This is a GF APB! All hints, tips and suggestions are welcome! This weekend I believe I used my trusty Oster bread machine for the last time. I think it’s done because of the oil residue I saw in and on my last batch of gluten-free bread! EWW!
R.I.P. Oster
Goodbye Oster.
What actually makes me “sigh” about the loss is that it actually has a little history. I’ll never forget that Joel gave it to me for Christmas after Emma was born. While the guys at my work couldn’t believe that Joel would give me such a gift at Christmas, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Six months later it got me through the trying times of Emma’s diagnosis and the foggy moments of trying to figure out the gluten-free diet. One thing I was able to pull off – good gluten-free bread in the machine. It wasn’t a fancy machine, only three buttons – start, stop and time, but one that certainly worked hard for me for 8 ½ years. Sorry for the eulogy, but I had to get it off my chest.
So Sunday when I made lasagna (yum) and baked Gluten-Free Pantry’s French Bread for the first time, I found it odd that right at the base of the bread there was a grey ring right where the paddle meets the pan. Weird-that’s never happened before. So finally my husband and I analyzed it after I washed it, and sure enough as the parts move around, the oil is seeping into the pan’s base. Nasty.
Some of the bread was salvageable since it was only right around the base of the paddle (actually forming a perfect circle in the middle of the bottom of the bread), I was able to cut the base off and we still ate the bread with no issues. So I turned to eBay, wondering if anyone would have an 8 ½ year old pan to sell me. No…not so much.
Hello ??
Now it appears I’m in the market for a new bread machine. But do I need to have one with all the bells and whistles? I know my mom and my sister-in-law both have machines with gluten-free settings. Do I need that? Would that setting keep my bread from sinking three inches the instant the loaf finishes baking (anyone feel my pain there)?
Luckily I think we have enough bread to get us through until the weekend. Send me your suggestions please!!!
Tags: bread machine, gluten-free
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 am
I have had the Cuisinart for about 6 months and it works very well. It has 3 gluten free settings, and you can adjust the crust color and loaf size. I got it at a good price on Amazon.com, even had a bonus mini chopper with it. Don’t know if that promotion is still going on.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
While I have never used a bread maker, I did recently learn what the GF setting is – it does not do the punch down/rise cycles that you do with normal bread because GF bread only rises once.
That is according to a comment left on my post about gluten free sweet rolls (http://www.ihatewheat.com/2009.....rolls.html). Part of the comment is below. It was left by Jules of http://www.nearlynormalcooking.com/. I’m sure you could email her for recommendations on a bread machine.
Part of her comment:
“First, since we’re dealing with gluten-free dough, there is no punch down and second or third rise step. This is actually a great benefit, since it therefore takes far less time to make gluten-free yeast breads. That’s why, for example, the newer bread machines have a special gluten-free setting that has no punch down or later rise cycles.”
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:21 am
Are you sure you need a bread machine? Since GF bread isn’t kneaded or double-risen, I haven’t been able to convince myself that a bread machine would be worth the counter/storage space. It’s easy enough to mix up the dough in my stand mixer, dump it in the pans, rise and bake.
But that’s just me – short-on-kitchen-storage-space me!
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:23 am
p.s. For what it’s worth, I have heard lots of recommendations for the BreadMan with the GF setting here and there.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I have had the Cuisinart CBK-200 for about 6 weeks now and LOVE it. I am pretty useless in the kitchen, and even I can make yummy GF bread in it!
I’ve used both the GF setting and the normal “white” setting – both turned out great… as noted above, the only difference (from what I can tell) is the number of rises.