You may think I am crazy

AlaninSpain where are you i am calling around .... yes i am "Now I can have good tasty bread whenever I want, it keeps for 3 days as I mix in some virgin olive oil, and there is nothing like sitting on the terrace with an ice cold beer listening to the birds with the aroma of baking bread wafting through the doorway. Plus there is no need for me to go out shopping for a stick of bread .

any one know where he is ..... the hunt on for the cold beer and bread and i have pm you aswell


jurdy

FOR SALE

1 concrete mixer

2 one gas tourch

going cheap

ha ha ha

jurdyr I lied...... I sit on the terrace wearing two jumpers with my hands wrapped around a hot mug of coffee
But I still drool over the aroma ;)

Personally I don't see the point of buying a breadmaker. (although you got one at a great price)

It is very easy to make bread yourself and kneeding dough is quite therapeutic. And you get to be a bit adventurous, adding cheese, dice olives, paprika, etc...

have a go, its great fun.

Each to their own really but time is the major factor as its all automated, but one of the main advantages of a breadmaker over conventional baking is less cost energy wise which is a "green" issue, so maybe that's a point that doesn't concern you. Another advantage, there is no need to mess up the kitchen and end up with a pile of washing-up afterwards, again hot water=energy + time. Also the machine can be set to start the process during the night, nothing like waking up to the smell of fresh bread for breakfast. These are just off the top of my head, adding extra ingredients is also possible during the process, I have added garlic and dried tomato's, but my machine is capable of making pizza dough, bagels, cakes, even jam. If it's in the middle of summer the kitchen doesn't heat up with a bread machine, while it's working away you could be netting the bugs off your swimming pool again very therapeutic, but anything is therapeutic if you enjoy doing it.

> Each to their own really but time is the major factor as its all automated, but one of the main advantages of a breadmaker over conventional baking is less cost energy wise which is a "green" issue, so maybe that's a point that doesn't concern you.


Hi Alan,
I don't know about the green issue. But every environmentally friendly recipe involves an oven over a breadmaker.

Also if done as part of the meal, bread should have zero energy cost. Using the heat from pre-heating the oven for the main meal to cook/brown the bread.


>
Another advantage, there is no need to mess up the kitchen and end up with a pile of washing-up afterwards, again hot water=energy + time.


The only real cleaning would be the bowl in which the dough rises. Even then only need a cup of hot water. So fair enough, probably more work than a breadmaker.


>
Also the machine can be set to start the process during the night, nothing like waking up to the smell of fresh bread for breakfast. These are just off the top of my head, adding extra ingredients is also possible during the process, I have added garlic and dried tomato's, but my machine is capable of making pizza dough, bagels, cakes, even jam. If it's in the middle of summer the kitchen doesn't heat up with a bread machine, while it's working away you could be netting the bugs off your swimming pool again very therapeutic, but anything is therapeutic if you enjoy doing it.


Sounds nice.

>

Hi Alan,
I don't know about the green issue. But every environmentally friendly recipe involves an oven over a breadmaker.

Also if done as part of the meal, bread should have zero energy cost. Using the heat from pre-heating the oven for the main meal to cook/brown the bread.


Hi Andrew I would be interested to know where you got that info from as I would change my viewpoint on bread machines verses ovens. One loaf baked in a conventional oven would supply the energy for a bread machine several times over, and lets face it not everyone cooks hot meals every day especially so in the summer months. So people would have to restrict their baking to when they were using the oven, so would that mean a trip down the road to buy some in order to save energy.

Using the heat from a pre-heating oven, well not a good idea, you need the oven up to a constant temperature and I think for a conventional oven it needs baking for around 40 minutes, if there is room in the oven to have the bread baking with the joint of beef or chicken I know my mother always did her bakery separate from other forms of cooking. The only advantage there is the oven has a kick start after the dinner was taken out

Funny how its us guys discussing cooking is this a sign of the times. Next week doing housework, following week why do we need a woman :)

>
Funny how its us guys discussing cooking is this a sign of the times. Next week doing housework, following week why do we need a woman :)


so we know how we're doing it wrong of course!

> [quote author="AlaninSpain" date="1237843478"]
Funny how its us guys discussing cooking is this a sign of the times. Next week doing housework, following week why do we need a woman :)


so we know how we're doing it wrong of course![/quote]

arnt we !

>
The bad news
Bread flour in Spain is expensive

Cheers


Alan - you are buying bread flour in the wrong place if you think it is dear, surely you aren't buying it from a supermarket?!!
Go to the bakers and buy it (harina de fuerza)- what do you think he uses (and the Spanish housewives)??
Our baker charges 45 cents a kilo and my bread and pizza bases are perfect!

> [quote author="Andrew Belles" date="1237844993"][quote author="AlaninSpain" date="1237843478"]
Funny how its us guys discussing cooking is this a sign of the times. Next week doing housework, following week why do we need a woman :)


so we know how we're doing it wrong of course![/quote]

arnt we ![/quote]

Sorry I missed this post jurdyr but I have been too busy correcting mistakes made by..... yes you guessed not me in the kitchen :)


> [quote author="AlaninSpain" date="1237496300"]
The bad news
Bread flour in Spain is expensive

Cheers


Alan - you are buying bread flour in the wrong place if you think it is dear, surely you aren't buying it from a supermarket?!!
Go to the bakers and buy it (harina de fuerza)- what do you think he uses (and the Spanish housewives)??
Our baker charges 45 cents a kilo and my bread and pizza bases are perfect![/quote]

Lizzie thanks that's a good tip to check out, no I didn't buy any flour in Spain but I did notice the price. What area is that particular baker? because at that price its not worth me bringing any more back from the UK.

Hi Alan

Any and all bakers sell flour, we live in a large village and have two bakers here (panaderia). I'm certain that even places like Malaga and Valencia would have localised areas where the women buy their daily bread, it's the traditional way of life here.
An on a similar subject cake shops (paselerias) will sell you caster sugar if you ask nicely (azucar fina).
Lizzielogs

My breadmaker was one of the many things I shed via eBay in the run up to the move.... I have to say I really like shopping for bread every day! I don't have time to go and haggle for fresh veggies in the mercado daily but a fresh crusty loaf is worth a quick trip out anytime. Trouble is I just go and eat it afterwards!

Maya

Wow I think it is a good idea to bake your own bread. I actually never thought about it. :)
I always thought it is too difficult to bake your own bread but I think I will go for a breadmaker and give it definitely a try. I absolutely love fresh bread and due to this I think this will be a good idea. After I tested it I will share my experiences.

Well home made bread is better than commercial made one. I love my mother in law honey bread. it is so simple but so tasty. I can eat one loaves in a day. I wonder, is bread in Spain is expensive, that you need to make your own?

Well I'm currently in the UK and will be returning with 30 kilos of flour and loads of hovis quick acting yeast (it was on offer 60p + two extra sachets) I'm a sucker for a bargain ;) and sweetheart09 you wont regret it. Breadmaker is the way to go, maybe we could open up a recipe forum :)

@BuenosDiasPet Obviously you never had either the setting or the mixture correct because mine always comes out crusty only difference mine would be more fresher than yours. ;)

Ya man, me too love it, It really makes me crazy due to the taste of it...... :)
when I was worked on Phonics (http://www.PhonicsTeacher.com/) site, I had this as my daily meals....it is yummy...

^^ Ya man did you have it with spam

Don't forget that Lidl sell excellent flour for making brown bread especially for bread machines.
The best one has sunflower seeds in, the writing on the packet is in German but there are instructions in Spanish.
The yeast and other essentials are already added. Just add water and go.

The bread it makes is really good so it is not necessary to bring flour back from England.
I have compared it with the wholemeal flours from Sainsburys but in my opinion Lidl is best.

I also have a wood fired oven. Kneading the dough in a kenwood mixer with a dough hook works very well.

> Don't forget that Lidl sell excellent flour for making brown bread especially for bread machines.
The best one has sunflower seeds in, the writing on the packet is in German but there are instructions in Spanish.
The yeast and other essentials are already added. Just add water and go.

The bread it makes is really good so it is not necessary to bring flour back from England.
I have compared it with the wholemeal flours from Sainsburys but in my opinion Lidl is best.

I also have a wood fired oven. Kneading the dough in a kenwood mixer with a dough hook works very well.


Hmm thanks sounds good but I will stick with English strong flour 60p for 1.5KG and my trusty ?3 bread-maker throw it in and forget it. BUT I have given up on the dried yeast I now buy fresh yeast from masymas ?0.34 for 50grms that will do two loaves and if you haven't tried home made bread made with fresh yeast you haven't lived, beats the dried stuff hands down.

My next venture is to make my own yeast using raisins and then who knows what lies in store next I'm really getting into this cooking malarkey