I have a bread machine and I have to say I make good use of it. I bake myself one or two loaves of bread in my machine just about every week. Sometimes if I am invited out for supper I will bake a loaf of bread to take with me as a Hostess gift. I can assure you it is always very welcome!
For years and years I struggled with baking a decent loaf of bread from scratch. My ex husband used to make beautiful bread for the family when my children were growing up. With five children we went through a LOT of bread!
He used to make the kitchen table dance across the floor when he was kneading it. Bread making day was always a really popular day in our home. I think the first loaf always got inhaled as soon as it came out of the oven. He would make at least a dozen loaves every week and they all got eaten.
Nobody minded taking homemade bread sandwiches to school either. Yes. It was that good. It was his mother's recipe and a bread he had grown up with. Good. Good. Good.
I was only ever very good at producing door stops. Heavy leaden door stops. It was not until I purchased a bread machine that I started producing really good bread.
My friend Jo inspired me to get one when I was in the UK. I bought for myself a Panasonic bread machine, which is what she had. I can tell you I wore the first one out and had to buy a new one after 18 years of almost daily use. And then I had to leave that one behind when I moved back to Canada in 2020.
I hadn't been going to get another one when I moved back to Canada, but after having to eat the bread available in the shops here for about six months, I decided I couldn't stand it any longer. I just had to buy myself a bread machine and I have baking my own bread ever since.
Once again I purchased myself a Panasonic Bread machine. Model # SD-RD 250. It has been serving me well for over 20 years and I expect that this newer one will also serve me very well. I have had no problems with it thus far. It bakes great bread!
As a Canadian I love Maple Syrup. When I first moved over to the UK I brought a 4-liter can of Maple Syrup with me. This was pre 9/11 and I was able to bring it right onto the aircraft. I was not going to live without my Maple Syrup!
Of course it is widely available there now, but when I first got to the UK it was a very rare find indeed. Hence the 4-liter can! My fingers were quite sore from carrying it through three airports, but it was worth all the effort.
This Maple Buttermilk Bread is a truly beautiful loaf of bread. It is slightly sweet from the use of Maple Syrup and has a beautiful tang from the buttermilk. It has a lovely tight crumb as you can see, and a beautiful crisp crust.
I adapted the recipe from a cookbook I have entitled, The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger. If you have a bread machine and you don't have this book, I highly recommend it. Every recipe I have baked from it is exceptional!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MAPLE BUTTERMILK BREAD
There is nothing complicated here.
- 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast (1 3/4 tsp SAF yeast)
- 3 cups (420g) strong bread flour
- 1/3 cup (82g) buttermilk powder
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 TBS maple syrup
- 1 1/2 TBS melted butter
- 1 cup plus 1 TBS cold water (240ml plus 1 TBS)
I am not sure what SAF yeast is. I just always use bread machine yeast. It serves me quite well.
If you cannot find buttermilk powder (I buy mine on Amazon) feel free to replace the water and dry buttermilk powder in the recipe with regular liquid buttermilk. In this case you will need 1 cup plus 1 TBS of buttermilk (240ml plus 1 TBS).
Vital Wheat Gluten is a product that helps to boost the protein content of the bread. It is not absolutely essential, but it does make a much nicer loaf. I buy mine again on Amazon. I store it in the freezer so it will last longer.
Simply follow the instructions for a basic loaf of bread as per your particular model of bread machine.
- Place all of the ingredients into your bread machine according to your bread machine's manufacturers instructions. (Mine puts the dry first and wet last.)
- Set the crust on medium and the program to basic. Press start.
- As soon as the bake cycle ends, remove the bread from the pan and place onto a rack to cool to room temperature prior to slicing.
- Store in an airtight bag or container. You can also freeze it.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BREAD IN THE BREAD MACHINE
Really if you follow the directions on your particular bread machine your bread should work out perfectly, but there are a few things you can do that will give you an even better loaf of bread.
1. Measure by weight and not volume. Weight is a much more precise way to measure. You can't go wrong. I have a set of digital scales that I use. I just pop the bread pan onto them and measure away. My scales measure in grams, Kg, pounds and ounces, milliliters, etc. I started baking by weight when I lived in the UK and I would now never bake any other way.
2. Bread machine loaves work best with bread flour. Bread flour can also be labeled "Best for Bread" or "High Gluten flour."
3. You can use regular flour, but if you do I recommend adding Vital Wheat Gluten to the recipe. This helps to boost the protein content of the bread.
4. Measure very carefully. If you don't add enough flour, no matter the type of flour you use, the bread will collapse and is often uncooked in the center. If you add too much flour, you will end up with a dense, hard heavy ball.
5. I add Vital Wheat Gluten to all of my recipes for bread making in a bread machine. You can purchase it online. It helps to yield a much better loaf, helping the loaf to rise higher with a nicer texture than without.
Vital wheat gluten is best stored in the refrigerator (for up to one year), but you can store it on the counter if you think you will use it up within two months (highly unlikely for the home baker.)
This truly is a beautiful loaf of bread. A new favorite here. I used some today to make my favorite grilled cheese sandwich to serve with a cup of hot tomato soup. Is there anything more comforting than tomato soup and a grilled cheese? I think not!! This is the ultimate comfort food meal!!
This bread made an excellent grilled cheese. Yes, I am a total glutton. I like to melt a pat of butter on the top of my tomato soup. It has been ever so!
BREAD MACHINE PARKER HOUSE ROLLS - These are beautiful rolls and well deserving of being served at your holiday meal, or at any meal for that matter. Using the Bread Machine makes them quick and very simple to make.
BUTTERMILK WHOLEWHEAT BREAD - With a mixture of both whole wheat and white bread flours, and sweetened with maple syrup. Then there is the addition of buttermilk. Together these things make for a really delicious wholesome loaf of bread.
Yield: 1 medium loaf
Maple Buttermilk Bread
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 4 HourTotal time: 4 H & 10 M
This is a basic white bread recipe that is a delicious combination of the sweetness of Maple syrup and tangy buttermilk. It makes for lovely sandwiches and toast.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast (1 3/4 tsp SAF yeast)
- 3 cups (420g) strong bread flour
- 1/3 cup (82g) buttermilk powder
- 1 TBS vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 TBS maple syrup
- 1 1/2 TBS melted butter
- 1 cup plus 1 TBS cold water (240ml plus 1 TBS)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into your bread machine according to your bread machine's manufacturers instructions. (Mine puts the dry first and wet last.)
- Set the crust on medium and the program to basic. Press start.
- As soon as the bake cycle ends, remove the bread from the pan and place onto a rack to cool to room temperature prior to slicing.
- Store in an airtight bag or container.
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I'm almost embarrassed to share this "recipe" with you today, but it was so delicious I am going to anyways. It's a really simple make and goes together with just a few store cupboard ingredients.
I adapted this recipe for Meatball Tortellini Bake from one I found in the One Dish Meals Cookbook by Pillsbury.
What can I say I love one dish meals, and the easier the better. I have been known to get happily stuck into a pot of buttered cooked spaghetti noodles with nothing but salt, pepper and cheese on them. I am not stranger to simple delights!
This easy and quick recipe uses only four main ingredients. Frozen/refrigerated Tortellini, a jar of spaghetti sauce, some thawed frozen meatballs and grated mozzarella cheese. That's it. Simple.
I confess the original recipe used frozen/fresh ravioli. I didn't have any of them in the house, but in the spirit of making do with what I did have, I had some leftover tortellini that I had frozen from making Cheesy Baked Tortellini back in November.
Proof that I do try to use up all that I have in the house if possible!
There's really not a lot of difference between ravioli and tortellini, well, in my opinion anyways. Both are filled pastas. My tortellini was filled with cheese and bacon.
You could use any kind of stuffed pasta shapes I think. Just be sure to use one that will go well with the other ingredients, so I think a cheese one is best of all.
I also cut the recipe down to make only two to three servings, depending on how hungry you are.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MEATBALL TORTELLINI BAKE
If you want to double it, simply double the quantities. Four simple ingredients. That's all.
- 12 ounces (340g) frozen Tortellini
- 10 ounces (283g) frozen cooked meat balls thawed
- 1 (14 oz/400g) jar of good pasta sauce
- 3 ounces (3/4 cup/85g) grated mozzarella cheese
I used approximately 1/2 bag of the ready to cook cheese and bacon tortellini you can buy in the refrigerator section at the shops. I had use half the bag previously and froze the rest to use another time. This worked beautifully.
I had made extra turkey meat balls when I made these Honey Sriracha Meatballs last week, and frozen them. This is what I used for this recipe, but you can use any kind of meatball that you have.
Just make sure that the meatball you use is a nicely flavored one. This goes for every kind, and all of the ingredients in this dish. If you use the best that you can find, then you know your dish will be delicious.
Yes, I used pre-grated Mozzarella cheese. Normally I like to grate my own cheese, but this time for the sake of expediency, I did not.
HOW TO MAKE MEATBALL TORTELLINI BAKE
Seriously when I say nothing could be easier I mean it. This is simple. Simple. Simple.
Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Spray a 1 1/2 liter/quart baking dish with some nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Cook the Tortellini according the package directions. Drain well. Place into the baking dish. Top with the meatballs.
Pour the pasta sauce over top and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until thoroughly heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve hot.
To thaw the meatballs I threw them on a baking tray and shoved them into the oven while I was cooking the tortellini. It didn't take too long for them to thaw out.
I used a really good pasta sauce. It took about half the jar and that was plenty.
For all of its simplicity this was really, really good. I love simple meals like this. I think that if you use good quality ingredients to begin with, you can't go wrong.
It cooks simply and quickly. You will have enough time to throw together a nice tossed salad while it is baking and how simple is it to make some garlic bread? Just spread some leftover hot dog or burger buns, cut sides, with some garlic butter, sprinkle on some cheese and throw them into the oven for the last 10 minutes of bake time for the casserole.
Easy peasy lemon squeasy!
If, like me, you are a fan of the simple supper, you might also enjoy the following:
SKILLET BRATS AND SPUDS -This is a deliciously easy pan fry that includes spicy bratwurst, cabbage and potatoes. Cooked all in a skillet, there is a delicious touch of cream and cheese that tip these simple ingredients over the top into something very special indeed!
PROPER WELSH RAREBIT - This very popular supper dish is a lot easier to make than one would suppose! Its surprisingly hearty and quite delicious! You can make the rarebit mixture ahead of time, ready to spoon onto the bread and then grill for a quick and easy supper that works very well with a salad or chips on the side.
Yield: 3
Meatball Tortellini Bake
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Quick, easy and delicious. Use quality ingredients for a quality dish.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340g) frozen Tortellini
- 10 ounces (283g) frozen cooked meat balls thawed
- 1 (14 oz/400g) jar of good pasta sauce
- 3 ounces (3/4 cup/85g) grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Spray a 1 1/2 liter/quart baking dish with some nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook the Tortellini according the package directions. Drain well. Place into the baking dish. Top with the meatballs.
- Pour the pasta sauce over top and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until thoroughly heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve hot.
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One of my absolute favorite cookies are oatmeal cookies. I love them chewy in the middle with crisp edges. I love them crispy through and through. I love them filled with raisins, or filled with nuts, or chocolate chips, or all three! I JUST LOVE OATMEAL COOKIES, any which way I can get them.
I was perusing Pinterest one day last week and discovered this recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars on a blog called Tastes Better From Scratch. They looked and sounded delicious!
They are like oatmeal cookies, but in bar shape. No fussing about with scooping or dropping onto baking sheets. You just make the dough, press it into a baking tin, bake and then cut into squares.
I am all for easy. And these looked incredibly easy. I didn't want a full 9 by 13 inch baking pan of them however. With only me in the house, I just can't handle that much when it comes to sweets, especially dangerously delicious ones.
When God was handing out willpower he must have run out of it by the time he got to me. Because I have no willpower when it comes to certain things. Potato chips, French fries, cookies, cakes, etc. If it is bad for you, I don't seem to have the power to resist it.
In short, it is dangerous for me to have things like this in the house in any huge quantity. I can handle a small amount, and do give what I can away to family or friends. What am I doing in this job! I should get danger pay! LOL
I do like to bake something tasty at the weekend as a treat however. Its something I have done for years and years. I knew I had to bake these delicious looking bars and so I decided to cut the recipe in half and then share them with my family.
A joy shared is a joy doubled right? I knew nobody would be complaining!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS (SMALL BATCH)
Simple every day baking ingredients.
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup (105g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 cup (80g) old fashioned oats
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Just use regular butter for these. I only ever really have regular butter in the house. If you are afraid that they will be too salty (I can promise you they are not) then leave the salt out of the recipe, or cut it down. I think you need at least a little bit of salt.
A little bit of salt helps to enhance the flavor of sweet things.
I always use free range eggs and pure vanilla extract. I started using organic sugar when I moved back to Canada. My sister uses organic and I liked it. Its unbleached and tastes nice. I buy it in big bags from Costco.
I also use the chocolate chips that you can buy at Costco, Kirkland brand. They are the best. Nice and chocolatey.
I always use large flake natural oatmeal when I am baking. Don't be tempted to use quick oats or instant oats. You want oats with a tooth for these. Call me quirky, but I also only keep large flake natural oatmeal in my house as well.
You can't beat them for their wholesome, toothy, nutty flavor!
HOW TO MAKE OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS
Nothing could be easier. Mix, spread, bake, cool and cut. Yummy!
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch square baking tin and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang for ease of removal.
Cream together the butter and both sugars with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Stir this into the creamed mixture, combining well. Stir in the oats and the chocolate chips.
Press the mixture into the baking tin, leveling everything off as best as you can.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cut into squares when completely cold.
Do make sure you allow them to cool completely before you cut them into bars or squares. They cut so much neater.
These are incredibly moreish. Crispy edges, chewy middles. Buttery. Loaded with sweet chocolate chips. Loads of wholesome nuttiness from the oats. It really doesn't get much better than this.
If you are a fan of the cookie bar then you will probably also love these!
GINGER CREAM BARS - A cake type of bar very reminiscent of gingerbread, but chewy, with crisp edges. Incredibly moist as well with a lush buttercream frosting. Spiced just right!
MAGIC COOKIE BARS - This is a small batch recipe for your favorite magic cookie bars. Ingredients are simply layered in a tin and baked. Buttery cookie crumb base, toasted pecans, three kinds of chocolate chips (semi-sweet, white and peanut butter), flaked coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Incredibly moreish!
Yield: 12 squares
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (small batch)
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
Thick, chewy, buttery and incredibly moreish. Need I say anything else? These are perfect.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup (105g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 cup (80g) old fashioned oats
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch square baking tin and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang for ease of removal.
- Cream together the butter and both sugars with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Sift together the flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Stir this into the creamed mixture, combining well. Stir in the oats and the chocolate chips.
- Press the mixture into the baking tin, leveling everything off as best as you can.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cut into squares when completely cold.
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