The bread machine is one modern invention that doesn’t get nearly as much credit as it deserves˳ In fact, compared to toasters, blenders and coffee makers, bread machines are the unsung heroes of kitchen appliances˳
It’s a real shame when you think about it˳ Good kitchen appliances are prized because they make life a little easier˳ And bread machines take one of the most time consuming, labor intensive things you can do in a kitchen-making bread-and makes it both fast and easy˳
There’s just nothing like eating a slice of warm, homemade bread fresh from the oven˳ And not only does homemade bread taste great, it also smells heavenly˳ In fact, the smell of bread baking in the oven can do anything from improve your mood to help sell your house˳
Most people would eat fresh, homemade bread every day if they could˳
So why don’t they?
For most, actually making the bread from scratch is the problem˳
If you’ve never tried making your own bread before, it can seem like a complex and mysterious process you’re too intimidated to tackle˳ And the truth is that making bread completely by hand, even if you’re using a simple recipe, really can be a challenge˳
If you’re an experienced bread maker, time might be the problem˳ Making a simple loaf of bread by hand can take several hours˳ If your life is as busy as most people’s, you probably just don’t have time to make homemade bread˳
That’s where the bread machine comes in˳ First of all, they’re fast˳ You can set up a machine to start making homemade bread in just minutes˳
Bread machines are also user-friendly˳ Even absolute beginners can turn out a beautiful and delicious loaf of bread with the help of a bread machine˳
Whether you’re an experienced baker or a newbie bread maker, there are countless reasons why you need a bread machine in your kitchen˳
The Advantages of Using a Bread Machine
Compared to making bread by hand, using a bread machine has several benefits˳
You Don’t Have To Do the Kneading˳ Kneading is the most arduous part of the bread making process˳ It’s tiring, tedious, and leaves you with sore arms and tense shoulders˳ Yes, it can be therapeutic˳ Pounding on a lump of bread dough is a good way to work out your frustrations˳ However, if you’ve had a lovely day and just want to make some bread as quickly as possible, let the machine do the kneading for you˳
There’s No Big Mess to Clean Up˳ Making a single loaf of bread can require the use of several bowls, pots, pans and utensils… all of which needs to be washed and put away˳
It’s also hard to make bread without ending up with flour all over your countertop and, more often than not, the floor˳ And that mess has to be cleaned up too˳
But you don’t have to worry about cleaning a big mess when you use a bread machine˳ All of the stuff that can create a mess takes place inside of the machine˳ So aside from the bread maker itself, all you’ll have to clean is a measuring cup or two˳
Worry Less About Making Mistakes˳ There are so many things that can go wrong when you make bread completely by hand˳ You might not knead the dough enough˳ Or you might knead the dough too much˳ Or you could make a mistake with the yeast, causing the dough not to rise properly˳ Any of these mishaps can result in a loaf of bread that’s hard, tough, and about as appetizing as a shoe leather˳
Luckily, using a bread machine makes bread making nearly fool proof˳ You don’t have to worry about how much to knead the dough, or whether or not the bread dough will rise˳ The machine takes care of all of that for you˳
Now that you know the advantages of using a bread machine, it’s time to pick one that’s right for you˳
How to Choose a Bread Machine
There are a lot of machines on the market˳ They come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, and can have a variety of features˳ So how do you decide which bread machine is right for you?
Ask yourself these questions˳
How Much Do You Want To Spend? There are cheap machines that can turn out a decent loaf of bread˳ However, they are usually pretty small, so you can only make small loaves˳ Cheap bread machines also tend to be lacking in features˳ Still, if you only want to make a small loaf of bread every week or so, a cheap machine might be all you need˳
How Much Homemade Bread Do Your Really Need? For some people, bread making is a hobby˳ They only make the occasional loaf of bread, usually when they find an interesting recipe they want to try˳ For these hobbyists, a machine that makes small loaves might be enough˳
For some people, bread making is a huge lifestyle change˳ For example, if you have a large family, and have decided to stop buying store-bought bread altogether, you’ll need a bigger machine˳ Look for a bread machine that can make at least a 1-pound loaf˳ You can even find larger machines that make 2-pound loaves˳
But keep this in mind˳ Homemade bread has no preservatives, and will go stale faster than store-bought bread˳ Will your family be able to eat a 2-pound loaf of bread before it goes stale? If not, stick with the 1-pound loaf bread machine˳
Do You Need a Machine with a Timer? Some bread machines come with delay timers, so you can set the bread maker to start at a certain time˳ Using a timer, you can set the machine to start while you’re asleep or out shopping˳ If you time it right, your bread can finish baking just as you arrive home from work˳ And what can be better after a hard day at work than a slice of warm, freshly-baked bread?
Getting the Most Out of Your Machine
Yes, bread machines are nearly fool-proof˳ But there are things you can do to get the best results possible from your machine˳
Choose Recipes Carefully˳ Not every recipe will work correctly in a bread maker˳ Fortunately, a quick Internet search is all it takes to find bread recipes that have been modified for use in bread makers˳
You can also find ready-made mixes especially made for bread machines˳ These mixes are convenient, affordable, and almost impossible to screw up˳
Don’t Leave Bread In the Machine for Too Long˳ Homemade bread is the best when it’s still warm˳ Some machines can keep bread warm long after it has finished baking˳ However, bread left in the machine for too long could end up being soggy, and not a lot of fun to eat˳
Make the Bread Easy To Remove˳ Thoroughly spray the inside of the machine with cooking spray before adding the ingredients˳ This will make the bread easier to remove after baking˳
Use Bread Machine Yeast… Always˳ Some recipes don’t specify the kind of yeast you should use˳ But, for the sake of convenience, use bread machine yeast whenever possible˳
Bread machines are a modern marvel that many people are just starting to discover˳ If you’ve never made bread from scratch before, a bread machine will have you turning out beautiful and delicious loaves of homemade bread in no time˳ If you’re an experienced baker, but just haven’t had time to make much bread from scratch, a bread machine will help you step back into the homemade bread making game with ease˳
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