Bread Makers

This was the lovely sight which awaited me in the kitchen this morning...

A Bread Maker! After wanting one for a really long time, and searching Freecycle to no avail for ages, I hit on the idea of looking on Daily Info- a brilliant Oxford-based website which happens to have listings of "wanted" and "selling".  I found a Bread Maker in great condition for a very bargain price which my lovely Husband and I went halves on!

Today I had my first go at using it (despite having some of that lovely fresh loaf from yesterday still to eat!).  My first attempt was cut short upon realising that we had no Skimmed Milk Powder, but after a trip to our local shop, that was rectified.  We then very nearly went rather wrong when I was measuring out the flour (all quantities given in "cups" and we did not have the original measuring cup that came with it), and put in four (what I thought were) cups (but were actually "half cup" measures).  Luckily I was watching through the little window in the top, and puzzling over the unusually 'sloppy' texture when the penny dropped!

So. After rectifying the said mistake, the Bread Maker got down to business, and the first loaf worked.  However it was fine, not good.  It was a little dense (possibly not helped by my brief pause of the cycle to add more flour!) and I think it tasted a little too sweet.  I know that sometimes the recipe books that come with Bread Makers aren't the most wonderful, so if anyone has a fail-safe recipe for lovely bread that works in a Bread Maker, then please do let me know!  I shall have a trawl on-line shortly.

In the meantime, the loaf from yesterday is fab...

And today we had an extra treat at breakfast- our Lodger had a lovely batch of Croissants left over from a breakfast he attended yesterday, so we had a rather luxurious first meal of the day- YUM!

In other news, I have just finished 3 matching towel and flannel sets for my Mum...

And Al, Elysee and I just had a lovely candle-lit dinner! Who says kids can't share in a little romance?!

Right. Now to get the active toddler into his PJs.  Enjoy your evening whatever you are doing, and do let me know if you have a good bread recipe!