On Sep 25, 2:44 am, "Brian Christiansen"
> wrote:
> I recently put together a toastmasters group presentation about making
> bread. While I was puting it together I got to wondering if a bread machine
> truly saves time.
>
> The bread certainly does not rise or bake any faster in a bread machine.
>
> If you use a bread machine, you do not have to knead the bread, and that
> saves about 10 minutes, but at least some of that savings is countered by
> having to get the bread machine out of and back into storage, unless of
> course you have the counter space to keep it set up all the time.
>
> If you make bread by the sponge method, the sponge has to be started the day
> before the actual baking (or at least that is the impression that I get from
> several of the recipes that I looked at - I have never used that method),
> but it isn't like you have to sit out in the kitchen watching the sponge
> develop.
>
> Also the impression that I get is that the development of the sponge is what
> develops the flavor, and whether the kneading method is by hand or
> mechanical in a bread machine or whatever really does not make that much
> difference (though opinions seem to vary on this as well), but like with the
> straight dough method, I dont think it really saves that much time.
>
> Brian Christiansen

For me, it's the saving of money, it's the superior taste and
nutrition, it's the aroma which fills the house, it's never running
out of bread, it's the variety one can enjoy....I've had a machine for
almost 20 years and have never been sorry. Sure, it takes a little
planning, but it's become part of the home routine.
I have two machines now, and there ARE days when both are hummin'.
It takes about two minutes to dump in the ingredients. Hell, I've
waited longer at the a supermkt bakery counter for someone to get me
bread, bag it, slap on a price and not say thank you.