Baking bread is more popular than ever. Even my previously carb-phobic boyfriend has taken up a nightly session with the oven. (I'm not complaining about being served warm cinnamon rolls during my evening Netflix binge.) And if you've had a bread machine sitting in the cupboard for ages, you might be tempted to break it out to easily make some fresh-baked, carby goodness. After all, the promise of set-it-and-forget-it fresh, crusty loaves is pretty appealing to even the non-bakers among us.
However, the first few times you use your bread machine, you might end up with a surprising result. Whether you accidentally bake a dense loaf that doesn't rise or an oddly-shaped lump, here are some of the common mistakes you might be making with your bread machine and how to fix them.
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Setting It and Forgetting It
I get it—the appeal of a bread maker is not having to fuss over your loaf. It's an appealing proposition to just throw in the ingredients and come back three hours later to perfect results. However, not checking on your bread along the way may cause you to miss some critical errors. Things like the brand of flour you choose and the altitude where you live can affect the way a recipe turns out, so you can't blindly trust formulas without a little investigation.
Don't worry about opening the bread machine mid-cooking cycle. Unlike doing so with a pressure cooker, you're not going to interrupt the process or risk exploding parts—in fact, it's critical to do so. Take a peek about 10 minutes into the dough kneading cycle to check the ratio of wet to dry ingredients. If your dough appears too wet or dry after five minutes of kneading, add more flour or water in 1 teaspoon increments until it forms a cohesive, smooth ball around the blade. An overly wet loaf will result in a sunken middle, and one that's too dry will yield a small, dense brick.
Not Accounting for the Ambient Temperature
The temperature and humidity level of the kitchen can make a big difference in the resulting loaf. If it's cold or drafty, your dough might take longer to proof properly. The bread machine is simply operating on a timer, so it can't know if your loaf didn't rise to double its size in the normally allocated time. It will continue on to the next stage of the cycle, resulting in a heavy, small loaf that's lacking flavor due to the yeast not developing fully.
On the flip side, if the room is hot or humid, the dough could rise too quickly, and you'll end up with a big dip in the middle.
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Not Reshaping the Loaf
If you've ever baked a loaf of bread that has the dreaded "ski slope" shaped top, this is probably where things went awry. And yes, it is another example of when to check on your loaf during the baking process.
Before the final rise (also referred to as the proofing stage), lift the lid and check that your dough is filling the pan evenly. If it's not looking loaf-like, take the dough out, reshape it, and put it back in to distribute it from end to end. Figuring out when the final rise is about to happen requires a little calculation. Most bread machines will tell you in the manual how many minutes each stage takes. Start your timer and be ready to interject right before the final rise, and get ready for picture-perfect, warm, crusty bread.
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Not Weighing Your Flour
Exact measurements are extremely important when making bread. Ever followed a bread machine recipe to a T and ended up with a disappointing loaf? You might have inadvertently used the wrong amounts of flour. Weighing your flour, rather than using cups, will help provide much more precise measurements. Not all recipes provide weight for flour measurements, but a quick search on the internet yields plenty that do. Weighing your flour will prevent the need for constant adjustment, checking, and trial and error.
Making Substitutions
Different flours have different levels of absorption, so when you swap out all-purpose flour for whole grain or another alternative, it's not always a 1:1 proposition. Make sure to use a recipe that utilizes the flour you have on hand until you get the hang of how the different flours behave. For example, whole wheat flour doesn't rise as high as white, but adding vital wheat gluten will give your dough an extra boost.
If you decide to substitute honey or maple syrup for granulated sugar (because honey wheat bread is always a good idea), remember that these ingredients need to count towards your liquid measurement to keep your dry to wet ratios intact. Same goes for using applesauce for butter or any of the other myriad substitutions you can make. It's fun to play around with different ingredients, but at the beginning, follow recipes that use those same components to avoid a loaf that falls flat.
FAQs
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.
What are the common mistakes in bread making? ›
The top mistakes you're making when you bake bread
- You're measuring incorrectly. ...
- Your yeast is old. ...
- You're using low-protein flour. ...
- You're using too much flour (or water) ...
- Your oven isn't hot enough.
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.
Why is my bread machine bread not rising enough? ›
Not enough yeast or old yeast may have been used. Please ensure that the measuring spoon provided is used and check the date on the packet. The liquid may have touched the yeast before kneading. Ensure that ingredients are added as per the recipe and that the water is carefully poured in last.
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.
What is the most common mistake in baking? ›
Using ingredients at the wrong temperature
One of the most common baking mistakes is using ingredients that are either too cold or too hot. Room-temperature ingredients are typically best for baking, so if your recipe calls for butter, eggs, or milk at room temperature, make sure to set them out ahead of time.
What are the common faults in bread making? ›
Common bread faults include poor volume control, poor shape, thick or thin crust, dense or open crumb, and off flavors. The causes of different faults are explained, such as too much or little yeast, salt, liquid, or improper fermentation/baking steps.
Why is my breadmaker bread so dense and heavy? ›
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. The bread machine works on a timer and hums along at its regular pace.
What is the best flour to use in a bread machine? ›
Be sure to use a flour made from hard wheat, which means it's high in protein, and therefore high in gluten. The gluten combines with water to form the elastic strands that trap carbon dioxide given off by yeast, allowing bread to rise.
Can I open my bread machine while baking? ›
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.
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?
How do you make bread rise the most? ›
But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.
Why is my bread not rising enough? ›
Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising. Dough that has expired yeast, too much salt, all-purpose or cake flour, or antifungal spices like cinnamon might have trouble rising.
What is one drawback of using a bread machine? ›
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.
Is it cheaper to buy bread or make it in a bread machine? ›
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.
Why don't they bake bread on Wednesday? ›
The color indicates the day of the week the bread was baked. Typically, commercial bread is baked and delivered to grocery stores five days a week. This gives bakeries two days off–Wednesdays and Sundays. The color system helps the store staff as they rotate in the freshest bread and remove the older loaves.
What's wrong with my homemade bread? ›
Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread – people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it. Other culprits can be overproving or not kneading enough – the things you need to do to get a good structure.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when making quick breads? ›
The 12 Most Common Bread Baking Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-flouring wet dough. ...
- Failing to keep notes. ...
- Ignoring the water factor. ...
- Always using commercial yeast. ...
- Doing everything in a standing mixer. ...
- Switching up flours willy-nilly. ...
- Too hot, or too cold. ...
- Being impatient.
If the bread has visible mold, it's best not to smell it in case its spores are harmful to inhale. If you don't see mold but notice a strange smell, it's still best to throw out the loaf (7, 8 , 9 ). Strange taste. If the bread doesn't taste right, it's probably safest to throw it away.
Why does my bread always fail? ›
If your bread stales quickly and is crumbly then you may have used too much yeast, the flour may not have the correct protein content or the length of time that you left the dough to prove for was either too long or too short.
