Inflation Leads a New Generation to the Bread-Making Machine (Published 2023) (2024)

FAQs

Why are breadmakers no longer popular? ›

Some attribute the demise of the bread machine to the fact that cooks were just disappointed by their results. Lara Pizzorno, the author of Bread Machine Baking, chalked it up to food snobs who regarded the machine as “the electric equivalent of The Bridges of Madison County” in a 1996 article in The New York Times.

In 2022, U.S. sales of bread makers hit $42 million — 20 percent higher than the year before, said Joe Derochowski, the vice president and home industry adviser at the NPD Group, a market research firm. Since 2020, dollar sales have increased 131 percent, he said.

Place water, sugar, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. Add oil, flour, and salt to the yeast. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

Yeast is inactive in its dry form, but touch it with liquid and give it something to eat and it starts to work. That's why, in the bread machine, we make a practice of separating the yeast from the liquid with a barrier of flour.

One disadvantage of using a bread maker as opposed to your hands is that the paddles are typically fixed, meaning they remain in the dough when baking, often leaving a hole in the middle of the loaf. Whilst this is not the biggest hinderance, it can be an annoyance to those who aim for gold standard loaves.

Making bread from a machine is marginally cheaper than buying it, as long as you eat bread frequently enough to offset the cost of the appliance. Specifically, I see this as an investment that's smart for households that go through bread quickly, like large families or homes with multiple roommates.

VERSATILITY: Your bread maker will be able to create dough only-this allows you to shape your finished bread into buns, braids, etc. Some bread makers also have a “preserves” function where you can make jam. These are the only two things you can really do with a bread machine though.

Unlike many store packaged breads that contain unexpected chemicals or preservatives, a bread machine allows you to create healthier breads because you know exactly what you are putting into your homemade bread.

Types of Bread Makers

Vertical Bread Machines: When bread machines were first sold, they produced bread loaves that were tall and rectangular. These vertical bread machines are still popular today. They tend to be less expensive, have a smaller footprint (and smaller loaves), and are easier to store.

The Very Best: Instant Yeast

Always have and always will. The yeast of choice in most restaurant kitchens and commercial bakeries, it's easy and convenient. Ever seen a bread recipe that asks you to mix the yeast with warm liquid and allow it to bubble first before using?

What happens if you use regular yeast in a bread machine? ›

Bread machine yeast and rapid-rise yeast are specially formulated for the bread machine and become active more quickly than active dry yeast. You can use active dry yeast in your bread machine, but it should be dissolved in water before being used.

Active Dry Yeast is an ideal yeast to use for artisan breads or no knead breads that require a slower rise time. It's also the preferred type of yeast for those doughs that proof in the refrigerator for extended periods of time.

While bread flour is the best option, it can sometimes be used if you don't have bread flour. “Check the protein content,” advises Chef Jürgen, since it can vary from brand to brand, and an all-purpose flour that contains protein on the higher end of the range, 12 to 13 percent, will produce a better outcome.

Avoid opening the cover in the middle of the proofing period, especially if your kitchen is cold. You don't want any heat to escape, thus slowing down the dough's rise. Don't open the lid during the preheating and baking cycle if you use your machine to mix, knead, and bake. You don't want to lose heat.

Wetting the dough causes the surface to steam. Covering it traps the moisture. This partnership stops the bread from drying out on the surface in the hot air of the oven and forming a premature crust. Your bread rises more and produces a richer colour, becoming glossy on the surface.

Time saved: Baking bread can be an enjoyable experience, but if you can't spare the hours to manually knead, prove and mix your dough each time, a breadmaker can significantly speed up the process.

Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The author has described about the existence of time-old furnaces and their still burning fire.

And they're certainly optimized for that. But for any yeasted dough — from sandwich loaves, dinner rolls, and cinnamon buns, to focaccia dough, pizza dough, and pan-fried flatbreads — a bread machine is a reliable and useful tool.