If you have never made bread, are new to baking in general, or simply don’t have the time to make bread by hand, using a bread machine could be an easy way to make delicious home-baked loaves. You could even wake up to the smell of a freshly bakedWhite Bread Machine LoaforWholemeal Bread Machine Loafby choosing the timer option. Once you gain confidence and get to know your machine, you can experiment with different flours to make aWholemeal Spelt Bread Machine Loaf,Malthouse Machine Bread Loafor perhaps aWhite Rye Bread Machine Loaf.
Our top tips for using a bread machine are;
- Follow your bread machine manufacturer’s instructions about the order in which the ingredients should be added to the pan.
- Be precise when measuring your ingredients. An easy way to do this is by putting the machine pan onto your scales, then weigh ingredients as you add them.
- When the baking cycle is finished, remove the baking pan from the machine immediately to avoid condensation.
- Tip the bread out of the machine pan and remove the paddle before leaving your loaf to cool.
- For a softer crust, wrap your hot loaf in a clean tea towel and leave to cool.
- After baking, soak and rinse the machine pan in water only – avoid using detergent.
Bread machine capacity and loaf sizing
If you want to know the capacity of your bread machine, remove the bread pan, fill it with water, then pour the water into a measuring jug. Using the chart below you will be able to see the pan capacity, loaf size and the number of slices you can anticipate.
Checking bread machine pan sizes and volumes
| Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|
| 1.9lt pan volume* | 2.4lt pan volume* | 3.0lt pan volume* |
| 1½-2lb/700-900g loaf | 2-2½lb/900-1200g loaf | 2½-3lb/1200-1700g loaf |
| 8-10 slices | 12-14 slices | 14-16 slices |
Baking in a bread machine is usually pretty reliable but if you do have the odd challenge such as: the bread sticking in the machine pan, the loaf is soggy, the top of bread is uneven or lumpy, the loaf is heavy and dense, or there are unmixed ingredients at the side of the loaf, the below solutions might help you.
The bread stuck in the machine pan.
Possible Cause
- If the loaf cools with the paddle still inside, the paddle can prevent the loaf from coming out of the machine pan. For future bakes turn the loaf out when the program finishes.
- If the inside of your bread machine tin has a damaged surface, it can cause bread to stick. After future bakes only use water to soak and rinse the pan and avoid using detergent or washing it in the dishwasher. If the machine pan is very damaged you could consider replacing it.
How to rescue bread stuck in a bread machine
If the bread is still warm, invert the machine pan, leave it upside down for 10 minutes to encourage condensation around the paddle, then shake vigorously until the loaf slides out. If this does not work you could carefully slide a knife around the inside edges of the pan to loosen any areas that are stuck, then invert the pan and shake. Once your loaf is out of the pan, remove the paddles and leave the loaf to finish cooling.
The outside of the loaf is soggy.
Possible Cause
- Condensation can build up in a bread machine if it is not opened at the end of the baking program. If a loaf is left in the machine after baking it can absorb the moisture from the condensation and become soggy. For future bakes, remove the loaf at the end of the baking cycle.
How to rescue a loaf that is soggy
Tip the loaf out of the machine pan and leave it cool on a wire rack. If it is unacceptably soggy after cooling you could pop the loaf in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes or slice and toast the bread.
The top of the bread is uneven or lumpy.
Possible Cause
- An ingredient error such as too much flour, not using a strong flour, or too little liquid can affect the appearance of a loaf. For future bakes measure ingredients accurately.
- If the bread machine paddle was not fully engaged, or there was a power cut, the bread may not have mixed properly causing an uneven or lumpy loaf.
How to rescue a loaf when the top is uneven or lumpy
A lumpy or uneven surface can be normal for some breads made with wholemeal flours. Slice and enjoy your loaf, as it will taste great regardless with your favourite toppings and spreads.
The bread is dense and heavy.
Possible Cause
- Some wholemeal, rye and speciality flours will naturally produce bread with a close textured crumb. For a lighter option at your next bake, you could bake a wholemeal and white flour 50-50 bread machine loaf.
- If the bread machine pan is not fully engaged in the machine or the paddle is incorrectly seated in the bread pan, this can cause poor mixing of the ingredients and result in a dense loaf.
- An ingredient error such as too much flour or not using a strong flour can affect the rise and appearance of a loaf. For future bakes measure ingredients accurately.
- Condensation can build up in a bread machine if it is not opened at the end of the baking program. If a loaf is left in the machine after baking it can absorb the moisture from the condensation and become soggy. For future bakes, remove the loaf at the end of the baking cycle.
How to rescue a loaf that is dense and heavy
Tip the loaf out of the machine pan and leave it cool on a wire rack. As with most dense styles of bread, you will be able to cut and enjoy very thin slices with your favourite spreads and may enjoy it lightly toasted.
There are un-mixed ingredients on the side of the bread.
Possible Cause
- If the paddle is incorrectly seated in the bread pan and unable to rotate correctly, any ingredients that have not been incorporated in the dough will remain at the side of the finished loaf.
- An ingredient error such as too much flour or too little liquid can affect the ability of the machine to mix and form a dough properly. For future bakes measure ingredients accurately.
How to rescue a loaf with unmixed ingredients on the side of the bread
Turn the loaf out of the machine pan, scrape off any unmixed ingredients and remove the paddle if you can see it. Leave the loaf to cool on a wire rack, then slice and enjoy your bread, which may be best when toasted. As a disconnected paddle may be baked into the loaf, look out for it as you slice the loaf.
