Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Cookbook Wednesday: Bread

Of course, I'm combing through my cookbooks this week for ideas for Thanksgiving Vacation Cooking.  Yes, that's all capitalized.  Yes, The Cooking is an Event.  Yes, I plan for weeks.  And, yes, I expect to wrap it up by tomorrow morning, so I can order food tomorrow afternoon, take delivery Friday, and let the Cooking Event Begin!

Somewhat over 20 years ago, I bought my first bread machine, when an employee suggested it to me.  It was bulkier than the ones sold today, but it gave me the confidence to learn to make yeast breads.  When faster machines that made bigger loaves came out, I bought one.  I think I've had that one for nearly 15 years now, but it went kaput a couple of weeks ago.  No matter; I'll use the dough hook on my stand mixer.

Anyway, after I'd had that very first bread machine, I found The Bread Machine Cookbook by Donna Rathmell German.  It fell apart about a year ago.  Oh, let's be fair; it's been falling apart for years now, but having more than half the pages loose, and the back cover disconnected, made me need to find a solution: the 3-hole punch and mini binder!


 This book has recipes for white, wheat and specialty breads, along with recipes I found elsewhere and scrawled in here so I could find them again "some day",


 



sourdough breads, including instruction on making your own starter,

sweet breads,

and using the bread machine to make dough, to be formed into different things.

This book enabled me to figure out the formula for bread (1-1/2 cups liquid, 1 or 2 tbsp yeast, 4 cups flour, 1 tsp or more salt, plus sugar, fats, eggs or whatever for flavor and texture).  And nowadays, I really just use my bread machine as an enclosed mixer, so its lack really doesn't harm my bread making efforts.

Click on the "breads" category to the right to see some of my past creations from this (and other) cookbooks.  Now I have to decide what breads I'll be serving during the next 2 weeks!

I'm linking this up to Louise's Cookbook Wednesday; go check out some of her other contributors!  Happy Wednesday, everyone!

8 comments:

Mae Travels said...

Great to post about a cookbook that you loved to shreds! I'm glad more people are joining Cookbook Weds as I love seeing what cookbooks have people's loyalty. My Joy of Cooking is held together with tape, not quite ready for loose-leaf!

best,
mae at maefood.blogspot.com

~~louise~~ said...

I was grinning ear to ear reading this post Marjie. It's posts like this that optimize the purpose of Cookbook Wednesday! And you were worried about not having "pretty" cookbooks, lol…That book is beautiful in my eyes:) And I'm sure in the many eyes who it has taught to break bread.

Thank you so much for sharing on Cookbook Wednesday Marjie…I may be smiling all night thinking about this post. (as I try to stay warm and cozy knowing it is freezing outside:) Good Luck with the shopping...

Pam said...

Great way to save an old favorite cookbook. I have a few that could use a three ring binder! Looking forward to seeing your feast this year (and all the family too).

Anonymous said...

I don't remember your breads off the top of my head, but photos of your dinner rolls (and lunch rolls, for that matter) always leave me salivating.

Rhodesia said...

I love my bread machine but you make much more things than I have tried. Love old cookbooks and this sound very special. Have a great weekend Diane

Sue said...

I have a couple ccokbooks held together with rubber bands. I think I'll turn them into loose leaf books like yours.

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

This cookbook looks great compared to some of mine. In fact I have this cookbook, but have never used it. I'm a huge fan of the ABM, but I generally just adapt recipes I already have to the bread machine and they always seem to work. Thanks for this delightful post.

SissySees said...

I have that cookbook too, but mine isn't as thoroughly used as yours. In fact I gave our bread machine to a young friend a couple of years ago... neither of us needs to each much of the stuff and the Knight will eat a loaf in a day if it's freshly made.