Beth Hensperger - The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook

ALSO BY BETH HENSPERGER

Bread

Baking Bread

Bread for All Seasons

Beths Basic Bread Book

Breads of the Southwest

The Bread Bible

The Pleasure of Whole Grain Breads

Bread Made Easy

The Best Quick Breads

The Harvard Common Press
535 Albany Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02118

www.harvardcommonpress.com

Copyright 2000 by Beth Hensperger
Illustrations copyright 2000 by Kristin Hurlin

Printed in the United States of America
Printed on acid-free paper

TX769 .H4435 2000

641.815dc21

99-087358

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

M y thanks to editors Dan Rosenberg and Laura Rosenberg. Their interest, intelligent comments, commitment, and hard work have made this book a reality. Laura skillfully and patiently worked with meassisting on every step of editing the multiple manuscript draftswith friendly encouragement and sensitive advice. Thank you to the publicists and staff at Harvard Common Press who assisted in the preparation, presentation, and publicizing of this cookbook. And thanks to our project manager, Julie Stillman, wielding her red pen, for her expertise in editing and time spent on overall organization.

To my peerless agent, Martha Casselman, my admiration and sincere gratitude for her counsel every step of the way, from proposal to galley and beyond. Her knowledge and talent are invaluable. Thanks to her assistant, Judith Armenta, for her enthusiastic encouragement and, well, just being there.

Thank you to the following contributors; some provided information, others equipment and ingredients, furthering the information available on this new dimension of baking: Susan Anderson of the Regal Corporation; Lisa Brugellis, Welbilt and Appliance Company of America; Jenny Collier, Sunbeam Consumer Affairs; Jeff Hamano, Zojirushi Corporation of America; Dave Oestreicher and Hope Yingst of Hodgson Mill, Inc.; Jim Rogers, Panasonic Corporation; Brinna Sands and P. J. Hamel of King Arthur Flour; Don Stinchcomb of Purity Foods, Inc.; Barbara Westfield of Breadman/Salton; Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma; and Randy Watts, President of SAF Consumer Affairs, who donated cases of yeast for this project (I used it all!).

I wish to express my appreciation to the following recipe testers and contributors for their helpful suggestions, comments, and encouragement: food writer Lynn Alley; Mary Cech of the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone; Andi Compton; food writer Marcy Goldman; Erin Kovacs; Jaqueline Higuera McMahan; Gayle and Joe Ortiz; Lou Pappas; M. Quento, who donated the first test machine; Meg Rohacek; Suzanne Rosenblum; Helena Rutkowski; Margery Schneider; Barbara and Jerry Smith; David SooHoo and Elaine Corn; Judith Taylor; Chef Greg Topham, East Meets West Catering Company.

And to Bobbe Torgerson, my recipe tester extraordinaire for many years now, who skillfully and consistently tests myriad recipes with a fine mind to detail and a good heart. I owe her more than I can say or than she would admit.

I wish to add a special note on the contributions of the late Mary Anne McCready, whose generous involvement on this project evolved quickly from recipe tester to co-worker. She was the source of inspiration for many of these recipes and kept me turning out the work on a daily basis; the two of us along with the machines lined up on her kitchen counter, sorting through the initial pile of hundreds of recipe ideas. Her husband, George, ate a lot of bread. Her spirit resides within.

CONTENTS

AMERICAS NEW BREAD BOX

T he bread machine. Words that strike terror into the hearts of artisan bakers and advocates of hands-on home baking, while conjuring up visions of delight to the ever-growing hordes of baking enthusiasts who claim they would never bake bread without a machine. An all-in-one appliance that is certainly an innovation in a time-honored craft, a bread machine creates fresh, satisfying, full-flavored yeast breads with no compromise of standards. A large part of the reason that people get so much joy from bread machine baking has little to do with the appliance itself, but comes from the deep emotional value of making bread. Bread machine baking brings the same rewards as any other type of baking. Whether you went out and bought a new machine, inherited one from a friend who never used it, or picked one up at a church rummage sale, whether you embrace this method of baking immediately or retain some skepticism, you will be thrilled with the results if you give this appliance a fair run. Bread machine baking boasts a fast-growing number of advocates, and seekers of gastronomic truth certainly now have to include the bread machine next to pasta makers, cappuccino machines, heavy-duty electric mixers, and food processors on their list of innovations in food preparation that are here to stay. Quite simply, bread machines make fantastic bread.

If, like me, you tried years ago to use a bread machine and were disappointed with the quality of the loaves, take heed: There is a new generation of machines that are nothing short of remarkable. Along with improvements to the hardware, a solid batch of knowledge has accumulated about how to work effectively with the medium. The common denominator in the new and growing world of bread machine baking is the same enthusiasm, friendliness, and spirit of generosity that generally mark the bakers realm. With some of its activity newly housed in a plastic body, the old-fashioned skill of baking must add a whole new vocabulary to its jargon.

Bread machines are made now by a dozen manufacturers and come in many more dozens of models, with a variety of features and sizes to choose from. They are not only easy to use, but inspire you to customize your own baking cycles and end up turning out breads that rival supermarket loaves and even some bakeries, with their thin, crisp crusts and even, soft-textured crumb. Bread machine baking requires so little of your time that you can enjoy the luxury of fresh bread every day, the way things ought to be. When all the hassle of baking is removed, you can enjoy the entire processfrom shopping for ingredients to hearing the cries of delight from appreciative eaters. With its impressive repertoire of recipes, bread machines can produce bread for everyone and every lifestyle. The bread machine has found a market in many who would otherwise never bake, but enjoy good bread: those with the busiest schedules, like on-the-go moms with little children, bakers who have physical disabilities that might prevent them from preparing bread by hand, and lots of folks, especially men, who love the fact that baking good bread now includes the chance to program digital commands similar to their VCRs. The bread machine has won over many people already skilled at baking by hand, but it has also reached many who were not inspired to learn to bake bread by an older method. Through the bread machine they were introduced to, and are now hooked on, the evocative aroma, taste, and texture of homemade bread.