Bread Machines – What Do They Do?
If you’re anything like me, then the idea of making your own bread sounds absolutely daunting. But I’ve found that it’s not as hard or time-consuming (or expensive!) than many people make it out to be!
If you ask us, the names of these devices are self-explanatory; however, there is still some interest in the procedure that goes into making bread and how a bread maker does it.
You may be wondering what the distinction is between hand-baking bread and using a machine to do it – of course, the fact that this is an automated procedure comes to mind first.
Yet, there are many questions that can be asked about bread machines. What they do, why they are good for you, and what the differences are between machines.
Maybe you’ve just purchased a bread machine, and you’re not sure what to do with it. Perhaps you’re new to this whole automated bread-making thing, as you’ve bought a bread machine, hopefully one of the best value bread machines, or you might be simply intrigued by the science behind it.
So, no need to search any further; you’ve arrived at the end of your tour – where all of your inquiries will be addressed and you’ll understand how bread machines operate and how they’re able to produce the most delicious bread you’ve ever tasted!
Bread Machines – Where Your Job Basically Ends
When you finish the first step in making bread using a bread machine, your work is completed. This is where all of your attention should be focused for the rest of the process to go smoothly.
The first step is to put all of the ingredients into the pan in the order specified by your machine’s manufacturer. If it’s a recipe that you’re using, make sure to follow it to a tee; do not try to change it up if you’re new to bread machine baking. The whole process will be thrown off balance, and your bread may not come out correctly.
Once all of the ingredients are in the bread pan, put it into the machine and close the lid. From this point forward, there’s nothing for you to do but wait. Depending on what recipe you’re using, your bread could take anywhere from an hour and a half to a few hours to cook.
When the timer goes off, remove the bread pan from the machine and allow it to cool for about thirty minutes before slicing into it.
Don’t worry, it’s not hard! It’s just like baking by hand. Follow the recipe and put in all the ingredients in your bread machine and you’ll get delicious bread.
Your ingredients will be mixed and kneaded
Of course, a bread machine can save you time and effort by eliminating the need to mix dough for bread.
After you have put salt, sugar, flour, yeast, water and fat in the bread machine – it is time for magic to happen!
The machine mixes the dough with its dough hook in less than 2 minutes. The machine then stops for about 10 to 15 minutes, so the dough can rest. This makes it develop its gluten.
You may recall those days when you were hand-making bread, after thorough beating and mixing of the ingredients, you’d allow it to rest in a bowl while you watched the dough expand. Those are far gone; there’s no need to wait any longer.
We talked about kneading too, right?
During the second stage, in which the hook continues to run for about six minutes after the dough has developed enough gluten, you’ll make a regular loaf of bread.
Bread Machines make your dough rise
Your cool new bread maker has a thermostat. It is really important to know what it does.
That is all this thermostat does. It only has to ensure that the dough inside the machine rises. In essence, it will gradually raise the temperature around the dough, allowing it to rise properly and in an appropriate amount of time.
As we previously stated, there will be no more idling for your loved bread. Simply set the machine to work.
Bread Machines help you bake
The bread machine will change itself to the baking mode once the thermostat has done its job and appropriately raises the dough. There is no need for any user action; it’s great, isn’t it?
But, the thermostat isn’t finished yet. When you’re ready to bake bread, it will turn on again and increase the temperature inside the machine. The second role of the thermostat in the process simply implies that your bread should be baked.
The baking time for a given machine is customizable, so you can choose the program that best suits your needs. The thermostat will shut down after your bread has fully broken, the bread machine will switch itself off, and – voila! – your bread is finished.
Now, you may leave your bread inside the machine to cool, but we recommend removing it as soon after the cycle has completed because leaving it in will cause the top of the bread to soften due to moisture buildup within.
We’ve covered up everything the machine does to bake the bread for you. However, there are still a few things to think about before leaving your machine unattended in the kitchen.
It’s essential to understand your machine in order to get acquainted with it and, of course, get to know it and how it works even better. The majority of them include pre-programmed settings such as White or Basic, Sweet, Quick, French, Dough, and Whole Wheat.
You’ll need to understand how each machine functions in order to correctly prepare the ingredients – and, eventually, clean it after you’re finished utilizing it.
There are even machines that include a Crust option! You may select whether your bread will have a Dark, Medium, or Light crust with it.
Final Thoughts
What a bread machine does is pretty straightforward: it bakes bread. While this information may be sufficient for some — it should not be enough for you, as you must understand how this device works in order to avoid any issues.
Knowing what every program of the machine does and when it performs certain activities will assist you in producing that ideal, delicious bread!
