This Bread Machine Dough Recipe Makes the BEST Homemade Bread! (2024)

FAQs

Do bread machines make good bread? ›

Because I was trying the machine with a money-saving mindset, I appreciated that I didn't have to buy any specialty ingredients to get consistent results. In terms of taste, the bread was good—very good—but not necessarily life-changing.

Too much heat or humidity might lead to a too-quick rise and a crevice near the center of your bread. Conditions that are too cold might delay proofing or rising, resulting in a super-dense loaf.

Homemade bread contains no chemicals, artificial additives, preservatives, or enzymes. These are often used in store-bought bread to make them stay fresher for longer and enhance the taste.

In a 2017 article for TASTE, Tatiana Bautista argued that a widespread fear of carbs during the late '90s and early '00s led to the bread machine's demise. The gluten-free movement probably didn't help either.

Bread Machine Drawbacks

Harder to create different shaped breads (i.e. long baguettes). Upfront cost of a bread machine. Homemade bread usually goes stale faster than store packaged brands (because store breads often contain chemical preservatives). Inability to make very large bread sizes.

The Very Best: Instant Yeast

Instant yeast is the only yeast I ever use in my baking. Always have and always will. The yeast of choice in most restaurant kitchens and commercial bakeries, it's easy and convenient.

If your bread has a sour, yeasty flavour and smells of alcohol then you have either used too much yeast.or you may have use stale yeast or creamed fresh yeast with sugar.

Too little liquid, and you'll get a hard, dense, poorly risen loaf; the gluten is tough and unable to expand. Too much liquid, and you'll get a loaf that rises, then collapses; the gluten has expanded and thinned too much.

If you're looking to ramp up the taste of your favorite bread recipe, we recommend adding a bit of fat. A fat like butter, olive oil or coconut oil in small quantities will help your bread achieve a higher rise and it will also boost its flavor by tenfold.

Is it cheaper to buy bread or make it in a bread machine? ›

Considering you can pick up a loaf of bread for as little as $2 from some supermarkets and bakeries (although artisan loaves and good-quality bread can cost much more), and that a breadmaker can cost between $60 and $300 upfront, using your breadmaker to bake just one loaf a week may not be worth the investment.

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.

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

To determine whether bread is of good quality, there are several factors and characteristics you can identify. For example the crust must be crisp and of a darker tone than the inside, a strong flavour and taste due to the flour, as well as a pleasant smell. What's also important is that the conservation is longer.

3. Healthier Options. Using a bread maker means you'll know exactly what you've put into your bread, unlike store-bought alternatives which can be pumped full of synthetic additives.

The short answer is yes, but there are some caveats. You will likely need to adjust your recipe to make sourdough bread in a bread machine, and the final product may not achieve that thick, crusty boule you're used to.

Mixing and Kneading

This feature is especially handy when making recipes like our Test Kitchen's favorite panettone. Bread makers will also knead the bread dough for you so it's just the right texture. It works the same way a dough hook does when you use a stand mixer to knead dough.