Bread
Maker Tips
- General
Bread Maker Tips
- Bread Maker
Ingredient Tips
- Flour Storing
Tips
- Bread
Machine Baking Tips
- Proofing Yeast
- Breads
of the World Page
Basic
Bread Maker Tips
Use a surge protector with your machine
as the microchip used in the machine is
very sensitive to voltage changes. Unplug
your machine when it is not in use.
Make sure to completely end any program
you are on before you unplug your bread
maker. This will protect the computer
chip.
When you purchase a bread maker make
sure you keep the receipt or proof of
purchase. This may come in handy in case
your bread machine ever needs repairs
or replacement part.
Hold on to the manual. Not only does
the manual have many helpful tips, but
also it may have recipes, and a 1-800
number for service information or questions.
Bread
Maker Ingredient Tips
Stock your pantry with the following:
flour, salt, sugar, salad oil, and yeast.
You may even want to consider adding a
few bread mixes for a time crunch emergency.
Use bread flour for all your bread recipes.
This flour has more protein than found
in all-purpose flour, making for a stronger
gluten and lighter, fluffier and bigger
loaves.
Vital wheat gluten can be added to all
purpose flour or whole-wheat flour as
a substitute for bread flour. 1 teaspoon
per cup of flour (either white or wheat)
is recommended.
2 teaspoons of rye flour per cup of bread
flour or whole-wheat flour can help to
reduce wrinkled bread tops, which sometimes
occur in bread machines.
If using vegetable juices in your recipe
reduce the amount of salt that you use.
In general, reduce salt by ½ teaspoon
when using a vegetable juice.
Fruit juices add sugar to bread although
it is usually not in high enough quantities
to make a difference. However is the loaf
turns out short and dense reduce the amount
of sugar in the recipe next time around.
When you are preparing to bake and need
eggs at room temperature, place cold eggs
in a bowl of very warm (not hot)
water. This will remove the chill quickly
and bring them to room temperature without
the danger of prolonged exposure to room
temperature.
Do not use the delay timer on a bread
machine if using any dairy product or
eggs in the mixture.
Flour
Storing Tips
All-purpose, self-rising, and bread
flour can be kept from six months to a
year.
Store flour in airtight containers in
a cool dry place to preserve moisture,
freshness, and baking quality.
Do not store flour near heat.
Store whole-grain flours in airtight
containers in the refrigerator or freezer
as they contain oils, which can turn rancid
if not refrigerated. They can be stored
up to a year.
Allow flours to come to room temperature
before using them. Cold flour retards
yeast growth causing the dough not to
rise well.
If in a hurry microwave flours using
the defrost setting. Microwave for 1-2
minutes stirring the flour to prevent
hotspots. Repeat the process until the
flour has no chill but is not hot.
Bread
Maker Baking Tips
Remember to let your bread cool to room
temperature before slicing. If you try
to slice to early it can affect the structure
of the bread.
Hard water and very soft water adversely
affect yeast growth. Changes in your water
source can affect the size of the loaf.
If this is an issue in your area you may
want to consider using bottled water.
Winter dryness can dry out flours, so
check while the dough kneads to see if
more moisture needs to be added.
Dryness also occurs with an increase
in altitude. After about 5 minutes of
the dough kneading open the machine and
check the dough’s consistency (it
should be slightly tacky). If it’s
too dry add 1 tablespoon of liquid at
a time, letting it work into the dough.
Count the number of tablespoons you use
to get an idea of how much liquid you
need to use for your bread maker generally.
Humid and warm conditions can affect
bread making and sometimes you must cool
the water your use to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooling the water insures that it does
not get too warm when sitting in the machine
(yeast does not like temperatures above
100 degrees Fahrenheit). Also consider
decreasing the amount of water, as the
yeast may have absorbed water from its
environment.
Proofing
Yeast
In a one-cup size measuring cup pour
½ cup warm water that’s temperature
is between 100-115 degrees F. Add 1 teaspoon
of sugar and 2 ¼ teaspoons of yeast
(the same as one ¼ ounce package).
Stir and let sit for 10 minutes. If the
carbon bubbles rise up to a one-cup level
then the yeast is quite active. Pour it
into the bread machine and add the other
ingredients, adjusting for the ½
cup that you used for the test.
If you have a Quick Bread cycle on your
bread machine remember to use baking powder
or baking soda instead of yeast.
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