How to Use a Breadmachine

The bread machine is a true time saver. Rather than mixing, kneading and shaping bread dough by hand and timing its rising, a bread machine does it all automatically in addition to baking. Bread makers vary by manufacturer, so if those directions are different from the ones below, follow those instead. In no time at all, you will be able to have a fresh, hot loaf of bread from your bread machine.

Things You'll Need

• Bucket included with machine
• Kneading blade or paddle included with machine
• Bread recipe ingredients
• Measuring cup
• Water
• Oven mitt

Instructions

1. Fill the measuring cup with water and pour it into the bread machine bucket. Repeat while counting the cups until the bread machine is full of water.

2. Calculate the capacity of your bread maker based on the number of cups of water you filled it with. For less than 10 cups, you have a 1-lb. capacity, 10 cups can make 1 and 1 1/2 lb. loaves, 12 cups makes 2 lbs., and 14 cups can make up to 2 1/2 lb. loaves.

3. Pour the water out of the bread bucket and insert the kneading paddle or blade into the bottom of the bucket.

4. Find a bread recipe for a bread machine or for hand mixing. Many of these can be found on the Internet. See Resource.

5. Examine your bread recipe. Check the loaf capacity of the baked bread to be certain that the recipe can fit inside your bread maker. Determine which ingredients are wet (water, honey, eggs, milk), flour and dry (salt, sugar, seasonings, powdered milk) and yeast. (See tip)

6. Add all of the liquid ingredients into the bottom of the bread bucket. Then put the flour on next, then the other dry ingredients are added on top of the flour, and lastly the yeast is added.

7. Place the bread bucket into the machine, close the lid and plug the machine in. This will turn on the bread maker. To shut it off, unplug it.

8. Press the bread select button until the type of loaf you are making (white or basic, whole wheat) has a light next to it.

9. Press the crust-darkness button until the desired crust is selected. A red light will be next to it. For most bread makers, these choices are light, medium and dark. Medium is often the default.

10. Press the start button to begin the bread cycle. After about two to three hours, the bread will be finished and the bread machine will beep and switch from baking to warming mode.

11. Unplug the machine, remove the bread bucket while wearing oven mitts, and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack or cutting board to cool completely before slicing.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to warm all of your liquid ingredients, including milk, eggs and honey, to at least 110 degrees F.

References

• Bread Machine Manual

Resources

• Bread Maker Recipes
• Best Bread Maker Recipes