Bread Machine VS. Hand Made Breads

I am one of those people that have always said that they would NEVER use a bread machine. Making bread with your hands was the only way to go. There was no way I was ever going to make a single loaf of bread in a bread machine. It took all the fun out of it. It took all the love and the passion out of it. I felt like I was cheating when I used my kitchen aid stand mixer to mix and knead my dough for me. How in the world could I ever use a machine to do all of it for me.

Then, a friend graciously gave me her bread maker. She told me it was just collecting dust in her garage and she knew that I made bread, a lot of bread actually.

I agreed that I made a lot of bread. The kids use bread for their sandwiches for school lunches and I make a lot of bread for donations to varies functions.

*My most memorable one was last October when I made 13 loaves of bread for my youngest child's preschool for their barbecue fundraiser. It broke my mixer.*

So, I have a catering job coming up and they asked for a few loaves of different breads. THIS is where I was going to try it out. I cut the bread up anyway, so why not!

I made pumpernickel, rosemary and sun dried tomato with asiago cheese.

Pumpernickel was my first try. The very first loaf I made came out as hard as a rock. I didn't know what I did but I knew there was no way I or anyone else was going to eat that. In fact, I could of used it for a door stop. I decided to try again. I changed my recipe and did it again. It wasn't the prettiest bread, that's for sure, but it actually came out ok. It was a real good thing that I was cutting it up.

Next was the Rosemary bread. I only had to try this one once. It rose beautifully and the entire house smelled of fresh bread and rosemary. It was AMAZING. When it was done, it did look a little strange to me though. Definitely different my precious loaves. It was tall, very tall and squatty. I'm use to long and lean loaves. Beautifully shaped loaves of bread. At that moment, I knew there was no way I could use this machine for my kids sandwiches.....ever! It just didn't look like sandwich bread. I cut this bread up and the smells.....oooohhhhh the smells. I am going to make more of this bread, that's for sure. I was even thinking of making rosemary dinner rolls to go along with homemade chicken soup or marinara sauce.

Last, but not least, my favorite bread. The sun dried tomato and asiago cheese bread. I have only made one loaf of this BUT I think that I am going to have to make another. It didn't rise as well as the rosemary one did. It also seems a little hard.

So, my 2 cents? I will stick to making it by hand. The last time I have had these kind of issues with bread was when I was 12 and had just started making it. I didn't measure anything out and well, being 12 I didn't do things exactly like I should of. Using the bread machine is suppose to be easier and stress free, but it has done nothing but waste flour and time. I find making bread by hand to be relaxing anyway.

As for my bread maker? It makes jams as well, so I might use it for that. I might and that is a BIG might use it for mixing the bread for me to shape, rise the second time and bake in my oven. If that doesn't work either, then I will graciously offer it back to my friend or my mother....I know she loves the bread machines.