any bread making mamas?

[abiyhayil]

I recently bought a great bread machine from craigslist, a Zojirushi, and had a few questions!
1. How do you slice your bread for sandwiches I can't seem to get them thin enough.
2. What do you store your bread in? I used a whole roll of foil already :/
3. Is there a recipe for less crumbly sandwich bread more like store bought?

Thanks! Any other tips are welcome

[ErinBird]

1. I slice my bread only when it is cool and use a good bread knife to do it. Its not as thin as store bought sliced bread, but its good enough for us.

2. I store the bread I make in a large glass container once cool.

[abiyhayil]

Any suggestions on finding glass containers I've also been looking for glass yogurt and ice cream containers thanks!

[vulturemom]

I slice my bread for sandwitches the next day and I store my bread it old store bought bread bags.

[bezark]

We have a bread slicing rack. This isn't the one we have, but it does solve both of your problems.
http://housewares.about.com/od/kitch...readkeeper.htm

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Our electric knife has a bread knife attachment and that works great for slicing bread at any thickness we want.

I have a great sandwich bread recipe, but the link is saved on my computer at home, so I will have to respond again next week when we're back there.

[JTA Mom]

Originally Posted by abiyhayil

I recently bought a great bread machine from craigslist, a Zojirushi, and had a few questions!
1. How do you slice your bread for sandwiches I can't seem to get them thin enough.

Let the bread cool completely. Then take a serrated knife & cut. Big tip: Let the knife do the work. Don't press on it to make it go faster. Let it 'eat' it's way through the bread. Also, thinner slices come from less crumbly bread.
2. What do you store your bread in? I used a whole roll of foil already :/

Old bread bags. You can also use a big ziploc bag, just pop the bread in, squeeze out excess air (don't smush the bread, just get the majority out. Then seal.

3. Is there a recipe for less crumbly sandwich bread more like store bought?

This is the BEST bread I've made. Best thing is that it's whole wheat!
I got it from this site

Recipe:
EZ Wheat Bread recipe

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 Tblsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar [Can use less, for me it's a bit sweet, dh LOVES it]
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (or whatever combination white/wheat you like..I use 100% hard white wheat)
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat non instant dry milk [this equals about 2/3c milk. If you don't have it & want to use regular/alternative milks, pour in 2/3c milk, then fill the rest up with water to the 1 1/4 mark, and add at the beginning.]
1 Tblsp butter/margarine/oil [no need to melt butter, just cut & pop in]
1 Tblsp vinegar
1/4 cup potato flakes (NOT potato pearls) [I used instant mashed potato flakes instead. Turned out great!]

Mix ingredients in order listed in mixing bowl of mixer with dough hook attachment (like kitchen-aid) for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double, 1- 1 1/2 hours. Punch down, and shape into loaf or rolls. GREASE PAN (I forgot this step). Let rise again until double and bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.
If you are making this recipe in a bread machine, follow your bread machine’s directions for wheat or whole grain selection and add the ingredients in the order listed for their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)

Here are videos on how to make it:

Dough enhancers: Here This explains why you add the vinegar, gluten & potato to this recipe.
How to make bread, part 1:Here
How to make bread, part 2: Here

Thanks! Any other tips are welcome

Hope that helps!

Ami

[elanorh]

We used bread bags, zip-top bags, and saran wrap (as available) for our bread; but found a bread box and bought it several years ago and have never looked back. It keeps our bread fresh and good -- we bought it at the Container Store. I think it cost $25 and was well worth it!

I bought The Bread Machine Lover's Bread Cookbook shortly after I bought our bread machine. I love the cookbook. I've liked most of the recipes I've tried; our 'house favorite' bread is the Brown Irish Potato Bread (a whole wheat bread with instant mashed potatoes); we usually make that at least once a week.

Congratulations on your Zojirushi! They are top of the line, cream of the crop - mine is a Breadman and I'd like to move up to a Zojirushi, but don't feel like we can afford it. Although, since my Breadman appears to be breaking down after its four years of hard use - maybe we will be revisiting that; buy another Breadman, or see whether a Zoji works better?

[ian'smommaya]

:

[sewchris2642]

I use large size storrage bags with twist ties. And slice with a bread knife as needed. I can, with practice, get the slices about 1/2" thick. Can't help you on the bread recipe as I don't use a bread machine. And the bread I make is a lot firmer than store bought bread.

[abiyhayil]

Thanks for the tips! I like the bread box idea our bread just doesn't fit into the gallon sized baggies. I'll also have to get to the coop for some gluten..

[gnasmom]

I also have a Zo and have been using it for about 2 years...it's great. I don't use it to bake bread, just the dough cycle...simply because I am always around the kitchen and I like the shape of the loaf that I make as opposed to that of the machine. The Laurels Kitchen Bread Book has been revised and includes recipes for 100% whole whole grain bread specific for the bread machine. And the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking and Baker's Companion cookbooks also have formulated their recipes to the bread machine, they are huge fans of the Zo at King Arthur Flour:. As far as storage, again I would check out purchasing bread bags http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/...se-bakery-bags or a bread storage canisterhttp://http://www.kingarthurflour.co...e-bread-keeper as well as any other bread dough enhancers you could ever want. It's a Vermont company...I'm from VT...their store is like a bakers paradise. The bags hold up to many wash/re-use cycles. I bake bread 2 or 3 times a week, bought 100 bags a year ago and have probably have 75 left. Happy baking.

[allnaturalmom]

I have a zo, but don't use it anymore.... opting for the kitchenaid or food processor and loaf pans.

Anyway, this is the bread knife I now use (and what a difference to use a really sharp knife!)

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4-I...6799374&sr=8-2

I can get slices from this thing so thin that you can practically read through them. I use a basic bread recipe and (usually) let it cool completely before slicing.

I got it back around the holidays when it was a little cheaper than it's listed for now.

gl
hth
:

[mayasmomma]

Originally Posted by abiyhayil

I recently bought a great bread machine from craigslist, a Zojirushi, and had a few questions!
1. How do you slice your bread for sandwiches I can't seem to get them thin enough.
2. What do you store your bread in? I used a whole roll of foil already :/
3. Is there a recipe for less crumbly sandwich bread more like store bought?

Thanks! Any other tips are welcome

Does anyone have any dairy free bread making (yummy) recipes?

[abiyhayil]

Originally Posted by JTA Mom

Hope that helps!

Ami

Wowser that's good bread! Thanks

[JTA Mom]

Originally Posted by abiyhayil

Wowser that's good bread! Thanks

That's what I said when I first tried it! I also loved the fact that I could slice it thin without crumbling. And picky dh liked that it was 'squishy' just like the store stuff. Hey, at least there's no corn syrup or soy in mine!

Ami