[Sca-cooks] bread machines

[Dragon]

On Tue, February 12, 2008 16:55, Caointiarn wrote:
> Does it really matter why Cecelie would like a bread machine?
> She asked the list for help and advice and I at least took the question
> seriously and answered offlist.
> YES I own a bread machine and use one for a variety of reasons.
> Mostly it's a matter of time and convenience, <snip> Perhaps I should drop
> the lists and return to making bread by hand;
> would that be a better use of my time?
> Johnnae
> ************
>     I’ve been very carefully staying out of the Bread Machine thread.
> In
> part it was my own insecurity … “will they think me less the baker if
> I use
> a bread machine?”.  Yep, I use one.  There is nothing quite like coming
> home
> to the smell of fresh bread and hot stew as one arrives home from a day of
> work.
> Cheers
>  Malkin
> *****************************
>
> I had posed the question because I was wondering if she was at a place in
> time I once was.
>  I had never baked bread / used yeast.  And I was scared to try.  why?
> coz
> I heard how hard it was, how time consuming, how rigid measurements had to
> be  {I am not a good measurer  "looks about right" is a typical
> "measurement" for me.}.  So I was contemplating a bread machine.  Then,
> before a decision was really made, at a camping event  the head cook for
> the
> group asked me to prepare the dough for a flatbread  --I said yes, and she
> left.  THEN I read the instructions about using YEAST!  Yikes  --  I had
> never done this before!  so read, and re-read, put on my big girl apron
> and
> followed the instructions.  The bread rose, and cooked up well.  I went
> home
> and practiced some more  -- some failures,  more successes, and now I'm
> comfortable with baking bread.  Do I still throw out a batch?  you betcha!
> but I learn from my mistakes and carry on.
>
> That's why I asked  -- and I thought it would stimulate some discussion
> about bread baking, which it also did.
> I am not opposed to using appliances for time constraints or physical
> restraints,  nor do I think less of anyone who enjoys their bread machine.
> I just wanted to  know Cecelie's thoughts  about  what she expected from a
> bread machine.
>

I personally saw nothing untoward about asking why the OP wished to
purchase a bread machine. Sometimes asking why somebody wishes to do
something will allow somebody giving advice to provide much more targetted
input that would help somebody to make a better decision about what they
are going to buy. I participate in a lot of technical lists and nobody on
any of them bats an eye at the question because everyone realizes that
knowing the application behind what somebody wishes to do can help focus
the discussion.

I am baffled by the attitude that dissenting opinions are taken as a slam
against the person asking about something. A dissenting opinion, expressed
politely and respecfully can be just as enlightening as one that agrees.
Sometimes they open up additional avenues and alternative thoughts that
may not have occured to somebody before they asked.

In the context of this discussion, several of us expressed our opinions
that we thought the bread machine was not fitting for OUR OWN applications
and we suggested alternatives to consider. This in no way invalidates
either side of the discussion. Nor were any of these opinions expressed in
a manner that should have been taken in an offensive manner. Nobody said
anything that implied that nobody should ever use a bread machine. For
some people, it is a good fit and they can and will be happy with it. For
others, it isn't the right way to go.

So I guess what I am getting at is that I don't understand why anyone is
getting upset or perhaps perceiving this discussion as being indicative of
"bread snobbery". I was an active brewer for many years and am an active
baker now. I have developed my own methods and chosen my equipment to
produce the results I like in a manner I am comfortable with. I will share
what I do as an alternative to a proposed solution, people can take what
they will away from my example, even if that is that they don't wish to do
it that way. It's no skin off my nose.

Some people know I am a stickler about certain things and they
automatically assume I am a snob about them, but you know what? I'm not.
If something works for you, go for it. I may disagree and engage in a
friendly discussion about it but I won't tell anyone how they should bake
their bread or what beer to drink. And to be honest, I think that is
exactly the spirit in which the rest of the dissenting opinion was
offered, not as a slam but as a different view.


-- 

Dragon
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  Venimus, Saltavimus, Bibimus (et naribus canium capti sumus)
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