed up (many of the negative reviews describe exactly this problem). So I googled "bread flour" and found out that it is significantly different from all purpose flour. It's higher gluten and protein content produces stretchier, chewier bread, but more importantly, it traps more of the carbon dioxide from the yeast so that the dough rises properly.



Equipped with this information, I went back to the store and bought King Arthur BREAD FLOUR. What a difference! My son described it as a 1000% improvement. Every loaf since then has been outstanding.



One more thing. The recipe instructions tell you to set the loaf size and crust color, then select the bread program (white, wheat, gluten free, etc.). You actually want to SELECT THE BREAD PROGRAM FIRST, then the loaf size and crust color, because setting the bread program first will RESET the loaf size and crust color to the defaults (2 lb. loaf, medium crust).

My wife has Celiac disease and a good gluten free bread is impossible to find ready made. We must bake our own bread if she is going to have a bread that tastes good. We have found the bread mix from Gluten Free Pantry is great. but our old bread machine, a Breadman Ultimate was not turning out a consistant product. It was less than a year old and quit working. Which turned out to be a blessing. Based on our experience with other Cuisinart products and the reviews on Amazon we decided on the Cusinart CBK-100. The gluten free cycle is perfect. It bakes the best gluten free bread we have ever had. We have used Gluten free pantry Sandwich bread mix and also Bob's Red Mill gluten free multigrain mix. WOW! THe bread is so good that I even like it. This bread is light and the crust is perfect. It even is easier to slice. If you are looking for a bread maker that turns out excelent gluten free bread this is the one to buy

When our breadmaker of about 12yrs. broke, I search the internet for a replacement. I thoroughly checked out many many many different types and prices. I settled on this Cuisinart CBK-100 and, have been very pleased with the texture of bread it makes. I do however use 2 tablespoons of sugar for a 1 1/2 lb. loaf and use only 1 teaspoon of fast acting yeast instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons. It operates very quiet compared to our older machine we had. I really like the beeps telling you it's time to take the paddle out of the bread so you don't have that gaping hole on botton of every loaf. I strongly recommend purchasing this machine.

Bought this last year and tried about 5-6 recipes several times, at different loaf sizes, using recipes that came with the machine as well as out of reliable cookbooks. No luck. Every loaf collapsed and baked into a dense, inedible mound of dryness. Tried to return it, but had passed the Amazon return time. Cuisinart was not particularly helpful--made us return and try another machine twice even though I explained that I thought the issue had to do with the rise times programmed as part of the equipment, not the product itself. Fortunately, since we live in California, the shipping back and forth costs were paid by the company (CA law). Finally, after the third return, they gave us credit, which we ended up using on a different product. That nonsense took a year and many phone calls to negotiate! As a longtime Cuisinart customer, I found their customer service lacking in quality. Since then, I have started baking by hand, using a wet dough recipe from the PBS show America's Test Kitchen. Also considering trying the cookbook, _Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day_--as making bread is relatively easy--but the timing is the hard part--while adapting some "high elevation" tweaking to the recipes (didn't grow up baking at high elevations so that has been a learning curve). The low star rating is for the issues we faced with Cuisinart in returning the product, which does not adapt to high elevation climates. I wish Cuisinart would address this issue by building better time options into the machine design.

I bought this product in August and it worked great for two months. Then the touchpad stopped working. Customer service told me how to reset it and that seemed to work. The paddle broke during making the very next loaf of bread; it took 4-6 weeks to get a replacement paddle as they were "back-ordered". I made one loaf successfully when the new paddle arrived. During baking the second loaf, the heating element quit and I was left with a half-baked loaf. I called Cuisinart asking for a refund and was told they don't do that, but would send a replacement machine, shipping at my expense. I did talk them into paying the shipping, but they have no expedited shipping so I will wait a couple of weeks for the replacement. I have to return the old machine at my expense. This, in my opinion, is poor customer service. I hope I got a dud the first time and that the replacement is problem free or I will be out $90. By the way, they only give the remainder of the original warranty on the replacement. When it worked, it made good bread, but think twice about buying this product.

Cuisinart CBK-100 Programmable Breadmaker - Cuisinart - Bread - Cuisinart Bread Machine - Baking - Gluten Free - Gluten Free Baking
»»»Visit Store NOW...


Best price click here

Gluten Free Baking - cuisinart, bread

Artisan Bread - artisan bread, bread

Click here for more information I'm a foodie; the kind of person who will drive miles to a bakery, who will visit Italy when the ricotta is sweetest. I'm also a skeptic. So, when I bought this book, I didn't expect much. But, was I ever wrong. What I love is that the authors turn everything you know about bread baking upside down, and the result is the best bread you'll ever make at home. Easily. Simply. Whenever you want. You must, however, read the introduction to the method to succeed as well as you might -- this is not a book to begin baking from the minute you buy it. But the few minutes you invest in all the suggestions pay off mightily -- how to tell when this particular kind of bread is really ready (I used to swear by an instant read thermometer -- forget that); how to dock it; how to store it, etc. The instructions are utterly clear. I've already baked ten loaves, each magnificent, and I've only had the book for a week. All kinds of breads are represented -- French loaves, ciabbata, pita, peasant -- I could go on and on. Enough for a lifetime of pleasure. Hertzberg and Francois are geniuses.

This is a terrific book ... I've tried the basic approach and it is great. To make it more useful (for some) I'd like to add a few notes.



The book has an unfortunate, (for me) bias towards light, fluffy breads and breads that rely on "ingredients". So...



Sourdough breads: I've been refrigerating my dough for years to increase the sourdough flavor. This books opens the door to a very simple approach to sourdough.



As the book notes, the sourdough taste increases with time in the refrigerator. So simply keep two sets of dough running ... a "dormant" set and an active set. Start by making a batch of dough. Stick it in the refrigerator and don't touch it for at least a week. After a week or so, make a second batch of dough. (I would mix in a hunk of the previously mixed, week old dough to enhance the sourdough development.) Now put this second batch away and start using the first batch ... which will have started to taste like a sourdough. When this first batch is used up, make up a brand new "dormant" batch and put it aside while you start using the batch that's been sitting in the refrigerator for the past week or so.



In this way you can keep a sourdough going forever, without any additional work. (Since you only a new batch when an old batch runs out.)



Rye and whole wheat: The technique is IDEAL for rye ... which is a gummy, no-knead but extremely delicate dough. I would certainly use much more rye than any of these recipes call for and would use the sourdough technique I mentioned above to develop flavor.



It its also ideal for whole wheat. The big problem with whole wheat is not the crust, (I'll mention a technique to bring out a crust), but that whole wheat contains bran, which, when kneaded, cuts the strands of gluten/protein. That's why 100% whole wheat is so dense. But, since you do not knead this dough, the bran does not cut the protein strands and the dough is free to rise almost as much as a white flour.



Personally, I use 50% rye and 50% whole wheat and, using the books oven technique get a great rise.



Another technique that develops a very thick crust, no matter the flour, is to bake the bread in a preheated, covered oven pot or casserole pot at 450 degrees.



By the way ... to get actual pumpernickel, forget the powders, (coffee and chocolate ... yeesh!) and just use pumpernickel flour in place of rye flour. (Pumpernickel flour is nothing more than whole grain rye flour.)

I have many bread baking books and was skeptical that this one would be any better or different. I expected either a catch in the "5 minutes", poor quality bread, or both. I made my first batch last week and was very impressed with both the ease and taste. You can really make the dough in just a few minutes and keep it in your fridge for use over the next 2 weeks. It was wonderful to be able to pull a chunk of the dough out of the container and have delicious bread (the last was more like a big roll) in just over an hour. I could make a loaf when I got home from work and serve it for dinner. There are many recipes included, but it also gave me a much more relaxed attitude toward the bread and I found myself making up my own additions by the time I was forming my second batch. I showed the book to a friend and rather than copy a few of the recipes, she decided to order the book herself because she said that everything looked good and it looked like stuff she would really make. Not many cookbooks earn that comment.



The book frequently calls for a pizza peel and baking stone. A set of the peel (or a suitable cutting board), stone (or an unglazed ceramic tile from Home Depot) and this book would make a great gift. In fact, I thought that I could cross several people off of my shopping list by buying the set or just the books for all. Unfortunately, it is already out of stock. Looks like I am not the only one who is impressed by it. I can't even give my book away and wait for a new copy because I spilled olive oil on it while making the sun dried tomato and Parmesan bread. By the way, it was delicious!



This is a great book for all cooking experience levels. The recipes are easy and the results impressive. - Artisan Bread - Bread - Cookbook - Easy - Baking - Gift Idea
»»»Visit Store NOW...


Best price click here

Artisan Bread - artisan bread, bread

Zojirushi Bread Machine - bread machine, bread cookbook

Click here for more information I bought this book last Christmas after receiving a machine for a gift. I made a few recipes from the owner's manual and experienced quite a few flops. I refused to be defeated and knew there must be a book out there that would help me make good bread (with the machine that I had begged for). THIS is the book! I read all the reviews that precede 2002 and got the book right away. I love the way Hensperger explains ingredients, the science of bread and how the machine works. We use our machine at least 3-4 times a week. Some of my favorites from the book include the Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns (I will never buy storebought again!), the Garlic Foccacia, the Orange Bread with White Chocolate, Apricots and Walnuts, and for sandwiches my family loves the Instant Potato Bread and the Maple Buttermilk Bread, both of which turn out light and fluffly.I remember reading a review that discussed the different ways to measure flour. For some reason, if I do it Hensperger's way, I always have to add more flour. So, I just scoop it without aerating the flour first.Another review mentioned that you "have to" use SAF yeast. I haven't found this to be true. I have used the SAF, but have also used fast-acting and bread machine yeast. Both have turned out fine. All of the ingredients have been at a local supermarket (I live in a small town - 23,000, on the Central Coast of CA) except the specialty flours like barley, spelt, semolina, etc. Those I have found at a health-food store.I can't say enough good things about this book! My copy is tattered and stained and I am enjoying working my way through all the recipes. It is a book I definitely can't live without

I am a fan of Beth Hensperger's, and have baked my way through others of her bread books, and so was very excited when I discovered this book. Several of the breads I have made have been fantastic -- the Whole Wheat Cuban Bread and the Spelt Bread, for example. But I've had many problems when baking from this book (I bake twice weekly, and experiment once a week), which suggests that some of the recipes weren't tested, they were just "written" or adapted from convetional recipes. I'll mention two, the Honey Wheat Berry Bread and the Sennebeck Hill Bread. If you follow the instructions for the 2-pound loaf, in both cases, you'll have a bread that will rise way beyond the capacity of the largest machine -- I have a Zo, with a huge capacity. I was lucky enough to be in the kitchen at the time, and rescued the breads by taking the pan out, putting a greased heavy duty aluminum collar around the baking pan, secured with paper clips, and baking in the oven. That's not what I expect from someone as skilled as Hensperger. And I don't want to have to be in the kitchen when using a bread machine. So be forewarned.

I received this book for Christmas, and have been having lots of fun with it. I first made a country-style bread that combined whole wheat and bread flours with a touch of maple syrup, and it was yummy. I'll be trying one of the Italian semolina bread recipes this weekend for an Italian dinner party. But my favorite so far has been the Vienna bread. It is best while still warm from the machine (slathered with butter, if you're feeling naughty). It is fairly dense for a white bread, makes great sandwiches, and keeps well for several days. I haven't yet tried any of the biga (starter) breads, but I am looking forward to them. I wish the book contained a cinnamon-raisin bread recipe that was *not* gluten-free; I'll have to improvise.The instructions in this book are clear and very easy to follow. I also appreciate knowing which recipes are suitable for use with the delay timer. While some ingredients are hard to find, plenty of the recipes call for readily available items. I've discovered that the vital wheat gluten required in most recipes is available at my local Safeway, as are Red Star yeast and semolina flour. The fact that vital wheat gluten is *not* the same as wheat gluten flour is mentioned in the book, but not emphasized strongly enough. Also, I have to remember to add salt along with the liquid ingredients, although the recipes list salt with the dry ingredients, because my bread machine manual states that salt can interfere with the action of the yeast if it comes in contact with the yeast too early. Perhaps this is a possibility unique to my machine (a Breadman Ultimate). I agree with an earlier poster who complained that recipes using the Dough cycle (for breads to be baked in an oven) call for unplugging the machine at the completion of the cycle; this seems unnecessary. Overall, I am pleased with and inspired by this book, which contains a great amount of useful information and a slew of easy and delicious-sounding recipes! Thanks, Beth!

I absolutely LOVE this book!! Buy-it-a-ring-march-it-down-the-aisle love it!! I'm one of those people with more cookbooks than I shake a whisk at and I go to this one over and over and over! It has everything! I've never had a loaf go wrong and every recipe I've tried is just delicious.



To start with, the Roman Bread alone (p. 409) is worth the price of the book! The granola bread, the blueberry coffee cake, Mexican chocolate bread, brioche rolls...I could go on and on!! It has everything from the simplest white and wheat to unique breads using exotic grains and interesting nuts, fruits and herbs (persimmon bread, lavender rosemary bread). It's made me a better baker because there are so many notes on the science of how bread "works". And it's not just bread - if you could make pot roast in a bread machine this book would tell you how to do it! There are jam recipes, quick bread recipes and recipes for using the leftover bits. There are pizza and calzone recipes that include the toppings, not just the dough. The Cheese Pizza Torte is amazing!

I love my bread machine but I'm not the biggest fan of the shape of the pan, so I often use the dough recipes and then proof the bread and bake it in a regular pan. Many of the recipes for country loaves have you do that anyway for a more authentic loaf.



My husband bought me the book as a Christmas present when I was 4 months pregnant. Here it is August and the bread machine hasn't gone back into the cupboard yet! It's a miracle our daughter wasn't born weighing 17 pounds! Forget whatever companion book Amazon recommends with this book - buy the latest Billy Blanks or Kathy Smith video (or both!) - you'll be eating A LOT of bread if you get this book! - Bread Machine - Bread Cookbook - Cookbook - Bread - Bread Recipes - Baking
»»»Visit Store NOW...


Best price click here

Zojirushi Bread Machine - bread machine, bread cookbook

Bread Machine Cookbook - cookbook, bread machine cookbook

Click here for more information when I bought my bread machine a year ago I was really excited about buying a cookbook to try it out. I found so many books, and most of the reviews said "buy this one it's the best", or "you won't need another one"... I got all confused. So, since I have most Betty Crocker cookbooks, I choose this one, 'cause I know they only have try and true recipes. In fact, it didn't let me down. The book starts with an introduction about bread machines in general, how they work, and ingredients. It has a chart with all kinds of flours and teaches you what kind of bread you'll get.Then the recipes. Including here, classics like white bread, Sally Lunn, garlic bread. New ones like orange capuccino brad. It has one of the best bagel recipe.It's divided in 7 chapters:Chapter 1: Good and Savory loavesChapter 2: Wholesome Grains LoavesChapter 3: Fruit and Veggie Harvest LoavesChapter 4: Smaller Can Be jst RightChapter 5: Rustic Loaves and FlatbreadsChapter 6: Satisfying Rolls and BreadsticksChapter 7: Sweet breads and Coffee CakesThe book has plenty of pictures, and this, especially for a beginner, is pretty important to know what it will look like the bread you are gonna bake.A year later, I find myself still using this fantastic book and having excellent results. It has over 130 recipes so it's impossible to get bored.

  There are several very positive comments that I have about this book. First, the recipes were tested on all 3 sizes of loaves. Therefore, sometimes proportions of ingredients will not necessarily agree with proportions of bread weight in order to get the same bread. I was happy to have someone else go through these tests so that I didn't have to. Another interesting element to this book is that they show pictures of how "wrong" breads look and list what possible ingredients were out of proportion. This is very helpful in analyzing the outcome of your bread. Finally, I am a picture person and all of the breads have beautiful pictures next to them.

  The big negative I found in the book was that all of the breads I made (about 7) had the same consistency. If you are interested in creating more interesting types of breads, such as light airy french breads with crunchy crusts or ciabatta's - you will be hard pressed to find them in this book.

This excellent bread machine cookbook covers a wide variety of bread types, from standard loaves to multigrains to fruit breads to related items such as rolls, pizza, and coffee cakes. The instructions for each recipe are clearly broken down into easily understandable steps; although some of the breads involve decorative touches that appear difficult, simple sidebar illustrations make these fancy finishes a breeze. The full-page photographs accompanying many of the recipes definitely make your mouth water as well as give some wonderful suggestions for how you can use each type of bread (however, as an earlier reviewer mentioned, I would have preferred to see every recipe illustrated). Overall, I would recommend this cookbook to anyone looking for bread machine recipes ranging from the simple to the more creative.

My husband bought me a breadmaker probably two years ago and all I managed to produce from it were things that could be used to build homes. All my loaves resembled door stops or bricks and I gave up the hobby. Recently, I decided to give it another shot and so I ordered two cookbooks, this one and "Bread!" which I will also review (no 5 stars for that one...).



The recipes include (and this is a long list but I always wish there were more detailed reviews so I try to leave for others what I would have liked to see):

Chapter One: Good and Savory Loaves (all recipes listed have directions for 1 1/2 or 2 lb loaves)

-Classic White Bread

-Sally Lumm

-Sourdough Loaf (and starter directions)

-Pumpkin Seed Bread

-Mediterranean Herbed Bread

-Beer Nut Bread

-Herbed Vinaigrette Bread

-Fiery Four-Pepper Bread

-Cheese Onion Bread

-Roasted Garlic Bread

-Gingery Bread

-Raisin Cinnamon Bread

-Honey Mustard Bread

-Cheesy Mustard Pretzel Bread

-Parmesan Sun-Dried Tomato Bread

-Beer Bacon Bread

-Caraway Cheese Bread

-Toffee Chip Bread

-Honey Lemon Bread

-Orange Cappuccino Bread

-Chocolate Walnut Bread

-Chocolate Mint Bread

-Vanilla Sour Cream Bread



Capter Two: Wholesome Grain Loaves (all recipes for 1 1/2 or 2lb loaves and include either some type of grain like oatmeal or seeds and/or whole wheat flour)

-Honey Whole Wheat Bread

-Toasted Almond Whole Wheat Bread

-Cinnamon Honey Wheat Bread

-Citrus Whole Wheat Bread

-Golden Raisin Bread

-Herb and Crunch Wheat Bread

-Dill Wheat Bread

-Golden Raisin and Rosemary Bread

-Seeded Whole Wheat Bread

-Nutty Prune Wheat Bread

-Zucchini Wheat Bread

-Wild Rice and Apple Bread

-Pumpernickel Bread

-Pumpernickel Pecan Bread

-Buttermilk Rye Bread

-Oatmeal Bread

-Oatmeal Sunflower Bread

-Oat Potato Sandwich Bread

-Orange Oat Cornmeal Bread

-Granola Bread

-Cranberry Corn Bread

-Honey Corn Bread



Chapter Three: Fruit and Veggie Harvest Loaves (again, all recipes for 1 1/2 lb or 2 lb loaves but this time include fruits and/or veggies)

-Caramel Apple and Pecan Bread

-Orange Applesauce Bread

-Dried Apricot Bread

-Banana Caramel Bread

-Raisin Banana Bread

-Double-Cherry Pecan Bread

-Cranberry Blueberry Bread

-Sweet Orange Bread

-Peach Maple Bread

-Brandied Pumpkin Bread

-Panettone

-Caramelized Onion Bread

-Spinach Cheese Bread

-Double-Garlic Potato Bread

-Peppery Potato and Carrot Bread

-Maple Sweet Potato Bread

-Dilled Carrot Bread

-Potato Tarragon Bread



Chapter Four: Smaller Can Be Just Right (all recipes in this chapter are for 1 or 1 1/2 lb loaves)

-Buttermilk Bread

-Honey Sunflower Bread

-Multigrain Bread

-Caraway Rye Loaf

-Peanut Butter Bread

-Potato Chive Bread

-Garlic Basil Bread

-Cheddar Cheese and Olive Bread

-Double-Corn Jalapeno Bread

-Spicy Apple Bread

-Almond Chocolate Chip Bread

-Cranberry Whole Wheat Bread

-Greek Olive Bread

-Choco-Banana Bread



Chapter Five: Rustic Loaves and Flatbreads (This chapter includes mainly dough recipes that can be used if your machine has a dough setting)

-Old-World Rye Bread

-Triple Seed Wheat Bread

-Sage Raisin Wheat Bread

-Chocolate Coffee Bread

-Buttermilk Granola Bread

-Cottage Dill Loaf

-Rosemary Apricot Bread

-Lemon Anise Bread

-Sourdough Loaf

-Challah

-French Baguettes

-Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Baguettes

-Zesty Pesto Tomato Baguettes

-Italian Artichoke Braid

-Rosemary Focaccia

-Greek Olive Focaccia

-Crust Mustard Focaccia

-Two-Cheese Pizza

-Mexican Beef Pizza

-Chicken Fajita Pizza

-Mediterranean Peppered Pizza



Chapter Six: Satisfying Rolls and Breadsticks (again, mainly dough recipes)

-Dinner Rolls

-Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

-Whole Wheat Buttermilk Rolls

-Crescent Rolls

-Curry Rice Dinner Rolls

-Raisin Brioche

-Bagels

-Parmesan Twists

-Cheese-Filled Breadsticks

-Hit-the-Trail Breadsticks

-Dried Cherry Petits Pains

-Crusty Homemade Bread Bowls

-Dried Blueberry Lemon Rolls

-Strawberry and Poppy Seed Rolls

-ORange Pecan Buns

-Festive Raspberry Rolls

-Hot Cross Buns

-Chocolate S'mores Buns

-Sugared Doughnuts

-Honey Lemon Sweet Rolls

-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls

-Sticky Rolls

-Chocolate Caramel Sticky Buns

-Maple Walnut Twists



Chapter Seven: Sweet Breads and Coffee Cakes (dough...)

-Easy Apple Coffee Cake

-Pear Prune Braid

-Pear Kichen with Ginger Topping

-Cherry and White Chocolate Almond Twist

-Apricot Cream Cheese Ring

-Honey Walnut Coffee Cake

-Potica

-Sherried Hazelnut Braid

-Swedish Coffee Ring

-Crunchy Wheat and Honey Twist

-Sweet Bread Wreath



Phew! That's a long list! Anyhoo, I love this book and have made several beautiful and delicious loaves in just the few days I have had it (peanut butter bread, cheesy onion loaf, fiery four-pepper bread, etc). Each one has been beautiful and each recipe tells you if the loaf will, for instance, be shorter and more dense, so you don't freak out and think you've produced yet another cinderblock.



A great buy! - Cookbook - Bread Machine Cookbook - Bread - Baking - Bread Machine Recipes - Cooking
»»»Visit Store NOW...


Best price click here

Bread Machine Cookbook - cookbook, bread machine cookbook

Sunbeam Bread Machine - sunbeam, great value

Click here for more information Don't let the negative reviews here fool you. This bread machine itself is great, and I can't believe how inexpensive! I picked it up for under $40 at Walmart only to see it is now $34 here on Amazon. It makes 1.5 or 2 lb loaves, has a jam setting, a "raisin beep" (signal to add fresh fruit and other ingredients during the second kneading), bake only (like cakes) and dough only (to mix in machine then bake in oven). Also has up to 13 hour delay so you can wake or come home to fresh bread.



It's the recipes that come in the booklet that are bad. They all have way too much yeast, which is a classic cause of fallen loaves. I can't imagine how they came up with recipes with so much yeast! To see what I mean, Sunbeam has all their bread machine instruction manuals available online at http://www.sunbeam.com/manualsearch.aspx?PCId=3



ANYhoo, I strongly suggest that if you've never made bread by hand before, pick up a good all-inclusive intro to bread machine baking book that includes recipes (I think Better Homes and Gardens and Betty Crocker both have well-rated ones on Amazon). Usually the front of these books include bread baking basics, regardless of whether you are using a machine. The booklets that come with bread machines have only a few very basic recipes anyway, like a crockpot instruction book. This machine is a sturdy, capable tool to use with a descent book. It's too bad the included free one is a dud!



Things to remember: you MUST measure carefully, even more so than with other baking. Don't use dry measure cups to measure your liquid ingredients. Fresh yeast AND flour are a must. Know that adding/substituting in yeast bread recipes is not as "OK" as with other baking.



Also, know that any bread machine is not as much of a "fix it and forget it" walk-away tool as a crock pot (at least, not if you want a perfect loaf every time). You need to check the dough during the second knead cycle to make sure it isn't too wet or dry (which will depend on the weather!). You may have to scrape the sides of the pan, or add additional ingredients (like fruit) later in the cycle. The bread machine is aimed at taking the physical labor out of breadmaking, and also conveniently bake in the same pan. Technically, the same can be accomplished with a heavy-duty mixer and a good oven.

Not having owned a bread machine before, I did my online research and decided to try a reasonably priced "good-enough tester" machine... Well, I'm VERY glad that I decided to purchase this "more-than-good-enough" model!



This particular model is fairly quiet while in operation, beeps after the 1st rest to indicate that it's time to add the nuts/raisins, etc., and beeps after the baking cycle is completed (if the bread is not removed from the machine as soon as it's done, it might lose moisture during the auto keep-warm cycle). I've twice made the following recipe with pine nuts and twice made raisin-pistachio bread (from "the Big Book of Bread Machine Recipes")--delicious.



The best part about this machine baking process is that it's not at all difficult in any way. Here is the typical baking process: Warm the liquid in a glass measuring cup in a microwave, stir in the salt/honey/sugar/butter in the warm liquid, pour the mixture into the baking pan, place the pan on the scale, adjust the scale to zero, add the required flour (1 cup flour = 4 to 4.5 oz), level the flour, add the yeast, twist to lock the pan into the breadmaker, plug in the breadmaker, select the crust color (best to try the "Light" color first), select the baking setting, after about 5 min. check the dough and add water/flour if necessary (very important step), remove the bread to a cooling rack as soon as it's done, then wipe the baking pan when it's cool enough. (It's helpful to have a portable timer on you to remind you to remove the bread, wherever you might be.)



The clean up is SO MINIMAL that the bread tastes just that much better! And, whenever we want oven-baked loaves, I'd simply use the breadmaker's dough cycle to lessen the clean up and do the rest as usual.



However, there are some negative aspects related to this bread machine:

1. The user manual is very uninformative for a new user, so don't even bother. Instead, buy "The BIG Book of Bread Machine Recipes" by Donna Rathmell German (on Amazon; 600 recipes from 5 of her bread machine cookbooks) or other bread machine cookbooks and rest assured that the resulting loaves will be enjoyable and varied.



2. On my machine, I had to make sure to select the "light" color, else the loaf gets too brown/too thick crusted.



3. So far, all 4 loaves have slightly caved/sunken/deflated as soon as the baking cycle kicked in. Although the loaves are just slightly sunken, and the appearance and taste were not affected in any way, I will try using less liquid than normal (for a firmer dough) or less yeast (to slow the dough expansion process for this machine) to prevent the sunken look next time.



Useful tips for new bread machine user:

1. Get a dependable scale, instant-read thermometer, and a liquid measuring cup--approximations might not work well when you're new at using bread machines.



2. For the basic cycle, if baking the bread right away, you can just place all the ingredients right into the baking pan regardless of the liquid-first order stated on the manual.



3. If adding additional flour/liquid to the baking pan, add carefully. Any spilled gunk on the bread machine's bottom or heating element might take some scrubbing if baked in.



4. If additional kneading time is desired, just stop and restart the machine for additional gluten development/knead time.



5. For the initial confidence-building 2-pound loaf, try this tested recipe (might have to set your Sunbeam to "Light" color): 1 1/3 cups milk and/or water, 2 tb honey/sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons butter, 4 cups bread flour (I used Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose), 1 1/2 teaspoons active yeast, 1/4 - 1/3 cup of pine nuts/other chopped nuts (optional). Remember to check the dough consistency after about 5 minutes and add liquids/flour if too wet or too dry.



6. If the bread dough is over-rising at the top of the bake pan, either:

a. simply scoop some dough carefully off the top, put the extra dough in a greased baking vessel of suitable size. Let dough rise a bit in the oven with the pilot light on, take dough out, preheat the oven at 350F-375F, spray some water in the oven to encourage crust formation, and then bake until the top is golden brown (internal temp. of about 180F to 200F); bake the other portion in the bread machine as usual; -OR-



b. remove dough from the machine completely-- separate the dough into two greased baking vessels of suitable size. Let dough rise a bit in the oven with the pilot light on, take dough out, preheat the oven at 350F-375F, spray some water in the oven to encourage crust formation, and then bake until the top is golden brown (internal temp. of about 180F to 200F).



7. Store bread in the freezer for fresh-tasting bread any time: divide the bread into serving portions, place in Ziplock bag(s) and store in the freezer; defrost (in the bag) in room temperature (or wrap the bread in a moist paper towel and microwave for a few seconds) before devouring. Make life even easier--bake extra loaves and freeze them.



Conclusion: If you like the taste of "just-baked" breads, but don't like the messy cleanups and the typical baking-related efforts => well, this one is worth the try, and it is worth the price. Just remember to get a big bread machine recipe book and enjoy all the possibilities. Great machine (and great book)! - Sunbeam - Great Value - Bread - Bread Baker - Baking - Sunbeam 5891
»»»Visit Store NOW...


Best price click here

Sunbeam Bread Machine - sunbeam, great value

Healthy Eating - health, olive oil

Click here for more information This new cookbook featuring Olive Oil Dessert recipes has opened up our eyes to making desserts more healthful and they taste great too. We've tried several of the recipes and have found them to be delicious, user friendly and have become new family favorites.

I have tried several of these recipes and they are very good and easy to make. The comfort cake is to die for and I don't make chocolate cake any other way now! Also, a favorite is the blueberry muffin recipe with the crumble topping. My family loves them.

I am an avid baker who was searching for healthier alternatives to butter. I tried different types of "heart-healthy" margarine but the taste and texture was always way off. Luckily, I received this cookbook for Christmas and am very happy with the results. I never before tried using olive oil for baking desserts but am very pleased with both the taste and texture. Also, the butter flavored extract is a clever trick for those treats and cookies that usually have a familiar buttery taste. My favorite recipe so far is the Blueberry Streusel, especially served a bit warm with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream. It was very moist and delicious. I also appreciate finally having a recipe for a butter-free graham cracker piecrust as well as a regular flaky piecrust that doesn't use 'trans-fat laden' shortening. This book will get alot of use in my kitchen. Highly reccommended.

If you want to lower your cholesterol but not give up sweets, this book is for you. It's not just sweets, but breads, scones, muffins, pie dough, etc..But beyond that, if you have food allergies or cook for someone who does, this serves double duty. The substitution charts in back allow you to swap out eggs (sev'l choices for sweet or savory substitutions) and dairy (even buttermilk) easily. You also have a conversion chart to use w/your previous recipes by swapping out high-cholesterol butter or margarine with olive oil, thereby making the desserts healthier and even lighter b/c the olive oil to butter ratio is less. I made Lemon Sugar Cookies and swapped out the one egg (b/c my toddler granddaughter is allergic) with 1/4 cup of applesauce. They were cookies we ALL could eat, they looked exactly like the picture, were delish, and received raves...better than a bakery. The olive oil pie crust is great, don't even need to mix it in the food processor, a simple wooden spoon brings this one together, easy as pie (no pun intended) to roll out too! The book is esthetically beautiful to look at, makes a good gift or coffee table book; but this one will most likely take up permanent residence in my kitchen!

I've only made the "ginger roos" and they were very good! The rest of the desserts look like they will be great too, I can't wait to try them! The only drawback is there is no nutritional information with the desserts. This would have been a bonus for calorie counters.

If you love desserts, this is the cookbook for you! I like to look at dessert cookbooks just to salivate over the pictures. I've tried several of these delicious recipes and have absolutely loved them! Plus its nice to know that there is heart healthy olive oil in them. I've always been big on butter, so I wasn't sure desserts with olive oil would taste good. But trust me, they are delicious! One of my favorites is the Cinnamon Twisties. They are so light and tasty. I only meant to eat a couple, but ended up eating a whole plate full....Easy to do when you're pregnant. This yummy dessert is one of my latest pregnancy cravings...I just can't get enough of them!

I love desserts and these recipes allow me to indulge without eater's remorse. They are delicious and I actually like them better than similiar recipes that call for butter, vegetable oil or shortening. My husband and kids love them too and no dessert from this book has lasted in my house for more than 5 minutes. I haven't tried one of Micki's dessert that I haven't absolutely loved. I am buying this book for my mom for Mother's Day. It's been a long time since I have felt passionate about a cook book. 5 stars!!!

We have big-time sweet teeth at our house, but also bad genes for cholesterol. I liked this recipe book so much I bought one for all my siblings. My family especially likes the Simple Brownies and Cinnamon Twisties. The recipes are laid out well and easy to follow, and it's great knowing the desserts I make aren't as bad as what I used to make.

I got this cook book about 6 months ago and it is the most used cook book in my house. My husband has high cholesterol and loves to eat too many cookies. There are very few lower fat cookies to be found in a grocery store or bakery. The recipes in this book use healthy olive oil and are easy to make, and also very yummy! Our favorites are the chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter cookies. The book also contains cakes, muffins, bars.... I have just recently tried using the author's conversion method to substitue butter for olive oil in a root beer cookie recipe I found on the internet. It turned out great! - Health - Olive Oil - Baking - Cookbook - Cookies - Good Fats
»»»Visit Store NOW...


Best price click here

Healthy Eating - health, olive oil