Homemade Bread questions

1. Yeast: in the jar (or 1 lb vaccuum sealed brick sold at RestoDepot) is far more economical than in the 3-envelope strip. Keep it in an airtight container in the freezer; it will be just fine for up to a year. A bonus: jarred yeast labeled as "bread machine" yeast is actually instant yeast, which has a higher concentration than active dry yeast (the kind in the strips). Thus, you can add it directly to the flour without proofing first; it will dissolve during the mixing.

2. Flour: unbleached AP flour is a better choice, IMHO. Most AP flours are unbleached--cake flour and some southern soft wheat flours are bleached, but you certainly don't need bleached flour to make bread. Many people object on health grounds to the bleaching agents used, and some used in the US are disallowed in the EU. It's essentially an artificial means of aging (oxidizing) the flour, which allows huge commercial bakeries to get a more consistent product with less variation & less time spent in mixing. Bleached flour is also used in some cakes/biscuits/etc to achieve a particular texture.

3. Organic: is a matter of opinion. Some bakers, especially sourdough bakers, swear by it. Others use it because of perceived health benefits from avoiding pesticide/herbicide residues. I've baked for years using both organic & non organic; can't say I've noticed huge differences between the two. One thing to watch out for: if you're buying whole wheat, esp more expensive organic whole wheat, in a supermarket with relatively low turnover, check the dates on the bags. Whole wheat can go rancid & develop off flavors very quickly, esp if you live in a hot climate. I store WW flours in the freezer.

My personal preference is King Arthur flours; it's an employee owned corporation using US & Canadian wheat. Very consistent, high quality product, and the KA baker's hotline is an awesome resource. You call 'em and actual bakers answer the phone, ready to help you troubleshoot your baking problems.

Nothing wrong with using a bread machine to do the kneading. I use a stand mixer; two diff appliances that accomplish the same goal.

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Any trick to keep the bread more fresh... seems to crumble a bit the next day when slicing for a sandwich(if any is left over from dinner the night before)?

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Post the recipe you're using and I'll make targeted suggestions. Generally speaking, enriched breads (those w/some fat, egg, milk/milk solids) will keep longer than lean breads (just flour, yeast, water, salt). Think of a baguette vs brioche....you can drive nails w/yesterday's baguette, but yesterday's brioche makes excellent toast. So switch to a recipe containing an egg, some dry milk solids, or a decent hit of butter/veg oil...alternatively, you can use granulated lecithin (which is what the egg contains).

--use less yeast; the bread will rise more slowly but have better flavor/texture. 1 tsp is plenty for a single loaf, as long as you give it a full hour to hour and a half rise.
--skip the apple pie spice. Cinnamon inhibits yeast growth. If you like cinnamon flavor, brush cinnamon butter on top of the loaf, or flatten the loaf, sprinkle the spice on it, and roll up like a jelly roll. The cinnamon will only be in contact with a small portion of the dough & overall rise will improve. (This is why most cinnamon breads are a "swirl" style).
--if you want the nutritional value of whole wheat but don't like the taste, seek out King Arthur's White Whole Wheat flour. It is 100% whole wheat, but from a variety of wheat with fewer tannins (thus less bitterness).
--the proteins in unscalded milk can inhibit the gluten structure. So if you're using milk, bring it just to the boil & allow it to cool before using. I don't like to bother with heating & cooling liquid milk, so I generally use DMS (dry milk solids, aka good ol' Carnation powdered milk) to liquid milk. Add the DMS with the flour.
--the sugar content is fairly high for a slicing sandwich loaf. Too much sugar inhibits yeast growth; the loaf won't rise as high & texture will suffer.

Here's my standard white bread recipe, borrowed from baking instructor/author Peter Reinhart. It makes two loaves....eat one right away, put the other into the freezer. Defrost it for 20 minutes at 325-350 & it will be just as good as fresh-baked.

Reinhart style white bread
4 cups unbleached bread flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 egg, beaten
3 1/4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups water

Dump all of that into your bread machine & let 'er rip. Take out after the kneading is finished. Let rise at room temp until doubled, then deflate & divide in two. Shape into loaves, put into greased loaf pans, let rise another hour or until crested 1" above the pan rims. Bake 30 minutes at 350. You can also shape it into 24 rolls (bake those for 15 mins at 400).

ETA: depending on its settings, your bread machine may be underkneading the dough. When you take it out of the bucket, make sure it passes the windowpane test: stretch a small piece of dough between your fingertips. If the dough is kneaded enough, the gluten development will allow the dough to stretch into a translucent "windowpane" between your fingertips before tearing.