I got the Whig this morning and saw the article in it. I like the article and it was almost completely accurate. The pictures were fine (not good but I will never be 22 again!). One of them was of me sweeping up breadcrumbs and putting them in a bag. I save the bread crumbs when I cut homemade bread and freeze them. (I also save bread ends and grate them for bread crumbs) I use breadcrumbs in recipes.
Bread has become very expensive, especially if you eat whole wheat breads. I pay $2 for a loaf of good, whole wheat bread when I shop. Cheap whole wheat is just that and more likely to include caramel coloring rather than whole wheat flour. Cheap white bread is not as good as other, more expensive white breads and I won’t buy them. If you buy cheap white breads, you may want to make a loaf of homemade bread and compare the cost and taste.
To combat the high cost of bread, I sometimes make my own. When times are tough, I make it all the time. Making bread can be expensive if you don’t get cheap ingredients. Below is where to go to get things cheaply.
Bread maker – If you want to make your own bread by hand and have the time, go for it. If you don’t have the time, then purchase a bread maker at the Goodwill store (or other thrift store). They usually have them for about $5. Plug it in and let it go through the first mixing steps for about 5 minutes to be sure it has a good chance of working. Usually they do work because people buy them and use them a few times, then dump them.
Bread Flour – I don’t use bread flour anymore since it isn’t necessary. After you make a few loaves and get the hang of it, you can switch to regular flour. I think I saw bread flour on sale for $2.75 for 5 lbs. recently. Wal-Mart has the cheapest prices for flour if you just want 5 lbs. and can’t find any on sale.
White Flour – a good price for regular flour seems to be about $1.99 - $2.25 for a 5 lb. bag. You can get it cheaply at Wal-Mart of get 20 lbs. at BJ’s for about $7-8. (I forget the exact price).
Yeast – Don’t get the little packets of yeast!!! They are each 1 TBS of yeast and overpriced. I buy yeast at Newark Natural Foods for $3.50 for a half pound. You can use it for bread baking or for making pizza dough.
Those are your basic ingredients for white bread. The first few times you use the bread maker, watch over it. I usually help it to mix the bread by scraping down the sides of the bread machine with a rubber scraper if it needs it. Many people use the bread maker to mix the dough and to go through the first rising. Then they take it out, shape it, let it rise and bake it in the oven. This gives it more of the homemade flavor.
Homemade bread is great for snacks or for breakfast. When I make a loaf of white bread my teens eat it up within a day or two. It is also good to have with soups. How much does it cost? I estimate Fifty cents a loaf, not including the cost of the bread maker. For me, saving $1.50 a loaf is worth the 5-10 minutes it takes to throw the ingredients into the breadmaker. Good luck!
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could you share your recipe that doesn't involve bread flour?
ReplyDeleteYaz, I don't have a recipe. When you use regular flour, the dough is more moist than when you use bread flour. As the dough is mixed, add a tablespoon at a time until the dough is more dough-like. As it mixes it in, you will be able to tell if it is enough flour or if you need to add more. I think it takes 2-3 TBS. of extra flour. Thanks for the comment.
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