Step by Step on How to Use Bread Makers – Good Tips in 2023
The bread maker is a great machine to have in your kitchen. It can be used for many different types of recipes and it does all the hard work for you. Just put the ingredients in, set the timer and walk away! However, one thing that people don’t realize is how important it is to know what type of loaf they are making before starting their recipe. There are several types of breads that provide different textures and tastes so make sure you use this guide on which type of loaf you want before using your bread machine!
What is Bread Makers?
A bread maker is a machine that allows home cooks to make great-tasting homemade bread with relatively little effort. The machines are available in many different sizes and a wide variety of features, from basic models that cost as little as $50 to huge, deluxe units that can cost well over $200.
All bread makers operate on the same principle: mixing flour, water, leavening agents and other ingredients into dough; then baking it in an enclosed chamber.
Benefits of bread makers?
Bread makers are one of the most convenient kitchen gadgets to have in your home. if you are interested in getting this machine, here are some benefits that you will surely enjoy:
1. Makes tasty bread and other baked goods:
When making use of a bread maker, there is no need for using yeast, kneading dough or cleaning up afterwards. This appliance does it all for you – from mixing ingredients together to baking time and then even more with its delay timer function which allows users to set a cook-time as early as 24 hours ahead from preparation time.
Plus, cleanup is made easier thanks to nonstick surfaces which makes removing doughs very easy without any fuss whatsoever; just allow the bowl to cool before handling.
2. Affordable kitchen equipment:
Although a bread maker is still considered to be an expensive piece of kitchen equipment, it has come along way in terms of improved technology and designs. Today’s bread makers are more affordable than ever with prices ranging from $50 to over hundreds – depending on your needs and budget, you can count on this appliance for all your baking needs.
Plus, since the machine does most of the work for you, you won’t need any other kitchen appliances at all. If you do have extra cash saved up then consider buying one that comes equipped with delay timer function as this will take out some frustration out of waiting if your bread or doughs require long hours of preparation time before cooking can begin.
3. Easy to use:
Bread makers are designed with safety features that prevent users from accidentally triggering the machine, for example: if there is no bread pan inside then it will not start. The power button turn red once the pan is properly placed in place; thus giving you a visual indicator of when to start.
And since all ingredients are processed through a nonstick bowl which makes sticky doughs easy to remove when cool – there should be minimal mess to clean up afterwards.
Step by Step on How to Use Bread Machines
1. Before using Bread Makers
Before you use your new automatic bread machine for the first time, fill it up with about 2 cups (500ml) of plain tap water before operating any of its functions. This will flush out dirt or contaminants accumulated during shipping and storage.
2. Operation of One Button Type Bread Makers
- Turn the bread machine to “ON” position and programme mode.
- Set the crust colour on medium if required, otherwise choose from light or dark setting.
- Make sure your ingredients have been added in the right compartment and be certain that you’ve sprinkled salt into the yeast bowl, enclosed in a little bit of additional flour (1/4 cup only).
- If no power is supplied to the motor unit for about 20 seconds, the machine will automatically shut down before any adverse effect can happen.
3. Programming Function of Bread Makers
Programme selector function allows users to bake different kinds of breads depending on their preference by selecting from five programmes: Basic, Whole Wheat, Sweet Yeast Doughs, Rapid, and Delay Timer. The Basic programme is used for most types of breads including white bread and other speciality loaves.
The Whole Wheat programme bakes a loaf with a coarse texture suitable for toasting or freezing – perfect if you like your bread slices thickly sliced or prefer to cut them into sandwich shapes. When the Sweet Yeast Dough programme is selected, the machine will automatically adjust crust colour and baking time according to the type of dough being made.
It can also be used as an internal proofer when no timer function is in use (i.e., set the timer to “OFF” position) as it maintains optimum temperature required by yeast-based doughs for up to two hours*. If you like to make bread doughs that rise, this function is the one for you.
The Rapid programme bakes a loaf in about an hour, perfect when time really matters and the Delay Timer will let you pre-programme your bread machine up to 24 hours in advance so that it can come on automatically at just the right moment – ideal if you want fresh bread in the morning!
4. Additional Functions of Bread Makers
The addition of ingredients at any point during the mixing procedure is made very convenient with a special dispensing device which allows for accurate additions. It helps users add extra ingredients to their recipes without worrying about overfilling or spilling any components as everything goes straight into their final position without overflow.
The new ejector function is designed to make bread removal extremely easy by simply pressing a button. The machine will rotate the loaf to the side and fully eject it from the baking chamber for easy retrieval.
Other new features include an internal cooling fan which allows air to circulate freely around the loaf as it cools down in order to keep crust soft and moist for fresh eating, non-skid feet that prevent any skidding or movement on kitchen surfaces, error messages which identify problem areas such as insufficient liquid or overfilled ingredients, plus a grey/white backlit LCD display panel with large easy-to-read numbers.
5. How To Bake Bread In The Bread Makers
Yeast Bread Baking Instructions: For best results always use fast rising yeast in your cake mix. Unlike conventional yeast, fast rising yeast is not temperature sensitive and can be added directly to the dry ingredients without first being dissolved in water.
6. How To Program Your Bread Makers
With five separate programmes to choose from you have a wide variety of options when it comes to baking bread at home. Each programme provides settings for crust colour (light or dark), loaf size, type of bread (basic white, whole wheat, sweet dough) and delay timer that allows your bread machine to start its cycle automatically up to 24 hours before the time you want it done.
Since this function only allows users one setting per baking cycle; changing the crust colour during a single programme will set all of them for that particular batch of dough – including time and loaf size settings.
7. How to Use Bread Maker as a Food Processor
If you’re looking for a stand-alone food processor then you may be disappointed with your bread maker’s performance, but if what you need is an easy way to grind nuts, chop vegetables or make baby food, a bread maker will do the job just fine.
It’s not well suited for larger quantities but thanks to its small capacity it can be used in combination with other kitchen appliances such as blenders or food processors to complete your processing needs.
Plus, when making doughs that stay in the mixing bowl there’s no hassle of transferring batches from one appliance to another – simply use the platter side and remove when done – working times are cut down significantly which can save you time and effort.
8. How to Use a Bread Maker for Pizza Dough
When used in the dough mode, your bread machine can also be employed as a kitchen aid for making pizzas at home with just a few simple steps: Prepare the dough according to manufacturer’s instructions (about 10 minutes).
Punch it down after mixing and divide into two equal portions if you are planning on using 2 separate pizza bases or into four equal parts if making smaller individual-sized pizzas.
Place one ball of dough in each corner of the baking pan – leave about 1″ of space between them so that they have room to rise Bake for 8 minutes Set time delay function to complete at end of cooking cycle Pause and unplug the unit for about 5 minutes to allow it to cool down before removing pizzas – be careful not to touch hot baking pan or you may burn yourself.
9. How To Make Jam in a Bread Makers
The bread maker’s delay timer allows users up to 24 hours of flexibility when it comes to baking their favourite homemade jams. Simply set the programme and start the mixing cycle, place your fresh fruit into the bowl, then simply leave everything in there until ready for use.
The machine will stop automatically once the contents are fully cooked and ready for storage at room temperature. If you don’t require any delay timer function then simply remove from your recipe booklet as it only consumes energy even if not used which can shorten the lifespan of your appliance over time.
10. How to Use Bread Maker as a Slow Cooker
Since your bread maker doubles perfectly as a slow cooker, you’ll never have to worry about waiting for mealtime or heating up the house with an oven again. Simply prepare meat and vegetables and place everything inside the pre-heated bowl before setting the timer (in this case set it for 5 hours).
The machine will automatically stop once the time is reached regardless if your food items are still undercooked – use wooden spoons in order to avoid scratching nonstick surfaces and be sure to remove all ingredients before washing as they could damage stainless steel inner bowl over time.
Common Mistake When Using Bread Makers
There are many bread maker manuals inside the box, but most of them do not break it down step by step on how to use a machine. This is why some bakers have ended up making common mistakes when preparing doughs with their bread makers which they could have easily avoided:
1. Under cooked ingredients
If you have ever had troubles cooking traditional meals in your oven or microwave before then this will be second nature for you to understand what I am about to say next. Always read and follow the instructions carefully in order to avoid overcooking ingredients – better undercooked than overbaked!
Remember that bread makers come with delay timer function which allows you to set cook-time as early as 24 hours ahead from preparation time. This means that even if your food items are not ready then just turn the machine on and go back to sleep. When the machine stops running, everything inside will be cooked – yummy!
2. Not using ingredients properly
Another common mistake is people who forget about adding vital ingredients in order to make a nice loaf of bread or dessert concoction; especially those who just want to experiment and play around without reading at least one sentence about how things work first.
Without sufficient amount of liquid such as water or milk, there will be no doughs so consider this before making any adjustments by yourself. Now I don’t mean adding extra ingredients such as butter, sugar or even cinnamon inside – it’s ok to experiment but just make sure you know what your doing.
3. Waiting too long before checking the ingredients; risking over-proofing which can wreak havoc on doughs
Always take a peek at the machine every 15 minutes and check the texture of ingredients. You will notice that the dough is still soft when first placed in bread maker bowl but after a short time, it forms into a stretchable elastic ball rather than an unyielding mass.
If you start feeling impatient during this process then try using one of those plastic ready-made bread pan instead of waiting longer for perfect results. There are some people who complain about their machines being broken because they tried baking breads outside of the corresponding pan that came with their machine – don’t be like them!
4. Using a non-stick pan made for frying eggs instead of using the one provided inside your box set
According to KitchenAid, do not use any other kind of bowl but theirs which will incur damages. This is why such a huge number of people are frustrated over this issue because there are some real fools out there who try to save money by simply replacing ONE ingredient from inside their bread maker’s package; and making excuses afterwards when every single thing in your kitchen starts burning down.
If you really want to save money then just get a new cheap bread maker and leave the old one at home collecting dust as what I did with mine.
5. Using the wrong-sized pan which can cause a serious malfunction, or worse – damage your machine
It’s important to remember that different bread maker models use different size of pans for optimum results. While some may use 7″x3″ in others it is 6.5″x3″. This is why you should check out first what size you need before even starting to read reviews about certain machines; otherwise there will be no way for you to use them (You will end up buying new ones anyway so there is nothing to worry about).
Remember that after all this time, our brains still tend to forget things easily so just make sure you always double-check these small details and everything else should fall into place!
6. Forgetting to set the timer
One of the most common and yet fatal mistakes you can make is forgetting to set your bread’s baking timer. This results in overcooking which is very bad for health as it causes issues that are almost impossible to cure.
Remember that bread makers tend to stop working by themselves after pre-defined time periods and always have a safety-timer built inside; so if you don’t want a burnt loaf then try setting the timer beforehand instead of doing this mistake again.
I know there are those who just love watching TV or sleeping when they get home from work but please read at least one sentence about what you’re going to do before doing it – no one likes wasting food or money!
7. Using other ingredients than what the recipe states
Since there are so many other recipes out there on how to use bread makers, it’s important that you check their ingredients and directions before placing anything inside. I’ve seen people complaining about burnt breads because they just mixed in extra things like butter or sugar without knowing that is not part of the recipe, and again – once burned, twice shy!
It’s very bad if your family ends up finding out about this kind of thing because trust me – they will never let you live again (I’m being serious!). Always follow instructions provided by manufacturers although feel free to try experimenting a bit after some time but first ask yourself “why am I wasting money instead of saving?”
8. Not using enough liquid to mix with the flour
This is one of the most common mistakes I’ve seen posted by a lot of people who are new to making their own bread. If you’re using a bread maker then it’s really important that you read the manual first and pay attention to these small details; because not enough liquid will result in burnt or uncooked dough, which is pretty bad for your health – not only it will smell awful but it may also cause some serious allergic reactions if consumed too soon.
Remember that even if you live in a tropical country where there is always rain outside, using refrigerated milk or water is still the best thing for doing this since they are more “fluid” than any other liquid out there. Always follow manufacturers’ instructions; otherwise you will end up wasting time and money!
9. Using the wrong kind of milk
I usually love reading about different bread machine recipes that use something else than just plain water, although some people didn’t look at the recipe first so they complained that their breads weren’t done after a few hours in the oven.
Some types of recipes require for you to mix in condensed milk or evaporated milk with water, while others require only water or milk for best results; so make sure you read instructions first and understand what each one is trying to tell you before even thinking “this is too difficult!”
Just remember that if your family likes sweets then try adding condensed milk instead – it works wonders in making delicious white bread with nuts inside!
10. Using frozen fruits in the dough
I know there are a lot of people who like using fresh fruits and vegetables to do their bread machine recipes as I’ve seen them asking others about how to use bread makers but when doing so, make sure you check for any directions on how long should the fruits or vegetables be thawed or if they have been pre-dried. Otherwise, your loaf will burn up with only half of it being cooked!
It’s pretty bad if you end up serving something like that because no one knows whether they’ve caught food poisoning from spoiled milk or not – it’s definitely never a nice feeling in anyone’s stomach especially when spending time making such great meals becomes a hassle instead of fun.
Conclusion
The bread maker is a great tool to help you create delicious and healthy loaves of bread. This article has provided some steps for using your machine, tips and tricks. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need more clarification on the process. We hope this helps clarify how best to use your new appliance!
