Bread Machine (13 page)

There are two Timer buttons, one ascending and one descending. Each push of the button will increase or decrease the amount of time programmed by a certain interval, 10 minutes or 20 minutes, for example. Continue pressing the ascending Timer button until you see the amount of time you want displayed on the screen, 9 hours. (Continually pressing a button will cause the increments to register very quickly, like when you set your bedside digital clock.) If you press the ascending button too many times, you can correct the time by pressing the descending Timer button, which will subtract time. When you finish, the display should read 9:00, or 9 hours, which includes the time for mixing, rising, and baking the bread.

Press the On or Start button to begin the Timer. The colon (:) on the screen will flash to indicate that the Delay Timer is in progress. You can look at the display any time of the day and see the countdown. Clean up the work area. If you have made a mistake or decide to bake the bread at a different time, press and hold Stop/Reset. This will clear everything that you have programmed, and you can start all over again.

Set a cooling rack on the counter. When the baking cycle ends, the machine will automatically go into a Keep Warm/Cool Down phase in case you can’t remove the bread from the pan immediately.
     When you are ready to remove the bread from the pan, press Stop and unplug the machine. Carefully open the lid. Using heavy oven mitts to hold the handle, remove the pan by pulling it up and out of the hot machine. If your bread pan is thin, set it on the cooling rack and let it stand for 5 minutes to allow the bread to contract slightly from the sides of the pan before turning out the bread. Otherwise, remove the bread from the pan immediately by turning the pan upside down and shaking it a few times to release the loaf. Make sure the handle is out of the way so the loaf is not damaged by hitting it as it comes out of the pan. Check to see whether the kneading blade has come off the shaft and is still embedded in the loaf.

Place the loaf upright on the rack to cool to room temperature before slicing.

High-Altitude Baking

If you have tried to bake with a bread machine at altitudes over 3,000 feet above sea level, you will know that it can either go just as planned, or you can experience a lot of frustration making adjustments to try to get a nice loaf of bread from the bread machine. The higher you go, the more compressed the air is, so flour tends to dry out and will absorb more liquid. Store your flour in airtight plastic containers, in the refrigerator if possible. You will probably have to add a tablespoon or two more liquid when you check the dough ball. Consider adding on a third or even a fourth rising period if you are still having problems with the texture and your machine is capable of this type of programming.

Dough will usually rise more rapidly at higher altitudes. The higher you go, the faster the fermentation is. Leavening carbon dioxide gases are able to expand faster due to the thinner air, and rising time will decrease up to half. Compensate for this by reducing the sugar and yeast to slow the action of the yeast. This prevents over-rising and possible collapse of the dough, and gives the dough more time to develop the proper texture and flavor. Some people add a bit more salt, 10 to 25 percent, to control the yeast, rather than cutting back on the yeast. No temperature adjustment of liquids is necessary. Also, add some more gluten; it will give strength to the dough. If you are baking in the oven, temperatures should be increased by 25°F to compensate for faster rising in the oven and slower heating. Usually some combination of all these measures is necessary for producing a good loaf of bread.

The
chart
will serve as a guideline for these adjustments when making yeast, sourdough, or quick breads. Be sure to make notes on your recipes about the adjustments you make, for future reference.

What Can Go Wrong and How to Fix It

Knowing how to fix problems that arise is part of becoming a good baker. While every manufacturer’s pamphlet has an in-depth section devoted to the problems that are specific to their machine, there are a few problems that every bread machine baker will run into from time to time. I find it helpful to have a short list to quickly refer to when a loaf comes out looking different than expected and I want to find out why. This is when you get to play with the chemistry of baking. Remember that these problems are seldom caused by machine malfunctions. Usually simple adjustments can be made to fix them. Here is a list of the most common problems I have encountered, with a number of possible causes and solutions listed for each. If I encounter the problem with a certain recipe, I often note the adjustment that solved it right on the recipe for future reference.

Shaggy, unmanageable dough ball:
Too much flour.

• This dough has too much flour, but you may be able to save it.
  Add liquid in increments until the dough ball is the right consistency.
  
• This dough may not be worth saving.
  Press Stop to cancel the program and discard the dough. Make the recipe over again from the beginning.
  
• This dough had too much flour.
  Next time you make it, hold back 2 to 3 tablespoons of the flour called for and add it slowly, only as needed, during the kneading.
  

Wet, slick dough:
Too much liquid or the dough was made on a humid day.

• The bread had too much liquid.
  Cut back the liquid in the recipe by 2 tablespoons.
  
• The bread was baked in hot, humid weather.
  Wait until a cooler, drier day to bake again.
  

Loaf is too dense:
Insufficient leavening for the mass of dough.

• Used all-purpose flour instead of high-gluten bread flour.
  Try using bread flour next time.
  
• Used too much of a dark spice, such as ground cinnamon, that inhibits the yeast.
  Next time cut back on the amount of
  dark spices
  used. See for more information.
  
• Flour was packed too densely during measuring.
  Next time aerate your flour before measuring by stirring it with the handle of a wooden spoon or pouring it from a large spoon into the measuring cup.
  
• Loaf had a high percentage of whole grain flour.
  Next time add more gluten or use some bread flour.
  
• Too many added ingredients, such as nuts, dried fruit, or cheese.
  Next time cut back on the amount of these ingredients.
  
• Ingredients were too cold when they were mixed.
  Allow ingredients to come to room temperature before putting them in the bread pan.
  
• If you are not sure what caused the dense loaf:
  Add 1 to 2 teaspoons more gluten
  or
  add 12 to 1 teaspoon more yeast
  or
  add 2 tablespoons more liquid next time you bake the bread.
  

Pale loaf:
The bread is underbaked.

• The loaf needs more baking time.
  Clear the cycle and program for the Bake Only cycle. Select a temperature between 325° and 350°F, and select the amount of extra time, 5 to 15 minutes.
  Or
  , remove the loaf from the bread pan and place it in the oven, preheated to 325° or 350°F, until the bread is finished baking.
  

Sunken top:
Known as crater bread, this happens when there is too much liquid in the recipe, making the dough overly heavy for the amount of leavening.

• The loaf needed more flour.
  Increase the flour in increments from 2 to 6 tablespoons next time you make this bread.
  
• There was too much sugar in the loaf.
  Next time cut back.
  
• You are baking at a high altitude.
  You will need to reduce the sugar and yeast a bit, add a bit more salt, add some more gluten,
  or
  try a combination of these measures. See for more information about
  high altitude baking
  .
  
• You forgot to add the salt.
  This important ingredient regulates the yeast; try the recipe again, adding the amount of salt called for.
  
• Loaf is over-risen.
  Next time use the Quick Yeast Bread cycle.
  
• The loaf needed more gluten.
  Next time add more gluten to help the loaf hold its shape.
  
• The loaf was left in the machine too long on the Keep Warm part of the cycle.
  Next time remove the loaf from the machine as soon as the beep sounds that the baking has ended.
  
• The loaf had too much yeast.
  Next time decrease the yeast by
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  teaspoon.
  

Collapsed top and sides:
Too much yeast working too fast, and too much liquid.