Kitchen

[Sooner]

If your machine does not have an element in the top as well as the bottom, it is difficult to get a loaf with a browned top.

The higher the protein content of the flour the more precise it seems the measurements have to be.  We have had better luck weighing the flour.  Bread machine dough can be wetter than what you would knead by hand--it is part of what makes a good loaf.

We never had luck with ALL whole wheat bread until we got a Zo Maestro and it makes wonderful wheat bread even on the quick setting.

We also make "mixes" in small sealed containers and keep them around for a couple of weeks so we don't have to measure each time.  We put in all dry ingredients EXCEPT the yeast.  

We use SAF instant yeast and we keep it in the freezer until we use it.  We don't let it come to room temperature--that will happen as it gets mixed in the initial kneading in the machine.  We don't use out of date yeast, and what we buy from KAF is better than those little packets they sell in the store. 

It's good to peek in the machine during the initial kneading to make sure you have anough liquid, or not too much.  

We've used bread machine since1992 consistently.  Some have turned out better loaves than others.  The first Maestro we got wouldn't make a good loaf of white bread, but we exchanged it and this one works like a champ! 

But if you want a really brown top, the most efficient way to get it might be to make dough and bake in a pan in the oven, or make sure your machine has an element in both the top and bottom.

HTH!!!!

[ScrapHappy]

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@gulf coast girl wrote:

I have the big Zojirushi bread machine, I bought it here from qvc 4 years ago. It has always worked fine, I mainly use it for donut or pizza dough, very rarely do I make bread. Anyway the other day I made the following recipe and had it on "basic" with "dark" chosen for the crust color. And it had no color at all, it was the color of cream.

Into the machine I put:

1 1/3 c water

4 1/4 c all purpose flour

4 T sugar

2 T powdered milk

2 t salt

2 1/2 T soft butter

2 t yeast

When it beeped that it was done it was pasty white, no color at all. Can you give me any advice so the next time it actually turns out looking edible. Thanks

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Does your bread machine specify to put ingredients in a specific order?  I know my does.  First it's water, unsalted butter, sugar, salt, flour, nonfat dry milk then last is  yeast.  That may have something to do with it.