Bread Maker Cookie Dough? Best 47 Answer

Skip to recipe Skip to video Prepare the perfect dough for easy white bread, buns, burger buns, pizza, naan and more in a bread machine!

Baking bread at home is one of the best things I’ve learned over the years. However, making dough is one of the biggest challenges. Once you get the dough right, you can start making your favorite baked goods at home. The bread machine is my favorite when it comes to making bread dough.

How does a bread maker work?

A bread maker has a pan and a paddle. The paddle fits loosely in the pan. All the ingredients are placed in the bread machine pan, which is then inserted and locked into the bread machine.

There are many cycles on the bread machine such as white bread, french bread, dough, gluten free, jam, cake and more. You need to choose the right cycle and other options like loaf size and crust. Just start the machine and it will do the rest!

Well, yes, it’s as simple as that, but each cycle requires you to arrange the right ingredients, in the right order, and in the right measurements to ensure you get the perfect end result!

How do you make dough in the bread machine?

Depending on which bread machine you have, you will need to place the ingredients in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Some require wet ingredients first and others dry.

A bread maker usually has the “dough” cycle that does all the work of mixing, kneading, resting, and the initial proofing of the dough. You can prepare dough for a variety of breads such as buns, naan, pizza crust, croissants, burger buns and more.

Once you’ve made the dough, it’s punched down to remove all air, kneaded for a few seconds, and rolled into the desired shape and size; and left for one last climb. After the final rising, it is baked in the oven.

How long is the dough cycle on a bread machine?

This depends on the make and model of bread maker, but in general the dough cycle is around 1.5 hours. For the first 15-30 minutes, the bread machine kneads the dough and then rests, which allows the dough to go through the first course.

If a recipe doesn’t call for dough rising, like Indian chapati, paratha, or puri, you can stop the dough cycle after about 10-15 minutes once kneading is complete.

How do you soften homemade bread?

For a soft bread, sifting the flour is key as it aerates the flour. Weighing the flour with a food scale also helps ensure consistent results every time. When measuring with cups, there is a chance of adding more flour than the recipe calls for.

Bread machine yeast and instant yeast work well in a bread machine, so you can use either. Depending on your breadmaker, active dry yeast may also work well. Read more about which yeast to use in a bread machine.

Bread Machine Dough Cycle Recipes You’ll Enjoy

Shop related products

Don’t forget to rate the recipe by clicking on the stars. Also, pin the recipe by clicking the pin button for future reference.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure page for more information.

It’s 116 degrees outside and you’re craving cookies… what are you doing? You pull out your waffle iron(s) and of course create chocolate chip cookies with waffles! My original plan was to bake some cookies on the grill but it was way too hot and muggy to play outside lol. So I whipped up a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookie dough. . . .

and decided to try my second crazy idea… and it worked! Chocolate chip cookie cravings were satisfied, and I didn’t have to turn on my oven…or go outside. Win Win! 😉

Some important things to know before you start:

I made my batter ahead of time and chilled it in the fridge until I was done…so my batter was cold when it hit the waffle maker.

I prefer the thickness and texture of the Chocolate Chip Waffled Cookies made in the Belgian waffle maker, but mine doesn’t have any form of temperature control (it’s 20 years old). The cookies went from batter to burnt fairly quickly. One minute and 40 to 45 seconds worked best.

Made in the Belgian waffle maker, but mine doesn’t have temperature control {it’s 20 years old}. The cookies went from batter to burnt fairly quickly. One minute and 40 to 45 seconds worked best. The regular waffle iron cooked the cookies in a minute and a half on setting #3 {it’s a Cuisinart}.

Personally, I felt like there were too many chocolate chips in the batter and they burned pretty quickly, so I reduced the amount listed in the recipe.

I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips, which are flatter and larger than regular chocolate chips. If you can use standard chocolate chips it might work better.

I’m pretty sure you all know how to make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough so I’ll skip to the waffle part of our adventure!!

How do you waffle chocolate chip cookies?

When you’re ready to “bake” your cookies, scooping up batter, I used a #30 cookie scoop that holds 2 tablespoons of batter.

and put it on the waffle iron…..

This is the classic waffle maker, I think I forgot to take photos of the Belgian waffle maker. 😉

Close the lid of the waffle maker and cook 1 1/2 minutes in a standard waffle maker or 1 minute 45 seconds if using a Belgian waffle maker…

Carefully remove from the waffle maker when firm and golden brown and place on a wire cooling rack. . . .

These aren’t soft and chewy cookies, these are crunchy cookies… but they’re still delicious! And like I’ve made a thousand times before, I didn’t have to turn on the oven which makes them even tastier lol. 🙂

More delicious cookie recipes:

compost cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies with Reese’s Pieces

Chocolate Mocha Cookies

Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

monster cookies

Classic snicker doodles

are you drooling already Do you have your glass of milk ready? Will you try these? come on be honest 🙂 Oooh, I wonder how Sugar Cookies would turn out?

Enjoy!!

Rolling out dough may seem like one of the most basic tasks in the kitchen, but even experienced chefs do it unsuccessfully. There are often problems such as B. the sticking of the dough to the countertop and the rolling pin. Sometimes the dough can be too thin, too thick, or uneven. To avoid these problems, a tabletop dough sheeter or rolling pin is just what you need.

What is a rolling pin?

A work or benchtop dough sheeter is an industrial device that allows bakers to make dough in bulk without taking much time. It’s perfect for restaurants and bakeries with tons of orders for favorite foods, including pastries, pasta, and pizza.

The automatic sheeter is often referred to as a pizza dough sheeter because it is used in pizzerias where orders are constantly being placed. The dough sheeter can shorten the time needed to make dough, but keep the quality of the products as if someone carefully made it by hand. Therefore, the commercial dough sheeter can help increase the profitability of the operation.

How does a dough sheeter work?

The baker places the dough between the rollers and it is then compressed. The dough sheeter can consist of two or more rollers that rotate to compress the dough. With a high-quality sheeter, a smoother and more even sheet of dough is produced compared to manual sheeting.

The dough passes at least one measuring roller or conveyor that reduces the dough to the correct thickness. The final part of the process is for the slab to be formed into how you want the product to look. If it’s for pizza, for example, it has the distinct round shape.

The dough sheeter can perform some functions that can be helpful for those who work in the food industry and industrial bakery. It can turn separate batches of dough into one continuous sheet. It can also laminate the layers without the need for dividers and pocket proofers. Because the dough band is the basis of all products.

Why use a countertop dough sheeter?

There are many reasons why you should use a pizza dough sheeter for your business. Whenever you need to make dough, you can count on quality dough sheeters that offer you the following benefits:

The production is standardized. You don’t want to get compliments on your pizza dough, then you get complaints that it’s uneven or maybe too thick. While handmade dough has its perks, people can make mistakes—even professionals. With a reversible tabletop dough sheeter, you can be sure that the products all have the same texture. This results in a more balanced flavor that your customers are sure to love.

You are in control of your raw materials. They determine both the recipe and the manufacturing methods. They also define the quantities to be made during the dough making process. These benefits allow you to optimize the amount of dough you produce in the way you see fit for your business.

Working hours are reduced. Rolling out dough manually with a rolling pin can be quite tedious and takes a lot of time. This time is multiplied when you have a rookie on your staff. You often have to teach him or her until the employee knows how to roll out the dough properly. With a dough sheeter, you don’t have to worry about that because you can make dough in just a few minutes.

They make more food with faster production. Dough sheeters are fast and produce faster than the manual process of sheeting dough. Just place the ball of dough in the dough sheeter and it will do the work for you.

The sheeting processes different types of dough. Conventional dough production systems typically cannot handle the types of dough that sheeters can handle. An example is ciabatta dough, which is very hydrated and sticky.

You can perform other tasks. As a baker, you also have other things to do in your shop. With less time spent making dough, you can keep up with customers’ demands better and faster.

Proluxe has a high quality commercial dough sheeter. The DPR2000 is a single pass dough sheeter capable of producing 500 to 600 pieces of dough per hour. It is safe to use with its safety sensors that allow automatic shutdown.

It has an ergonomic and compact design that makes it a great addition to your countertop equipment without taking up too much space. You can use this rolling pin for making pizza dough, Danish pastries, pie crusts, pastry laminations, fondant, pasta, yeast pastries and cinnamon buns.

If you’re looking for a sheeter for your pizza shop, ProLuxe has the DPR3000, a double-pass sheeter that can flatten dough products in just two passes. This special equipment can produce large quantities and roll various sizes of pizzas up to 18 inches in diameter.

How to maintain your dough sheeter

A benchtop dough sheeter isn’t cheap, but it’s a necessary investment if you have the extra time and want to produce perfect dough every time. It is important to your business, which is why you should take care of it.

One important thing to remember is that it is like other gadgets that you have in your kitchen or anywhere in your home. It needs to be cleaned regularly to keep it from breaking. Luckily, the ProLuxe dough rollers are easy to clean and don’t require much maintenance.

In addition to cleaning, you should also check it regularly. You don’t have to be a technician to know if something is wrong with the dough roller. If you find any damage or bad noise from the dough sheeter, have it inspected by a qualified person.

A dough brake, sometimes referred to as a dough sheeter, is used in bakeries to sheet dough or pastries into sheets of uniform thickness.

Although this guide has not been updated to reflect current occupational health and safety legislation (Occupational Health and Safety Act 2015 and Regulations), it may still contain relevant information and practices to keep workers and others healthy and safe. Please read this guide in conjunction with any relevant industry standards that apply to you as a PCBU. These guidelines will be reviewed over time and either updated, replaced by other guidelines or withdrawn.

Two horizontal steel rollers roll the dough or pastry between them and then roll it again after reversing the rotation. Between reversals, the distance between the rollers is reduced to bring the dough or pastry to the required thickness.

Figure 1: Dough brake

Risk of getting caught between dough rollers

Entanglement with rotating parts

Slips, trips and falls

Entanglement by unexpected movement (during maintenance, cleaning and repairs)

tasks

Task – feed the dough into the machine/roll out the dough

Danger

Pinching between dough rollers

Entanglement with rotating parts

Damage

Pinching between dough rollers

Entanglement with rotating parts

Slips, trips and falls

Entanglement by unexpected movement (during maintenance, cleaning and repairs)

controls

DO NOT wear loose clothing or jewelry.

FIX protection to prevent intrusion into moving parts: Static fixed protection Adjustable fixed protection P Automatic protection

Prime movers and transmissions MUST be guarded.

TEST SAFETY FEATURES at the beginning of each shift.

Some dough brakes have a smooth table rather than a belt conveyor where the operator’s hands reach closer to the nip and can catch when feeding dough or during cleaning.

A nip is measured from the point where the rollers close within 19mm. 19 mm is the distance where the fingers are pinched.

Figure 2: Side view of rollers with arrows showing roller direction and guard clearance measurement

guards

A static fixed guard has a feed opening a safe distance from the nip.

An adjustable fixed guard moves up to increase the size of the opening as the distance between the rollers increases. While fingers and even hands can get between the rollers, the opening is limited to prevent a reach that can cause damage. When the rollers are closed to thin out dough or pastry, the guard moves down to reduce the size of the opening.

An automatic guard includes a switch assembly that reverses the movement of the rollers when the guard opens 6mm beyond the set value. An interlock switch is interlocked with the guard and reverses power to the motor that drives the rollers when the guard is pushed up.

Danger

Slips, trips and falls

Damage

Injuries from falling or being caught:

bruises

fractures

concussion

controls

KEEP up to date with budgetary procedures.

KEEP the area around dough brakes clean and free of slip and trip hazards.

Task – maintenance, cleaning & repair

Danger

Entanglement by unexpected movement

Damage

Pinched hands or fingers

crush injuries

controls

Turn OFF all power supplies before servicing, cleaning, or repairing.

TEST emergency stops at the beginning of each shift.

Instructions MUST be in a language understood by operators.

Table 1: Separation distances (mm) for fixed guards

Maximum size of the feed opening Minimum distance between opening and capture point 20 140 30 240 40 340 50 440 60 540 70 640 80 740 83 840

Operation with fixed guards

The guard is attached to the dough forming machine and fixed in position.

Guard cannot be moved without tools.

Figure 3: Operation of an adjustable fixed guard

Separation distances (mm) with adjustable fixed guards

Figure 4: Separation distances with adjustable fixed guards

Table 2: Separation distances (mm) with automatic protection devices

Maximum size of the feed opening Minimum distance between opening and capture point 25 150 38 255 52 330 64 380 76 435 89 470 102 510 114 535 127 560 152 610 178 660

Figure 5: How an automatic protection works

Figure 6: Power supply phases

Electric reverse starter circuit (requires more components for circuit to work).

Operation with fixed guards

An automatic guard moves freely to reverse the dough shaper rollers when the guard is raised to increase the feed opening size more than specified.

The guard must be interlocked with motor controls.

Table 2 measures opening sizes on the feed side of the rolls.

Table 2 comes from measurements agreed between representatives of the bakery industry and the former Ministry of Labour.

The pinch point is where the rollers approach 19mm (explanation on page 2).

Download fact sheet

pdf

Bread machines have been around for many years. They have been subjected to rigorous public testing and scrutiny. The companies that build these machines have also learned and listened to the public over the years. So if you’re wondering whether or not you should get a bread machine, here’s my answer:

You should get a breadmaker if you have to bake a lot of loaves or if you need the extra convenience. Perhaps you are tired of baking bread by hand, have a busy schedule, or are physically challenged. It could very well be a budget issue or you are just new to bread making. Any one of these reasons makes you a perfect candidate for a bread machine.

Think of it this way. Just because you have a bread machine doesn’t mean you can’t bake artisanal bread. It just means you have an extra tool in your arsenal. At the end of the day, bread makers are very handy, useful and worth every penny.

If you just want to make artisan breads like rye sourdough or other breads like focaccias or baguettes, a bread machine is not an option for you. or is it?

I hear my father-in-law and I arguing about this at the dinner table as I write this post: For and Against a Bread Machine.

My father-in-law is an avid fan of the bread maker. For years he baked bread by hand (he’s very good in the kitchen), but a few years ago he got tired of the long process of baking bread (I think the years are starting to show) and asked me to help him in the quest a good bread maker will help.

I was hesitant at first, but as I started researching them, the idea of ​​a bread machine became more and more intriguing.

So there I was, searching, driving across town to electronics stores to see what was available, talking to salespeople (they aren’t biased at all 😉 ), researching for hours on the internet and reading lots of reviews and comments about different companies. I tried to find her faults and flaws until finally I found one that we both liked. (To read my review of the bread maker we got for him which I think is the best on the market click here)

It’s been over 2 years and this bread machine is still ticking and making loaves of bread weekly.

Since then he has become a fan of bread machines and champions them at every opportunity. I have to say I was impressed with the convenience and the end product is adequate.

If you’re thinking about buying a bread machine and have any doubts, I’ve compiled a list of pros and cons to consider before you embark on a shopping spree. This should help you with your decision:

advantages

Convenience:

Let’s face it, making bread is a long process that takes time. Baking bread at the weekend can be fun, but during a work week when you get home after work and still have chores to do around the house, chances are you’ll have an energy boost for fresh bread.

If you want fresh bread every day, a bread machine is a solution for you.

Especially if you like to be woken up in the morning by the smell of fresh bread that fills the house. Most bread makers have a timer that you can set for the middle of the night, and with the push of a button you can wake up to the smell of fresh bread in the morning. Perfection! These timers have a range of about 12 hours. That means you can do all the prep work 12 hours before you want your bread to be ready.

Now that’s convenient!

Some machines also have automatic nut and fruit dispensers (or other additional flavors you may want to add to your bread). These extra ingredients are automatically added to your dough at just the right time. So, for example, if you like bread with some nuts and dried fruit, then definitely look for a machine with this extra feature for extra convenience.

Bread without kneading – real

Kneading the dough is perhaps the most physically demanding effort in bread making. Yes, I like the feel of the dough on my hands, but many people don’t have the patience or ability to knead the dough themselves for various reasons, whether it’s medical reasons, age-related fatigue, or any other reason you can think of .

If you want to “skip” this step, a bread machine is a great solution. It kneads the bread automatically and does an excellent job at it. So even if you want to do everything else yourself, you can leave the kneading to the capable hands of the bread machine.

Clean, tidy and easy to use

Baking bread is a craft that is thousands of years old and requires us and our kitchen to devote ourselves to the craft. When we’re done working on the dough, instead of resting and patiently waiting for the bread to come out of the oven, we ourselves clean up the kitchen, flour and pieces of dough off the counter, dishes in the sink and all that jazz.

The bread machine makes the whole process so much easier.

All you have to do is put the ingredients in the bread maker, press a button, set the timer and you’re done. The kitchen stays clean and all you have to do is wait for the bread to be ready. Hallelujah!

When you bake bread daily and consider the intense schedule that most of us maintain and know too well, this factor becomes very important.

Timing – Unlike a mixer, a bread machine has built-in timers to stop mixing, allow proofing, break up the bread, and so on. Machines can also bake the bread, mixers of course not.

The healthy choice

Like anyone who makes their own bread, baking bread at home is a much healthier option than buying bread from a supermarket or even certain bakeries where most bread is made with some degree of baking enhancements. When deciding what ingredients to put in your bread, you can choose healthier ingredients, whether it’s organic flour, whole grain bread, gluten-free bread, or whatever your dietary restrictions or preferences are.

There is a wide range of cookbooks on the market specifically designed for bread machines to help you achieve your bread gold. To read more about it, click here.

If you are new to bread baking

If you have no experience and don’t have time to learn but still want freshly baked bread then this is for you! The bread machine quickly turns you into a baker. You can save money, save time, be in control of your diet (you know what you’re putting into your body) and enjoy fresh bread, simple as that.

The economic choice

Bread machines range from $65 to $320. How much bread you bake will determine how long it will take you to cover the cost of the bread machine and start saving money.

If you are a large family that consumes a lot of bread every day, it is undoubtedly the more economical choice to bake bread at home, since quality bread does not come cheap at the bakery.

If you factor the cost of ingredients, time and labor, and other relevant components into the equation, you’ll save money in the long run if you don’t eat bread in bulk, but still bake one loaf a week by making bread yourself.

Bread machines (not cheap ones) last a very long time. From many reviews I read during my research I have seen people using the same bread machine for over 10 years. My father-in-law’s bread machine is about 2 years old now and he hasn’t had any problems with it.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the cost of a 1 1/2 pound loaf

Ingredient prices based on a major brand name supermarket in the US

The ingredient cost for a 750 gram or 1 1/2 pound loaf is approximately $1.50

As is well known, the price of bread can vary. Cheap white bread (which I would never buy) is about $3. Artisanal bread from very good bakeries can cost as much as $15 or even more.

For this calculation, let’s assume an average of about $6 per loaf.

That means you save about $4.50 per loaf.

If you bake one loaf every week, that’s 52 x 4.50 = $234 in savings

The average bread maker costs around $150, with the most expensive around $320, so here you can clearly see how much money this can save you, especially if you have a large family and bake more than one loaf a week. You could save hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year.

Additional uses for bread machines

A bread machine can have additional uses beyond just baking bread from start to finish.

It can be used for kneading dough, the dough can be made into rolls or rolls and other uses that may surprise you, such as making jam, rice dishes, yogurt, cakes, sauces, soups and even scrambled eggs. Not that I would necessarily recommend this route, but if for some reason your oven is out of order, this could be a valid alternative.

Disadvantages

Here is my perspective and the reasons why I personally prefer not to enjoy a bread machine:

Bake and Crust

Bread from the bread maker just has something that I personally don’t like. This is the crust of the bread. It’s similar to the crust from any bread pan. That’s not really a con, just a bit of a downer to my bread preferences.

You don’t get that crispy hard crust that I personally love. This is because these machines do not steam bake, instead they bake in a pan.

You could, if you want to use the breadmaker for the mixing, initial rising and punch phases, then take it out for shaping and final rising and bake in your oven if you like a thicker crust. In this sense, a bread machine can help you a little bit.

It requires constant monitoring on your part

Well, that all depends on which machine you get. Some machines are non-programmable and fully automatic, and you need to monitor the process.

These machines have timers so you have to check your dough at each stage, making this process less convenient. So if you’re looking for a hassle-free bread machine, you’ll need to spend a little more for it.

I highly recommend getting a fully automatic and hands-free bread machine.

Another gadget on your desktop

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a gadget lover, but at the end of the day all these products need space (my wife rolls her eyes in silent frustration every time I come home with another great invention” need to have”).

A bread machine is not a small device. So unless you have a large kitchen where it can sit undisturbed on your countertop, remember that you need to find storage space for it and then there’s the whole process of taking it out of storage and putting it back. All I say is make sure you don’t buy a fitness bike only to have it become a very expensive hanger over the years :).

Before buying a bread machine, check the dimensions and make sure you have counter space as it will most likely be on your counter all the time. You won’t be constantly sliding this machine in and out of the closet as some of these machines are also quite heavy.

Sourdough in the bread maker?

It’s not entirely impossible to make sourdough bread in a breadmaker, but remember that most often your breadmaker won’t have a preset program for sourdough bread.

Sourdough bread has different rising and proofing times (usually much longer than using commercial yeast) and is the main reason bread machines don’t work well with these recipes.

To counteract this problem, bread machines have manual modes so you can adjust these times yourself, but figuring out exactly how to bake sourdough bread in your bread machine will take a little more time and testing.

Bread made with a Bread Machine is not immune to problems

Bread machines are not immune to baking issues that might arise when baking without them.

Bread makers sound simple and user-friendly on paper, but they can present challenges and cause great frustration for the baker.

Common problems when using bread include:

Bread collapse in the bread machine

Bread does not rise partially or fully

Bread comes out heavy and dense

Bread is rubbery inside

Bread has an unbrowned top

Bread has a big hole

Bread is crooked

Fixing these issues will take some time and effort on your part, and as you know, time is money.

These problems usually arise when you try to be more creative when making bread and start searching the internet for new recipes.

When getting a prescription online from a third party, there are many variables that you may not be aware of. For example, the type of flour someone used isn’t available in your part of the world, and you end up replacing it with another brand. The water you use is different. Their bread machines are different and so on.

NOTE: Bread machine companies have a baker as a consultant when constructing these machines. Use the recipes in your bread machine manual (most bread machine manuals have recipes) as these recipes were compiled by a professional baker who experimented with these machines and tailored these recipes specifically for this particular bread machine.

A bread machine can be noisy and vibrate a lot

In my research I’ve also found that many if not all bread machines can be pretty loud, your blender is probably pretty loud too I think.

Another common problem is the machine vibrating and bouncing around on the counter. There have been mishaps in the past where bread makers jumped off the counter and fell to their deaths.

Conclusion

The bread machine is very useful. I would definitely recommend it for all of the reasons above. You might look at these pros and cons and say, “Hey! there are even more disadvantages here.” I would have to say no, saying that the weight of the advantages outweighs the disadvantages, only because of the problems with time and money.

Before I start, I want you to know that some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means I get paid if you click through and take action. You can read more about affiliate programs here

Many people use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour when making bread. I started wondering what the difference is. It turns out the difference is gluten.

Gluten is a type of protein found in flour.

More gluten in the flour makes the bread a little heavier, but more importantly, it makes it stronger. This means that as the yeast ferments, the bread holds the carbon dioxide and rises.

If the dough isn’t firm, the carbon dioxide will escape and the bread won’t rise as high.

Bread flour has more gluten than all-purpose flour. However, the amount of gluten in certain types of flour varies.

Generally, all-purpose flour has a gluten content of 9% to 12%. Bread flour typically has a gluten range of 10% to 13%. Note the overlapping areas.

If you use all-purpose flour in your bread machine and it works for you, great. Your type of flour needs to be in the upper range of gluten content.

What if you only have all-purpose flour?

Check the packaging to make sure the gluten content is high enough to use in the breadmaker.

Check out the all-purpose flour manufacturer’s website. It may have the gluten portion of the flour there.

If the gluten percentage isn’t listed or gives a range, bake an experimental bread. The worst that will happen is that the bread won’t rise as high as normal.

Even if your all-purpose flour doesn’t contain enough gluten, you can still use it in the breadmaker. Again, the worst that will happen is that your bread won’t rise as much as it does with bread flour.

Vital Wheat Gluten to the Rescue!

If your all-purpose flour doesn’t contain enough gluten, don’t worry. You can fix that by using essential wheat gluten. (At my grocery store, this is in the Bob’s Red Mill section.) While essential wheat gluten looks like flour, it’s not. It’s basically powdered gluten.

Add one teaspoon of Vital Wheat Gluten per cup of flour. For example, if the recipe calls for 4 cups of bread flour, add 4 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten.

Note that you may need to experiment with the amount of vital wheat gluten you need.

If you’re adding essential wheat gluten, look at your dough a few minutes after you start kneading. You may need to add some liquid. If the bread isn’t rising enough, you may need to add a little more vital wheat gluten to your next loaf of bread.

Are you asking about other types of flour?

Cake flour has the lowest gluten content of all. Its gluten content ranges from 5% to 8%. Cake flour is usually bleached. Bleaching easily damages the starch of the flour and weakens the gluten. This allows the flour to absorb more liquid and rise higher.

Cake flour is used for cakes and other baked goods that are soft and tender. Cake flour is not recommended for making bread.

Baking flour is also sometimes referred to as cookie flour. It has a gluten content of 8% to 9%. It is commonly used for cakes, tarts and many biscuits.

Like cake flour, baking flour is not recommended for bread baking.

You can make your own pastry flour by mixing 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup cake flour.

Self-raising flour contains baking powder and salt. This Southern staple is used in cookies, muffins, and pancakes.

You can make your own self-raising flour by combining 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Wholemeal flour is called whole wheat flour in the UK. It is made from the whole grain of wheat.

Whole grain flours are high in protein, but have trouble forming gluten. Many recipes for whole grain bread therefore call for the addition of vital wheat gluten.

Gluten-free flour is not made from wheat. There are many types of gluten free flour. Some of the most popular types are almond flour, buckwheat flour, and sorghum flour.

Because bread relies on gluten, making bread with gluten-free flours is challenging. It’s a whole different kind of baked goods.

Japan is known for its innovative rice cooking technology, but did you know that the country also pioneered the electric bread maker (hōmu bēkarī or panyakiki)? A team from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., now Panasonic, spent over a year researching and developing (one software engineer even apprenticed with a baker in Osaka) and launched the first electric bread maker in 1986.

In 1987, Funai Electric Co. introduced the fully automatic Raku Raku Pan Da. Just a year later, Funai’s bread maker debuted overseas as the DAK Auto Bakery, and the market continued to expand as foreign companies began to design and manufacture their own models — by 1999, one in five Americans owned a bread maker.

If I had to pick my favorite kitchen invention of the last few decades, it would be the bread machine. Can you imagine that such a small machine could bake a whole loaf of bread? I know it made my life a lot easier.

Bread makers bake bread in 2 to 4 hours. Two-hour loaves are baked on a rapid cycle. Regular bread bakes in about 3-1/2 to 4 hours. Use the fruit and nut cycle for breads with ingredients like fruit, nuts, cheese, etc. The machine will beep 30 to 40 minutes after you start it. This is when the extra ingredients are added. Loaves of bread that take 4 hours are generally heavier, like whole wheat breads.

How the bread machine makes bread

After you:

Read the recipe. Add the ingredients to the machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Push a few buttons.

Most machines will:

Heat the ingredients to bring them to an even temperature. Knead twice.* Let the dough rise. Knead the dough again. Let rise again. Then bake the dough.

*Knead Rapid Rise loaves only once.

Top Three Ways Bread Machine Bread is ruined

Don’t read the recipe. Adding too much flour. No fresh yeast.

My favorite bread machine tips

In the early morning I get the machine ready to go. So the bread for dinner is ready. Before I go to bed, I turn on the bread machine. Everyone loves waking up to freshly baked bread for breakfast. I use freshly baked bread to make a meal out of leftovers. Add a loaf of bread to a light dinner like large salads or soup to make it seem like a larger dinner.

You can bake bread at any time

Just have these items ready:

What is the best bread machine for home use?

All of them. Which type you choose depends on the features you want and the scope of things you want to do. Some machines only bake bread, while others allow you to make jams, jellies, and even gluten-free settings.

Is a bread machine worth it?

Yes. When you bake your own bread on a regular basis, the cost savings add up. It also gives you the benefit of freshly baked bread and the ability to bake a variety of breads that your local grocery store may not stock.

What can a bread machine do?

Many bread machines’ settings tell the story: plain white bread, whole wheat bread, gluten-free cycle, quick rise, jam and jelly cycle, dough setting for everything from bread dough to cake dough and cookies to different bread crust finishes.

Do you need a bread machine to bake bread?

no But a bread machine simplifies the process and delivers better results because it carefully manages the entire process from mixing to kneading to rising and baking. You just set it and forget about it until the timer rings.

How long does homemade bread keep?

This varies depending on the type of bread, packaging and storage. With no artificial preservatives added, it’s best to eat your homemade bread in 3 to 4 days. You can always keep it in the fridge to add a few days.

Is it cheaper to bake your own bread?

Breads from a bakery or grocery store are marked up to cover ingredient costs, labor costs, equipment costs, business costs such as insurance and utilities, packaging, shipping, distribution, and commercial transactions. Home baking eliminates many of these costs.

Why is homemade bread so good?

Most homemade foods taste better than what you buy. They also bake and bake your bread from scratch. When baking, it fills your kitchen with the aroma of bread baking and freshly baked bread always tastes better.

Why does homemade bread taste different?

The difference you taste is the freshness. Homemade bread also tends to have a crunchy, flavorful crust.

Is homemade bread healthier than store-bought?

Normally yes. Homemade bread contains no artificial preservatives, food coloring, or other shortcuts like high fructose corn syrup. The easiest way to think about it is that your homemade bread is as healthy as you bake it.

How do I choose a bread maker?

It depends on your family size how much you want to do and how you prefer the shape of your bread. Most bread machines bake vertical bread while making horizontal bread. We have numerous reviews on our site to help you and a dedicated article: How to choose a bread maker.

How does a bread maker work?

A bread machine mixes, kneads, rises and bakes your ingredients from start to finish. The machine is calibrated to manage temperatures throughout the process to help the bread rise and give it your chosen crust color.

Do bread bakers bake the bread?

Yes, although almost all machines will give you a dough option. The dough circuit mixes, kneads and proofs the dough and then switches off. So you can remove the dough and bake the bread in the oven in any desired shape.

Should butter be melted for bread makers?

It is not usually necessary unless the recipe calls for it. The usual recommendation is that you place the flatbread, cut into 4 equal pieces, on top of the flour in the corners of the loaf pan. No melting necessary.

Can I leave bread in the bread maker overnight?

Yes. In fact, many bread makers also have a delayed cycle so you can add your ingredients and mix, knead, rise and bake in the middle of the night so it’s hot and fresh for you in the morning.

Why is my bread so dense in my bread machine?

Some types of flour make a dense bread. It could also be a yeast problem. Refrigerate all yeast until ready to use. Bread machine yeast also helps. Bread flour rises better. Also make sure you put hot water in the bread pan.

Is a bread maker better than an oven?

Yes and no. It depends on your lifestyle. A bread machine is no fuss and little chaos. It also guarantees results and makes excellent bread. Same with bread baked in the oven. It’s all a matter of personal taste and time.

Does shortening make bread softer?

Not really. It might help the texture a bit, but butter works the same way and can give a lighter, softer texture as well. The tradeoff is that shortening is a trans fat that contains the highest amounts of LDL, or bad cholesterol. Use butter instead.

How does bread become fluffier?

The easiest way is to replace water with milk. You can also add an additional ½ teaspoon of yeast. But don’t overdo it with the yeast. Too much yeast will cause your dough to puff and the machine will bake it onto the lid.

Can I take the paddle out of the bread machine?

Yes, and it is recommended for cleaning. However, many complaints about some bread machines are that the paddle sticks. If this happens, soak the baking pan in water for an hour and spin the paddle while you clean.

Why is my bread not soft and fluffy?

Again, some flours don’t result in a soft and fluffy bread. This is especially true for gluten-free flours. A general remedy is to use milk instead of water, use fresh yeast, and use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour.

Do I need to oil my machine’s paddle spindle?

Usually no. However, if your manufacturer recommends it in your owner’s manual, make sure you use vegetable oil or another cooking oil. No motor oil or other oils made from petroleum products.

I looked at my dough and it rose well, but by the time it was done it had collapsed. Why?

Never lift the lid of your machine while the bread is baking. Most machines have a viewing window in the lid. If you need to peek, look through the lid with a flashlight.

I have a fruit and nut hopper on my machine, but the fruit keeps getting stuck in the hopper. What can I do?

This is a common problem, especially with sticky fruits like raisins. Dredge the fruit in flour and dust them before placing them in the hopper.

Can I replace yeast with baking powder?

no Yeast breads have a specific combination of ingredients and proportions. Breads made with baking powder are often referred to as dough breads and have an entirely different combination of ingredients and proportions. Baking powder replacing yeast in a yeast bread recipe will fail.

Why do some recipes call for a ¼ tsp of salt when you’d never taste it?

It has nothing to do with taste. Salt controls yeast growth to control its growth and bread rising at a constant rate. Without them, the yeast could get out of control.

Bread machines are extremely convenient – they mix and knead the dough, leave it to rise, shape it into a loaf and bake the bread, all with just the push of a button. But when the dough is baked in the machine, the resulting bread has an odd shape with a denser crumb and a tougher crust. If that doesn’t appeal to you, baking the bread machine dough in the oven is an easy fix. Let your bread machine do most of the work for you, then shape the dough, place into regular loaf pans, and bake in the oven.

Start with the bread machine

Follow the bread machine recipe to make a 2 pound loaf (for two 9″ x 6″ loaves) or a 1 1/2 pound loaf (for two 8″ x 5″ loaves). Set the bread machine to the “Dough Only” setting. The machine combines the ingredients, kneads the dough and gives it its first course. When the bread machine beeps, it means the dough is ready to be formed.

If your machine doesn’t have a “dough only” setting, you’ll need to watch it closely to see when the first rise is over and the dough is being pressed down.

Divide the dough

Remove the dough from the machine and place it on a floured surface. Divide the dough in half with a knife or bench scraper. You can use a kitchen scale to make sure the two pieces of dough are exactly even.

Shape into a rectangle

Pat the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. The narrow sides of the rectangle should be parallel to the edge of your counter.

Jessica Harlan

The first wrinkle

To achieve this classic loaf shape, the bread dough needs to be folded in a specific way. Starting with the top of the rectangle (the edge farthest from you), fold a third of the dough over itself.

Jessica Harlan

The second fold

Now fold the bottom third of the dough over the other folded piece as if you were folding a letter.

Jessica Harlan

Repeat the folds

Rotate the piece of dough 90 degrees, repeat the folds, and fold the top third of the dough down over the center.

Jessica Harlan

Fold the bottom third of the dough over the middle. You should now have a thick, square piece of dough.

Jessica Harlan

Repeat the shaping process with the other piece of dough.

Transfer to the pans

Flip the dough over so the seam is on the bottom and tuck the layered sides underneath so the entire exposed surface of the dough is smooth. Place batter in greased pans (either sprayed with cooking spray or brushed with oil). Use your hands to flatten the batter slightly toward the edges of the pan. The dough doesn’t need to fill the entire bottom of the pan as it will expand as it rises.

Cover both dough molds with a dish towel or a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray and allow to rise in a warm place.

Jessica Harlan

The second rise

The dough should rise for 45 minutes to an hour and a half or until it has doubled in size. A good sign that it has risen enough is when the dough rises a little over the edge of the pan.

Jessica Harlan

Set the oven

Preheat your oven about 20 minutes before the bread has finished rising. The temperature depends on the type of bread you are baking; Consult a bread cookbook to find the type of bread that most closely resembles your recipe. Typically, batters made with whole grains or large amounts of rich ingredients like butter or eggs bake at 350 or 375 F, while leaner batters bake at a higher temperature, 400 to 425 F.

Cut the loaves

Using a very sharp paring knife or razor (or a lame, a special bread-making tool), quickly slice the dough lengthwise down the center of the loaf, about 1/4 inch thick. This will help the bread expand as it bakes and will also give your bread a professional look.

Jessica Harlan

Bake the loaves

Place the loaves in the preheated oven. The bread will likely take 30-45 minutes to bake (check after 30 minutes to see if it’s done). The crust should be firm and browned; the bottom of the bread should also be firm and make a hollow sound when tapped. You can also use an instant-read thermometer and look for a range of 180-210F depending on whether your bread is soft or crunchy. Immediately remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Waffles! These breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert waffle concoctions from Food Network Kitchens prove the humble waffle maker is a lot more versatile than you think. Happy wiggling!

Waffle Brownie Sundae Cooking the batter on a waffle iron halves the brownie bake time and eliminates chilling time altogether. Stack ice cream and toppings atop these cakey brownies, fresh from the press, for an instant sundae fit for celebration. Get the recipe: Brownie Sundae with Waffles

Waffle Pizza Margherita Yes, pizza isn’t just possible as a waffle, it’s also worth it, with an extra crispy ridge and little indentations for sauce and cheese to run into. Your waffle iron doubles as an oven for the crust and a grill for melting the cheese. Get the recipe: Margherita Pizza with Waffles

Waffle Falafel Aside from tasting great, these easy waffle falafels have a lot less fat than their fried cousins. Get the recipe: Waffle Chickpea Patties

Waffle Cookies and Gravy Waffle cookies provide a much crunchier surface and create the perfect nooks for sausage gravy to collect. This would also work with your favorite homemade cookie dough. Get the recipe: Waffle Cookies and Sausage Sauce

Waffle Banana Bread Forget the loaf pan; We’ve used the waffle maker to bake fresh, warm banana bread in a fraction of the usual baking time. If you like your bread a little chunky, be gentle when mashing your bananas. Get the recipe: Banana Bread with Waffles

Waffle Chorizo ​​Cheese Quesadilla These quesadillas with super crispy edges also borrow some of the best qualities of nachos. Quickly pickled onions add a tart kick to the rich chorizo ​​and gooey melted cheddar. Get the recipe: Waffle Chorizo ​​Cheese Quesadilla

Chocolate Waffle Cookies The best part about these cookies, which are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, is that they’re ready in no time: no preheating in the oven required. We prefer thicker waffle irons for these cookies, but if your iron is thinner make sure to adjust your timing as they will cook faster. Get the recipe: Waffle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bibimbap with Waffles A traditional Korean dish whose signature—and most delicious—feature is bibimbap, it’s a layer of browned, crispy rice. While making the dish from scratch can be a little time-consuming, our abbreviated waffle maker version makes it easy to grab for a weeknight dinner. Waffle an egg to top it off—no need to turn on the stove! Get the recipe: waffle rice and eggs with kimchi and gochujang

Waffle Brioche French Toast No pan — or stovetop — is needed for this quick, decadent French toast. The waffle creates two textures: thin and crispy and thick and fluffy, for variation in every fork. Get the recipe: Waffle Brioche French Toast

Waffled Hash Browns All-Purpose Potatoes are key to the caramelized, crispy crust of these quick hash browns. Top them off with smoked salmon and sour cream to transform hash browns from a side dish to a full breakfast. Get the recipe: Wafer Roesti

Grilled Tomato Cheese Waffles Waffling your grilled cheese is a quick alternative to standing over the stove waiting for your bread to brown. With roasted tomatoes inside, every bite tastes like tomato soup and grilled cheese at the same time. Get the recipe: Waffle Tomato Grilled Cheese

Waffle Carrot Cakes Without an oven, bakeware, or refrigeration, these tender cakes have the added bonus of an extra surface area for cream cheese frosting. They’re great for breakfast, brunch, or with a scoop of ice cream for dessert. Get the recipe: Waffle Carrot Cake

Do you bake bread in a bread maker?

Many of you apparently do, judging by the popularity of our bread machine recipes. And with good reason: the bread maker is a great start for bread baking beginners. And for you seasoned “yeast buns,” it can be a welcome shortcut when you just don’t have time to bake bread the usual way.

I usually knead dough in my Zojirushi Virtuoso – it’s an AMAZING kneader – then take it out, shape it and bake it in my oven just like normal. That’s because I often bake rolls or flatbreads or breadsticks, things that can’t be baked in the Zo’s standard rectangular loaf pan.

But if I need a quick loaf of bread for croutons or breadcrumbs or French toast, for example — yes, I’m happy to throw the ingredients in the machine and let it do all the work, from mixing to kneading to rising and baking.

It would be great if the main product of the bread machine – sandwich breads – turned out perfectly every time. Nicely risen, symmetrically arched, a nice crust without flour stains.

But honestly? That’s not the reality of baking in the bread maker. What you save in time and effort is often lost in quality.

Still, with minimal effort, you can step in and help your bread machine knead, shape, and bake—ensuring you a higher percentage of perfect (or near-perfect) loaves.

You just have to be willing to touch the dough. Honestly, that’s all it takes.

Fair warning, if you’re someone who likes to “set and forget” – add ingredients, press start, and come back 3 hours later – then this post isn’t for you. And when you have a reliable recipe that turns out well every time – congratulations, stick with it.

But if the dreaded “ski slope bread” does come out –

Or don’t you love those massive paddles that take giant, tearing bites out of the bottom of your bread, then read on: This is for you.

let’s make bread We’re using our most popular bread machine recipe – bread machine bread – simple as can be.

Step 1: Put everything in the bucket of your bread machine. I like to fill in the liquids first; I have a feeling that the dough is less prone to flour stains this way.

Tip 1: Open the lid and check the dough as you knead it.

So many people seem afraid to reach into their bread machine while it’s working. But honestly, nothing bad happens when you open the lid and poke the dough.

Begin observing the dough about 10 minutes into its kneading cycle; it should neither be viscous and runny (above), nor dry, stiff and “knobby” (below). As my fellow blogger Susan Reid says, “If you touch the dough and your finger comes back covered, the dough is too wet. If you touch the dough and it feels like you’re hitting a beach ball, it’s too dry.”

The dough should have formed a cohesive unit and, if it isn’t already “smooth as a baby’s bottom,” should be going that way. If it doesn’t, add more flour (if it’s too soft) or water (if it’s dry).

Tip 2: Once the dough is finished kneading, take a paper towel and wipe any excess flour from the bucket.

This will help avoid flour stains on the crust.

Tip 3: To avoid large cracks and holes in the bottom of your bread, remove the shovels from the bucket before the bread bakes, just before it finally rises.

The timing of this can be a little tricky; but once you figure it out, you’re good forever.

Get out your kitchen timer and put it on count-up (stopwatch) mode. Start your timer when you press “start” on your breadmaker (even if your machine has a “sleep” or “preheat” mode right at the start); You are simply trying to estimate the time between pressing the start button and the start of the last climb.

You want to be there when your bread begins its final rise. Most bread machine manuals show a timeline of steps: e.g. B. Preheat 31 minutes, knead 19 minutes, first rise 35 minutes, second rise 20 minutes, etc. A little simple arithmetic will give you an idea of ​​when the final rise will start.

Stay in the kitchen if you think the final climb is imminent. You hear the machine start up briefly; it will knock the dough over, meaning the final rise will begin. When you hear this, stop your timer and check the time. (On my Zojirushi Virtuoso it’s 1 hour and 45 minutes).

So there you have it: you now know that the next time you bake bread, there will be 1 hour, 45 minutes (or whatever) between you pressing “start” and the start of the final rising. So whenever you are baking bread from the bread machine and want to remove the paddles before the bread is baked – pull out your timer and put it to good use.

Reach into the bucket, push the dough aside and lift out the scoops.

The bread on the left was baked with the shovels. Right without blades. What a difference!

Tip 4: Reshape the loaf before final rising.

Yes, here you prevent those ski slope breads. When you open the lid of the machine to remove the bucket’s paddles, check the shape of the loaf. It might be ok to fill the pan from end to end.

Or not (top photo). If the dough isn’t an acceptable loaf shape, remove it from the bucket, shape it into a nice, symmetrical log, and place it back in the bucket (middle photo). It will rise nice and evenly (bottom photo)…

…and bake to a nice bread.

Don’t limit yourself to a traditional loaf shape, either. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Place them side by side in the bucket for a fragile double loaf: enjoy half, share half with your neighbor.

Or take these two halves of dough, shape them into sticks and do a simple twist.

Want something more fancy? Give it a try – check out our recipe for Herbed Garlic Bubble Loaf made in your bread machine.

And finally, isn’t it annoying when you’ve done everything right and your bread still looks…well, not as good as it could?

You’ve pulled your beautiful bread out of the pan and within minutes it’s developing a crust as crumpled as Yoda. GRRRR… what’s up with that? And how do you prevent that?

Tip 5: Chill the bread in the machine instead of on a rack on the counter.

Once your bread is ready, remove the bucket from the machine, take out the bread (which will be easy as the paddles don’t impede progress) and carefully place the bread back into the machine, without the bucket. Note: While putting the bread back in the machine without a bucket is a reasonable option on our Zojirushi machines, it may not work well in machines from other brands. Let the experience with your own machine guide you here.

Open the lid about a centimeter and let the bread cool directly in the switched off machine. The still warm (but gradually cooling) air prevents moisture from condensing on the surface of your bread – no wrinkles!

So what is the baking science behind this? When your bread encounters the cooler air outside the machine, moisture from within rises to the surface and condenses into water droplets, causing the crust to shrink unevenly — i.e. wrinkle, like the bread on the right.

The double loaf on the left is crumpled a tiny bit, but not nearly as badly.

Last step: enjoy your wonderful homemade bread. Who says you can’t bake perfectly acceptable bread right in your breadmaker?

Do you have a favorite bread machine tip? Please share in the “comments” below. Let’s all learn from each other!

Bread machines have been around for many years. They have been subjected to rigorous public testing and scrutiny. The companies that build these machines have also learned and listened to the public over the years. So if you’re wondering whether or not you should get a bread machine, here’s my answer:

You should get a breadmaker if you have to bake a lot of loaves or if you need the extra convenience. Perhaps you are tired of baking bread by hand, have a busy schedule, or are physically challenged. It could very well be a budget issue or you are just new to bread making. Any one of these reasons makes you a perfect candidate for a bread machine.

Think of it this way. Just because you have a bread machine doesn’t mean you can’t bake artisanal bread. It just means you have an extra tool in your arsenal. At the end of the day, bread makers are very handy, useful and worth every penny.

If you just want to make artisan breads like rye sourdough or other breads like focaccias or baguettes, a bread machine is not an option for you. or is it?

I hear my father-in-law and I arguing about this at the dinner table as I write this post: For and Against a Bread Machine.

My father-in-law is an avid fan of the bread maker. For years he baked bread by hand (he’s very good in the kitchen), but a few years ago he got tired of the long process of baking bread (I think the years are starting to show) and asked me to help him in the quest a good bread maker will help.

I was hesitant at first, but as I started researching them, the idea of ​​a bread machine became more and more intriguing.

So there I was, searching, driving across town to electronics stores to see what was available, talking to salespeople (they aren’t biased at all 😉 ), researching for hours on the internet and reading lots of reviews and comments about different companies. I tried to find her faults and flaws until finally I found one that we both liked. (To read my review of the bread maker we got for him which I think is the best on the market click here)

It’s been over 2 years and this bread machine is still ticking and making loaves of bread weekly.

Since then he has become a fan of bread machines and champions them at every opportunity. I have to say I was impressed with the convenience and the end product is adequate.

If you’re thinking about buying a bread machine and have any doubts, I’ve compiled a list of pros and cons to consider before you embark on a shopping spree. This should help you with your decision:

advantages

Convenience:

Let’s face it, making bread is a long process that takes time. Baking bread at the weekend can be fun, but during a work week when you get home after work and still have chores to do around the house, chances are you’ll have an energy boost for fresh bread.

If you want fresh bread every day, a bread machine is a solution for you.

Especially if you like to be woken up in the morning by the smell of fresh bread that fills the house. Most bread makers have a timer that you can set for the middle of the night, and with the push of a button you can wake up to the smell of fresh bread in the morning. Perfection! These timers have a range of about 12 hours. That means you can do all the prep work 12 hours before you want your bread to be ready.

Now that’s convenient!

Some machines also have automatic nut and fruit dispensers (or other additional flavors you may want to add to your bread). These extra ingredients are automatically added to your dough at just the right time. So, for example, if you like bread with some nuts and dried fruit, then definitely look for a machine with this extra feature for extra convenience.

Bread without kneading – real

Kneading the dough is perhaps the most physically demanding effort in bread making. Yes, I like the feel of the dough on my hands, but many people don’t have the patience or ability to knead the dough themselves for various reasons, whether it’s medical reasons, age-related fatigue, or any other reason you can think of .

If you want to “skip” this step, a bread machine is a great solution. It kneads the bread automatically and does an excellent job at it. So even if you want to do everything else yourself, you can leave the kneading to the capable hands of the bread machine.

Clean, tidy and easy to use

Baking bread is a craft that is thousands of years old and requires us and our kitchen to devote ourselves to the craft. When we’re done working on the dough, instead of resting and patiently waiting for the bread to come out of the oven, we ourselves clean up the kitchen, flour and pieces of dough off the counter, dishes in the sink and all that jazz.

The bread machine makes the whole process so much easier.

All you have to do is put the ingredients in the bread maker, press a button, set the timer and you’re done. The kitchen stays clean and all you have to do is wait for the bread to be ready. Hallelujah!

When you bake bread daily and consider the intense schedule that most of us maintain and know too well, this factor becomes very important.

Timing – Unlike a mixer, a bread machine has built-in timers to stop mixing, allow proofing, break up the bread, and so on. Machines can also bake the bread, mixers of course not.

The healthy choice

Like anyone who makes their own bread, baking bread at home is a much healthier option than buying bread from a supermarket or even certain bakeries where most bread is made with some degree of baking enhancements. When deciding what ingredients to put in your bread, you can choose healthier ingredients, whether it’s organic flour, whole grain bread, gluten-free bread, or whatever your dietary restrictions or preferences are.

There is a wide range of cookbooks on the market specifically designed for bread machines to help you achieve your bread gold. To read more about it, click here.

If you are new to bread baking

If you have no experience and don’t have time to learn but still want freshly baked bread then this is for you! The bread machine quickly turns you into a baker. You can save money, save time, be in control of your diet (you know what you’re putting into your body) and enjoy fresh bread, simple as that.

The economic choice

Bread machines range from $65 to $320. How much bread you bake will determine how long it will take you to cover the cost of the bread machine and start saving money.

If you are a large family that consumes a lot of bread every day, it is undoubtedly the more economical choice to bake bread at home, since quality bread does not come cheap at the bakery.

If you factor the cost of ingredients, time and labor, and other relevant components into the equation, you’ll save money in the long run if you don’t eat bread in bulk, but still bake one loaf a week by making bread yourself.

Bread machines (not cheap ones) last a very long time. From many reviews I read during my research I have seen people using the same bread machine for over 10 years. My father-in-law’s bread machine is about 2 years old now and he hasn’t had any problems with it.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the cost of a 1 1/2 pound loaf

Ingredient prices based on a major brand name supermarket in the US

The ingredient cost for a 750 gram or 1 1/2 pound loaf is approximately $1.50

As is well known, the price of bread can vary. Cheap white bread (which I would never buy) is about $3. Artisanal bread from very good bakeries can cost as much as $15 or even more.

For this calculation, let’s assume an average of about $6 per loaf.

That means you save about $4.50 per loaf.

If you bake one loaf every week, that’s 52 x 4.50 = $234 in savings

The average bread maker costs around $150, with the most expensive around $320, so here you can clearly see how much money this can save you, especially if you have a large family and bake more than one loaf a week. You could save hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year.

Additional uses for bread machines

A bread machine can have additional uses beyond just baking bread from start to finish.

It can be used for kneading dough, the dough can be made into rolls or rolls and other uses that may surprise you, such as making jam, rice dishes, yogurt, cakes, sauces, soups and even scrambled eggs. Not that I would necessarily recommend this route, but if for some reason your oven is out of order, this could be a valid alternative.

Disadvantages

Here is my perspective and the reasons why I personally prefer not to enjoy a bread machine:

Bake and Crust

Bread from the bread maker just has something that I personally don’t like. This is the crust of the bread. It’s similar to the crust from any bread pan. That’s not really a con, just a bit of a downer to my bread preferences.

You don’t get that crispy hard crust that I personally love. This is because these machines do not steam bake, instead they bake in a pan.

You could, if you want to use the breadmaker for the mixing, initial rising and punch phases, then take it out for shaping and final rising and bake in your oven if you like a thicker crust. In this sense, a bread machine can help you a little bit.

It requires constant monitoring on your part

Well, that all depends on which machine you get. Some machines are non-programmable and fully automatic, and you need to monitor the process.

These machines have timers so you have to check your dough at each stage, making this process less convenient. So if you’re looking for a hassle-free bread machine, you’ll need to spend a little more for it.

I highly recommend getting a fully automatic and hands-free bread machine.

Another gadget on your desktop

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a gadget lover, but at the end of the day all these products need space (my wife rolls her eyes in silent frustration every time I come home with another great invention” need to have”).

A bread machine is not a small device. So unless you have a large kitchen where it can sit undisturbed on your countertop, remember that you need to find storage space for it and then there’s the whole process of taking it out of storage and putting it back. All I say is make sure you don’t buy a fitness bike only to have it become a very expensive hanger over the years :).

Before buying a bread machine, check the dimensions and make sure you have counter space as it will most likely be on your counter all the time. You won’t be constantly sliding this machine in and out of the closet as some of these machines are also quite heavy.

Sourdough in the bread maker?

It’s not entirely impossible to make sourdough bread in a breadmaker, but remember that most often your breadmaker won’t have a preset program for sourdough bread.

Sourdough bread has different rising and proofing times (usually much longer than using commercial yeast) and is the main reason bread machines don’t work well with these recipes.

To counteract this problem, bread machines have manual modes so you can adjust these times yourself, but figuring out exactly how to bake sourdough bread in your bread machine will take a little more time and testing.

Bread made with a Bread Machine is not immune to problems

Bread machines are not immune to baking issues that might arise when baking without them.

Bread makers sound simple and user-friendly on paper, but they can present challenges and cause great frustration for the baker.

Common problems when using bread include:

Bread collapse in the bread machine

Bread does not rise partially or fully

Bread comes out heavy and dense

Bread is rubbery inside

Bread has an unbrowned top

Bread has a big hole

Bread is crooked

Fixing these issues will take some time and effort on your part, and as you know, time is money.

These problems usually arise when you try to be more creative when making bread and start searching the internet for new recipes.

When getting a prescription online from a third party, there are many variables that you may not be aware of. For example, the type of flour someone used isn’t available in your part of the world, and you end up replacing it with another brand. The water you use is different. Their bread machines are different and so on.

NOTE: Bread machine companies have a baker as a consultant when constructing these machines. Use the recipes in your bread machine manual (most bread machine manuals have recipes) as these recipes were compiled by a professional baker who experimented with these machines and tailored these recipes specifically for this particular bread machine.

A bread machine can be noisy and vibrate a lot

In my research I’ve also found that many if not all bread machines can be pretty loud, your blender is probably pretty loud too I think.

Another common problem is the machine vibrating and bouncing around on the counter. There have been mishaps in the past where bread makers jumped off the counter and fell to their deaths.

Conclusion

The bread machine is very useful. I would definitely recommend it for all of the reasons above. You might look at these pros and cons and say, “Hey! there are even more disadvantages here.” I would have to say no, saying that the weight of the advantages outweighs the disadvantages, only because of the problems with time and money.