Experiment With Your Bread Machine to Make Variety Breads

A bread machine is a great little appliance that makes a nice addition to any kitchen. It's amazing that someone figured out how to use the same pan for mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, providing a warm place to rise the dough, squeezing out the gas in between dough risings, and finally baking the bread. The process is totally automated and for many recipes can be put on a time delay so that bread comes out of the hot oven when you are ready to eat it.

Bread produced by a bread machine is a little different from the store-bought sliced bread. The main difference is the texture. Bread produced by a bread machine has a coarser texture when compared to a slice of bread produced commercially. The crust may be firmer or darker depending on the bread cycle used and the amount of certain ingredients used in the bread.

Bread Pan

Sugar as an ingredient in bread gives browning to the crust and color to the loaf and it improves the taste. Try substituting honey or molasses for the sugar in your recipe for a more natural bread. Use equal amounts, so if your recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of sugar use 1 tablespoon of honey or molasses instead.

The kinds of bread that a bread machine can make are as varied as your imagination. The basic white bread is a standard on which variations can be built. Many bread makers will sound out an audible alarm to alert you that now is the time to add your special ingredients so they can be incorporated into the dough before the last rise and bake.

Add any kind of "trail mix" ingredient that you like a couple minutes before the kneading cycle is complete. Raisins, sesame seeds, millet, crushed walnuts, pecan bits, chopped dried apricots, sunflower seeds, or any other favorite ingredient can be added to the bread dough. Try at first a quarter cup of your special ingredient for a regular-sized loaf or half a cup for a large loaf.

Another easy substitution to make is one egg for 1/8 cup of the liquid called for in your recipe. Eggs add softness to the bread and give it a wonderful aroma and flavor.

Recipes may call for applesauce, peanut butter, cottage cheese, or canned pumpkin for a totally different taste. Flavored breads make for wonderful toast, especially with a dollop of jam or cheese.

Experiment With Your Bread Machine to Make Variety Breads

Naomi Gallagher is a writer and a fantastic cook with a love for machines that help her make the most of her time in the kitchen. Making homemade bread has become one of her specialties. Learn more by visiting her sites where she likes to write about making bread and cooking great food: http://carouselspicerack.com/ and http://sunbeambreadmachine.com/.

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