British Expatriate Network

Hello!!!

I am tried of the lack of quality of the American Bread and how sweet it is etc. So I’m gonna buy a Bread maker!!!

So does anyone have a good recipe for some British Bread? Something like Hovis tasting?

Cheers

Midge!

Try the French bread recipe in the booklet that will no doubt come with the machine. That's the closest I've found.
Alternatively, if you're getting a machine get a copy of Lora Brody's book, Pizza, Focaccia, flat and filled breads from your bread machine.

Her doughs can be filled or left plain and are delish! grin

I have a book called "The ultimate bread Machine Cookbook" by Jennie Shapter.
It is an English cookbook so all the recipes are NOT laden down with sugar and all the other garbage. This bread tastes like bread, they even have Pikelets!
The book also looks at speciality grains so there are plenty of brown breads and multigrains.

The best thing about this book is that even though it has English recipes, the measurements for the ingredients are all stated in mills/oz/cups, so we have English old and new measures and the American measures too.

Here is a link to the book on Amazon (through the Britnet link)

http//www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0754805999/qid=1121468348/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-1476601-6587041?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

The reviews (2) , well one of them isnt very good cos it is mentioned about the lack of sugar in recipes....but well, American bread is a lot sweeter than English bread, so I dont consider the bad review such a bad review )
If you Look the book up on Amazon UK then it gets brilliant reviews on there.

I love this book, I have tried numerous bread recipes and all have turned out 'BRITISH" )
I still need to try the flatbread and pikelet recipe.

BTW, I have the Breadman Ultimate.........To date it hasn't let me down and has the added attraction of if you do need to tweak a recipes cooking times then you can program you own custom cooking times )

Hope this helps
Mandy

I could just be biased as I hate our bread machine (expensive, crap from Bed, Bath & Beyond, the make of which I forget at present) but they seem like a big piece of equipment that makes this tiny little loaf.

In our case, just to add to the misery, it's rarely edible and we haven't touched the machine in over a year. It should have gone back during the warranty period but 'someone' never bothered and as it's technically not mine, I didn't push it.

That said, I used to have a cheapy one that made tiny but quite tasty loaves.

I feel the same way about ours. I can't even remember the last time we used it.

I have had 2 machines whilst living over here. With my first one I hated the bread it produced, my Mother-in-law made bread in her machine constantly and she sent me her white bread recipe over and I havent looked back since.
It seems that (in my case) if I use a US recipe then I dont like the bread it makes but if I use a UK one then it tastes just as good as the bread I am used to.
The loaves are a tad smaller but my ultimate Breadman makes a slightly larger loaf than most US machines.

I have found that the US French bread recipe makes the UK loaf equivilant.

I love my bread machine....case of trial and error but once you get a good recipe then you are good to go.

Mandy

Our bread machine is a life saver. Yeah the bread doesn't last long - mainly cos it's a Borg-esque cube of a thing, big slices. I also use it for pizza dough, and for other bread products just mixing and letting the dough rise. Stuff like real French sticks, a Swiss Zopf (buttery, eggy bread they use for breakfast), and even Hot Cross Buns! I have never had a failure with it. Put the liquid in first, add the flour and dry ingredients, then make a little hole for the yeast. It's a West Bend Automatic, model 41052, 2lb capacity. I've seen some much smaller than that, claiming to bake a loaf in 45 minutes, but they are only 3/4 lb capacity. Ours takes 3 hours for a loaf.

Yeah, we have a bread machine and after some trial and error we now have a fantastic recipe for a whole wheat/multi-grain bread that you can either leave in the bread machine and make into a loaf, or just use the machine to let it mix and rise and then make into bread rolls.

I have also used Debs handmade white bread (the recipe is in this section way back somewhere) recipe and just used the machine for mixing and rising and again it has come out wonderfully. )

You can also use these machines for making your own jam )

Another useless invention really, never met anyone that was quite happy with the turnout of the bread wink

So, you can't live without yours as well then :wink:

I ain't got one squire :wink:

So, why do you think we wouldn't be happy with ours when quite a few of us have said how much we love them :???:

Not only is the bread of good quality and much better for you than the plastic store bought stuff, it is cheaper than bought bread. We save a fortune, especially if you saw how much the boys eat :roll:

So, come on then, explain yourself :wink:

We have had two breadmaking machines and found them to be completely useless.

I have made my own bread by hand for the last three years. It's never a problem, always turns out fab, doesn't take up your whole day and freezes wonderfully!

Brown Bread

1lb Bob's Red Mill Whole wheat flour
10oz strong white bread flour
1 lvl tablespoon dried yeast
1 lvl tablespoon sugar
1 lvl tablespoon salt
1oz lard or Crisco shortening(if you're a veggie)
3/4 pint (UK) warm water

Mix the flours together, cut lard/Crisco into small pieces and stir into flour. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix. Add the water and stir until dough comes together. Knead briefly until dough is smooth and elastic. Return to oiled bowl and cover with cling wrap. Leave 20 minutes or so until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375f.

Shape as required.... I make a braid by dividing the dough into three equal pieces and rolling into long sausages about 18" long. Place side by side and starting from the middle, plait to one end sealing the ends together. Then flip the whole thing over and plait from the middle to the end again like before. Place on a large greased baking sheet, cover with cling wrap and leave until well risen. Before baking, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in centre of oven for 30-35 minutes until done. Bottom should sound hollow when tapped with your knuckles.


My white bread recipe is also in the food forum somewhere!

Debs x smile

Debs, if you like multi-grain breads, you can add a multi-grain instant breakfast cereal (you can get them from Trader Joes and healthfood supermarkets) to your brown bread recipe. It turns out really great )

I did your white bread recipe in the bread maker on dough setting and then baked in the oven and it came out fantastic )

Thanks Guys!

I am so excited to get going with this!

Debs? is your Brown and white bread recipe just like REAL British Bread? I can imagine it would be cos your Cheese Pastie recipe was 100% British and Amazing!

Mandy! I don't suppose you could tell me what the best White (British) Bread recipe is in that book you have so I can test it out before I buy the book? razz

Whats the best BREAD making machine out there would you say everyone? and where can I buy it? if you have a link or something that would be great!

Cheers