A Bread Fail. . .ish.

Just when I was about to post my favorite, most reliable bread recipe, I turned out the strange, streaky, and lumpy loaf above. I ran through the trouble-shooting list--accurate recipe? Check. Correct cycle? Check. Change ingredients? Check!

Bread baking is not an exact science, even with a machine--I guess it's still at least partly an art! Different factors can affect the finished product--weather, humidity, accuracy. . .and ingredients.

The only change I could come up with is that I had opened a new bag of flour. Although it's the very same flour I always buy, and the same recipe, results are definitely not the same! But I have to say that 'failure' is relative--this loaf was moist and nicely chewy, and made the best toast ever--think 'large English muffin.'


Now to troubleshoot: big holes and collapsed top say that the loaf couldn't support itself. Either the dough was too wet (or slack), or the protein content of the new flour is too low to build a solid structure.

Since my flour should contain a standard amount of protein and starch from bag to bag, I decided it's probably a difference in the flour's moisture content. Dough too moist = add more flour, so for the next loaf I added 1/3 cup more flour, and it turned out quite nicely--but still just a little different than the bread made from the previous bag of flour!

I always open the door of the machine and check out the dough--nothing bad has happened so far! If there's a ring of dry flour around the edges, I'll poke and scrape it with a rubber spatula at the first of the cycle, so I don't get a streaky loaf like the one above.

When the dough is too soft, I add extra flour as it runs, near the start of the cycle. You should check your machine's manual, but I say be bold--poke and scrape! The dough should be soft and just a little sticky.

**All this brings up another interesting point--I have always made my bread from all-purpose flour, just as my mom and grandmas taught me. Bread machine manufacuters recommend bread flour for best results--bread flour has a slightly higher percentage of protein, for a sturdier loaf structure. Any bread flour experience to share?

Thrift Thursday--Sewing Box Number Two

A second thrift-store sewing box find! Daughter Ib discovered it at her fabulous local community thrift store, and knew it was for me.

The box was in great shape in general--we only needed to re-anchor one string that holds the lid, and re-glue the trim that holds the lining around the top edge. I love the padded satin lid lining and the needlepoint lid!


The wicker box is 13" tall over all, and measures 10" by10"-- from the style I would guess it's from the late 60's or so. The label reads 'Made for J.C. Penney'.

It waits by the sofa, all set up for small knitting projects.

Miniatures Monday--Sewing Machine

In honor of my 5oth year of sewing, a portrait of my first sewing machine!

I have to admit that I have always loved fabric and sewing--I think it's hereditary, as I come from a long line of seamstresses and fabric lovers. My mom started me out with some hand sewing when I was about six, and I started making simple clothes for my dolls about then.

My first sewing machine, my treasured 6" by 6" by 4" red plastic Pfaff, was a gift when I was about 8--my parents saw me drooling over it at the toy store, and surprised me with it on Christmas morning. More doll clothes projects followed--the little machine originally came with patterns and fabric for dolls.

Other sewing machines and many, many projects later, this year will mark 50 years since I took my first official sewing lesson in 4-H, on a delightful black Singer Featherweight. (How I long to have one some day!) Amazing! I can't believe so much time has gone by, accompanied by fabric and projects all along the way.

My 4-H sewing instructor inspired me to go on to study Home Economics, and earn a minor in Clothing and Textiles. I've gone on to sew clothing, quilts, and crafts of every kind, both for fun and for income. My current favorite projects? Miniature sewing--doll clothes, of course!

Other machines have come and gone, but my little red machine remains in a place of honor in my sewing room.

Thrift Thursday--Pink Sewing Box

Love at first sight! This time-travel pink sewing box was on the thrift store shelf for$1.50, and went straight into my shopping basket.

The wicker box measures 11" across and 7" high, and is in amazing condition. The masonite lid opens over to the side on the cord handles. From the decal and the color, I figure it must date from the early 50's.


I'm keeping the box by my chair in the living room, set up with all I need to tempt me to work on my on-going Christmas blanket embroidery project.

You can just see the panel of organizing pockets I made from a matching vintage print fabric, glued to the font inside. I've had this ancient Sucrets tin in my craft stuff since I was a child--now it holds a book of needles and some knitting markers. A couple of the thread holders are missing, so I used one of the holes to anchor my embroidery scissors with a ribbon.

On with the project!

Homemade Bread--Cost Factors Again

Mama Squirrel brought up an interesting point in her comment on an earlier post--how much does the cost of power affect the cost of baking a loaf of bread in the machine?

An internet search told me the cost of power locally--in the winter months, our electrical cost is 8.7 cents a kilowatt hour, and there is a sliding scale for the warmer months here. (I'm wondering how this compares to other areas.)

A calculator on the internet figured that for 600 watt usage, average for breadmakers, our cost is $.07 for an hour--I'm assuming that would be for the baking part of the cycle. (In comparison, the cost to run an electric oven would be about $.26 per hour here.) A good part of the 3.5 hour cycle is inactive, however.

So the answer is: I can't say definitively. Somewhere between 15 and 20 cents for the power cost? Input, anyone?

One plus for the machine is that it just might keep you out of the grocery store to avoid further spending!

Miniatures Monday --A Lazy Day

Since my happy discovery that the LPS Blythes can use my old dollhouse furniture, the tiny girls are living in the lap of luxury!

Agatha is having a lazy afternoon on the couch with snacks, magazines, and the remote.

This little Indonesian carved wooden sofa is one of a set that came with a quantity of darling little colorful, carved animals to sit about on them--a gift from daughter Lol, and of course from the thrift store! The rug, pillow, snacks, cookie platter, and magazine came from my dollhouse collection. Agatha's darling outfit was made by my daughter, Care, and she's wearing Polly Pocket boots. I think the remote was originally Barbie's cell phone.

This is the life!

The Cost of the Loaf. . . More Bread Machine!

In thinking about the bread machine, I began to wonder how the cost of a loaf of bread actually compares between a home-made and a commercial loaf. So we got out the calculator!

I recently re-stocked my flour supply, and paid $7.80 for 25 pounds. (I'm wondering how the price of flour varies in different locations--my price was apparently a pretty good buy, since on the same weekend flour was $10.00 for 25 pounds at the local grocery, on sale.)

Hubby and I calculated the number of 1-1/2 pound loaves the bag of flour could make, by weight, and divided the price of the flour by the number of loaves. Price of flour was about $.30, so with the other ingredients, we figure the cost is between $.40 and $.45 per loaf from this bag of flour.

Just for interest's sake, we figured the cost of a loaf from a $10.00 bag of flour--flour cost was $.50, so the cost of a loaf is $.55 to $.60 per loaf.

The rock-botton price for a 1-1/2 pound loaf of balloon bread this weekend was $.99--looks like there's a considerable savings on a home-made loaf, and the homemade bread actually tastes good!

Note: it hurts me to compare a flavorful, good-textured loaf of fresh homemade bread to a fluffy, washed-out loaf of commercial balloon bread, but since balloon (or Wonder-style) bread is the least expensive option, I'm willing to use it for comparison! Savings on actual bread would be much greater!