Flour
No special flours are needed other than what is called for in your recipe. Most bread recipes will call
for bread flour, which can be used interchangeably in a bread machine recipe. Typically, more
glutinous flours work best, you may have less successful results if you use an alternative gluten free
flour, such as almond flour or corn flour, without any additional changes. But if you pay attention to
your recipe, then your bread will be delicious time and time again!
If you are adapting a hand-mixed recipe to a bread machine, you may need to make some
adjustments, so pay attention to the size of the recipe. Many manual recipes are made for larger
loaves or to make two loaves at a time, and will need to be divided in half for best bread machine
results. It's important not to overload your machine past capacity, and it may be tough to tell exactly
what that capacity is before the dough has had time to rise.
Yeast
The yeast is the most commonly formulated ingredient made specifically for the bread machine.
We recommend using Active Dry Yeast, added directly into the flour (no dissolving necessary) if the
liquid ingredients are 80°F (27°C), unless stated otherwise. For the shorter programs like BASIC (1)
and WHOLE WHEAT (4), use only Instant Yeast or the bread may not rise properly during the
shortened ‘rise’ phase.
Salt
Salt is an important ingredient in yeast bread recipes. It not only enhances flavor, but limits the
growth of yeast and inhibits rising, so be careful when measuring. Do not increase or decrease the
amount of salt shown in the recipes. Table salt, sea salt or kosher salt all can be used.
Sugar
Sugar provides food for the yeast, sweetness and flavor to the crumb and helps brown the crust.
White sugar, brown sugar, honey and golden syrup are all suitable to use. When using honey or
golden syrup it must be counted as additional liquid for the accuracy of the recipe.
Eggs
Eggs add flavor, richness and tenderness to bread. Liquid egg substitutes, powdered egg and
powdered egg whites may be substituted for fresh eggs, however all should be at room
temperature before adding to the bread pan unless stated otherwise.
Fresh eggs should not be used with the Delay function.
Fats, Butter and Vegetable oils
Fats (such as unsalted butter, olive oil or vegetable oil) add taste, texture, moisture and enhanced
keeping qualities to breads. If unsalted butter is used, it should be cut into 1/2” pieces and brought
to room temperature before adding to the bread pan unless stated otherwise
.
The Ratio of Water to Flour
When you start, it's important to be as accurate as possible. Too much water, and your dough will fail
to rise—or will rise and then collapse, creating a crater. Too little water, and the bread will be tough.
It's also important to use water with the proper temperature: It has to be warm enough that the yeast
start to "activate" and cause the dough to rise, but not so hot that the water kills the yeast off.
SETUP & OPERATION
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