Baking your own homemade bread is no longer a chore with bread machines that make the whole process so simple.
You don’t even have to knead the bread yourself, but simply add all your ingredients to a bread making machine and all the hard work is taken care of.
We did have a bread machine at one point, but with a small kitchen and nowhere to store large appliances, we had to sacrifice it for the space we so desperately needed back.
It was a shame and I definitely miss the taste of homemade bread. I no longer buy loaves of bread from the store as I can’t stand the questionable ingredients they contain.
We do occasionally buy a fresh sourdough loaf and instead settle for 4 ingredient wraps and wholemeal pittas to suit our daily bread needs.
If we ever have a larger kitchen and more space then we will definitely buy another bread maker. The benefits are so great!
If you’re wondering why you should invest in a bread maker then read on. In this blog post I will share some of the benefits of homemade bread.
What are the advantages of homemade bread?
Homemade bread can cater to any allergies and dietary requirements
If you have allergies, intolerances or specific dietary requirements, then making your own bread is a no-brainer. You can include exactly the ingredients you know are safe.
Thanks to the internet you can easily access numerous bread maker recipes online from vegan to dairy-free to gluten free bread recipes or whatever you require. It’s easy to customise homemade bread to your exact requirements.
Specialized gluten-free or free-from bread in the supermarket usually comes with a quite a premium too, so it can be way more economical to make your own.
Even if it’s made freshly in a bakery then there’s a chance of cross-contamination.
It’s a sure-fire way to know the bread you are eating contains the ingredients you want to consume, which brings me onto my next point nicely.
Homemade bread contains better ingredients
You are in total control of the ingredients you put into your homemade bread. You can choose organic ingredients, support small producers, go 100% wholemeal and support Fairtrade.
You will know exactly what is in your bread.
It can be the most ethical bread ever made or the cheapest bread ever made. You get to choose the flour, yeast, salt and so on.
This also means you can avoid any unnatural ingredients. There are so many artificial preservatives and other additives used in commercial supermarket bread to make it last longer and they really can’t be good for us.
I don’t know about you, but almost every time we buy a sliced loaf of ‘regular’ bread, it stinks after a couple of days! It’s like I can smell the chemicals, especially if it comes in a plastic bag!
There are no need to put such weird ingredients in bread.
In fact, here is one of the most simple bread recipes I have found on the internet:
- “225ml (8 fl oz) warm water (45 C)
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon quick yeast
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 400g (14 oz) bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt”
It couldn’t be easier and there are no weird preservatives in sight!
Original source (page no longer exists): allrecipes.com/recipe/994/best-bread-machine-loaf.aspx
Homemade bread is healthier
By missing out on all the unhealthy ingredients that are regularly found in commercial loaves, your bread will be much healthier.
You can also control the sugar and salt content and keep it much lower than readymade bread.
By using whole grain flours you will ensure the vitamins and minerals are retained, rather than using white.
Homemade bread is truly fresh
Homemade bread is also truly fresh. You really have no idea how old the bread on the supermarket shelves is. It’s been made, stored, transported, stored, put on the shelves and sat there for who knows how long.
Supermarket in-store bakeries don’t always make homemade bread from scratch.
They are sent dough that can still be filled with questionable ingredients and preservatives.
They don’t often make it 100% there and then. They simply bake it or reheat it in store!
Homemade bread is cheaper
The raw ingredients used to make bread are very cheap. They are staple ingredients that can be purchased in bulk to reduce costs even more.
Of course, as mentioned, you can choose organic and Fairtrade and so on to support a cause, which will be pricier, but I’m sure it will still work out a lot cheaper than buying a readymade like-for-like loaf at the store.
Homemade bread makes your home smell delicious!
Finally, an added benefit of baking bread at home is the smell it fills your house with. Baking bread gives off the most delicious and homely smell.
It’s comforting and inviting.
I’ve even heard rumours of food shops and supermarkets wafting freshly baked bread smells near their entrances to entice customers in!
I don’t know if that’s true, but it could be!
There really is no bread quite like homemade bread.
When we baked our own bread at home, we found it to be full of flavour. The texture was different and the taste. It tasted like real food.
In comparison, the store-bought bread seemed plain and unappetizing.
Start reading the ingredients on commercial bread and ask yourself if you want to be consuming those things.
With modern bread machines you can make a loaf in around 55 minutes for the freshest, healthiest and tastiest bread there is!
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