Oven or bread maker for fresh bread on board?

[HeadedToTexas]

A beloved local bakery recently bit the dust which left us searching for good bread. There are lots of options in midwest suburbia, but it seems like the best option is to get good at making our own because that translates far better to eventual plans of living on board.

Do you guys who bake your own bread do so in the boat's oven or in a bread machine?

 

[DavidM]

When we cruised full time on a sailboat, we had a bread making machine. The oven would heat up the cabin too much. We would run it from the inverter while underway so the batteries were kept charged up while the bread mixed, rose, mixed and finally baked. Great bread!!


David

 

[menzies]

Both.

My wife uses the bread maker to make the dough, then puts the dough into a bread pan and uses the convection oven (off inverter) to make the bread. Delicious too!

 

[Flybull]

Bread maker, definitely. We've had several over the years, just about any mid-priced model seems to work well. Just Google reviews, but it is so easy to throw in a few ingredients and hit a start button.

I second that the galley oven produces way too much heat for the process... which is why we use an air fryer onboard almost exclusively now...

 

[bshillam]

Most of us have galley ovens that use propane. Depending on your cruising grounds what is the supply of propane vs electric? Are you connected to shore power or having to produce your own? I would prefer a bread maker, love how simple it is to throw some ingredients in it and let it do it's thing. Comes out perfect every time!

 

[Imp]

When living/cruising aboard I baked all my bread in a stovetop oven to avoid adding unnecessary heat to the salon. Mine had a glass lid so I cold view baking progress. Rachael Ray has an oval aluminum spaghetti cooker (Amazon) with a glass lid that would work well for baking bread with the addition of a metal or silicone interior base to lift the bread pan, though wadded up aluminum foil would work fine. I've used a bread machine on land, but did not like the hole in the middle of the loaf, so ended up just using it for mixing until the machine finally walked fatally itself off the counter while unattended. I would not like the power drain on a boat. TIP: Use a flour-coated piece of unbleached muslin (I serged the edges of mine) for kneading. Keep in a zippered plastic bag in-between uses until it really has to be washed. Keeps flour off the counters.

 

[syjos]

Both.

My wife uses the bread maker to make the dough, then puts the dough into a bread pan and uses the convection oven (off inverter) to make the bread. Delicious too!

We did the same thing when we were cruising in areas without stores. Left the French bread dough to rise and bake in the propane oven.

Made cinnamon roll and pizza dough too.

Now, we buy the refrigerated bread dough that comes in tubes and bake those in the oven.

And Costco has shelf stable (for 3 month) sour dough bread that we bake in the oven.

 

[rsn48]

I will use a bread machine but just make a number of bread doughs and freeze them before baking. I have a dedicated freezer on my 29 foot boat so I will bring something like 6 along with me for a two week trip. Baking in the oven at anchor, if a hot day baking on the Weber bbq, when moored with electrical hookup, baked in my small convection oven.

 

[Lepke]

I have an auto bread maker, but if I bake in the machine the paddle is still in the loaf. And the loaf is small and odd sized. So I mix in it and then move to a regular pan and bake in the oven. If there are other people on board, I quickly mix several loafs, transfer to pans, and let them rise and bake together. If I had a fancy mixer, I'd dump the bread maker.
I'm not a good cook or baker, so any info should be taken with a grain of sand.

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: We don't make bread on the boat and very rarely ever eat any aboard.

 

[kchace]

We've been using a bread machine at our dirt home for many years and will be purchasing one for the boat soon.

 

[Nomad Willy]

We use Force 10 oven.

 

[Simi 60]

Have a bread maker and used if for first few months but never use it anymore.
Better bread using cast iron pot with lid and bung it in the oven.

 

[FF]

"Most of us have galley ovens that use propane. Depending on your cruising grounds what is the supply of propane?"

Propane usually lasts 2-3 months of cooking , with or without oven use. Most cruisers carry a second tank so running out is no horror.

In the Bahamas it may be a wait of a day or two for a refill, but inshore most gas stations have bottles to swop.

A folding grocery carrier can carry 2 - 20# bottles if you are walking.

 

[catalinajack]

I use a food processor to make dough for bread and pizza. I bake the bread in an $80 Oster countertop oven. The bread dough goes into an earthenware covered vessel. It produces a very nice French loaf.

I bake my pizza in a Camp Chef domed pizza oven on a Camp Chef stove that I keep on the aft deck. The oven heats to 700 degrees but that's too hot.

For those who use their bread machines just to make dough I suggest you consider ditching it in favor of a food processor which probably takes up less space and then you end up with another valuable kitchen tool with no space penalty. Making dough in a food processor is quite easy. Takes 10 minutes including clean-up.

 

[Imp]

Most of us have galley ovens that use propane. Depending on your cruising grounds what is the supply of propane vs electric? Are you connected to shore power or having to produce your own? I would prefer a bread maker, love how simple it is to throw some ingredients in it and let it do it's thing. Comes out perfect every time!

In my experience, propane is available pretty much everywhere in the Western Hemisphere, though for convenience, I always carried a spare tank. It's really a simple & fun endeavor, well-suited to delicious experimentation. I use my lift-up KitchenAid mixer for kneading when ashore because I'm usually super-busy, but at sea, breadmaking is joyous recreation.

What is it with the fear of hands-on breadmaking that I sense coming from so many galleys? Perhaps it is akin to the too-prevalent fear of cooking anything other than (ugh) Minute Rice.

 

[Spinner]

No-knead method, baked in my Force-10 oven. I don’t want to carry single purpose appliances! I do a lot of baking onboard...

 

[kchace]

In my experience, propane is available pretty much everywhere in the Western Hemisphere, though for convenience, I always carried a spare tank. It's really a simple & fun endeavor, well-suited to delicious experimentation. I use my lift-up KitchenAid mixer for kneading when ashore because I'm usually super-busy, but at sea, breadmaking is joyous recreation.

What is it with the fear of hands-on breadmaking that I sense coming from so many galleys? Perhaps it is akin to the too-prevalent fear of cooking anything other than (ugh) Minute Rice.

Actually my wife prefers to make bread by hand. We use the bread machine for convenience

 

[nmuir]

Another vote for no knead bread.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread



We bake it in a Princess Propane oven, cast iron pot. We don't like having to run a genset for cooking/baking so do everything via propane. A standard 35lb bottle lasts us months.

 

[BandB]

but at sea, breadmaking is joyous recreation.

.

Wifey B: Well, you and I certainly have different definitions of joyous recreation.

We just try to limit our bread and in turn our carbs. With the proliferation of low carb diets from Atkins to Paleo to Keto and the frequency of diabetes, I'm a little surprised at all the bread making taking place. That makes me curious, do most of you eat some form of bread with all meals or how many of your 21 meals a week include bread?

 

[syjos]

Wifey B: Well, you and I certainly have different definitions of joyous recreation.

We just try to limit our bread and in turn our carbs. With the proliferation of low carb diets from Atkins to Paleo to Keto and the frequency of diabetes, I'm a little surprised at all the bread making taking place. That makes me curious, do most of you eat some form of bread with all meals or how many of your 21 meals a week include bread?

We eat bread with dinner once or twice a week. Gotta have french bread with pasta, soups, etc. Toasted cheese and BLT sandwiches for quick dinner after a long run.

Sandwiches couple times a week for lunch.

Peanut or jam on toast for breakfast once in a while.

 

[Chris b]

I use my BBQ and a pizza stone for baking bread

 

[Imp]

Wifey B: Well, you and I certainly have different definitions of joyous recreation.

We just try to limit our bread and in turn our carbs. With the proliferation of low carb diets from Atkins to Paleo to Keto and the frequency of diabetes, I'm a little surprised at all the bread making taking place.

Diet fads cycle--today (& yesterday) Paleo, Atkins is long in the tooth, & I remember the days when high carbs were the fashionable way to health. Before that the fad was the Drinking Man's diet, which is actually akin to Paleo & Atkins before they existed. As a biological anthropologist (retired), it is my opinion that we have sufficiently evolved past what we consider a Paleo diet (which is actually kind of a limited view of our ancestral fare), & most of us have a sufficient ancestral agricultural DNA base to support a wide-ranging palate. The key, as in most things in life, is moderation, along with a goodly dose of activity. Problems to arise as we age past our life expectancy, & are hampered by those inconveniences of age like artificial joints, & we can't quite meet the balances necessary for optimal health. We make our choices & live (or not) with the consequences. Personally, I can't imagine denying my crew the delights of sea air & the sounds of Margaritaville without homemade pizza while running with the dolphins or waffles on Sunday morning while still early enough not to be hot.


BTW, I temper the horridness of my breads by using yogurt cheese (now known as Greek yogurt) instead of oil. You can use applesauce instead, but that makes it mold early.

 

[rsn48]

Atkins is long in the tooth

Long in the tooth, not really, the new Keto diet is the Atkins diet with good fats added. And Greek yogurt (yogurt cheese) is used in many Keto recipes, great in smoothies with berries, spenda, unsweetened almond milk, and a bit of vanilla extract.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I use my BBQ and a pizza stone for baking bread

Very cool. Does it take any longer than baking it in a more conventional oven?

 

[Imp]

Atkins is long in the tooth

Long in the tooth, not really, the new Keto diet is the Atkins diet with good fats added. And Greek yogurt (yogurt cheese) is used in many Keto recipes, great in smoothies with berries, spenda, unsweetened almond milk, and a bit of vanilla extract.

And the old is new again! Without the Splenda & vanilla, that's how I've been making smoothies for the past 3 decades.

 

[Imp]

Another vote for no knead bread.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread

Note that in tropical latitudes yeast goes bonkers, so normal recipe rise times go out the door. Even noting the minimal yeast measurement in this recipe, I recommend any bread baker keep a close eye on rising bread as you head south. I found myself using about 1/4 the usual yeast in the southern Caribbean & my bread still popped up quickly. You can also extend your yeast supply with fermented potato water and/or homemade sourdough mix. Use your basic bread recipe (mine is 1/2 whole wheat) for pizza, rolls, burger buns, fat breadsticks, pretzels, etc.

BTW a handful of dried cranberries in your bread make it even more nutritious & delicious--try it for grilled cheese.

 

[Captain Glenn]

I'm not into diet fads or low carbs, I'm normal weight and don't have diabetes and 68 yrs. Infact I love my carbs, bagels, rye bread, white bread, French bread,pizza--- All bread. I eat about 10 meals a week with bread. Would love a bread maker if I had a wife that would use it. I buy bread at the market and freeze it. My diet plan is pushing away from the table !

 

[HeadedToTexas]

I'm not into diet fads or low carbs

I'll second that. Life doesn't need a magic pill.

 

[Captain Glenn]

Now a days you can't give peanuts to kids, shouldn't serve eggs or butter because of cholesterol,no eating of beef because cows fart and bad for the planet, bread is bad for you. Fish have mercury and soda makes you fat. Coffee,who knows what it does. Oh well I'll just sit in the bilge and eat my gruel.