I have been making all of my own bread for over a year now. It was the mouse found in a loaf of Hovis that did it for me! I did consider posting the pictures, but you can search them for yourself. It is also much more cost effective in the long run to bake your own bread. I did invest in a trusty Bread Maker, which always feels like cheating, but it is very convenient and I love mine.
You can not beat the smell of bread baking.
The problem is gauging how much bread you will use. Without all of the preservatives the bread can go stale if it is not used within three to four days. If I run out everyone in the house complains to the management! The birds in the back garden are so used to eating the crusts my youngest leaves that they sit on the fence waiting. If I don't feed them they wait and wait and eye me up in disgust, Hitchcocks 'Birds' have nothing on mine. There is only so much stale bread you can feed the birds as again it is not cost effective. I try to use the stale bread for breadcrumbs for making stuffings, or coating food. I also use breadcrumbs to make Meatloaf. You can make Bread and Butter pudding, or the old favourite
'Bread Pudding'. This stuff sticks to your ribs and you could go and plough a field after you have had a piece. It is very easy to make and keeps well.
Ingredients
1/2 a loaf of stale bread, soaked in water (just enough to cover it)
250g of mixed dried fruit
100g shredded vegetable suet
100g sugar
2tsp of Mixed Ground Spice
3 eggs
When the bread is well soaked fork it over until it is the consistency of porridge. Add all of the other ingredients and mix well. Turn into a baking tin and cook in a medium oven for 40 mins to an hour, until it is nicely browned and starts to smell done. (Sorry for the lack of precision). It will feel soft to the touch but will firm up as it cools. Leave the pudding to go cool, or you will not slice it very successfully.
