Homemade Basic Bread

So here I have a breadmachine, who I named Elephanette today.

Maybe she should be a Mammoth instead.

This bulky machine, takes up my counter space, in the most awesome way.

Elephanette bakes bread. 

Woah. Happiness right there.

Take up all the counter space you need girl! 

Honestly, the size is a little inconvenient for our humble kitchen. BUT, still happy, cause Mama has the chance of having homemade bread. 

It did take me 3 months to get a proper loaf of bread. I kept getting hard, rubbery densed bread because I wanted a wholemeal option. One attempt was alright when I added unbleached flour and wholemeal flour together, but still wasn't good.

My dear sis-in-law (brother's wife aka Babyclopedia aka Fashion Goddess) then gave me a little tip, use milk instead of water. I loved the sound of milk in bread, my oh my, how rich it would be, YUM.

At the same time a recipe from Joycescapade popped up on my news feed, Light Buttermilk Bread. I got super excited as I did have some buttermilk left in my fridge, only to find out later that it had expired before its due date. Bummer.

So I studied Joyce's recipe a little and made a few changes, using what I have. It was another risk fooling around with the quantity of fresh milk I had because buttermilk is much thicker. 

Well, I fooled it right this time. Just look at this beauty.

It is not soft as store bought bread, but its soft enough for me. Plus the husband (who loves soft breads) and Bubs approves! 

I used a couple of organic ingredients like organic unbleached flour and wholemeal flour, however it is not necessary. Only reason I went for organic is so that Bubs can have some too, he loves bread!

Recipe adapted from Joycescapade.

I have arrange the ingredients in sequence for my Tesco Breadmaker.

1 1/4 Cups of Fresh Milk (room temperature)
2 tbsps of Honey

4 tbsps of Butter (room temperature)
1 Egg (lightly beaten. Any eggs would do as long as its size is grade A or B)
1/2 tsp of Salt
1 3/4 Cups of Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/4 Cups of Organic Wholemeal Flour
1 1/8 Tsps of Instant Yeast 

Bread Machine Settings
Basic, Light Crust, 2lb (900gm).

Tips
It terms of liquid used, in this case fresh milk, it should not be too cold or hot as it may disrupt the growth of yeast. I usually zap it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds to get it to room temperature. 

For Yeast placement, make an impression with your knuckle on top of the flour. Pour in yeast granules in the impression.

Don't be afraid to open the breadmaker lid (I was, haha!) during its kneading process to check on the consistency of the dough. It should be slightly sticky when touched.

Plus it is a good time to scrape off flour stuck on the sides into the dough, using a rubber spatula.

After the bread is done, let it cool on a wire rack before slicing. Don't leave it in the breadmaker for too long, condensation will take place.

Bread stays fresh and soft for about 2-3 days. Pop it in the freezer if you like to keep it for a week or two. 

Doesn't the thought of a preservative free bread make you want to jump for joy at the most random moments as you go about your day? Yes yes!

Go on and give a try, let me know how it turns out!

Kisses of homemade bread from Elephanette and That Skinny Elephant.