> wrote in message
ups.com...

> Has anyone here moved from a breadmaker to doing bread by hand? What
> was your experience?
>

I started as a pre-teen making bread by hand. I got a bread machine and
after a few batches gave it away much for the same reasons you cite. Then I
started making dough with the Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I liked the mixer
overall, it gave good results in a short time with little effort. Next I
tried the food processor. I like the FP because it is very quick and unlike
the stand mixer, there is never a mess. The mixer can send flour all over
your kitchen if you aren't careful. However, it can make more dough in a
single batch than the FP. My method of choice is now the FP as I can make
enough dough for a dozen rolls, a couple of pizzas, or a loaf of bread in
under 5 minutes without any mess. If I were baking for a large family, I
would probably use the stand mixer.

I wouldn't mix dough in the living room, but that' just me. If nothing
else, you need to be standing up to knead dough. You should be using the
weight of your body, not the strength of your arms. You can't get good
leverage while sitting down.

Making bread is mostly technique and experience. Try some methods (hand,
mixer, or FP) and practice. See what works best for you. You can store
dough in the refrigerator for several days and bake it as needed. In fact,
up to a point, this will improve the flavor and texture of the bread. I
agree that you should not store baked goods in the refrigerator as they go
stale faster.

As for the bread machine, I'm sure that there are wonderful machines that
meet the needs of many people. They just don't make any sense for me.