Sweet Milk White Bread mixed and kneaded in a bread machine (but baked in a conventional oven).
If Santa brought you a bread machine, you may be wondering where to start.
You could read the manual. (Just kidding! Who has time for that?)
Once you unpack and wash all the parts, here are a few recommendations you may or may not find in the manual.
1. START SIMPLE.
- (If you are already an experienced bread-maker, skip this one.) If you have never ever made bread before, use a bread machine mix from the grocery store and observe the consistency of the dough in various stages.
- Start with a simple recipe like pizza dough. This is my favorite recipe and it’s almost fool-proof. Try focaccia using the same recipe.
Foccacia and Pizza--A very good place to start
- Make a simple dinner roll or loaf of white bread as seen in the first picture above. Whole grain flours can be a little tricky so I suggest saving those until you’ve had a few successes with white flour.
My Favorite Dinner Rolls
2. BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT SUBSTITUTIONS.
In the beginning, try to follow the ingredient list as closely as possible for the greatest chance of success.
- Substituting whole wheat flour for white or even all-purpose flour for bread flour is not necessarily a 1-to-1 proposition. They each absorb different amounts of moisture and have different amounts of gluten.
- All yeast is not the same. I use bread machine yeast which is a close relative of instant yeast. Most recipes recommend dissolving regular yeast before adding to the other ingredients. It’s an extra step I can skip by using bread machine yeast.
3. DO NOT FEAR OPENING THE LID.
5-10 minutes into the mixing process, take a peek. I cannot stress this enough to avoid inedible surprises!!!
- If nothing is happening the blade may not be present or engaged. Many times I have had to plunge my freshly washed index finger through the unmixed ingredients to push the blade down into the proper position so it could do its job. I’ve even forgotten to install the blade before adding ingredients to the pan.
- If dough is too moist, it will level out like thick soup. Add flour one tablespoon at a time until it makes a tacky ball that touches the wall of the pan and then pulls away.
- If dough is too dry, it will form a ball that doesn’t touch the sides or may slap loudly against the sides of the pan. (If it’s really dry it won’t even form a ball.) Add water one tablespoon at a time till you get a tacky ball.
Top left--too wet; Top right--too dry; Lower--Just right
When you learn how to gauge the consistency of the dough and can add water or flour as needed, the bread machine world will be your oyster. This is best learned through experience but I’m hoping you’ll have beginner’s luck and your bread will turn out perfect the first time.
4. STICK WITH THE DOUGH CYCLE.
In case you haven’t read my blog before, I rarely–as in almost never–actually bake bread in my machine. I use the dough cycle to mix the ingredients and remove the dough to shape and then bake in a conventional oven. This method gives me more control, more shaping options and a better crust on the finished product. If I’m going to ingest luxury calories, they better be worth it and bread actually baked in a bread machine rarely makes the cut in my book.
My favorite button on my bread machine
5. INVEST IN QUALITY BAKE WARE AND ACCESSORIES.
If you want a nice crust on your bread, purchase good pans. Here’s my personal list to get you started. The last 3 items listed are nice to have if you plan to bake much bread.
- 2 heavy-duty pizza pans with a dark finish.
- 2 (8 or 9-inch with 2-inch high sides) heavy-duty cake pans with dark interior finish.
- 4×8-inch loaf pan for recipes containing approximately 3 cups of flour.
- Instant-read thermometer to take the guess-work out of knowing when the bread is done.
- Dough scraper.
- Freebie shower caps–perfect for covering pans of formed dough for second rising.
Heavy, dark-colored pans, instant-read thermometer and a dough scraper
6. ONE LAST WARNING…
If your house is cool, the dough in your machine may not rise to double in the time allotted by the dough cycle. If necessary, leave it in the machine to continue rising. If the ambient temperature is really cool, consider moving your machine to a warmer spot in the house. Even though bread machines contain a heating element, the room temperature can make a huge difference in how fast the dough rises.
If you have a question or things aren’t working out like you hoped, leave me a comment and I will get back to you ASAP.
Happy bread baking from your friendly bread machine fanatic,
Paula
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{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the bread machine tips- I don’t use mine nearly often enough. It’s good to get some inspiration to pull the old girl out and give her a space on the counter top.
Like you, I only use mine to mix and proof- what a time saver!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit recently posted..Sweet Potato Chili
I never could understand why people leave their bread machines unused or even sell them at garage sales. I think mine has lasted so long because I very seldom bake in it. I think I will invest in a thermometer though. Never used one for baked items.
Looking forward to the wonderful posts you will have for us in 2011. Best wishes for a Happy New Year!
ldh recently posted..Looking Back on 2010 With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart
Fantastic post, Paula! So true about the home temperature. Drooling over your dinner rolls…they look amazing.
Nina recently posted..12 Days of Christmas Cookies- Roundup
Great idea to use the dough cycle and then bake in the oven. I’ll do that from now on. I don’t like the square shape of the bread machine. I use my machine to make my own whole wheat pizza dough, since it can be hard to find.
Happy New Year!
Kristi
Kristi Rimkus recently posted..Travelin’ Local – Hearty Beef- Mushroom and Kale Soup
I love my thermometer for everything else I bake, but I never even thought about using it for bread. What temp should a finished loaf of bread be?
I have the exact same bread machine and love making bread, but it doesn’t always come out as beautiful as yours. I always weigh my ingredients before mixing for a more accurate measurment in hopes of producing a more professional looking loaf. Do you know where one would find bread machine yeast? Also, what should the internal temp of my bread be and o you find the golden crust to be an accurate indicator that your bread is complete? Thanks!
Thank you so much for your encouragement & bread making tips, so far i’ve launched out and have made the wonderful brioche rolls (wo caps)
Now i’ve tried the honey wheat yeast bread, both fantastic w/simple to follow instructions. I think my family has decided we wont buy rolls or loaf bread ever again! Again thanks for taking the fear out of bread making & working w/yeast
Oh I love this blog!! I wish I still had my bread machine. I got rid of it over a year ago. I wasn’t happy at all with the bread it made. Now that I know these secrets, I may have to get me another one and start baking my own bread.
Great post, thanks for sharing!!
For a TOTAL newbie, can anyone suggest a blog/website that will walk me through the steps after I’ve done the dough phase? Do I have to knead the bread again? Do I have to form it into a certain shape when I place it in the pan? Do i grease the pan? I am a total newbie, but really want to try my hand at doing this… I’ve made 2 in my breadmaker so far and agree, dont’ like how it bakes.
Ann, I suggest you pick one of the easy recipes I suggested. It will give you the steps you are asking about.
But quickly, no you do not knead the bread again after the dough phase. It is ready to be shaped at that point. Yes, grease the pan lightly. Pam works great. If you are making a loaf, roll the dough out into a rectangle and then roll it up into a cylinder shape. Put the roll in the pan, seam side down. Push the ends under and cover to let rise one more time. Bake. Try the recipe linked to the top picture. I think you will like it. Let me know how it goes. paula
Marilee, 190 degrees F.
Christine, A golden crust is not a reliable indicator. Many breads, especially the ones with more sugar brown quickly and in fact, need to be shielded half-way through to keep from burning. That is why a thermometer is so handy. Takes the guess work out of the whole matter. I sometimes see where people recommend taking the loaf out of the pan and thumping to see if it’s done. That works about as well for me as thumping watermelons at the store. NOT VERY.
Measuring your ingredients, especially the flour is a great idea. However, learning to judge the correct consistency of the dough so you can add the appropriate amount of water or flour if needed is even more helpful. Bread baking is NOT an exact science and small adjustments may be necessary to get the perfect loaf.
I totally agree about the weird shape. Then there is the hole(s) in the bottom from the blades. Not nice!
Lori, Most of the new ones are better than most of the old ones anyway so you may be in luck.
Took me awhile to figure that one out. It’s one of the most common reasons for failure when somebody also uses the machine to bake their bread. Their house temperature may have been too low to allow proper rising but the machine can’t make the adjustment.
You’re welcome Daphne. It is so much fun to hear about your bread-baking adventures.
I love your bread posts, Paula! Always so mouthwatering. I think I know what I’m putting on next year’s Christmas wish list…
Happy New Year!
great tips! the last comment about the cold house i’ll have to keep in mind.
Paula, Didn’t see how to leave a comment on your FB page. I tried share but just as I suspected it went on my FB page, which is ok but I wanted it on your FB page. There was no where to leave a comment that I could see. Peggy
Great tips in here, Paula! Happy New Years and cheers to another year in blogging.
I love making bread. What a comprehensive blog entry. Thanks!
Great blog I enjoyed reading it hope you share more of this kind
I’ve loved the breads I’ve made in the last few years, and would probably love them more with a machine….. what a wonderful post! You need to write a book/cookbook on this subject – you are so knowledgeable!
Superb post breads are my favorite thanks for sharing this with hope you share more about this
I just scored myself a used bread machine for $10. I’m psyched to try it out!
That’s great. Hope it makes good bread for you Cindy.
After three failed attempts at baking bread, i finally realized my kitchen is too cool and so was my bread machine, so now while i’m collecting all my ingredients I put a small amt. of hot tap water in the bread machine pan (to warm everything up) and close the lid, pour it out when ready and dry the inside because of all the moisture it makes and add the ingredients and I have had success every time since. Happy baking.
So glad you shared your experience here. Maybe it will help someone else who is less than thrilled with their bread machine. They really are fabulous.
Hi! So I just bought 2 used breadmakers and I’m not sure which one to keep. Can you help me decide?
One is a little newer and has a timer and 9 settings (3 basic, 3 whole wheat, sweet, dough, french). Its a BMR 200 by Mr. Coffee. It has a timer that also works on dough setting. It has 2 lb capacity. The bread pan is on the tall side. Takes up a lot of counter space.
The other one is a little older, a Toastmaster 1148x. Its got 8 settings (3 basic, whole wheat, sweet, fast bake, french, dough). the timer doesn’t work on the dough setting but you can add ingredients while baking (it beeps when its time). The bread pan is squarish. Very compact.
I’ve tried looking at reviews but the BMR 200 isn’t sold anymore and the toastmaster does have good reviews but they are also bad ones…
I’d appreciate getting your expert advice. I’m a newbie at baking so I don’t really know how to decide…
ahh typo… *there are also bad ones… sorry about that
Hi Leslie, Here is what I would do. Make the same dough recipe in each one since they’re already used. If it was me, I would use my favorite dinner roll recipe on my blog. http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/favorite-dinner-rolls I would look at which machine mixes and kneads the dough best without leaving flour or other ingredients unmixed in the corner. Which machine makes the silkiest, smoothest dough? Since I don’t cook in mine, I don’t care about about the shape of the pan or how evenly it bakes. Take it into consideration if you care. I personally like a timer on the dough cycle. Sometimes I like to have the pizza dough ready to bake when I walk in the door from work or dinner rolls ready to roll out when I get home from church.
Honestly, I use two machines for holidays and parties since people eat a lot more dinner rolls when they are homemade and hot out of the oven. Keep both of them if you like to entertain. If I had to choose, it would probably be the Mr. Coffee.
thanks so much. Paula I’m going to do that right now
hi paula, just wanted to let you know that i decided to keep the toastmaster because it keeps the dough warm after the cycle which really helps the dough rise esp during winter when the kitchen is a bit cold. I’m a student and don’t entertain much so I really need just one
Thanks for the help!
Hello, I just stumbled upon your blog (oh happy day!) and am wondering if you have ever tried gluten free bread in your bread maker? I tried this weekend and it was a hot mess!
I made your sweet milk white bread and it came out fantastic the very first time. Can’t wait to try more of your receipes. Thanks!
Glad to hear a good report on that bread. It’s a huge favorite in our family.
I’m trying this today. My question is….if I am making a recipe for a 2lb loaf, would that go in one pan or would/should I separate it into two loaves?
I have two bread machines. I’ve over used the one apparently b/c it is a bit diva-ish and won’t turn on for me if I’ve made a loaf of bread the day before. Up until this point I have just let the bread go through the entire cycle of mix, raise, bake. But, since I am using the square loaf pan today I wanted to pull it out and shape my own bread.
Thanks for all the useful information
Christine
Christine,
It depends on the size of your pans. Most do best with 3 to 3-1/2 cups of flour. Some can handle 4. Beyond that, I would split the loaf. Owning two machines is good if you make a lot of bread. Paula
I just stumbled onto your blog, and I am so glad I did! Thank you for providing such great information on bread machines. I just inherited a beautiful machine a few weeks ago. I was so excited to start using it, but soon realized I didn’t know where to start! This post is just what I needed. Thank you!
You’re welcome Diana. May you have many successes!
I have baked bread for years, i used to do 12 loaves a week , but not in a MACHINE , then family grew up, and i got a Bread Machine, i knew the different kinds of flower made a big difference when i made 12 loaves at a time, the cheaper flour was heavier , so i used less , i also did that with my Bread Machine also , but didn’t like the finished product, then i used BREAD MACHINE flour and what a difference. Also if you let the bread finish in the Bread Machine , it dries out faster, if your not eating right away . i did not know the Bread Machine had to be on the warmer side , if it was cooler in the house. Thanks so much
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for writing. Sounds like you making bread as much as I do. pr
I’ve been looking for help with using my bread machine. Your tips and photos are great! I was given a really basic bread machine (just has a stop/start button) by a friend who wasn’t using it. Up till now I’ve been baking in the machine. The dough rarely rises as high as it should, but the bread tastes good. I’m going to try just making the dough in the machine and baking in the conventional oven, as you suggest. The pan only holds 2 cups of flour. Can your recipes by adjusted for that small of a machine? How long would you suggest baking a smaller loaf?
Christina, Yes, my recipes can be adjusted but may take some experimenting and tweaking. How long you need to bake your loaf depends on so many different things, it’s hard to recommend a certain time. I suggest you get a quick-read cooking thermometer (digital) and test your bread. It should reach 190 degrees F in the middle. Even though I’ve been making bread for many years, it’s a foolproof way for me to know when my bread has been in the oven long enough.
Meanwhile, I would be on the lookout for a better bread machine. I see them all the time in thrift stores and garage sales. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize what kind of treasure they have if they would just quit trying to bake in it. pr
Paula, just found your website via pinterest, and i’m so glad I did! I found a bread machine at a garage sale today for $7, and I am super excited to get baking! Your tips are so very helpful. I will be sure to oven bake my bread after I mix it up! My family will be enjoying some of your recipes VERY SOON!
Thanks Again!
Christina
Congratulations on your new purchase, Christina,
Write back if you run into any trouble. pr