Most of these tips have not rung true in my 20+ years experience with bread machines. For example, many machines would have you add the yeast last, right beside the salt. I did this several times, against what I already knew concerning the properties of yeast, and the bread came out flat and dense. Putting the warm water, sugar, and yeast in first, waiting several minutes before adding the rest ( salt LAST) makes for fluffier bread.
I make a large amount of dough at the beginning of the week and refrigerate it. When I'm ready to bake, I take out a 1 1/2 lb chunk, shape it a little, and throw it in the breadmaker. I wait about 2 hours for the dough to warm up before proceeding. Bread comes out beautiful, with a wonderful sourdough flavor. I take it out as soon as it's done and place it on a wire rack, wrapped in a clean towel, to cool completely and keep the crust soft.
I always remove my loaves IMMEDIATELY once done baking and place it on a wire rack (my oven shelf) to cool. That way, the crust is always crunchy and not soft. If you like soft crusts, do leave it in the pan to cool.
I've only owned a bread machine for about 4 months now and have been watching yt vids for tips. I'm hardly an expert, but videos like this have been a great help. I purchased the Zojirushi Maestro and found that the weight measurements didn't quite work...in particular the water/flour ratio, as there was too much water. After buying a set of kitchen scales I found I needed to increase the flour by 20 grams (180 grams water / 240 grams flour) and so far the results have been much better and the consistency of the bread is much more predictable. When I make raisin bread the loaf is smaller and denser than the standard white bread and adding an extra gram of yeast seems to help it rise better (I might try 2 grams extra in the future). I've also noticed if you leave the bread in the bread machine for about ten minutes after the cooking cycle is complete and don't open the lid, you will end up with a much nicer crust. If you leave it much longer than that, condensation starts to accumulate and a slightly soggy bottom is the result, although it isn't the end of the world, as it will firm up on the cooling rack. This is just my experience with my particular machine. Variables will always exist.
I checked out the Zojirushi Maestro; it looks like the top of a range bread maker. But yes, even with the nice machine, you need to make a few adjustments and experiment with the ingredients. Thank you for your comment and your tips; I really appreciate it. :)
I don't know why you say if you take the bread out too soon it will cause condensation. In fact the opposite is true. Leaving the bread in the machine causes it to go soggy. Also in my experience when we had a yeast shortage I got the wrong yeast and it worked fine.
Yep in fact my machines manual says do not leave it in for that very reason. Take it out asap, extract from the tin and put on a wire rack to cool for 4 hours or so and you get the crispiest of loaves. I've baked my own bread for last 10 years.
@@Aidan.17 yes tempting as it may be. You should not cut it until it is cold or you ruin it. When I first started making bread I would try cutting it when still warm and it was terrible. For that reason I don't know why they say use the time for fresh bread for breakfast. You would have to get up, take it out of the machine then wait a long time. I usually make mine the day before.
I have used a bread machine for many years but I usually use it to mix, knead and do the first rise. I take it out and shape it into rolls or whatever. However, I love the idea of taking out the paddle before the first rise when I let the machine make a loaf. Thanks!
Ive never baked in a machine ever BUT after trying to knead a 2nd loaf of dough, that was it. Found a 2nd hand machine for mixing and kneading and have used a machine not stand mixer for at least 76 projects ever since. Its the way to go when Kitchenaid is out of reach but still on bucket list!!!
@@TikkaMasalaa1 Me too!! Mine is 30 years old got it from my aunt so the total baking time is 6-7 hours so I used just for kneading as well. The breads turn out good.
Basically - if you have a dough setting - use it - the machine mixes, kneads and puts the dough through its' first rise - usually 1.5 hours..then dump onto a floured surface and shape and let rise covered for 40 min. then bake. The crust will be thinner and crusty..I never use my machine for anything but the dough...it is really a game changer. Note: Always keep your yeast in the refrigerator .( I use quick rise or instant)...*** there are many recipes on line for the dough only.😉Happy Baking!
I do it at the start of the second rise. You can kneed in additional ingredients like cheese or fruit as well, without affecting the chemistry or having your inclusions pulverized by the paddles.
@@FoodHow How does one gauge each stage of the process ? I have the Moilinex Home Bread Baguette and I've just baked a gluten-free loaf. There was no beep to tell me when it was kneading, rising, etc. I was supposed to add in chopped dried tomato and olives and completely missed the moment when it should go in. Also didn't know when I could open the lid and pull out the paddles.. Aargh! I'm going to have to be very patient with this machine!
Well, if you remove the paddle, there will still be that metal stick on which the paddle sits, and which is not removable. So you will still have a hole in the bread. Not worthy in my opinion.
I stopped using measuring cups for my flour mainly. I picked up a nice kitchen scale started to weigh my ingredients. Fond my breads came out better and consistent from loaf to loaf too.
If you take the dough out to shape after its final rise, it will lose air and the loaf will be dense. If you must shape, allow another ferment to rise the dough again before baking. It will rise even more during the bake.
Biggest improvement in my breadmaking was to buy a Panasonic, the recipes are a bit different, no milk powder in any of the recipes I have tried, unlike my previous machines. The loaves always look and taste really good, much better than any of my previous machines could manage, they last a bit longer and I don't even need to use warm water. I think the hours rest before it starts is to let things warm to the correct temperature. Oh and in the Panasonic, the yeast is the first ingredient in, sprinkled on the bottom, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients, with water last. My only criticism is that a large loaf is a tall loaf! the medium size is sort of loaf shaped and the small size is well, small but a nice shape. Any other comments? well the machine is tall, almost too tall for my storage area, also when first removed the crust is really nice, but goes soft quickly, not from condensation as I remove the bread straight away and use a cooling rack. This is the first breadmaker that I use a lot for bread, I now make more bread than I buy.
I have used Panasonic bread makers for a long time. My latest actually keeps the yeast separate from the dough and adds it later. The Consumer Association in the UK (completely independent) has it as a Best Buy and it’s amazing. Recipes are supplied with the machine. I’m unable to knead etc. due to health issues but 5minutes in the morning is all it takes. Who cares about the hole- I certainly don’t.
This works well. I have searched the web for recipes ru-vid.comUgkxEf52Yn9PpTLKua_uvi5Ams4pIDINER52 There are a few in the pamphlet, but I am ready to explore. NOTE: Once you hit start, don’t mess with it or the dough will not rise. Learned that the hard way.
Thanks so much! My mother died 3 years ago and has a bread machine and now it is my turn to use it, but the first time the bread was not mixed well. After this video, I will try again.
Thanks for sharing, I saw many chef didn't remove the bread from the bread pan as they wanted to bring it to the studio to show , all ended up with wrinkles but if we remove the bread out once the cycle completed, the bread looks pretty and smooth on the skin.
Here is a tip, don't set machines too close to an edge. They can fall off with the vibration of the motor. Also if you want no crust, stop machine with 25 to 27 minutes left and pull the pan out of the machine. I usually make sweet bread.
@gabrielancolon 3 cups bread flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 pack of regular yeast, slightly more than a cup of milk heated for 1 minute in microwave, 2 tablespoons of butter cut into pieces, 1 egg beaten. On our current machine, we stop it at 45 to 47 minutes. It lasts for 3:40 on the Sweet Bread cycle where the old one took 3:25. I also pick the light setting. Milk volume is critical, too much it won't make a good loaf.
@@trentallman984 Thank you! Question, as my microwave might begin to boil milk as per the wattage in a minute. Is there an approximate temperature the milk should be? (same as water 100F or less? I want to make sure I don't mess up the yeast)
Once made (or tried to make,) sun-dried tomato & onion bread in a bread maker. Failed miserably because all the ingredients went in at the same time. Discovered later that raw onion contains something that affects the yeast and restricts the dough from rising properly. Got round the problem by making & proving the dough first (without any onion,) then removing it from the bread maker, then cutting and re-kneading the dough while at the same time, folding finely chopped onion into it, then straight back in the bread maker for baking.
Right now I'm conducting a research on what bread machine should I buy. After many videos and product descriptions, eventually this video convinced me that I don't need a bread machine, I should invest in a Dough Mixer, because the key of success is in the dough.
No, bread machines are still good, especially the new models, with them you don't really need to do anything at all. Once you get to know some of its little quirks and how to fix them, then it is super easy. You can also use the bread machine as a Dough Mixer.
I'm always worried about not checking if the years is alive or not before putting it in. I mean if you do the whole "put the yeast at the top" to make the bread, you run the risk of having a brick at the end of three hours as the yeast was dead.
I use the little cans of Allinsons dried yeast. recently I had a loaf that was okay but didn't rise as much as normal, it was still okay. I checked the date on the yeast, slightly past it's use by date. Bought a new can, yep, the old yeast was past it, still useable, the bread was okay, but it was easy to tell the yeast was tired. I follow the recipe and just sprinkle the dried yeast in, it works. When the yeast reaches the expiry date, or when a loaf is a wee bit heavy, get new yeast. It's simple! Don't fret! Even if you have a catastrophic yeast failure, you have only lost maybe £1 worth of ingredients.
@Larry Bundy I always proof my yeast with water and sugar before I begin adding the other ingredients. Then I continue with the order of ingredients as per the manual and everything turns out great; I hate wasting ingredients on bad yeast.
I've used bread machines for nearly 30 years and tried almost all the brands except Panasonic, which I think would be excellent. My suggestion is to weigh ALL the ingredients to the gram, even the water, the exception is honey. Its weight seems to stay constant. In the beginning, this is a big pain but it gets easier and worth it. Also get a hygrometer and adjust the water amount, a little more when in the 50% range and a little less for 70% and above. Then learn to feel the dough consistency and add flour or water as needed. Put the water in a spray bottle, it's easier to use just a little. In selecting a brand determine what type of bread you are going to bake the most. We like French bread for everyday and the Zoji doesn't bake hot enough and was the worst one because of it. Most brands only last about five years, so now I have a Breville, which does a better job on French bread but the lay-down paddle is a nuisance because every bit of dough MUST be removed or it will harden and prevent the paddle from being able to lay down. Also you must keep it in a little container of water between uses. I going to stop because I've got way too many tips and things to avoid using bread machines. Just one more, buy the one pound bag of yeast and store it in the freezer. It doesn't spoil or need to be thawed. I bake 1-2 loafs a week and the one pound lasts for a full year. It's a lot cheaper to do this.
I just bought a second hand one and whilst I know how to use the machine, I’m unsure as to how to make a good basic bread, any advice on where to find info?
@@fionnmaccumhaillsmammy296 sorry I didn't see your question till now. There are many published bread machine cook books. I have some that are tiny in size that are for bread machines, sorry I can't remember the name of the series. You can always download the machines manuel and see what was included in it. Usually, the manuel has the best recipes for that model machine. They are developed for that particular machine. I've found that a favorite developed for one machine doesn't work as well in another brand of machine because the cycles of raising are different between brands. Everything affects the quality of the baked loaf. The machines are far from foolproof, humidity plays a key role plus careful weighing of each ingredient to the gram. I've found that 4 grams of yeast for a teaspoon is perfect for the Breville. I always weigh the yeast and flour to the gram. Also leave the loaf in the machine using the keep warm feature for 20-30 minutes. This dries out the excess moisture and makes the crust more crispy. Automatic fruit and nut dispensers mash up the ingredients too much. It's better to remove the dough and hand blend in the fruits and nuts. Enjoy your new machine.
@@thedacapetown I never thought I knew enough about anything to give people advice, lol. I didn't realize how much I've learned about bread baking until I started looking at this thread. Here's another tip. Leave the loaf in the machine past the time the alarm goes off by about 30-60 minutes. Let the keep warm function on. This allows time for the extra moisture in the loaf to dry out. When you take the loaf out immediately the crust will feel nice and firm, then after an hour it feels much softer. That's the moisture in the loaf coming out and making the loaf soft. Leaving it in the machine after the bake cycle is finished dries up that excess moisture and the loaf stays crusty.
No, I disagree completely. I use the correct amount of ingredients and I never lift the lid once I've started the process. I do not remove the bread to reshape it. I take the bread out of the pan as soon as it is done. I did once leave it inside for half an hour, and it came out soggy and horrible. The answer is just to follow the instructions. No messing about. My bread is perfect, every time. I do not care about the indentation of the paddle. It is unimportant. You seem to have made a very simple process extremely and unnecessarily complicated.
Thank you for your comment, just sharing things that has worked for me the best and really made a big difference. I am sure there are many different way to do it which all work.
I have a Panasonic and all the recipes in its manual have yeast first. Wet ingredients last. And it works perfect. Never had a failure in 20 years. It's a beautiful machine, and very versatile. It also makes jam, and beautiful chocolate cakes.
Hey, thanks for your comment! Absolutely, when it comes to the order of ingredients, your bread machine manual knows best. So it's a good idea to stick with what the manual says, even if the recipe you found suggests doing things differently.
I make the three pound loaves and it has two paddles. I had to buy another Machine after many years of use. The Old machine's Pan. I removed the posts leaving holes in the bottom. I made a cover of Silicone Baking Mat to fit the bottom of the pan. When the machine has ended about an hour and 13 minutes or so the rise and mix. I take the dough from that pan and add it to the pre-warmed Old Pan with no posts. My Handling the dough seems to be enough for the Second mix.. I put that pan into the Machine and it then finishes the cycle and Bakes and I have a Loaf with No Holes at all.. This method also let's me feel the dough if any problems I know in advance.
That is such a great tip. I really like it. I do actually have an old pan from another bread machine also; it never occurred to me to use it. Thank you for sharing this.
@Roger D - you Sir, are bloody genius. My old pan recently gave up the spindle and I ended up buying a new machine and ditching the old machine even though there was nothing wrong with it apart from the defective pan. You certainly thought outside the bread maker with your fabulous idea !!! 😁
@@DT-us3kd Glad that came in handy for you as well. I still to this day make my breads this way. Here's a little hint.. Warm up the second Pan before the mix is done so when you transfer the dough the that pan is warmed up and it'll work out even better.
If we have to follow all this, why we have a bread maker machine, I thought the whole purpose of having one, is to just pour all the ingredients properly, ready set pressed some buttons and forget about it, come back the next day and enjoy it 😊 I’m sorry but you got me all stressed, I just bought one as a birthday present for me, and before I opened I started watching videos about it to have an idea and 😶🙃
The whole point of a bread machine is measuring the ingredients, pushing the start button and DOING NOTHING UNTIL IT'S DONE. The hole in the bottom of the finished loaf is the price you pay for the convenience of very low effort fresh baked bread.
@@zone4garlicfarm I have been using a bread machine for about 8 years. I check to make sure the dough is at a good consistency. I will add water/milk/oil/honey/molasses or flour/corn meal if the dough looks like it needs it. It's OK to tweek the ingredients by small amounts as it is kneading.
@@keldonmcfarland2969 If I'm following one of the recipes that came with the machine I haven't needed to adjust anything while the machine is working. There have been times when the finished loaf was softer than I like so I adjusted the amounts of yeast or sugar the next time until I got the results I like. The need to do that is more common when using a recipe that didn't come with the machine. I've only had a real failure once in hundreds of loaves.
Thank you for those wondeerful tips. My machine came yesterday and I can't wait to get started. It's been a very long time since I made bread and I'm looking forward to some nice hot rosemary bread for dinner tomorrow. 😊
@@FoodHow It turned out wonderful. I have to adjust the amount of rosemary I put in, but all and all it's very good. After it's done I just dip it in a little olive oil and it's so yummy 😊 I have a new bread machine so I'm just getting to know it better.
@@FoodHow Once I get the measurement right on the rosemary I can post it if you like. It may be next week, by then I will have finished the one I just made.
I have a Black and Decker All in one plus. It’s over 20 years old. I changed up how the ingredients are put together. I get my water to 110 degrees ( 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons. I put it in the machine with 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil. I then sift my bread flour, not all purpose flour ( 3 1/4 cups ) and mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of yeast. I’m using Red Star Platinum yeast. I mix that all together in a separate bowl , then put it in the bread machine on top of the water oil mix. I set the machine on light crust and start it up. As soon as it’s done I take it out to cool. The bread comes out perfect. If you leave it in the machine to cool, the heat will continue to bake the crust too much. It’s so good I have to slice off a piece before it is completely cooled down. This method works great for me. I am a rookie who never made bread before and have been doing this for only a few pounds.....er I mean a few months now. Enjoy!
This info is bad do not leave your bread in the machine. It will become soft, keep cooking or worse sweat profusely/suffer from condensation and become soggy. For a crisp crust remove straight away and extract onto a wire rack. Don't bag it until 4-5 hours later when its cool inside the loaf you can leave it over night to cool. In morning you will have a crispy crust.
It's not bad? You like crunchy crust, some people like soft. Doesn't mean it's wrong to like soft crust man, if I want soft imma keep it in a lil while before taking it out.
@@theescapist9450 soft is good, soggy is not. I prefer soft so I brush the crust with butter while still warm and that'll keep the crust soft. After it's completely cool bag it or cut into it.
So after final mixing, I can remove the dough to reshape and remove the paddle before it starts baking? I didn’t realize i can take the dough out during the process.
I was following along nicely until the end when you talked about removing the paddles. Did you mean after mixing, but before baking ? You pull the dough out?
Yes, that is what I do. Once the kneading cycle is finished, I take the dough out and then remove the paddles, and then I give the dough a nice shape and pop it back, and leave it to rise.
I have an old machine that is no longer made and I really appreciate your tips. Now I can make gluten free bread by removing the blades after the mixing of the bread. Hope it works
Suprised she never said how important it is to use Bread Flour rather than All Purpose especially if you are American with your soft wheat. Canada has harder wheat due to our climate so it makes superior bread and often you can get by with All Purpose but Bread Flour always gives the best results. You can always add a bit of gluten and that can compensate for the flour. By this video I think many use prepackaged mixes so they don't know what flour is being used.
Thank you for your comment, you make some really good points. I did mention it in the article but I should have certainly added it to the video also. Thank You.
Most new bread machines and a majority of bread recipes actually do require very little or no monitoring at all. Also, once you have mastered your bread machine and your recipe, it is set and forget.
On mine, once the kneading cycle is completed, the machine stops, and that is the perfect time to reshape the dough; if needed, it takes only a minute to do that, so you just put it right back and should not affect the cycle even if it did not pause.
HI! Thank you for these tips! You recommend to remove the mixing paddles. Do you mean taking them out before the first and second rising and then put the dow back in the machine. Do you have a video of how to do that and when? Thank you!
I don't have a video for that, but you are correct; once the dough is mixed, right before the rising, take the dough out, give it a nice shape if it needs to, take out the mixing paddle/paddles, and put the dough back in and it is ready to go. Some people in the comment suggest that you also put the little silicon matt at the bottom under the dough, but I have not tried that myself.
Try a dough enhancer/conditioner. These add gluten to your flour and can give you a better rise and lighter texture. Also make sure your machine is not exposed to drafts. The temperature for rising needs to be quite accurate.
I use my bread machine to mix all the ingredient i dont need to knead the dough its very usefull especially when making my hot pandesal and mix the dough of donut its very useful for me I've love its.❤️❤️❤️👍
There is NO NEED to reshape the dough. There is no point having a breadmaker if you're going to take out the dough every time. I never do. My bread is gorgeous, every time. Just bung in the ingredients and turn it on. Then, take the bread out as soon as it's finished, or it will be soggy.
I use quick active yeast. It can go straight in the machine. I always fill my machine in the evening and set the timer for a baked bread in the morning.
I have used a bread machine (gone through 3) for over two decades. The number one thing you can do is find recipes that work for you and prepare them as instructed in the recipe itself. As for the climate in your kitchen...it is what it is and not much can be done to change that. Taking the cooked bread out immediately and using a wire rack is what prevents condensation, not what causes it. Using fresh ingredients is key too. Overcomplication of process (this video) is what usually causes problems.
@@TikkaMasalaa1 I know just what you mean. More salt added early for final taste will alter the rise and make for a dense bread. There is a video series here on YT from @ChainBaker that deals with this stuff. He shows how salt, sugar, fats and more will affect your bread and why. My suggestion is to watch his videos. You may need to increase your salt and yeast both in the initial stages to find a middle ground.
From my experience: unless specified in the recipe, when making bread add just enough water to form a ball of dough that cleans the bottom of the bowl.
I’ve never used a bread machine, but when I make homemade bread I regularly add everything bagel as if it’s nothing. Just be sure to note that some seeds are salty.
Very definitely. I put 100 ml of various seeds in my dough. Its delicious and healthy. In fact I use 250 ml white bread flour and 250 ml brown bread flour and 100 ml ( quick oats which I grind ) giving me a well risen full bodied bread
Great idea about removing the paddles after mixing, my only concern is after the first rise the machine (with paddles) turns on to (punch down the dough, if we were to do it manually) without the paddles it wouldn't have the tools necessary to remove air.
You make a valid point, and I understand your concern. If you remove the paddles after the initial mix, you would indeed need to intervene manually to punch down the dough after the first rise, ensuring it's properly degassed. For some, this manual intervention is worth the trade-off of not having holes in the bottom of their bread. However, if you prefer the convenience of a fully automated process, leaving the paddles in might be a better choice for you.
The paddles must be removed immediately after the last punch-down, i.e. at the beginning of the last raise phase. I also spread some butter on the pivots, spread butter on the inner of the basket, shape the dough nicely, put it in the basket again, and apply the cuts on the top, so that the load doesn't break on the sides. Yes, it's a "manual intervention" that negates the idea of the machine doing all the work, but if you are at home while you make bread, it's a very small intervention and the result is improved. There is only one machine that I know, the Sage/Breville, which has a buzzer (you can turn that off) immediately after the last punch-down. With other machine, you'll have to set your kitchen alarm, no big fuss.
A CAUTION WITH BREAD MAKERS: I don't know if the very expensive ones are any better, but I find a common problem among the machines: The bread pan's paddle-spindle and/or its bearings are in a humid, hot environmtne during use. If not made from steel that is highly resistant to rust, they gradually rust together, I you bake bread once a week, you may find after a couple of years, they lock up. This is especially true if one removes the paddle from the spindle before the last rise in order to avoid the paddle recess in the bottom of the loaf. My solution to the rust problem is not to bake in the machine. Before the last rise, transfer the dough to a baking loaf-pan. Let it rise in the oven away from cold drafts for about an hour, then bake it for about 40-45 minutes at 350-375F. Never bake in the bread machine. Use it only for mixing and kneading. A new pan will cost you $40-$50.
Yes agree, but I have had 2 disasters did to the gram on everything and rises to the top. I have a new Panasonic June 2022 and even my 100% rye hit the top. I think they have the water measurements wrong ( 500g Flour- 380g water) to much water I am sure will try again with less water.
Hi the part where you say to reshape so it's aesthetically pleasing and so ingredients are thoroughly mixed; can you please tell me exact step by step? At what point and for how long to open lid take it out, knead it & return it back. Also, I'm guessing this is a good time to remove the mixer attachment as well? Thank you. I'll check out your website while I wait to hear back. Thank you
Do I pause the machine when doing this? Is it necessary to pause it? What does the process look like? Can you make a video showing that? Thank you again
I got an old bread maker, so what I do is that once the kneading is finished, I will take the dough out and take the paddles out and shape a dough a bit if it needs to, and then I let the machine do its thing. I just don't like the paddle holes at the bottom of my loaf. Otherwise, it is not that important.
I found my recipe cards. I just moved so I wasn't sure where they were. Here's the recipe. For a 2 lb lofe it's: 1 1/2 cup water, 4 tablespoon olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 4 cups bread flour, 2 tablespoon dried rosemary, you can use less or more to your taste 2 1/2 yeast. Use the white bread setting. Once done dip in a little olive oil and enjoy 😊
The first thing you have to do is look inside the bread pan and make sure the paddle is in place, not sitting on the sink counter because you left if there after you washed it. Then you reach in and turn it, making sure it is on right the spindle right and ready to do its job.
For butter, I do not need to melt them, just cut and put it in the pan? One more thing, when should I remove the bread from the pan after it’s finished, slice and store them in the bag/box?
I Use melted butter for most baked goods that need mixing. Also, once the bread machine cycle is finished, I would recommend waiting 10-15 minutes before you remove your loaf.
