Dough-it-yourself bread

MANILA, Philippines - I love, love bread — so much more than rice. I can live without rice but not without my daily bread. Everybody loves bread — whether they’re struggling breadwinners or members of society’s upper crust.

It’s a cherished ritual I look forward to, to jump-start and end my day: I would take two or three pieces of bread (preferably wheat or multi-grain, but whatever I can find in the fridge will do), toast them until they’re slightly brown (but I often successfully burn them), and then I would smother each precious piece of bread, hot off the toaster, with my favorite butter and/or soft cheese, which dissolves as soon as I slather it on the bread. To wash it all down, I drink a glass of milk.  

Some people love bread so much they make their own. But why bother when you can buy all sorts of breads all over the metro — from your friendly neighborhood panaderia to your favorite five-star patisserie?

But of course, there’s nothing like baking your own bread. Especially with this high-tech modern bread machine that makes baking, well, a piece of cake. It’s called Breville ikon Baker’s Oven, a no-mess, no-fuss bread maker especially designed for those who don’t bake. No hand mixing. No need for hand kneading. No worries about proper rising and punch down. No burnt bread — promise! (I guess this bread maker was especially made for people like me who can never toast bread without burning it.) No sweat! No kidding!

And so, while I should be loafing on a nice and easy Sunday, I kept myself busy trying to make bread. According to the Breville flier, it only takes three easy steps to make bread: 1. Put the ingredients. 2. Program as desired. 3. Take out and enjoy! There’s nothing like waking up to the fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread wafting from your kitchen.

But if you’re scared to burn down your kitchen, dough not despair! Simply sift the pages of the Breville manual and you’ll find the beginner’s step-by-step guide to making your first loaf:

Step 1: Open the lid and remove the bread pan by holding the handle and lifting straight up. Easy, isn’t it?

Always remove the bread pan from the oven before adding ingredients to ensure ingredients are not spilt into the baking chamber and onto the element.

Of course, before using it for the first time, wash the inside of the bread pan and kneading blades with warm soapy water, rinse, and dry thoroughly. Do not immerse the bread pan in water.

Step 2: Insert the kneading blade. The Breville ikon Baker’s Oven has two kneading blades: the collapsible blade for use on the bread and dough settings, and the standard blade for the jam setting. Yes, your Breville can make jam.

A friendly reminder: Make sure that the kneading blade is properly mounted on the shaft in the base of the bread pan by aligning the flat edge in the central hole of the kneading blade with the flat side of the shaft. If either blade is not seated correctly, ingredients may not be mixed or kneaded properly.

Step 3: Add ingredients into the bread pan. Note that it’s important that the ingredients are added in the correct order listed in the recipe and that they’re measured and weighed accurately; otherwise, the dough may not mix correctly or rise sufficiently. Make sure that the collapsible kneading blade is in the upright position before adding ingredients to the bread pan. All ingredients should be at room temperature 20-25°C and be added in the following order: liquid ingredients, fat, dry ingredients (salt, sugar, flour), and yeast.

Mound the flour into the pan, make a small hollow in the center, and place the yeast in the hollow. This is important when using the preset timer, because if the yeast comes in contact with the water and is activated at some length of time before kneading commences, the bread may not rise.

Step 4: Return the bread pan to the machine. Push the bread pan down firmly until it is in position.

Step 5: Close the lid.

Step 6: Plug in the bread machine.

Step 7: Select the setting.

Step 8: Select crust type. Do you want a light or dark crust?

Step 9: Select loaf size. Each time you press this button, the LCD screen will change from 1250g to 1000g to 750g.

Step 10: Set the fruit and nut dispenser and/or add-in beeper.

Step 11: Start the bread machine. The dough rises fully in Rise 3, then the Bake cycle begins.

Step 12: Remove the bread pan.

Step 13: Take the bread out of the bread pan. Allow the bread to cool sufficiently before slicing.

Step 14: Unplug the bread machine.

Step 15: Cut the bread.

Step 16: Store the bread. Bread may be frozen for up to one month.

What’s so cool about this hot machine is it can bake a family size 1.25kg loaf, a large 1kg loaf or a medium 750g loaf. There are over 150 delicious recipes for you to try in the Easy Bake Recipe Section, including recipes for prepackaged bread mixes. It’s got an exclusive fruit and nut dispenser which automatically drops fruits, nuts, and herbs into the dough at the right time — no need to wait and watch.

You can dough it yourself! You can be as creative with your bread as you want. The Pause function allows you to remove the dough for shaping, filling or braiding. The Bread Dough setting does the mixing and kneading for you. Want a rustic-style bread or want to decorate your bread with poppy seeds or a glaze? Surely, creating bread has never been this imaginative!

This multi-tasking oven is simply to dough-for! It also features a Pasta Dough setting to make your favorite flavored pasta dough and a Pizza Dough setting for delicious home-made pizzas.

What’s more, with the ikon Baker’s Oven, you can bake superb yeast-free or gluten-free breads — yes! I know some people who are gluten intolerant or cannot digest gluten.

With this wondrous machine, you can make all sorts of delicious, nutritious breads like, hold your breath now: French bread, potato & leek bread, sun-dried tomato bread, garlic bread, Italian bread, onion bread, black olive & basil bread, Thai coconut curry bread, pesto & pinenut bread, cheese & chive bread, sweet corn bread, pumpkin bread, Cajun jalapeño bread, fresh herb & caraway bread, pecan & maple syrup bread, apple & spice bread, ginger & macadamia nut bread, walnut & coffee bread, lemon butter bread, coconut & cherry bread, cranberry & pistachio nut bread, chocolate chip bread, apricot almond & cardamom bread, fruit loaf, fruit & nut bread, cracked wheat & sunflower bread, hot cross buns, even apple twist and stollen.

Now, that’s a lot of dough! Who knows, your bread-making prowess may one day give you your bread and butter!

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For inquiries on Breville, call the IAJ Wellness Customer Service hotline at 362-1566 local 200 Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or e-mail customerservice@wow2k.com.