How Does
How Do Bread Makers Work?
Ingredients
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When using a bread maker start with the ingredients. You can make any type of bread in a bread maker that you can in the traditional way. However, bread makers differ in the amount of each ingredient they require. It is important to measure exactly to ensure that your bread will turn out correctly. It is also important to pay attention to the order in which the ingredients are listed, as it may effect the bread's capacity to rise.
Settings
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Depending on the price you paid for your bread maker, it will have a variety of settings. Some will have relatively few settings, consisting mostly of crust color and type of bread. More expensive models enable you to choose settings for a multitude of different applications such as making bagels or even butter.
Mixing
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Once the setting has been chosen, the mixer will begin its process of combining the ingredients with the attached bread hook. The mixer will do this until a ball of dough forms in the center of the bread machine.
Rising
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After the dough has formed into a ball, internal heaters regulate the temperature and make it ideal for the bread to rise. Depending on the model as well as the setting, the machine may kneed the dough and let it rise a second time.
Baking
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Once the dough has risen for the specified time, the internal heater raises the temperature to a point needed to bake the bread. Each setting will bake the bread at a different temperature and for a given time, to realize both the type of bread and its desired crust color and degree of crispness. Once the baking time is up, the internal heaters will automatically shut down to let the bread cool.
Removal
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To remove the bread, twist the bread pan out of the machine. You can then turn the pan over to release the bread, as most bread machine pans are non-stick. The dough hook will be inside the bread, so it is important to remove the hook before slicing your finished product.
Clean-Up
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Clean-up of the bread machine is rather simple. Since the bread pan is non-stick, there is little to do but rinse the pan with a little soap and water and replace the pan into the machine. The bread hook can also be easily cleaned by rinsing with soap and water. If the outside of the machine becomes dirty, you can use a damp wash cloth to wipe off any flour or dirt that may have accumulated there.
eHow Article: How Do Bread Makers Work?
