On Bread Baking

Weekly ration of bread .. pic by Mrs. Mac

We've been getting by with just the bread coming out of our ovens.  Seems if I set aside one afternoon or evening a week (Sunday .. so far), I can bake up two batches of dough .. both making two loaves or two dozen rolls.  We are currently enjoying an oat bread for sandwiches, an Italian loaf for garlic toast or pizza, and a hamburger bun recipe that I've switched out white flour with whole wheat white.  The dough is mixed in our Kitchenaid stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and placed in the oven on a dough proof setting in large covered bowls.  I really try to stretch the bread to last an entire week.  Half goes double wrapped in the storage freezer to pull out midweek.

Hubby and I have been checking around for a flour mill.  I'd probably prefer one that is manual .. but with my right shoulder feeling pain from an injury last year .. electric seems a better fit with the amount of flour we would have to mill each week.  Next month is my birthday .. and the one I am interested in (Nutrimill Grain Mill) is currently on sale .. so it got ordered a few days ago.  I'm excited to take our bread making one step further by milling our own flour.  This will probably be our only major kitchen purchase this year.

bread holder for slicing ..  pic by Mrs. Mac

I picked up the nifty bread slicer at a local thrift store.  It's shaped for bread machine loaves .. but can be used with my oven baked bread.  It cost a whole 99 cents.  Using it gives very uniform slices .. unlike my previous freehand slicing produced.  There's nothing like the smell of baking bread wafting through the house.  Are you a bread baker?  If so, what's your preferred method for making it?