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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.

  • Rhonda posted a SUPER kind comment on my Bread Machine French Bread page – “Bread dad recipes are the only ones I use. You get delicious breads, dough, pizza crusts, sweet bread and savory. Love this site. I am better in the kitchen because of his recipes. Thank you Bread Dad!“
  • Bradley made some awesome variations of my No Butter Oatmeal Cookies – “This is the perfect recipe! I know you say that it’s more of an “emergency” recipe for when you run out of butter, but honestly, the people I make these for PREFER them without the butter! I made a triple batch for our choir practice. One batch had chocolate chips, the second had craisins, and the third had butterscotch chips. They were gone in 2 hours!“
  • Linda had a nice suggestion on how to improve my Cranberry Banana Muffins – “Wonderful! I added chopped pecans. Added crunch and texture.“
  • Sab posted an amazing chocolaty & fruity variation of my 2 Banana Bread Recipe – “I always add frozen blueberries in addition to chocolate chips. This adds delicious moisture and a blueberry burst that is a consistent hit at my house!”
  • Dina left a wonderful upgrade to my Bread Machine Oatmeal Bread – “Love this recipe. I usually make a 1.5lb loaf. Besides the oatmeal I have added 1/4 cup-ish of sunflower seeds or 1/4 cup-ish of pumpkin seeds or a mixture of the 2…I live to add finely chopped dried cranberries along with the seeds and oatmeal…the kids don’t know they are eating healthy“

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. 

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