We all have kitchen gadgets, often bought during a health-craze phase of our life (smoothie-maker/juicer anyone?...yes I thought so!), which occasionally leave the cupboard (a couple of times a year at most) to grace our kitchen worktop with its presence.
I am the shameful owner of said under-used kitchen gadgets but I must admit that the best investment I have made so far in la Suisse is a kitchen gadget. Because I know how this sort of story usually pans out, I kept a clear conscience by only spending 30CHF buying a second-hand bread machine from our local brocki (second hand/antiques/junk shop). I thought that at least if it doesn't work properly (there is always a risk buying electrical items second-hand) or if I we get bored of it, it wouldn't be too much of a waste of money.
I love bread (I am French after all) and we consume astronomical quantities of the stuff eating sandwiches for lunch everyday (Mr T is British after all). Buying bread from the local baker every day is quaint but not cheap and we love cheap in this house (Mr T is from Yorkshire after all). So making our own bread sounded like a good idea...
And it is! The basic bread recipe only requires water, flour, salt and yeast and even making fancier bread (like walnut bread below) does not require that many additional ingredients and works out so much cheaper than buying it from the delicatessen.
Olive bread, olive and bacon bread, walnut bread...the possibilities are numerous!
And when my niece and nephew came over to stay, I found a recipe for making brioche in a bread-machine and can honestly say this recipe makes the best tasting brioche I have ever had!
Since we have bought the machine in January, it has probably been used forty odd times (on average twice a week) which I think is a great return on my small investment.
Hurray to the bread machine! What kitchen gadget would you not live without?
