Bread Maker

[wildflower]

I love my bread maker and use it almost every day for fresh bread. The draw back is the bread has to be eaten that day or frozen to keep fresh. I can live with that. I don't like all the preservatives anyway.

The only problem I have with the breadmaker is the dough cycle.

I love to make different kinds of breads, buns, ect. and use the dough cycle to mix it up for me. But the baked goods always turns out kind of heavy and hard. I follow the recipe to the exact but still. I assume that is because the dough is mixed by machine and not by hand. When I make the same recipe by hand the old fashioned way, the finished product is always lighter.


Also, to keep the crust on the bread soft, I brush margarine over the baked crust. What do you do to keep the crust soft?

Wildflower

[Sueanne]

wildflower.... Keeping bread in a plastic bag keeps it soft for me. Can keep it out of a bag for a crispy crust with the cut end down. Also setting the crust cycle to lighter helps too. Adding vinegar to the recipe keeps it fresher longer.

Found this website that gives loads of helpful hints for bread machines and recipes.
________
Sueanne



http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/rec/breadm97.html

[wildflower]

Thank you sueanne
I'll check out the website this afternoon. from the little I have seen of it so far it looks interesting.



Wildflower

[pita1213]

are you following the same kneading times for using your breadmachine that you would use for making it by hand? sometimes the machines knead the dough faster than you would by hand.the bread may be heavier from overkneading. reducing the kneading time a bit may help it be lighter.

[wildflower]

I do knead a lot less aggressively by hand as I have carpal tunnel and they tire out easily. The bread made by hand is a lot lighter so you may have something there.


Do you have any idea how to change the kneading time on the machine?


Thanks
Wildflower

[laceykat]

Maybe the newer models out have a kneading time choice, I know mine doesn't. It is a machine I got about 5 years ago and it just has a knead button you push, and it goes through the knead cycle and stops when it is done. The the buttons for crust darkness choice and the delay bake buttons. Good luck, my breads also come out pretty heavy and somewhat dense, even if I buy the bread machine box mixes.

Shelli

[Jeannie]

I use my bread machine to do all the kneading for me...
i've never had a problem with a heavy loaf....

That is usually from uneven measuring....or using the wrong flour.
If you are making whole grain breads, adding Vital wheat gluten will lighten the loaf.....

Are you letting the dough rise, punch it down and letting it rise again?

What kind of bread are you making?

These are some of my breads, and the machine kneads them all for me.....

[Sueanne]

Jeannie..... Your breads look delicious. Do you take your bread out after kneading? Do you let it rise in the bread machine?

Like the convience of baking the bread in the bread machine. I am going to try taking the paddle out before it bakes to eliminate the hole in the bottom.
_________
Sueanne

[Jeannie]

Sueanne..

I take the bucket out of the machine, and put it in the microwave to rise.... ( I use the microwave because it's for sure draft free)

After the first rise, I remove it from the bucket, punch it down, shape the loaf.... place it in a baking pan, and bake in the oven.

There are some loaves that I do make from beginning to end in the bread machine........

These were mixed in the bread machine:
The loaf in the rear, right was baked in the bread machine

[theirmom]

What beautiful breads. I let my machine do all the work. I put in the ingredients, turn it on and then wait for it to tell me it is done. How lazy am I? LOL
These are some wonderful tips you are sharing.
Hugs, Stormy