Bread Machine Tips

List of Bread Machine Recipes

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