R.I.P. Faithful Breadmaker

It’s a sad day in Cudahy! Oh Woe Is Me!

Our faithful Regal Kitchenpro breadmaker bit the dust.  I’m not quite sure how long we’ve had it but this little workhorse paid for itself many times over and gave us some wonderful loaves.  I wasn’t quite prepared for the sudden demise — ‘specially after just buying a new dough paddle for it.  I should have predicted that one — oh well.

We were out of bread and I really wanted to bake today.  After getting the new dough paddle I had put aside any thoughts of buying another so I started the search all over again.  I checked out all the sources I would consider for available models and pretty much had a solution in mind before we headed out the door to go exploring, but I didn’t think I’d end up with a replacement today.  Surprise of surprises we did.  I found what I wanted at a price only $10.00 more than Amazon but I would have it now and if there was anything wrong with it I didn’t have to worry about return shipping and further delays.

I have been leaning over the past couple years to buying more mass production items — not going in so much for the more expensive models with better features — but I was struck by one thing.  The one we ended up buying had way more positive customer reviews than any other model.  Zojirushi is probably best known for rice cookers — and they’re expensive little buggers — about 7 or 8 times the cost of the little Salton rice cooker I have.  I looked at them when we bought our el cheapo version. And I didn’t have any intention of getting one of their products to replace our relatively inexpensive Regal machine.  But when I started looking at what was out there they won me over.

• For one thing the model we ended up with (BB HAC10) is compact.  I wasn’t all that happy with how much space the Regal took up in Journey; but we did have a place where it could travel efficiently.  This unit is more vertical, which will allow us to make better use of under-sink space.
• For another thing it’s a one-pound loaf machine.  We don’t really need to be making 2 pound loaves for two of us.  I don’t mind the time it takes to make the loaves — the machine does most of the work. Having fresher loaves is a step in the right direction.
• A third factor is that  two- pound loaf machines universally use wide baking pans.  Toast becomes a touchy issue, one that has caused several searches for wider opening toasters over the life of the bread machine.  (Do you burn out toasters quickly?  Seems the new models don’t last very long — even the basic models without fancy features)
• I like that it has a French Bread setting.  I didn’t like the product the Regal put out at that setting. I’m not sure how well this machine will do but I like the initial trial loaf.   I should say that I never make “white bread”  — For this first loaf I used their basic regular crust soft bread white recipe.  From here I’ll start adjusting the recipe until I get to where I want to be.
  

  The First Loaf is TASTY, with nice crispy CRUST!

For a 2# loaf I have been using:
11 oz. water
1 tsp salt
1T oil
1T molasses or liquid malt
1 1/2 C bread flour
1 C oatmeal
1/2 C potato flakes
1 tsp yeast

Seeing as the new machine only wants 2 Cups total flour, uses butter instead of oil, sugar instead of molasses or liquid malt and wants powdered milk it will take me a few loaves to make all the adjustments and get it down pat.

I’m a happy camper.

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