So many of the recipes that I look at online seem to start with "In the bowl of a stand mixer . . ."
I really was enamored of the KitchenAid brand because all the reviewers said it was the best.
But the price was way too high for our budget.
Then the other day SWMBO brought me a page she'd torn from an old magazine she was throwing away.
It showed a Hamilton Beach mixer, said it was nearly as good as the KitchenAid and was only $100.
With what was left of a gift card on my Amazon Prime membership the price came down to around $60.
With Judy's nod, I ordered it.
Two days later, it was on my counter.
Does he look confused?
Yesterday I finally broke it in.
No, no, no, Gentle Readers, I did not say I broke it.
But there is a bit of a learning curve.
By the time I was through with it there was a not- so-fine coating of flour over it, the counter and the floor nearby.
But the bread dough was mixed perfectly.
Then there were a few minutes of kneading and later rolling it out.
I remembered midway through the latter process a trick SWMBO had taught me sometime back.
The bread board will move around on the counter so just put a damp cloth under it and that will stop.
Well, it was too late for that so I struggled through and finally had two loaves in the oven.
Here are my finished products.
Two slightly irregular French baguettes.
As Judy pointed out, they could have stayed a bit longer in the oven to brown a bit more but the taste was amazing.
Especially compared with the ones I've brought home from the grocery store.
Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and a great flavor.
We dined on them, some Brie cheese and another of Judy's great slaws for our evening repast last night.
And we kept the outside lights off and never had a trick-or-treater.
So now, not only do I have that fancy new stand mixer to play with but I also have a (nearly) full bag of candy!
And the November baking season is upon us!
