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Bread Machine Tips

This section looks at common bread machine recipe issues & problems and how you can resolve them. If you have any great bread machine tips, please contact us and we will add them to this list.

These bread machine tips should be used when you are making various breads from Bread Dad’s Bread Machine Recipes section. This page may have Amazon affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, we make a small commission if you buy products via any affiliate links below. Thank you for your support!

Bread Machine Tips

  • Read The Instructions – Read the instructions that come with your bread machine!!!! Bread machines vary and have different settings. Familiarize yourself with your machine’s specific operating instructions before you start baking. This will allow you to operate your bread machine effectively and safely!!
  • Have Fun – Who cares if you mess up. Have fun & experiment. Try making a variety of different breads and see which ones that your family loves. Also try tweaking an existing recipe that you find on the internet or in your favorite cookbook. For example, if your family really enjoys a specific spice (i.e. rosemary), try adding it to a classic bread recipe (i.e. white bread, oatmeal bread or butter bread) in order to make that recipe even better!
  • Too Wet – If your bread mixture looks too wet (i.e. like soup), you should add more flour. Be safe – When the bread machine is plugged in, don’t place your fingers & hands inside the bread machine “bucket” (loaf pan) as they could be inured by the mixing paddle. Also wear oven mitts as the bread machine & loaf pan can get very hot.
  • Too Dry – If your bread mixture looks too dry (i.e. like a desert), you should add more liquid (i.e. milk or water). Be safe – When the bread machine is plugged in, don’t place your fingers & hands inside the bread machine “bucket” (loaf pan) as they could be inured by the mixing paddle. Also wear oven mitts as the bread machine & loaf pan can get very hot.
  • Fresh Ingredients – Always use the freshest ingredients because generic bottled store ingredients (i.e. bottled no-name dried spices) can be old and lose their flavor “strength”. Also it is often much better to use freshly cut ingredients (i.e. chives) from the store or your own garden versus dried store brand ingredients.
  • Cooling Racks – Place your hot finished bread on wire cooling racks in order to “cool down” and let moisture escape from the bread. Otherwise, your bread will have a soggy bottom.
  • Bread Collapse or Bread Crater – If your bread has collapsed (looks like a moon crater) at the end of the baking cycle, you used too much yeast (don’t guesstimate with yeast – try to follow a recipe’s yeast instructions exactly) or the mix was too wet (you might have to add more flour in the beginning in order to get the dough to the right consistency).
  • Room Temperature – If a room is too cold or hot, it can impact the rising of your bread. Ideally, the temperature in your kitchen should be around 70-80 degrees F.
  • Bread Machine “Hole” – The bread made from most bread machines will have a hole at the bottom of the bread due to the mixing paddle. Given that bread machines are so easy to use, I don’t mind this hole. However, for bread perfectionists who don’t want this hole, they will often remove the dough from the bread machine and finish baking the bread in their oven. For more information, you should read your bread machine instructions about the kneading only setting.
  • Be Safe – When the bread machine is plugged in, don’t place your hands inside the bread bucket (loaf pan) because your fingers & hand could be injured by the bread machine “propeller” (mixing paddle). In addition, you should wear good oven mitts because the bread machine bucket (loaf pan) and bread machine interior can become extremely hot when the bread is baking & when you take the finished bread out of the bread machine. Make sure to read the instructions from the manufacturer of your bread machine (before using the machine) so you can learn how to operate your bread machine safely and effectively.

Additional Bread Machine Tips from Other Websites

  • King Arthur Flour
  • Quaker Oats – Problem of Slow or No Rise (Yeast Breads)
  • Red Star Yeast – Bread Machine Tips

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I want to thank EVERYONE who leaves a comment in our recipe comment sections!! Beginners learn a lot from your tips & recipe variations. Below are some of our recent noteworthy visitor comments.

  • THarris posted some delicious ingredient additions to my Eggless Banana Bread Recipe – “Amazing,delish! Added orange rind, vanilla extract, cinnamon – all one tsp each. Used oil instead of butter.“
  • Jessica made some amazing chocolate chip bagels out of our Bread Machine Bagels recipe and kindly posted some very useful tips – “I experimented with the chocolate chips. So what I did was let the dough cool for a bit after the dough cycle, but before it started rising again was sectioned it into 8 pieces. I gently kneaded in a handful of chocolate chips into the individual pieces. I shaped my pieces into bagels. I was sure to fold in the chocolate chips so none of them were or exposed on the surface of the dough. I then boiled and baked each bagel. They came out perfect. Chocolate chips held up just fine. The bagels tasted great. I ate one immediately after they had baked, and then contemplated eating the whole batch. They were the perfect chewy consistency I was hoping for in a bagel.“
  • Dutch posted a wonderful oatmeal variation of my No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – “I reviewed these amazing cookies a few weeks ago, easily giving them five stars, and mentioned that I planned on trying them again with oatmeal. Today is my grandson’s birthday and when asked what he’d like me to make for him, without hesitation, he asked for Bread Dad’s cookies. Just finished making them… adding two cups of regular oats with the chocolate chips, and cutting them into the batter with a spatula. The results were perfect. The cookies had a bit more heft to them AND I got a few more… about 48. Again… I was religious about chilling the dough. Thanks again for the recipe!“
  • PattiAnn posted some great tips on how to make my Bread Machine Italian Bread Recipe in her Breville countertop oven. Please visit the comments section on the recipe page for more of her comment. – “I always use the proof funtion in winter as well as summer. This gives you a constant temp when proofing. Also, most of the time I will lay a piece of foil lightly over the loaf halfway through the baking process. This prevents over browning of the loaf. This happens because your loaf is in a more confined oven and closer to the heating elements.. I also bake in CI, Romatopf, bread bowls, all works. As long as it fits you can use it to bake in. I used an Italian bread pan to bake the Italian loaves.“
  • SamanthaH posted some great “end products” that use my Bread Machine French Bread. I am going to try out her pizza bread idea tonight! – “This bread has been a staple in our home for a couple years now! I make it and freeze so it’s available when needed. Makes amazing garlic bread, bruschetta, pizza bread, or on its own with butter. So impressed with the recipe and the minimal ingredients is a huge plus!!!“

For more visitor tips, recipe variations & humorous baking stories, please visit Bread Dad’s Noteworthy Visitor Comments page.

 

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By utilizing any of the recipes or information on this website, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions in our legal disclaimer.

Be safe when preparing, handling, consuming and storing food. Do not eat or taste raw dough or batter. Our recipes may contain common allergens such as dairy, eggs, wheat, tree nuts and/or peanuts. Always check for potential food allergies before serving food. Use caution with young children as all foods have a potential choking risk. 

Material on this website may not be copied or reproduced without the written approval of Bread Dad. All rights reserved. This website is copyright protected under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

 

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