More mixer fun

I am not a bread baker. I own a bread machine, but haven't used it in forever. It is big, bulky, loud and a pain to clean.

With my new mixer, however, it was time to give bread baking a try.


Here is a loaf after the second rise. Getting to this stage was surprisingly easy. The recipe included with my mixer was easy to follow, and the ingredients mixed together nicely with the dough hook. The bread required very little in the way of handling after it had been mixed. A quick coat in oil before the first rise, punching down, dividing and shaping after the second rise. My hands almost stayed clean for this.

Thirty minutes in the oven was all it took to have my house filled withe the aroma of fresh baked bread.

The loaves sliced easily. I should have taken a picture of the steam rising off of the first slice, the heel, always my favorite part of bread warm from the oven.


The inside of the crust was moist, airy and light. The crust was lacking the crispness that I am used to from bread machine dough.

While I think this recipe was a general success, I may have to make it a few more, dozen, times before I'm sure. All that white bread can't be good for me, so it is a good thing I've got lots of friends who would be happy to have me test on them!