Greetings and an Introduction

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I've just started baking my own bread - it is fun! I'm not generally a Baker, but I recently was diagnosed with coeliac disease and the pre-made bread is gack :x. I've made a few loaves in oven, and then a colleague gave me a breadmaker at the weekend. I miss getting stuck into the dough, but for convenience it's awesome :laugh:

I tried to write this earlier from work, but my tiny phone screen was driving me nuts. Breadmakers! My love! My bane! I am cursed. The very first breadmaker I owned was a cheap one I had during college. It was fantastic! I loved it for my tiny studio apartment and I used it all the time. In fact, I used it to death. That's probably how I got cursed. Every. Single. Breadmaker. since then has been awful. I've bought fancy high end Zojurushis, I've bought Wally World specials; I just can't seem to get a decent loaf out of any of them! I wish I could find an old one like I had back in the day.

Now, I have never tried to bake gluten free. I imagine it is very challenging, and I applaud you for it. The available gf breads are awful, I don't know what I would do if I were celiac. Good for you taking it on! I am very interested to know how your baking goes, as I have a celiac friend it would be nice to bake for if there is a good recipe.
 

Satrim Kha'os

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I know, right? There is a modern "cathedral" type glass sold that uses modern chemicals to get a pretty decent red color. The biggest downside for me is that it isn't heat stable. I can't express how awful it is to paint up a bunch of beautiful pieces and fire them, then open the kiln and find they have all turned amber. It can really screw up a project. For regular, non painted work, though it's great.

I can't believe it took me this long to click, but it sounds a bit like pottery, with the painting and kilning.
 

Elia LePhant

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Welcome, Cynayne! :D I'm just now foraying into the world of baking bread. It's fascinating!
 
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I can't believe it took me this long to click, but it sounds a bit like pottery, with the painting and kilning.

It can be! However, you can also do it without any of the painting and firing. Most glass isn't painted and fired, I just learned how to do it when I apprenticed in a shop that did a lot of church and repair work. Now I teach it because it's a nearly lost art, and I use it in historical pieces. Most people who make stained glass never use the techniques and still produce an amazing range of styles. It's all down to what you like and what you want to make.
 
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Welcome, Cynayne! :D I'm just now foraying into the world of baking bread. It's fascinating!

Thank you, Elia Sedai, I've been baking a long time, so if you have any questions please feel free to give me a shout. I'm starting to experiment with starters - until now I've always baked with packaged yeast, but I'm trying to learn to catch my own yeast and culture it. It's hard, though, apparently something about it seems really tasty to cats; my one (so far) successful starter attempt was compromised because Andromeda decided to snack on it when I had my back turned. Now I have to have the husband corral her while I'm feeding it ;)
 

Elia LePhant

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Oooo that's a good thing for me to keep in mind when I try making a sourdough starter. Madeline (my cat) is very curious by nature. :p Do you have a favorite beginner bread recipe?
 

Satrim Kha'os

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There's such a thing as potato bread?!
 
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Potato!! I love Potato bread, but I've never made it. :brown-blink:

There's such a thing as potato bread?!

Yes! I love potato bread, it is incredibly moist and delicious. I have a good recipe for it by hand and one for a bread machine.

By Hand

This recipe makes 2 loaves and is identical to the recipe I use except I always use butter as my fat, not shortening. https://www.thespruce.com/old-fashioned-potato-bread-428168

Bread Machine
Ingredient List:
⦁ 1.25 cups of water
⦁ 2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
⦁ 3.25 cups Bread Machine flour
⦁ 1/2 cup instant mashed potato mix (dry)
⦁ 1 tablespoon sugar
⦁ 1.5 teaspoon salt
⦁ 2.75 teaspoons regular active dry yeast OR
⦁ 2.75 teaspoons bread machine or quick-acting active dry yeast
Bake in machine on White bread cycle
 

Satrim Kha'os

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I'm so going to over run my mum's kitchen and try this
 
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Let me know how it goes! I love potato bread, especially homemade! You are probably going to have to do some converting if you guys are on metric. If you need help with that, let me know!
 

Satrim Kha'os

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Thank you, will do :pleased-1:
 

Nandi el'Shahir

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Welcome!
 

Elyss Koh'inor

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Sorry I'm late! Welcome to Tar Valon Cynayne!
 

Ealandrelle Melyma

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I tried to write this earlier from work, but my tiny phone screen was driving me nuts. Breadmakers! My love! My bane! I am cursed. The very first breadmaker I owned was a cheap one I had during college. It was fantastic! I loved it for my tiny studio apartment and I used it all the time. In fact, I used it to death. That's probably how I got cursed. Every. Single. Breadmaker. since then has been awful. I've bought fancy high end Zojurushis, I've bought Wally World specials; I just can't seem to get a decent loaf out of any of them! I wish I could find an old one like I had back in the day.

Now, I have never tried to bake gluten free. I imagine it is very challenging, and I applaud you for it. The available gf breads are awful, I don't know what I would do if I were celiac. Good for you taking it on! I am very interested to know how your baking goes, as I have a celiac friend it would be nice to bake for if there is a good recipe.

I am so sorry that it's taken me days to reply to you :embarassed: I've been working nightshift and I tend to disappear except for browsing when I'm working nights.

I've made 3 loaves successfully so far in the breadmaker, then destroyed one when I tried to use the delay function :laugh: I've used both Juvela and Glutafin flours (no idea if you can get them in America) and so far the Juvela fibre mix is my favourite. I haven't tried other brands yet, though there's a woman in England who makes her own flour blend (The Free From Fairy) and I do intend to try her stuff. I'll let you know how I get on :)
 
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Sorry I'm late! Welcome to Tar Valon Cynayne!

Thank you! It is lovely to meet you, Elyss Sedai!

I am so sorry that it's taken me days to reply to you :embarassed: I've been working nightshift and I tend to disappear except for browsing when I'm working nights.

I've made 3 loaves successfully so far in the breadmaker, then destroyed one when I tried to use the delay function :laugh: I've used both Juvela and Glutafin flours (no idea if you can get them in America) and so far the Juvela fibre mix is my favourite. I haven't tried other brands yet, though there's a woman in England who makes her own flour blend (The Free From Fairy) and I do intend to try her stuff. I'll let you know how I get on :)

No problem, I completely understand! This information is great, it gives me a stepping off point for researching what we have here. The Free From Fairy site looks interesting, I just hope all the recipes don't depend on her products. That would complicate things.
 
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