Of all the appliances you can buy, the bread maker is probably the most intimidating to most people. Whether it’s the unique programming or the use of a live ingredient like yeast, the bread maker can be a little scary and getting the best results can be a science.

Black & Decker is breaking down your bread maker to make it easy to understand, with this handy guide to getting the best out of your bread machine.

Measure Exactly
More than any other cooking technique, baking requires exact measurements. This is especially true with bread, where even a slight difference can affect the finished texture of your bread.

When you measure and place the ingredients in the bread pan, remember these tips:

• Always add ingredients into the bread pan in the order they are listed.
• To measure liquids, use a see-through measuring cup and check the measurement at eye level. The bottom of the curve should always be even with the line you are measuring to on the cup.
• When measuring dry ingredients, use standard dry measuring cups or measuring spoons. Place the dry ingredient in a bowl and scoop out with the cup or spoon. Level the measure off with a straight-edge of a knife or metal spatula.

Using the Right Yeast
For bread making, you always want to use active dry yeast or bread machine yeast. Yeast is stored in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. It keeps for a fair amount of time, but you cannot use yeast that’s past it’s date, because it’s no longer active.

The following test can be used to determine whether your yeast is stale and inactive:

1. Place ½ cup of lukewarm water into a small cup or bowl.
2. Stir ½ tsp. of sugar into the water then sprinkle 2 tsp. of yeast over the surface.
3. Place bowl or cup in a warm area and allow to sit for 10 minutes undisturbed.
4. The mixture should foam and produce a strong yeast aroma. If this does not occur, fresh yeast should be purchased.

Yeast is always added last. When you put it in the bread pan, make a small indentation in the top of the dry ingredients and add the yeast, so it doesn’t come into contact with the wet ingredients—this activates the yeast.

Other Tips for Getting the Best Results

• Use only fresh ingredients.
• Always use bread flours—never use all-purpose flour
• Use lukewarm water—not cold water.
• When recipes call for a “lightly floured surface,” use about 1 to 2 tablespoons flour on the surface. You may want to lightly flour your fingers or rolling pin for easy dough manipulation.
• Remember when making a Rapid Bake loaf that the bread will be denser than what you get from the regular bread setting.

Print PDF