Most big dumb ole 'mericans don't like paying $7 freaking dollars for sandwich bread, that's why.

Sandwich bread is outstanding for what it is designed to be, bread for plain old sandwiches.
Designer and artisan loaves are different. They are very tasty but aren't really for regular ole sandwiches. They doan fit in the baggies. Some are like chewing shoe leather also. Tough and hard does not mean good.

I've messed around baking of artisan breads, some better than others. Rye is one of my favorites, sour dough is another.
Even home-made white bread tastes awesome but you better eat it quick, can't let it sit in the fridge for a week or two like regular bread.

Different stuff for different purposes.

Doug, most mass-produced bread that you find on the bread aisle at the grocery store is not baked, it is "cooked" with steam... it never actually fully leaves the "dough" state.

That's why if you ball it up in your hand, it doesn't crumble, it sort of reverts back to being dough.

This works well for wadding up for encasing pills to give your dog, though... they like it. :)

krystar's encouraging you to visit a bakery will get you to bread that is baked.

So, what are you trying to say? Don't beat around the bush, ....... :D

I second the suggestion to get a bread machine-and also the suggestion to look in a thrift store for one-should cost about $5.
The missus and I ran a busy b&b for 12 years and she made a loaf of bread every day in the bread maker-people used to rave about it. We went through 3 bread makers in those twelve years. Just DO NOT use the bread making recipes that come with the machine-they are universally sh**. Buy a recipe book for bread machines.
Currently we use a Sunbeam but the quality of the factory being used to make them changes and what is good one year may not be next year. Now we are no longer in the b&b I use the bread machine--the one piece of advice I can give is follow the amounts in the recipe exactly-and use traditional yeast not breadmaker yeast my missus says... ;)

If you ever get to Portland, try Dave's Killer Bread. 5 bucks a loaf, sure, but it's damn good bread. I eat it every day.

If anyone has any really good recipes for bread machines I'd love to hear 'em. I've never really gotten anything super tasty out of my machine - something I can make sandwiches for my lunch is what I'd like.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1332381926.jpg

This is the book that we used for recipes and after 36,000 loafs it has to say something!
Amazon.com: The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever (9780060169275): Madge Rosenberg: Books

Edit: 36,000 sounds like a heck of a lot but 12 years at a loaf a day...

Have had really good results following recipes from this book: Amazon.com: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking (9780312362911): Jeff Hertzberg, Zoe Francois: Books

Only home made bread at my house. Water, flour, yeast, salt. Baked fresh every week. I figure it probably costs less than a buck for a couple of big loafs using bulk ingredients from Costco. Sure, it doesn't last as long, but that's what the freezer is for. Even previously frozen, it beats everything you can buy at the store.

George

In Indiana Krogers has a decent "craft bread" section. True there's no rugbrot or any of that other paving material northern Europeans seem to enjoy as bread, but it's good hearty bread.

The problem with locating good bread in the US has to do with the color of the states. In the red ones you seem to have a hard time finding good bread. Here in California, a deep blue state, excellent bread can be found everywhere, at least near the coast.

I just finished eating some tasty seeded rye bread. Mmmmm. SmileWavy

home made
 

The only job in the house for me is baking a fresh loaf every morning. It takes me about 2 min. to make it and it's great! We have worn 3 or 4 B&D bread machines until my wife bought a good one called Zojirushi.

Doug,

There has to be some bakery within 50 miles ;-)???

Are there no artisan loaves? Do you have a health food/organic food section in your grocery store? Try leaving walfart and go to a real grocery store. Even in our small town we have an independent grocers, who actually has food from local growers and better prices than that large behemouth.


Get your own bread machine and invest in a book on bread. Start at the library, they will have some you can read and try before you make your purchase.

I second looking at thrift stores. Most of the machine instructions could be found on-line and downloaded for free. Of course, my Wife will occassionally make our own bread. She uses some recipes from Dom DeLouise's books (he was a GREAT cook as well as a comedian!). Good, hearty stuff that sticks to your ribs! It is not all that hard and it will make your arms stronger. And she bakes it in one of our ovens. The convection oven seems to work best IMHO.

I recommend a calculator!

+1

:p

Just this morning I took out the phone book and looked up bakeries. The list included more than a few Do-nut shops. WTF! I'll make a to do list and experiment.

To me, making good bread is a combination of art and science. I don't even pretend I have the skill (ignorance), the time (lazy), or the funds (cheap) to buy a proper food processor, like the $700 Electrolux DLX mixer. Buying good grain is sometimes an issue and I haven't mastered the growing yeast at all.

We already have:
-A wheat grinder
-Kitchenaid mixer with dough hook
-Baking stone
-Bosch gas stove

We bought some $40 live yeast on the internet, but I'm not convinced it was any good. We ended up feeding it and tried different things, but it wasn't right and eventually we just gave up.

We still have a bread machine, we didn't like the final product so we used the bread machine to make the dough, then opted to bake it in the oven our selves. Still, it just doesn't compare to the breads in Italy.

I'm just not an artisan baker and neither is anyone else out here. But I'm still searching.

There is a local Panera Bread that is always packed. I had a friend that wanted to meet me there for a sandwich. She ordered the bread she loved the most. I finally gave up trying to eat the bread because my jaw was tired. It tasted good, but it was not worth the effort to eat it.

They do have some good breads.

Panera Bread › Home

I've never had anything at Panera that didn't taste like a pastry. I think I've only had what they call bagels. I would not call them bagels, it's more like a glorified Donut.

I have a bread machine and have been underwhelmed by the recipes that came with it. I'll check out that Amazon link. I'm Europe-bound in a few weeks and am really looking forward to fresh, good bread every morning.

Yeah, I knew it didn't sound right--still a lot of bread! :rolleyes: