AM, my Zo has a special setting for quick breads, so I'm assuming it's a quick mix, no rise and a bake cycle. I haven't used it because I just don't bake that many quick breads. I think whether you allow your kids to use an oven and at what age depends on the kids and on your "worry level". I used the stove and oven way before I was 12. Amanda did too, but she was a very responsible and meticulous child. Ashley was/is prone to being distracted. I've come home more than once to find something turning to charcoal in the oven because she forgot it was there and went somewhere with a friend, or (more likely), that she baked something but forgot to turn off the oven and it had been heating, empty, for several hours. sometimes she turns the oven on, gets distracted and decides not to bake, but forgets to turn the oven off. And, because I am a worrier, I worry all afternoon that something is in the oven or on the stove and I'm going to come home to a house full of smoke, which has happened more than once. Anyway, if you have bread machine recipes, I'd try one of those and see how the machine works. I do have a couple of bread machine cookbooks, I can check when I get home tonight. Annie

Freezing dough is possible, but it has a very short storage time, much shorter than freezing baked breads, so be prepared to use it within 4-6 weeks. Some of the yeast dies from the extreme cold, so for some freezer dough recipes additional yeast is often indicated to compensate for the yeast that dies. Commercially-prepared freezer dough has a high ratio of yeast in it. You may want to make a recipe with additional yeast for the freezer ONLY (not bake one, freeze one as dough) in order to get a good rise after being stored in the freezer. You may find making 3-4 smaller loaves out of the recipe, rather than 2 large loaves, will work better. It will also depend on the type of bread you are making - lean or enriched loaves, bakers' yeast or sourdough, free-formed or panned, as to the results you get using frozen dough. If the dough is sourdough, you may need to add a small amount of bakers' yeast to the recipe (1/8 t. SAF-Instant Yeast per loaf) in order to get a good rise after the dough is frozen. Using honey, instead of sugar, in the recipe will also aid in keeping the dough quality better in the freezer. There's quite a bit of supporting science about honey and freezing yeast breads (baked and unbaked). The link below will give you great information on freezing bread dough. I also make all our breads and freeze the extra baked loaves using a method similar to althetrainers. It's also the freezer method I teach in my bread classes because of consistent results. A tight wrap, often called a butcher's wrap, is a MUST for both dough (after it's quick-frozen) or baked loaves. This will prevent migration of moisture from the dough/bread into the package, which forms ice crystals. I use one or two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Baking 911 - How to freeze bread dough.

When I worked I would make this and freeze thick slices in individual baggies. The mornings I had a hard time getting up I would grab a bag and eat it on the way to work. I loved it and have been thinking about making it to take with me the days I go shopping because I don't stop for lunch when I'm by myself.

I sure don't see a problem freezing it. I make Sara Moulton's bread which is actually baked in a baking dish (9x13 or 7x11) It's then cut in squares. It's lumpy and flavourful. kitchen of Sara Moulton Servings:6-8 Difficulty:Easy Cook Time:30-60 min I had no idea about the widespread popularity of beer bread until Debbie Bickford, a longtime fan of my show, emailed her family's version to me, along with this introduction: "Hope you will enjoy this simple bread. It looks lumpy, but the lumps are yummy.' My granddaughter likes it for the butter." The first time I made Debbie's recipe, it was so ridiculously simple, I thought it was a joke. Then I ate it and I understood it was a miracle. So little effort, so much flavor. In fact, it was so good, it inspired me to come up with a few variations of my own: beer bread made with cornmeal or whole wheat flour, and beer bread with onion. A cook named Farmgirl Susan, who writes for a web site called "A Year in Bread," wrote well about the recipe's versatility: "Beer bread is delicious warm or at room temperature and goes well with just about anything. You can even use it to make sandwiches. It also freezes beautifully." There are home cooks in the South who whip up a batch of biscuits for every meal. I'm thinking this beer bread could become my frequent side for weeknight meals. Ingredients 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt One 12-ounce bottle good-quality beer Cooking Directions Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350"F. Place the butter in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or pan and set it in the oven while the oven is preheating. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the beer until it is just incorporated' (The dough will be sticky and heavy.) Pour 6 tablespoons melted butter out of the pan into a cup; tilt the pan to coat the bottom and sides with the remaining butter. Spoon the bread dough into the pan and spread evenly; drizzle the 6 tablespoons melted butter over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bumpy top is golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven to a cooling rack; cut the bread into rectangles and serve warm.