Comments on: Easy Bread Making Update

By: Melissa

Melissa — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:42:43 +0000

@ Jamie – Thanks Jamie, I’ll have to try that.

By: Jamie

Jamie — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:57:17 +0000

I have had great luck keeping my crust soft by placing a pan of water in the oven while the bread bakes. I use the bottom of my broiler pan on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with 2 cups of water. I cook my bread on the second rack from the bottom.

By: BrisyBel

BrisyBel — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:24:56 +0000

Hey guys just tried the bread this morning and it worked out really well, nice and tasty, tho didn’t rise much, lol.

…and Aileen, having the oven on in the morning when its a bit chilly saved me standing in front of the heater, not sure about baking in the middle of summer tho.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:15:46 +0000

@Aileen. Thanks for the comment. You make a really good point. The opportunity cost of the time spent making the bread needs to be factored in.

For me it is better to bake than not, but for others maybe not. Although it takes less than 5 minutes labour time as there is no need to knead

I thought about calculating the cost of running the oven but was a bit lazy – lol, you caught me out! I didn’t even think to consider the cost of air con as we don’t have air con, but another good point. The cost of electricity would be measured in cents though.

We buy cheap and nasty bread, but to buy a loaf of comparable quality is around $3 to $4 here so still cheaper for us to bake our own.

Using a bread machine may very well be more cost effective.

Thanks for adding those points. They should definitley be considered when calculating the savings.

By: Aileen

Aileen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:11:23 +0000

The bread looks fab!
I wonder, though, about the actual savings. In addition to the cost of ingredients, there’s time and labor (though I think it’s more fun than work), the cost of electricity for the oven, the cost of air conditioning from the oven heating the house. Using a bread machine might be more cost-effective, though.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:08:07 +0000

Ta for the advice. I’ll have to try adding a little oil.

I think part of the problem was I didn’t wait long enough for it to cool – actually I didn’t wait at all before digging in! It was softer at night when we ate it. Trying it again today. Thanks for the recipe, I’m really loving it.

By: Cheap Like Me

Cheap Like Me — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:25:04 +0000

Hurrah, good for you! Just a couple of comments in hopes they’ll be helpful … for this recipe, the crust is intended to be hard (chewy, crusty, crunchy bread on the outside, soft and chewy inside). If you bake it inside a casserole, it will be firmer still — the bread steams, and the steam creates a crunchy crust, like on a French baguette.

If you prefer your bread soft all the way through, including the crust, perhaps check out the book for ideas, or try adding some fat (olive oil or softened butter) — that is supposed to tenderize dough and keep it from crisping. Check for other ideas online, because I’m not an expert on soft bread. Good luck and happy baking!