Loving Bread.

Bread.

It is the staff of life.

And my new bread maker is the bees knees.

Just before Christmas our old Sunbeam breadmaker died.  I had never formed a truly loving relationship with it.  Several years before that our old much loved Panasonic Bread-maker had gone to the happy dumping ground where all good and loved appliances go.  We went off to find our replacement and to our huge disappointment we discovered that Panasonic were no longer making them :-(.  We bought a sunbeam.  It was okay.  The dough cycle was much used, but the loaves...well they were just not what we were used to.  And when it died we were annoyed.  Christmas was hardly the time to be rushing out to buy a new appliance.  But we did hear that Panasonic was back in the bread maker business, but they were pricey.

So we were bread-maker-less for January.  Then my lovely hubby found a great deal on a new Panasonic bread-maker and drove to get it.  I tentatively put the first loaf on and O.M.G it was good.  No not Good, it was Awesome.  All hard and crusty on the outside and squishy and soft on the inside.  It was the best loaf of bread ever.  And the bread-maker is back on the used every day list.

Here is the recipe we have been using.  It is a rapid bake one so  takes less than 2 hours - ie ready for lunch.

2 1/4 tsp Dried yeast (I use Edmonds dried yeast sachets and measure out the correct amount)
620g High Grade Flour (I use Pam's)
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp sugar
430ml water

That's it - just bung it in the bread-maker and put on large loaf, bake rapid, and wait until the house is full of yummy bready smells.  Then cool for as long as you can and eat.

I am totally back in love with Bread.

Linking up with Paisley Jade.