Adventures In Breadmaking

Ever baked a brick?  I have.  I can make a mean pot of chili (did today!), but I stink at making bread.  Experiments with my trusty toaster oven have resulted in odd-shaped, free-form lumps of things slightly resembling bread.  My kids and husband were brave enough to taste them, and they didn't die.  For this, I am thankful!  There was that one time when I followed this recipe for the Pioneer Woman's no-knead dinner rolls...and they turned out like a dream.  A wonderful, fluffy, butter-laden dream.  You should try them for your next sit-down with the neighbors!


And, then, there's this recipe - my current favorite - for Indian naan bread.  And, you don't even need to install a tandoor oven to make it!  Flat bread is my friend.  It is already flat, so I'm not offended when it doesn't look like Mrs. Baird's, because it isn't supposed to.  Perfection.


But, today, while eating lunch with Steph and commenting on the delicious sourdough bread she had just made, I was reminded that I have a bread machine.  Duh, right?

I haven't always had one.  This one is a hand-me-down from Steph, who had it handed down to her from another expat family with a gaggle of kids.  This machine is a beast.  A real, heavy, bulky, used-looking beast of a wonder that was sitting lonely in my kitchen cupboard.  Steph has a real oven, so she doesn't need this collecting dust in her kitchen.  I, on the other hand, am tired of making bricks in my toaster oven.  I'm ready for real bread!


Tonight, I pulled it out, wiped it down, and speed-read the instructor manual.  What did I choose?  An absolutely scrumptious recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Nut Bread.

Here's the recipe.  I left out the nuts, added an extra tbsp of sugar, and an extra 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon.  Btw: check out those stains on the paper!  This recipe manual has seen some days!

The excitement brews...

Geez...when is thing going to start?

Almost there!

2 hours and 40 minutes later, something aromatic and wonderful emerged from my "new" bread machine.  I am in love.

I've always had a weakness for cinnamon raisin bread.  Good bye bricks!  Hello goodness!

Now that I've got my machine, there's no stopping me.  Got any recipes to share?  Feel free to leave them in the comments below!