More than 30 years have passed since the first bread machine appeared in the home kitchen. Many housewives managed to appreciate the merits of this device. Problems with use do not arise when there is instructions for use on hand. And what if the bread machine was bought from hand, or received by inheritance (as a gift) without a maintenance memo? Or was it lost? There is no need to hide such a practical and convenient household appliance on a shelf. You can cope with a bread machine without a manual printed on paper, the main thing is not to be afraid and approach the matter thoroughly.
Using a bread machine in everyday life
Today, there are innumerable models of electric bread makers. But their design and production algorithm are not much different. Therefore, the algorithm for studying the "unknown" home appliance will look the same.
Familiarization with the model
The first step is to visually examine the instrument. Any bread machine consists of three main elements:
- Housing with cover and control panel;
- Form for baking;
- Removable spatula for mixing.
Make sure that all parts are present and that they are not damaged. Shape and spatula are removable parts. The spatula, as a rule, is simply put on the shaft located at the bottom of the baking bowl. The mold can be removed / inserted into the housing in different ways, so you should first try. You may have to crank it, or detach the clips, or just pull with some effort.
Determining the volume of the bowl
How many products can be loaded into the bread machine, and how much bread will turn out depends on the volume of the form:
- With a bowl capacity of 3 liters of water, a loaf weighing up to 0.9 kg will be obtained .;
- With a volume of 2.5 liters. - 0.5-0.7 kg.;
- If the capacity of the form is less than 2.5 liters, then the bread will weigh up to half a kilogram.
To find out the volume of the baking bucket is quite simple. It is necessary to take a vessel of known displacement (a jar, a glass, a measuring container) and fill it with water. Pour the liquid into the bowl and repeat the procedure until the mold is completely filled. In this case, it is necessary to calculate the amount of poured water.
Important! In the future, choosing a baking recipe, you will need to focus on the volume of the bowl. Exceeding the capacity may cause damage to the bread maker.
Learning Settings and Management
The next step is familiarization with the management. Modern models, in addition to a set of buttons, most likely will have a display that reflects the choice of the program and its progress. And on older samples, control will be carried out by standard functions: Start / Stop, Menu, Crust color (not always present), Timer. The Menu button selects the work program for which cooking will take place. Their number will depend on the specific model (Bread, Main, Special, French, Fast, Dough, Cupcake, etc.). Using the Timer function, you can set the start time for turning on the bread machine. So, having loaded the ingredients in the evening, you can get a loaf of hot bread right for breakfast. The timer is set after selecting the work program.
Ingredient preparation
To bake ordinary bread you will need:
- Yeast - use only dry yeast, the packaging of which has the inscription "Fast-acting". For 0.5 kg of flour, 2 teaspoons are taken;
- Flour is the main ingredient on which the quality of the final product largely depends. For a bread machine, a baking variety made from durum wheat and containing a lot of gluten is best;
- Salt is a necessary component that improves the taste of bread. On average, take 2 teaspoons per 0.5 kg of flour;
- Sugar - gives baking softness and is involved in the fermentation of yeast. Instead, you can use honey or other sweeteners. For ordinary bread, sugar is taken at the rate of 1.5-2 tablespoons per 0.5 kg of flour. Naturally, it will take more to bake it;
- Fats - use butter, margarine, chicken, pork or vegetable fat. It will not allow pastries to stick to the form, and aroma and taste will acquire a special shade;
- Liquid - mainly use water, but you can use milk, yogurt, whey. It is recommended to use about 220 ml of liquid per 0.5 kg of flour.
Important! All ingredients must be fresh and warm (at least room temperature).
Ingredient placement
There are two ways to bookmark ingredients. In some models, first you need to put the yeast in the bowl, then pour the flour and carefully pour the liquid on it and add the remaining components. Less commonly used is the second method, when liquid is poured onto the bottom, and then flour is poured. Yeast and everything else are laid out on it. But no matter what method is used, there is a single rule - yeast should not be in contact with water. This is especially important for baking with a delayed start.
Depending on the recipe, there may be another order of loading the ingredients in the bread machine.
Procedure
Before laying the components in the mold, make sure that it is absolutely clean and that the mixing spatula is in place. The filled bowl is put in place and the lid is closed. The baking program is selected, the degree of frying of the crust and the start is pressed (or the timer is set). While the kneading process is in progress, the bread machine can be opened by controlling the consistency of the dough. If necessary, flour or liquid can be added. And if the recipe involves the presence of special components (raisins, dried apricots, nuts, etc.), then it is also better to put them with stirring. The machine will sound the end of the test production phase with a sound signal and the baking process will start. Do not lift the cover at this time. The stove will also inform about the readiness of bread by a buzzer. Now it can be opened and the form taken out.
Important! Follow safety rules - take out the bowl only in kitchen gloves, do not lean low over the open bread maker and do not lean on it. By following these simple rules, burns can be avoided.
Turning the bowl over and shaking it lightly, remove the bread. If necessary, you can lightly knock on a wooden board. It is important not to forget to get a spatula. After cooling down, delicious homemade bread is ready to eat. Now it remains to tidy the bread machine - wash, wipe dry and remove until next use. This is only necessary when the device has completely cooled down.
Common baking problems, methods for solving them
Most often, housewives complain that the bread does not rise. There may be several reasons for this: stale yeast, improper choice of a work program, lack of sugar in the bookmark. A small amount of oxygen in the flour can also reduce the splendor of the dough, so it must be sieved before baking.
It happens that the dough fits well, and then falls off and the bread turns out tasteless. This can happen due to the fact that the bread maker was placed in a draft or in a cold room. Do not "keep in shape" too thin a batter. Next time you need to make changes to the recipe and add flour.
If the dough is not baked, it means that the volume of the ingredients does not correspond to the capacity of the bowl or the lid of the device was not closed tightly. Too large a set of additional components (especially fat-containing ones - nuts, cream, butter) can also cause a similar problem. Conversely, with insufficient fat, the bread will turn out to be too dry.
In custody
A bread machine is a necessary technique and not very difficult to use. What hostess does not want to please her loved ones with freshly baked bread, fragrant muffin or an original muffin. And everyone, the main desire and serious mood, will be able to deal with the management.
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