Suggestions / Advice About Bread Machine
 

So I finally got a bread machine and I'm so excited to be able to make my own bread. Here is a link to what I got:

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/v...e-w-8-Settings

Anyone who has a bread machine......can you give me any advice or tips? I've never baked bread - even the old fashioned way - so this is a new experiment for me.

Have you had better success with a certain brand of flour? Yeast?

Thanks for your suggestions! :grouphug:

Yeasts and fkours do differ so looking at them and YOUR reaction to results important. Bread flours contain more gluetin, which does make a difference.

OMG! yummy fresh baked bread! I use my oven, and not a machine, so I cant help you there, but I am soooo jealous!

I don't have a sensitivity to gluten (that I know of) but I do plan to use organic ingredients. I have the car today so I'm going to go pickup some supplies this afternoon after my Neuro appointment.

Dej, I really didn't intend to buy a bread machine when I did but I turned on QVC and they had this one at a great price plus I could break it down into four (I think....maybe it's five) payments of about $15. That makes it easier on my budget. It just seemed like a great deal plus they delivered it right to my door. I love that! It sold out soon after I ordered it.

I think my first loaf will be whole wheat but I'm going to try cinnamon raisin, too.

I use my bread machines almost daily.

Most machines want you to put the wet ingredients in first. Just make sure the water is tepid, not cold. Keep that in mind when adding eggs from the refrigerator. When it blends with the yeast, warm water will make the yeast grow. Yeast and water are the key to how your bread rises.

I like the yeast that comes in a jar, not the packages. Packages seem to have crushed the yeast to death.

After about 3 minutes, look inside and if there is flour on the sides, use a rubber scraper. Your bread should be forming a ball. If the dough looks dry, add a teaspoon or so of water. If it is wet and sticky, add flour. The ball should be churning with the paddle.

If you use too much water, your bread will rise and stick to the top of the machine. It will taste fine, it is just a pain to clean the top. If you use too little water, your bread will be more dense.

Start with a basic bread - white to start. Not good for you but it will give you a good idea of how dough works.

The key is really the water, it temperature and how much it form a good looking dough ball in the first stage. That is a trial and error.

DH got me a bread cookbook Best Little Bread Book Ever. Ironically, I have made very few breads from it! But the white, wheat, cinnamon raisin and Challah are good.

Good luck!

We have"Beard on Bread"and once made lots of bread manually. DH makes Pizza every week, uses a special Pizza yeast and bread flour and his crusts are delicious. Now that kids are off to college, we only need one pie but have dough for two. DH makes rolls with extra dough.

My SIL makes a cheese bread in her machine and it's very good.

I like to use the dough cycle the most.
Then I shape into small loves , rolls, or long french style loaf

I use a basic recipe and adjust it as it is mixing, due to how weather/humidity affects the flour.

My machines all say to start with liquids first

1 cup warm water - to touch/ luke warm
--or split it up water/milk 50/50 {warm also}
- less if egg will be added {egg= 1/4 c liquid approx}

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon +/- salt
pinch of sugar or more if sweeter dough is wanted

then the yeast packet or equal measured amount per jar directions.

Turn it on and let it go for awhile, then I peek in and see if liquid/flour needs any adjusting - it's fine to do this - I usually err to the wet and add flour to firm it up - messier but easier to get it right.

This recipe works fine in the regular cycle too, but some machine will bake with a hot spot or sometime make a thicker crust that you really want.
That's why I like to shape and bake in the oven

And don't let it sit in the machine too long or it might get kind of soggy - I take mine out and cool it on a rack right away.


Whole wheat, Rye I know will change the liquids ratio -seems like they absorb more, so more liquid will need to be added.

For starting out a basic white might be best - til you get the hang of it.

A dough ready for rising will be fairly smooth and not sticky to the touch - the old time bread bakers used to say smooth like a baby's bottom...

Many times I totally turn off the machine - if I need to make a big adjustment and restart - dough is very forgiving so if it isn't looking right feel free to start it over again.

If your booklet has a smaller loaf recipe start with that and practice

- but the main thing is the weather does affect the moisture content in flour so the measurements aren't a hard and fast rule
- small adjustments might need to be made