A bread maker is a household device designed for preparing dough and baking bread at home. Using this machine you can make both the most ordinary bread and a product with all kinds of additives. This useful household item is recommended:
- people who have difficulty buying bread due to work or irregular delivery;
- fans of healthy eating, because in this case there is 100% confidence in the quality of the product;
- those who know how to count money correctly and not spend it in supermarkets;
- professional housewives for whom losing half an hour of time to go to the bakery is an unaffordable luxury;
- entrepreneurs, because now any cafe wants to attract customers with its own baked goods.
There is no need to describe the advantages of fragrant, crispy, always fresh homemade bread; it’s better to tell you how a bread machine works and how to choose a good unit.
Unit design
The operating principle of any bread maker is quite simple. Standard device structure:
- main body plus heating elements, removable top cover with control display;
- flask or baking dish.
The latter is made of non-stick materials and has several blades for kneading dough. The blades are installed on the drive shaft, and it is attached to the adapter coupling, and thus interfaces with the rotation mechanism. While preparing the dough, the mechanism causes the blades to move, thus kneading the dough. There may be two blades, but there are models with one.
In the standard version, all components are made of Teflon, but there are also more advanced models with a ceramic coating.
The body of most products is made of plastic, and only a few expensive models are equipped with a stainless steel body. Plastic also comes in different qualities; the more expensive ones are not so fragile and do not smell during operation.
Kneading blades
This is also a very important detail, because it is with its help that the machine kneads the dough . If you look inside the device, you will see that some are equipped with two blades, while others have only one. But don't be so quick to think that more is better. In this case, this is not entirely true.
In fact, in the kneading process, the power of the apparatus plays a larger role than the number of blades. There is another catch here. It lies in the fact that the mixer shaft is covered by a rubber gasket, and this gasket is the weak point of the bread machine. The oils and liquids with which it comes into contact gradually have a destructive effect, and the bucket leaks.
Accordingly, two blades mean twice the chance that the container will deteriorate faster. To minimize risks, experts advise choosing a device that first contains dry products. This advice is especially relevant for those who will often have to use the delay start.
Machine control
Although there are also electromechanical modules, most models have electronic controls. The standard version provides contact buttons, and advanced models have touch controls. The sensor is certainly of better quality, because neither flour nor other ingredients will interfere with its operation, unlike the version with buttons. And the sensor is extremely easy to care for. The integrated display fully displays all the information necessary for work (the specified weight of the baked goods, the desired color of the crust, the type of program, the duration of the process).
A nice addition is that the device automatically restarts after a power outage - the machine itself will restore operation according to the specified program. Other design additions make life easier, but you can do without them: indication with flashing buttons, mechanical timer, touch switches, beautiful display.
The child lock mode is very useful; it prevents the lid of the bread machine from opening unexpectedly, because it is very hot inside the machine and this is dangerous for the child.
Bread machine capabilities
Most bread machines bake bread in a regular oblong shape, but there are models on the market with additional molds for making round bread or a French baguette. You can place the dough into the mold in small pieces, which makes it possible to get small rolls. Bread makers can be used not only for their intended purpose; they can automatically knead dough for other products, for example, dumplings.
Baking homemade bread can be done either using built-in automatic programs or manually. The manual option is available in all models, but requires some experience and skill.
The process of making bread takes up to 6 hours, in addition, large-capacity machines produce significant noise. You also need to take into account that a bread machine in the kitchen will require quite a lot of space, approximately the same as a microwave. And the weight of the device ranges from 4 to 8 kg. Therefore, it is necessary to think about its location in the kitchen so as not to assemble and disassemble each time you use it.
Principle of operation
Despite the complexity of the baking process itself, using the oven is quite simple.
Process steps:
- First of all, the paddles knead the dough in the bucket.
- After which, the heating element allows the dough to rise, from time to time the machine kneads the rising dough.
- Next, the heating element begins to work at full power and the product is baked.
In this case, all that is required of you is to download the products and install the desired program on the control panel.
Typically, the maximum weight of a loaf that the device can bake at a time is 2 kilograms. It will take from an hour to six, depending on the type of bread.
Preparation process
Subtleties of choice
The main parameter is the weight of the resulting product. Its fluctuations are possible from 300 g to 2.5 kg. For a small family of three people, a bread machine that bakes bread weighing 0.5 kg is enough, but if the family is larger, you need to buy a large-capacity bread machine. In this case, it is desirable that the purchased device could vary the weight of the baked bread: 600 g, 1000 g, 1200 g. In this case, there is no need to throw away excess bread, and the cooking time will vary.
One cannot fail to take into account such a circumstance as the hardening time of the finished product. Since home-baked goods do not use preservatives used in the industry, they become stale within a day, which means it is not worth making bread at home for future use.
The power of the bread machine ranges from 400 to 1800 W. The thoroughness of kneading the dough and the cooking time of the product are directly dependent on this parameter. Simply put, the greater the power value, the faster the finished bread is produced, but also the greater the energy consumption. It should be taken into account that slower baking usually tastes better than fast cooking.
As a rule, all purchases come with a disc with video instructions for using the device.
How to use a bread maker correctly: tips
It is important to act not only according to the recipe, but also according to the instructions. If according to the instructions, the liquid ingredients are added first, and then the dry ones, do not neglect this.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Pour liquid into the bucket. Its temperature should not exceed 25 degrees Celsius.
- It is better to take finely ground or “Extra” salt. Salt will improve the taste of the finished product.
- Sugar will give the product fluffiness and softness, as well as a golden brown and crispy crust, but do not exceed the amount specified in the recipe, otherwise the dough may “run away”.
- Fatty oils will give the product softness and taste, and will also prevent the dough from sticking to the bucket. You can use refined vegetable oil, butter, margarine, lard, bacon. Fats and oils should be at room temperature.
- A wide variety of flour is used - from classic wheat to more rare types - corn, oat, buckwheat, barley, pea and others. Any flour must be sifted so that it is enriched with oxygen and to eliminate foreign inclusions.
- It is better to use dry “fast-acting” yeast for bread machines, that’s what they are called. Before purchasing, be sure to check the date of manufacture; expired yeast may not “work” in the dough. Dry yeast should not get into the liquid.
- Some people still prefer live pressed yeast, choosing the amount by trial and error.
When adding ingredients into the bread machine bucket, you must use a scale!
A set of products is compiled according to recipe or personal preferences
After adding the products, you need to select the mode, product weight and crust color and press “Start”. If you plan to bake bread for breakfast, you should use the delayed start function: you need to calculate when the bread maker should start so that the bread has time to bake by the appointed time.
Built-in programs
Any bread machine is equipped with a set of basic programs. These are options for preparing various doughs, crispy crusts, and accelerated programs. A bread machine may have a set of 25 programs, but not all of them are widely applicable in everyday life. Plus, you need to understand that each additional program increases the price of the product. The following interesting features may be found in various models:
- The program for making preserves and preserves is very attractive, but ineffective. In a medium-sized bread machine you can get about 600-800 grams. product, which is not very appropriate for preparing confitures.
- The “rye bread” program allows you to get a very fragrant and tasty product.
- If you often prepare various flour products at home, then, of course, you need an option for preparing dough. This feature makes working in the kitchen much easier.
- The “gluten-free bread” option will be useful if there are patients in the family who cannot digest regular bread. This program will be useful for diabetics and those who follow a healthy lifestyle.
- The function of baking bread with bran makes it possible to constantly have bread at home, which is rarely found on sale.
- There are machines that can be used to prepare butter and homemade yogurt. For these types of products, special containers are included. To ferment yoghurt by gradual heating, milk and starter culture are needed. The LG HB-2001BY bread machine will prepare homemade butter from high-quality cream in an hour and a half.
- The option of baking cupcakes is, as a rule, only needed to satisfy the housewife’s curiosity.
Extra options
It makes absolutely no sense to purchase a modification with a built-in viewing window. After all, the entire progress of the baking process is displayed on the display, and there is no need to watch it through the window. Moreover, given its design features, the window increases unproductive heat loss, as a result, you can lose the fried crust. During operation of the bread machine, such a window completely fogs up and becomes clear of moisture only at the finish.
Many bread machines are equipped with a so-called dispenser. This is a small tank with a dosed outlet, from which various additives are added to the dough: sesame seeds, raisins and others. All this is quite acceptable to add to the dough manually when the machine finishes working with the main components, which it will notify with a sound alert.
The option of maintaining the temperature for one hour can also be considered unimportant. After all, thanks to the timer, you can clearly determine the time for which you need to get hot bread.
But the “yeast-free baking” option completely depends on the taste preferences of users.
Products from a bread machine are a little more expensive than store-bought bread, but only high-quality ingredients will be used in its production. Well, in terms of taste, bakeries are far from high-quality homemade baked goods.
Is it worth buying a bread maker?
And it’s a pity, since it has been known since ancient times that it is bread, more than any other product on your table, that has a strong influence on a person’s energy and his emotional state. It’s not for nothing that they used to think that every housewife should bake her own bread. And not just like that, but with love and good thoughts that will be transmitted to her household through this familiar, but so necessary product.
It is possible to revive this tasty and healthy tradition in our time, and with much less labor. And a miracle technology called a bread machine will help women Would you say that technology cannot cope with such a delicate task? But you didn’t guess right, because you will be the one pawning the food. So why not think about something good at this time. For example, about how nice it will be for your loved ones to receive such a rosy, fragrant surprise for breakfast.
But before you rush to the store to buy such useful household appliances, you must first understand how they work, what types of bread makers there are, and how to choose a bread maker. Expert advice in this case is exactly what you should rely on.
