topic Re: Bread Machine in Kitchen

Bread Machine

Shiloh09 — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 02:58:10 GMT

I decided to take out the hand me down bread machine my sister gave me a number of years ago. I can no longer find packaged bread machine bread mixes so i thought i would make my own. I googled recipes and settled on one. The directions for the french bread were pretty much the same: add each recipe ingredient in the order the manufacturer states. Water goes in first, followed by flour, salt, sugar and yeast. i made a little well in the flour and added the yeast. What a 3.5 hour hot mess! The water and 1/2 the flour mixed and made a nice crust. However when i opened the lid after timer went off, the rest of the flour and all the yeast had not been mixed, much less kneaded. It is quite possible that the "bucket" was not seated properly. Regardless, my question is this: Does anyone know whether the yeast must be activated before adding to the flour? I am not a baker, but the directions for every recipe were as simple as what i outlined above....even in the owners manual! None of them said activate the yeast according to package directions. I am determined to get this right!

Re: Bread Machine

aroc3435 — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 03:38:44 GMT

@Shiloh09 I am not a baker of bread, but I believe @SharkE is, as well as some others. Hopefully some folks will read your post and give you great advice!

Maybe you can edit your post to let folks know what make and model of bread machine you are using. It might help them give you some guidance. My only amateur thought would be was your yeast fresh?

Re: Bread Machine

Nightowlz — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 03:45:35 GMT

All you have to do is put the ingredients in the machine as it specifies in the owners manual. That's what we do. Never had any problems. We use the machine to make the dough only.

The French Bread recipe we use it this.

3 c Bread Flour

1 1/2 t Salt

1 c water

2 t yeast

Re: Bread Machine

CAcableGirl2 — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:00:08 GMT

@Shiloh09 It sounds like the pan wasn't properly seated. Remember to have the liquid lukewarm (not too hot or cold), and the yeast and flour needs to be fresh, not old.

Good luck, I've had good luck with my bread machine, especially making dough for rolls, and cinnamon/raisin bread.

I'm sure the bread bakers on this site will offer their suggestions for types of flour, and other tips to make a perfect loaf of bread.

Re: Bread Machine

cactuschic — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:01:30 GMT

I don't think there is much in this world that smells as good as fresh bread baking and coffee brewing. I had one of the original bread makers from backin the mid-80s for a few years and while the bread came out the appropriate consistency and it tasted good, it always looked like a boulder. I gave up and eventually gave it away to save counter space. But it did make great tasting bread. I know the subsequent models produced loaves that actually looked like a loaf a bread, but by that time I had lost interest.

You may be able to good the users manual online and in the process get an online cookbook. You might also check Amazon for breadmaker mixes. They never cease to amaze me with the things they carry.

Re: Bread Machine

SharkE — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:23:17 GMT

never made french bread in a bread machine. I like a long loaf.

No, you don't have to activate yeast, just put in the 'well' of the flour

using finger make indention in all of the flour that's been added.

Re: Bread Machine

SharkE — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:28:01 GMT

sounds like you didn't have the 'spinners' in place what is it you call those

metal pieces that does the mixing, I forget. My 'Zo' machine has 2.

May have to buy a more current machine don't have to have a 'Zo' pricey machine, Cuisinart makes a good one. Bed & Bath has them

Re: Bread Machine

SharkE — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:29:29 GMT

King Arthur Flour website has good recipes too

Re: Bread Machine

janeec — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:32:09 GMT

Google the manufacturer of your bread machine. Have the model number handy. You can call the manufacturer and see if they have a recipe book for that model.

Next, the water should be slightly warm. You do not have to proof the yeast as the bread maker should warm up a bit, not anywhere near a baking temp, while it is mixing the dough.

Always check that the mixing blade and container are secure in the machine.

Once you get the hang of it, you will love it. Mine is from the early 2000's. I wore out an earlier one. The possiblities are endless.

Best of luck. Have lots of butter ready when it does work out. There is nothing better than fresh baked warm bread and butter.

Re: Bread Machine

denisemb — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:35:45 GMT

@Shiloh09

There is an online site called The Prepared Pantry that sells various bread machine mixes. Have used them in the past with success.

They also sell individual ingredients, other baked good mixes, kitchen tools and more.

Re: Bread Machine

ThinkOutsidetheBox — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:38:28 GMT

In my bread machine, the yeast always goes in last on top of the previously added and mounded up dry ingredients. The yeast should NOT go into any liquid that was added as part of the recipe. Also, they now sell bread machine yeast. I have no idea what is special about it as I have not purchased it, but it is probably stabilized in some way so that you do not have to be so darned careful about not getting it wet if you miss your dry pile of ingredients, or if the ingredients sit for a long while on a delayed start.

It can take some firmness to get the bread pot in the machine just right. Also, they usually go in in a specific direction, so read the manual carefully. Good luck and have fun! Bread machines are awesome!

Re: Bread Machine

Sooner — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:03:55 GMT

Buy an inexpensive instant read thermometer and check the water temperature. It shouldn't be too cold or hot or even too warm (over 115 to 120) or it might kill the yeast.

That's a common mistake. Bread machine yeast is usually also called instant yeast. Active dry yeast is used in some recipes though. The safest thing is read the directions for your particular machine!

But bread machines are wonderful and simple when you follow a few steps, using the kind of flour and yeast called for in a recipe.

Re: Bread Machine

Mz iMac — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:57:22 GMT

@Shiloh09Your post brought back some fond memories.

When my oldest was a toddler, I was "Little Miss Betty Crocker" when it came to making bread from scratch. I can still remember to this day the way the whole house smelled.

I did all kinds of breads. My specialty was "French bread."

I could only make bread from scratch when my oldest took a nap. To this day, I do not remember how I did that. I do not remember using a receipe. My MIL made everything from scratch. She must have taught me as she was the "yeast" expert.

Re: Bread Machine

HLP — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 12:52:58 GMT

@Shiloh09 wrote:
I decided to take out the hand me down bread machine my sister gave me a number of years ago. I can no longer find packaged bread machine bread mixes so i thought i would make my own. I googled recipes and settled on one. The directions for the french bread were pretty much the same: add each recipe ingredient in the order the manufacturer states. Water goes in first, followed by flour, salt, sugar and yeast. i made a little well in the flour and added the yeast. What a 3.5 hour hot mess! The water and 1/2 the flour mixed and made a nice crust. However when i opened the lid after timer went off, the rest of the flour and all the yeast had not been mixed, much less kneaded. It is quite possible that the "bucket" was not seated properly. Regardless, my question is this: Does anyone know whether the yeast must be activated before adding to the flour? I am not a baker, but the directions for every recipe were as simple as what i outlined above....even in the owners manual! None of them said activate the yeast according to package directions. I am determined to get this right!

No. You don't activate the yeast. Sounds like you have a lemon.

Re: Bread Machine

HLP — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 13:09:31 GMT

@CAcableGirl2 wrote:
@Shiloh09 It sounds like the pan wasn't properly seated. Remember to have the liquid lukewarm (not too hot or cold), and the yeast and flour needs to be fresh, not old.

Good luck, I've had good luck with my bread machine, especially making dough for rolls, and cinnamon/raisin bread.

I'm sure the bread bakers on this site will offer their suggestions for types of flour, and other tips to make a perfect loaf of bread.

I have a Zojirushi bread maker, you do not heat the water for the yeast, the breadmaker does it before it starts. My recipe you use milk, not water, and I put it in the machine strait out of the refrigerator. When you are making the crusty bread, you use right out of the tap.Tell us what kind of a machine you have. Also was it shot ,the reason your sister gave it away. Ask her if it made good bread.

Re: Bread Machine

SharkE — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 14:16:01 GMT

Red Star makes a fast acting yeast that says "Ideal for bread machines"

only thing I use works great.and is fast you can use the 'Quick' cycle

think her problem was it wasn't mixing good.. think it was her blades that spin around and handle the flip flopping of the dough ball

Re: Bread Machine

Nightowlz — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 19:55:49 GMT

This is the only yeast I use.

Re: Bread Machine

Nightowlz — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 20:02:57 GMT

My previous bread machine you just put the yeast on top. Liquids always went in first with dry on top.

With the Panasonic machine I'm using now you put in dry ingredients first than wet. There is a yeast dispenser on the top of the lid. It drops in the bread machine about 20 mins after it's started.

Re: Bread Machine

Nightowlz — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 20:04:25 GMT

@SharkE wrote:
sounds like you didn't have the 'spinners' in place what is it you call those
metal pieces that does the mixing, I forget. My 'Zo' machine has 2.

May have to buy a more current machine don't have to have a 'Zo' pricey machine, Cuisinart makes a good one. Bed & Bath has them

@SharkE

They already have deals on some for Black Friday. It's a good time to buy one if you need it.

Re: Bread Machine

Daysdee — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 20:24:40 GMT

After I brought out a machine I hadn't used in year s it didn't work properly. I bought the mini Zo and love it. I haven't bought bread in 4 years (only rolls for Christmas). LIke someone said, maybe the pan wasn't seated correctly. Also, the yeast does go on top and can't sit in the water. The machine mixes it into the flour.