Any serious bakers out there? Need help with mixer advice

Going a bit OT - I'm not a baker at all - Sons always said they were 'goody challenged' because I never baked 'goodies' - always had lots of fruit and veggie snacks for them just as I had had .

That said there is one thing I like to bake and had a great recipe for but unfortunately it was lost - Dilly Bread.  I got it from Daddy's Aunt about 40+ yrs ago and it was from KY.  I have found some recipies but they do not work/taste the same.  I do remember that the yeast had to be added to heated cottage cheese.  Dill and onion flakes were also part of it.  

I looked/asked last winter but none of the recipies produced what my old one did.  It's winter so lots of soups and Hubby loves Dilly Bread with them.  So HELP! Please!

I'm dashing out so no time to look for links at the moment, but google glutenfreegirlandthechef and hopefully you'll find a blog of that name. She has celiac and is married to a chef, and between them they have come up with some terrific GF baking approaches. There's a lot on her blog that explains some of the science of GF baking and I have found that very interesting. She also gives formulas for GF all purpose flours that can lower the cost of buying them pre-mixed.

Binney - Thanks amd I'll try it but not exactly the same one.  The best I can remember is that the cottage cheese was heated then the butter went in and the yeast was added to it when off the burner.  There was some sugar amd salt aded to the flour and the dill weed (not seed) and dried onions added.  I don't remember about an egg and I think it had some milk or buttermilk in it.  Don't remember the amounts of anything.  I'll give yours a try though (but I'll use dill weed instead of seed).  It seems to like you let mine rise twice but I could definately be wrong on that.  It'll be later tis week before I have time but will let you know how it goes.  Thanks!

Musical, please DO come for dinner! And stay a while! I know you love winter for the relief from the heat, and so, your winter is ending and mine is beginning, so there could not be a better time to come on up to the upper hemisphere!

o.k, I'll start...favorite bread recipes? Here's one of mine and it makes lovely loaves It's especially good with cheese. (This is the original recipe but I'll add my friend's shortcut at the end):

Fig Rye Bread

from Bon Appetit, May '95

2 cups warm water

1 pk. dry yeast

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 Tbs. vegetable oil [I use olive]

1 Tbs. salt

3 2/3 cups (about) all purpose flour

2 cups whole grain rye flour

2-1/2 (12 oz.) cups dried black Mission figs or Calimyrna figs [I use both]

Combine water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 8 minutes.

Add oil and salt to yeast mixture. Gradually stir in 3-1/3 cups white flour and 2 cups rye flour. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and elastic, adding more white flour if sticky, about 10 minutes.

Place dough in larged oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Dust 2 large baking sheets with all purpose flour. Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Press out to a 1" thick rectangle. Sprinkle on the figs and roll up jelly roll style. Knead to distribute figs evenly. Divide dough in half and roll each piece into a 16-inch long loaf. Transfer to prepared sheets. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm area until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400*F. Bake loaves until golden and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, using spray bottle to spray oven with water every 10 minutes, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on racks. This bread freezes well.

NOTE: Here is Julia Child's foolproof food processor bread dough method: Prepare yeast mixture in a measuring cup. Put all dry ingredients in processor [I use 3 cups white and 2 rye flour], using the plastic dough blade if you have it. Turn on machine and pour in the liquid, then the oil. Let run until dough forms a rapidly rotating ball, adding a little more water if dough doesn't come together (or a little more flour if too sticky to form a ball). Stop the machine and let dough rest 5 minutes. (Important!) Turn on the machine again and let dough ball rotate 30 times. Stop the machine, turn dough out outo a floured board and let rest 2 more minutes. Knead 50 strokes by hand.

I also use Julia's trick of heating the oven with a cast iron skillet on the bottom, then throwing 1/2 cup water into the skillet to create the steam.

gotta jump in here. So hello! LOL I have used a sunbeam stand mixer for over 30 years. It shorted out. I had been asking for a Kitchen aid since I got married um, over 40 years! LOL. Got that after I burned up my third hand mixer. But now I want a Kitchen aid even more. Actually picked up another sunbeam at goodwill for 10.00 bucks until I get my good one! What is the best size one to get? I've seen between 325 watts and 650?

Oh and BTW. I used my bread maker until that quit working. The best was a pumpkin yeast bread. I used to set it so we'd have that for breakfast at least 2x a week. When my kids were in grade school. Yeah my baby is now 28! LOL. And the bread maker just died about two years ago.

OMG! Horror of horrors! I was kneading bread dough this morning when a lighting strike blew 9 circuit breakers and my pro 600! It is deader than a doornail. The thing is, the storm had pretty much passed and I was looking at blue sky. Crap! This is mixer season! Guess I'm in the market for a new mixer. Bummer, I loved that mixer.

Simply mortifying! For future protection, investigate a whole-house surge suppressor. Perhaps would not protect electronics from a lightening strike, but my electrical engineer spouse just told me it probably would have protected the mixer. Ours is a Cutler-^{hammer and cost about $200, although it would be more if you need to have an electrician install it. Condolences if the event really was terminal for the mixer.}

Nance,

Come visit. The KitchenAid whisperer lives near me, and for $70, he can make it as good as new! But seriously, there are a bunch of videos and blogs out there on how to fix some KA issues. I was able to do one fix on mine, once. After that, I found Mr. Whisperer and let him have fun.

*susan*

auntienance - Horror of horrors is right!!! But before you buy a replacement, you may want to see if your homeowner's insurance will cover anything.

DH lived in the mountains before we got married, and one day a power surge fried absolutely all his electric and electronic gear. He got all brand new stuff out of the settlement check.

I like my kitchenaid bought it at Costco 425hp you have to look for the amps/horsepower that will tell you the strength of the motor pro series is very good ..... liz

Sorry, I misspoke. The surge protector fried, not the circuit breaker. It died doing it's job lol.

Binney - sorry to take so long to let you know your recipe for Dilly Bread was closer to my old one but not quite exact.  Hubby loed it.  I liked it too but at least to me it wasn't the same.  I'll befinately be making more but will probably doing some 'tweeks'

Thank you!