WOW! I know it has been a while!

But this wonderful giveaway is a bread makers DREAM! Go check out the give away at Hallee the Homemaker!

Click below to find out how to enter!

Give Away!

Here is what you’ll win:

•A barely used, immaculate condition L’Equip NutriMill Grain Mill- the exact model I use.

•Organic wheat berries to grind into flour (in 2-pound packages):

◦Hard red wheat berries (for bread)

◦hard white wheat berries (for bread)

◦soft white wheat berries (for pastries)

◦durum wheat berries (for pasta)

•A block of yeast

•A 2-pound package of organic oats

•A 2-pound package of organic popcorn

•A container of pure Tueplo honey

•Sea salt

•Two each NorPro 12×4½x3 inch bread pans (the size I use to make our daily bread)

•A Chicago Metal’s pan that makes two French bread loaves

How I got started...

I like bread. I like bread a lot. But what I really like is GOOD BREAD. You know, the stuff you pay $4 or $5+ a loaf for in the stores or at a bakery. With times being as they are right now, we are all looking at ways to cut corners. I decided I could easily save about $10/week by making my own bread. $520 a year is  nothing to sneeze at around these parts. I'd heard rumor that you could use your KitchenAid mixer to make bread and save yourself time and tired arm muscles in the process. So, I started surfing the internet. I found lots of recipes, blogs, articles, more blogs, more recipes... it's endless. So I picked a few recipes and jumped right in the thick of it all.

My first foray into bread making was a flop. It didn't rise and was like a brick. Tossed that stuff straight into the trash. My next couple of loaves, while tastier, had the consistency of cake instead of bread. Very crumbly with a crust that could bread teeth. Plus, you would never have been able to make a sandwich with it. Back to the internet for more research. The few things I found out...

• I have no idea what the heck "Dough Conditioner" is, what it does or how to get it. (yes I know, you can find out every thing through Google.)
• Even in the KitchenAid, I have to knead the dough longer than the recipe calls for to "develop"  the gluten. This keeps it from being crumbly.
• With wheat flour, it's best to create a "sponge" first. This allows the flour to hydrate and keeps you from adding too much flour. Dry dough=crumbly dough.
• Vital Wheat Gluten is important when using Whole Wheat Flour. What is Vital Wheat Gluten you ask. It's protein that has been extracted from flour. From what I gather, it's harder to develop the gluten in whole wheat flour. So you add a little extra, about 4 tsp per loaf, and you get a softer, less crumbly texture. 
• It's important to "activate" your yeast 1st. Even if the recipe doesn't tell you to do it. You get a much higher rise if you do. 

That's just a few of the things I've learned. I'm sure there are more that I'm not thinking of right now. As I go about my adventures in bread making, I'll post more. I'll also be adding links to my favorite bread blogs as I go along. I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I've enjoyed baking bread.

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