Clever Tips for Making the Most of Your Bread Maker

The smell of freshly baked bread is probably one of the most delicious smells in the world. While making bread manually can be a very troublesome process, with a bread machine, it is a piece of cake, or rather a loaf of bread. Most bread machines are very intuitive and they come with instructions that detail everything that the machine is capable of doing. However, there are some secrets that can help you use your bread machine to its full potential.

The proper way of using a bread maker

You should start by reading the instructions manual, as each machine can have particular requirements. Most machines are pretty intuitive, especially when it comes to making a basic loaf of bread. Make sure that the pan is clean before you start and add the ingredients. If you plan on starting the machine as soon as you add the ingredients, you can add them in any order. However, if you plan on using the delay button, you should be careful with the order in which you add the ingredients. Start with the liquids (water, oil, liquid extracts) and continue with the salt and the rest of the dry ingredients. The trick is to make sure that the yeast is added last, and that it doesn’t touch the liquids, the sugar or the salt, because that will activate the yeast too soon and it will completely ruin your bread. Once you have added all the ingredients, close the lid and choose the desired baking cycle.

Dealing with common baking issues

If your bread doesn’t end up the way it is supposed to (fluffy and delicious), there might be some issues with the quality or the quantities of your ingredients. To prevent this from happening, make sure that you are using fresh ingredients, in quantities suited for the size of your bread pan. The yeast is particularly important. Aside from making sure that it doesn’t touch the salt and the liquids, you also have to make sure that it is suitable for the cycle that you are using. Regular yeast will make do for most cycles, but quick cycles require fast rise yeast. As with everything, the more you practise, the better you’ll get at it. But, to speed up that process, you can visit Truffle Nation for extra guidedance by booking a class! Moreover, if you are storing certain ingredients in the fridge, heat them before use, or allow them to come to room temperature naturally. If you are doing everything right, and you still end up with a bad loaf of bread, it might be time to buy a new bread maker. To find one that is easy to use and made of quality materials, read some bread maker reviews on https://breadmachinemom.com/. Buying a new bread maker will also allow you to try out new recipes, as newer machines feature special cycles for different bread specialties. Keep in mind that if you want to make gluten free or whole-wheat bread, you will have to buy a machine with preset cycles for these types of bread.

Ease of use tips

Depending on the type of bread maker that you use, you might run into a few minor inconveniences. To prevent future problems, try a few simple tricks. For starters, take the basket out when putting in the ingredients, to avoid spilling something in the machine. Moreover, make sure the wand is attached before starting a cycle. The wand is the mixing tool at the bottom of the machine. If you want to made a bread with special ingredients like nuts and fruits, but you don’t have a bread maker with an automatic dispenser for special ingredients, you can pause the cycle and add them when the dough is starting to shape into a ball. For the tastiest and fluffiest bread, we recommend using the longest cycle.

Special recipes

If you want to experiment with different recipes, you can start simply by mixing different grains for a richer taste. Despite its name, the bread machine can be used for more than just making bread. Even the most basic machine can be used for making jam. You can also use the dough cycle for making pastas, focaccia, rolls or ciabatta, but you will have to bake them in the oven. When trying out new recipes, we advise you to open the lid to see how the dough is doing. If it looks too moist, you can add some flour, onetablespoon at a time, whereas if the dough looks to dry, you can add some warm water, one tablespoon at a time. Moreover, if your recipe calls for flour or margarine, make sure to cut them first in small chunks.