Back in the 70's, we lived in Belfast, and in addition to the winter of discontent strikes, we also got sectarian strikes, often the bakery workers walked out. My Mum had a go at making bread once or twice, and got very good at making bricks. She gave up eventually.
Roll on 30 years, and all her friends are raving about how good their breadmakers are, so she eventually gets one.
It blew up.
She doesn't make bread now.
(She does cracking pastry though, apparently it's often the case that those who do one well, don't do the other, something about the temperature of the hands).
I re-discovered the joys of yeast things that needed kneading recently after a long long gap, my wrist will not allow me to knead unless great pain is endured. My Mama bought me a kitchen aid type machine thing thats does kneading.... only issue I have with the fruit breads is somehow all the fruit falls out of them in the kneading process and I end up with a nice dough and lots of fruit in the bottom of the kneading bowl - tis very odd
