Are all recipes for bread machines?

Almost all bread recipes I see call for "place ingredients in bread machine in the order specified by the manufacturer". Is there a formula to transfer that bit of useless information to something I can bake a loaf of bread with? The machine may be the way to go but I'm not spending that kind of money until I see how this homemade bread thing turns out. BTW I've already made several iron skillets worth of Mama's honey cornbread. That was good information. Good cornbread too.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Now - I have only ONE bread machine - it's an original - called "lefty and righty". Making homemade bread helps build strong finders, hands and arms in 12 ways! LOL

To begin with - bread machines vary - certain recipes will not work in certain machines.

And then there are "enhancer" recipes.

A friend of mine has a bread machine and due to arthritis, she just places all the ingredients in and lets it mix the dough for her. Then she removes it and shapes it her way and bakes in the oven.

I don't like the shape of the loaves of bread from a bread machine - it's my personal opinion and I'm not going to debate anyone on it.

I'm too used to making homemade bread my way. and I have tons of recipes - if you want any in particular - just let me know.

A recipe for french bread and one for a normal loaf bread would be fine. I can change it to low sodium with Featherweight baking powder. Please, no "self rising" flour recipes. That I cannot change to low sodium.

Maybe you can modify this and make your own:

Self-rising flour is flour to which leavening has been added. To make your own, add 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup of flour. Alternately, be sure to leave out the salt and leavening of a recipe, if you are using self-rising flour in place of regular flour. Leavenings tend to lose their potency over time, so be sure to use it before it expires.


EASY MIXER BREADS
MAKES 2 LOAVES

2 pkgs. active dry yeast
2 c. warm water (110* F. to 115* F.)
1/2 c. instant nonfat dry milk
3 T. sugar
1 T. salt
1/3 c. shortening or 1/3 stick, melted
5 1/2 - 6 c. flour

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large mixer bowl. Add dry milk, sugar, salt, melted shortening, and 3 c. flour. Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat for 3 minutes at medium speed. Using spoon, stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 X 6-inch rectangle. Roll up, starting with 6-inch side. Place seam-side-down in 2 greased 9 X 5 X 3-inch loaf pans. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled (about 45 minutes). Preheat oven to 400ºF. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.




French Bread

2 T. yeast
2 1/2 C. warm water
1 T. salt
7 or 7 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 egg white

Soften yeast in warm water. Let set 5 minutes. Add salt and
2 cups (1 1/2 cups wheat) flour; mix. Add 4 1/2 -5 1/2
(3 3/8-4 1/8 cups wheat) more cups or enough to make a
moderately stiff dough. (Remember that the wheat flour will
need a few minutes to absorb the moisture.) Knead for
10 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with a slightly damp
towel. Let rise until doubled.

Punch down and let rise until doubled again.

Separate into two portions. Shape into loaves, sealing
together on bottom. Place on a baking stone or in French
bread pans. Using a serrated knife, cut 1/4 inch gashes at
an angle on the tops of loaves. Set in a warm place until
doubled.

Brush with egg white. Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes or
until light brown.

Makes 2 loaves.



White Bread

* 2 pkg dry yeast put into
* 1/2 cup warm Water
* 1 3/4 .lukewarm milk
* 7 cups flour
* 3 TBL sugar
* 2 TBL soft shortening

Take 1/2 of the flour, milk, sugar & shortening - work together. Pour in yeast & rest of flour work until smooth. (dip hands in butter or shortening) Knead. Place in buttered/greased bowl; cover and let rise. (1hr).

After risen, punch down, knead.

Lightly grease pans. Punch down shape into 2 loaves. Put into pans, cover and let rise again. Preheated oven 425 degrees F.

Let bake for 25-30 min. or until done.

Wonder Bread

* 2 pkg dry yeast put into
* 1/2 cup warm Water
* 1 3/4 .lukewarm milk
* 7 cups flour
* 3 TBL sugar
* 2 TBL soft shortening

Take 1/2 of the flour, milk, sugar & shortening - work together. Pour in yeast & rest of flour work until smooth. (dip hands in butter or shortening) Knead. Place in buttered/greased bowl; cover and let rise. (1hr).

After risen, punch down, knead.

Lightly grease pans. Punch down shape into 2 loaves. Put into pans, cover and let rise again. Preheated oven 425 degrees F.

Let bake for 25-30 min. or until done.

Bread

9-10 cups Bread Flour
1 cup gluten
3 Tbls dry yeast
1 cup 115°F water
3 Tbls butter – melted
1 egg
½ tsp salt
3 cups warm (110° - 115°F) water
1 cup dry milk powder
3 Tbls Sugar
3 Tbls Sesame Seeds (pan toasted) -optional-

Directions:
In a small bowl (custard cup size), mix 1 egg with ½ tsp. Salt, set aside.

In a 4 cup Pyrex measure, put 3 cups warm water. Microwave on high for 7 minutes (make sure water is boiling). Leave in microwave.

In a 2 cup measure, put 1 cup 115°F water, 1 Tbls sugar and the yeast. Mix well, set aside and let rise – (testing for active yeast)

In a large bowl, put two cups warm water, mix in the powdered milk, the yeast mixture and melted butter. In a 8 cup measure, mix 3 cups bread flour, gluten, remaining sugar and salt. Add this to the liquid in the large bowl *** Mix in enough flour mixture to create a sponge to the consistency of heavy waffle batter ***. Cover the bowl with an oiled plastic wrap, right down onto the sponge. Put sponge in the microwave oven with the boiling water mixture for 12 minutes at 10% power.

When doubled in size, remove, add enough flour to release sponge from sides of bowl and pour out onto a floured oil cloth. Mix in remaining flour and kneed for approximately 5 minutes or until no longer sticky. Put this dough into an oiled plastic zip lock bag, with all the air pressed out. Put plastic bag in large clean bowl and back into the microwave oven with the boiling water mixture along side for another 10 minutes at 10% power or until doubled in bulk. Remove from microwave, punch down, reseal and let rest for 10 minutes.

Cut dough in half and form into loaves. Put in oiled, parchment paper lined bread pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and put in 150°F preheated oven (with heat off) on pot-holders until dough has risen to 1” above top of bread pans. At that point, remove bread pans from oven, set oven to 350°F. When oven reaches that temperature, remove oiled plastic wrap from bread, brush top with egg and salt mixture from step #1, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and put in center of oven for 35 minutes.

When done, bread will have browned top and sound hollow when tapped on top. Remove from pans and put on wire rack to cool.

Bread

9-10 cups Bread Flour
1 cup gluten
3 Tbls dry yeast
1 cup 115°F water
3 Tbls butter – melted
1 egg
½ tsp salt
3 cups warm (110° - 115°F) water
1 cup dry milk powder
3 Tbls Sugar
3 Tbls Sesame Seeds (pan toasted) -optional-

Directions:
In a small bowl (custard cup size), mix 1 egg with ½ tsp. Salt, set aside.

In a 4 cup Pyrex measure, put 3 cups warm water. Microwave on high for 7 minutes (make sure water is boiling). Leave in microwave.

In a 2 cup measure, put 1 cup 115°F water, 1 Tbls sugar and the yeast. Mix well, set aside and let rise – (testing for active yeast)

In a large bowl, put two cups warm water, mix in the powdered milk, the yeast mixture and melted butter. In a 8 cup measure, mix 3 cups bread flour, gluten, remaining sugar and salt. Add this to the liquid in the large bowl *** Mix in enough flour mixture to create a sponge to the consistency of heavy waffle batter ***. Cover the bowl with an oiled plastic wrap, right down onto the sponge. Put sponge in the microwave oven with the boiling water mixture for 12 minutes at 10% power.

When doubled in size, remove, add enough flour to release sponge from sides of bowl and pour out onto a floured oil cloth. Mix in remaining flour and kneed for approximately 5 minutes or until no longer sticky. Put this dough into an oiled plastic zip lock bag, with all the air pressed out. Put plastic bag in large clean bowl and back into the microwave oven with the boiling water mixture along side for another 10 minutes at 10% power or until doubled in bulk. Remove from microwave, punch down, reseal and let rest for 10 minutes.

Cut dough in half and form into loaves. Put in oiled, parchment paper lined bread pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and put in 150°F preheated oven (with heat off) on pot-holders until dough has risen to 1” above top of bread pans. At that point, remove bread pans from oven, set oven to 350°F. When oven reaches that temperature, remove oiled plastic wrap from bread, brush top with egg and salt mixture from step #1, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and put in center of oven for 35 minutes.

When done, bread will have browned top and sound hollow when tapped on top. Remove from pans and put on wire rack to cool.

Italian Bread Nonfat

Yield: 2 Loaves

6 c Flour
2 pk Yeast
1 1/2 ts Salt
2 c Warm water
Cornmeal
1 Slightly beaten egg white
1/4 ts Dried rosemary or basil
-=OR=-
1/8 ts Onion or garlic powder - these are optional

Combine 2 cups of the flour, the yeast and the
salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water. Beat with
mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat
on high for 3 minutes. Stir in as much remaining
flour as you can. Knead in enough remaining flour
on a floured surface to make a stiff dough that is
smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Shape into a
ball. Place into a greased bowl, turning to grease
top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until
doubled (1-1 1/2 hours). Punch dough down. Divide
in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Grease 2
baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll
each dough half into a 15x12" rectangle. Roll up
from side; seal well. Taper ends. Place seam side
down on prepared baking sheets. Brush with a
mixture of egg white, water, and if desired, one
of the herbs or powders. Cover and let rise until
nearly doubled (about 45 minutes). Make 5 or 6
diagonal cuts 1/4" deep across tops. Bake at 375
20 minutes. Brush again with the egg white
mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes or till golden. Cool.

Makes 2 loaves.

Question for Mama Mangia. I want to make your french bread recipe today but I am confused (I'm confused a lot of the time) about the 1 T of yeast. 1 packet is 2 1/2 tsp so I assume that I would need 1 whole packet plus about 1/6 th of a second one to equal 1 T?

I'm just going to assume that 1 pkt would be close enough to 1 T and just use 2 pkts.