For Christmas this year I received a breadmaker. I've never
used one before but it's an enclosed machine how can this go wrong? Well I did
manage to make bread so I was pretty excited about that but the bread came out
a bit undercooked my first try. I also managed to burn myself very badly... yes
you read that correctly. The lovely photo below is the burn after a few days of
healing with the help of Bio-Oil. I feel this photo properly showcases how
skilled and graceful I am in the kitchen. I’ll explain how this happened when
we get to that step. ;)
The breadmaker I’m using is the Black & Decker Deluxe 3-lb Breadmaker. http://bit.ly/1hkjVnV
This appliance is very quick and easy to use! The timing depends on the settings used; however, give yourself about 4 hours plus prep time. The bread usually takes around 3 ½ hours and then it should cool for at least 20 minutes.
There is a metal bucket in the machine that all the ingredients go into. Bread machine recipes are usually laid out in the order the ingredients should go into the bucket. Liquid on the bottom, followed by the dry ingredients with the active yeast on top. Be sure to check the expiry date on the active yeast! If your bread doesn’t rise it could be because your active yeast is too old or you didn't add enough. Once your active yeast is open it should be kept in the refrigerator.
Once you have all your ingredients added you can select the type of loaf (sweet, French, etc.) size of loaf you’re making 1.5lb, 2lb, or 3lb, as well as the crust colour. The recipe will tell you the size of loaf you’re making. There are two paddles in the bottom of the bucket that will stir everything up for you and knead your bread.
The first loaf I made was a 3lb cinnamon raisin pecan loaf. A three pound loaf is pretty dense and similar to eating a bagel. When you’re adding ingredients like raisins and pecans the machine will stop part way through the process and beep to let you know it’s time to add the remaining ingredients. This loaf was a bit undercooked and doughy. When your bread is undercooked like this it can mean that it didn’t rise sufficiently. When it was toasted for breakfast it was almost perfectly cooked.
The breadmaker I’m using is the Black & Decker Deluxe 3-lb Breadmaker. http://bit.ly/1hkjVnV
This appliance is very quick and easy to use! The timing depends on the settings used; however, give yourself about 4 hours plus prep time. The bread usually takes around 3 ½ hours and then it should cool for at least 20 minutes.
There is a metal bucket in the machine that all the ingredients go into. Bread machine recipes are usually laid out in the order the ingredients should go into the bucket. Liquid on the bottom, followed by the dry ingredients with the active yeast on top. Be sure to check the expiry date on the active yeast! If your bread doesn’t rise it could be because your active yeast is too old or you didn't add enough. Once your active yeast is open it should be kept in the refrigerator.
Once you have all your ingredients added you can select the type of loaf (sweet, French, etc.) size of loaf you’re making 1.5lb, 2lb, or 3lb, as well as the crust colour. The recipe will tell you the size of loaf you’re making. There are two paddles in the bottom of the bucket that will stir everything up for you and knead your bread.
The first loaf I made was a 3lb cinnamon raisin pecan loaf. A three pound loaf is pretty dense and similar to eating a bagel. When you’re adding ingredients like raisins and pecans the machine will stop part way through the process and beep to let you know it’s time to add the remaining ingredients. This loaf was a bit undercooked and doughy. When your bread is undercooked like this it can mean that it didn’t rise sufficiently. When it was toasted for breakfast it was almost perfectly cooked.
Here is the recipe from the Black & Decker book that came with
the breadmaker.
The second and third loafs I made were 1.5lb and 2lb French bread.
These were both very soft and fluffy on the inside and hard on the outside.
They both cooked perfectly. The second French loaf had one paddle stuck in it
when it came out. If this happens you need to wait until the bread cools before
you remove it. If the paddle does get stuck you’ll end up with a hole on one
side of the loaf. I used this part of the loaf for dipping in balsamic vinegar
and olive oil as it wasn’t going to work for toast or a sandwich.
For the French bread I used this recipe from Robin Hood http://bit.ly/JIUm1B. I used Rogers white bread machine flour. Yes, you should use flours specifically for bread machines!
When the loaf is done it will beep for you to take it out to cool. Use oven mitts to pull the bread bucket out with the handle and gently shake it upside down to get the bread out and onto a cooling rack. Sometimes it comes right out without any issues... other times you burn yourself or need to get a spatula in there. I burnt myself when I couldn’t get the bread out and for some reason decided to rest the burning hot metal against my chest as I got a better grip. I learned my lesson and I won’t do that again!
If you're not ready to buy a breadmaker but want to try your hand at making bread a cast iron dish is a great way to start. There are great sales on Lagostina cast iron bakeware right now at Canadian Tire! Check them out here: http://bit.ly/JIQqxF.
You can make the following no knead bread in cast iron bakeware / Dutch oven.
For the French bread I used this recipe from Robin Hood http://bit.ly/JIUm1B. I used Rogers white bread machine flour. Yes, you should use flours specifically for bread machines!
When the loaf is done it will beep for you to take it out to cool. Use oven mitts to pull the bread bucket out with the handle and gently shake it upside down to get the bread out and onto a cooling rack. Sometimes it comes right out without any issues... other times you burn yourself or need to get a spatula in there. I burnt myself when I couldn’t get the bread out and for some reason decided to rest the burning hot metal against my chest as I got a better grip. I learned my lesson and I won’t do that again!
If you're not ready to buy a breadmaker but want to try your hand at making bread a cast iron dish is a great way to start. There are great sales on Lagostina cast iron bakeware right now at Canadian Tire! Check them out here: http://bit.ly/JIQqxF.
You can make the following no knead bread in cast iron bakeware / Dutch oven.
No Knead Bread
Ingredients:
3 cups – flour
1/4 teaspoon – instant yeast
1 teaspoon – table salt
1-1/2 cups – lukewarm water
Directions:
Stir ingredients together
Cover with saran wrap
Let sit for 12 - 20 hours
Flour surface and make dough into a ball with wet hands
Move dough onto a floured towel
Cover for 2 hours
Preheat oven to 450 half an hour before you uncover dough
Bake covered for 30 minutes
Uncover and bake for 15 - 20 minutes
If you have any questions about making your first loaf of bread leave them in the comments below. Good luck with your bread baking and stay safe! ;)
Ingredients:
3 cups – flour
1/4 teaspoon – instant yeast
1 teaspoon – table salt
1-1/2 cups – lukewarm water
Directions:
Stir ingredients together
Cover with saran wrap
Let sit for 12 - 20 hours
Flour surface and make dough into a ball with wet hands
Move dough onto a floured towel
Cover for 2 hours
Preheat oven to 450 half an hour before you uncover dough
Bake covered for 30 minutes
Uncover and bake for 15 - 20 minutes
If you have any questions about making your first loaf of bread leave them in the comments below. Good luck with your bread baking and stay safe! ;)
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