Christmas Presents for the Kitchen: 2010

[Anna N]

.....

You don't have to have a very big hole in the bottom of loaves baked in a bread machine.

Simply check the time and when the final "knead" has finished, pull the dough out of the pan, remove the mixing blade, reshape the dough so it is a bit neater and stuff it back in the pan. The shaft leaves only a small dimple in the bottom of the loaf.

I don't know why people are always surprised when I suggest this, I got my first bread machine back in the late 70s and that routine just made sense to me.

This is so interesting that I have hauled my breadmaker out and am now experimenting with this technique! Why wouldn't I have thought of this years ago! Brilliant, Andi.

[Kim D]

I got an Vacmaster VP210 Chamber Sealer.

I love it but can't quite figure out how I can vacuum package soups in it.

If I never figure that out, I will still think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

[cookingofjoy]

I don't know why people are always surprised when I suggest this, I got my first bread machine back in the late 70s and that routine just made sense to me.

Like others, that's a fantastic idea! And one I'd never heard of before, but I'm going to have to try!

I got a Chemex, a Messermeister bread knife and Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads. Looking forward to doing some baking!

[andiesenji]

If you check your bread machine manual you should find a page with the list of "programs"

for each type of bread. I have three in current use

Here is the times specified for the Sunbeam model 5891

As you can see, after the countdown is less that 1:55 that is the time to remove the paddle.

In the Panasonic SD-YD250 it is a full page of "bake options" with the cycle times.

I remove the paddle when the time has counted down to 1:50.

I can't find the book for the Zo but it is similar - the only difference is that the Zo has two paddles in the bottom.

Edited January 11, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[andiesenji]

Bumping this up as I just removed a baked loaf from my Sunbeam bread machine and I removed the paddle when the count-down timer was at 153.

Here is the way the loaf looks

a photo of the bottom

and a tight close up of the very small hole left by the shaft.

I twisted it a bit as I removed the hot loaf so a very small leaf of crust lifted up but it is still very small compared to the hole made when the paddle is left in while the loaf bakes.

[Kim Shook]

I got a Zoji breadmaker. It's perfect for my house, which is very cold. I don't think I'll bake the bread in it, but I won't have any more whimpering shivering dough sitting on the counter.

It is a capable dough-maker/riser, but a terrible baker.

Do follow your instincts and bake in the oven!!!

I got an inexpensive Black & Decker bread maker and I love it. It's being used primarily for dough making -- I don't like the big brown cube with a hole in the bottom.

You don't have to have a very big hole in the bottom of loaves baked in a bread machine.

Simply check the time and when the final "knead" has finished, pull the dough out of the pan, remove the mixing blade, reshape the dough so it is a bit neater and stuff it back in the pan. The shaft leaves only a small dimple in the bottom of the loaf.

I don't know why people are always surprised when I suggest this, I got my first bread machine back in the late 70s and that routine just made sense to me.

Brilliant! I never thought of doing this! Thanks for the tip!

[Anna N]

Bumping this up as I just removed a baked loaf from my Sunbeam bread machine and I removed the paddle when the count-down timer was at 153.

....

I also tried this trick with my Zo and it worked brilliantly but I was still left with this very odd-shaped "loaf" which still acts to persuade me that there are better ways to make bread! I think the machine is great for kneading but prefer the more traditional shape I can get in the oven......................... unless Andie has a solution for this too!

[andiesenji]

I don't care about loaf shape when I am baking bread that is to be used in a dish where the shape is unimportant.

This is a vegetable herb bread that has been cut into chunks and which will shortly be lightly toasted and incorporated into a savory bread pudding.

I also often just cut all the crusts off and square up the bread before slicing if I am going to prepare sandwiches and I turn the crusts into crumbs and freeze them for later use, unless I am also making a dish that requires them.

Otherwise I let the machine go through all the steps up to the point where I would remove the paddle.

Then I pull the dough out of the machine, shape it into a boule or baguette or plop it into a regular loaf pan, let it rise and then bake it. With the 1 1/2 - 2 pound machines you can actually double the recipe size as the dough will not be baked and I have yet to have one that overflowed the pan while rising.

The double size is perfect for the long loaf pans and for the long pullman pans.

Edited January 23, 2011 by andiesenji (log)