I've made quite a few loaves of bread in my bread machine, but I'll be the first to admit, not all of them have turned out right. I finally decided to go back to the basics and follow a recipe (with a few substitutions) included in the manual.
Viola! It worked! Perfect texture and great taste.
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
Directions
Place ingredients in the bread pan in the following order: water, oil, honey, salt and flour. Make a small indentation in the flour and carefully add the yeast, making sure it does not touch any liquid ingredients.
Insert the bread pan into the bread maker and close the lid.
Choose the appropriate settings, i.e. bread type (wheat), crust color, size (this recipe makes a 1.5-pound loaf).
Once it's done, remove the pan from the machine and let cool before removing the bread. When the pan is cool to the touch, use a rubber spatula to loosen the bread. Turn the pan upside down and gently shake until it falls out. Finish cooling on a wire rack before slicing.
Feel free to experiment with mix-ins like chopped nuts, seeds or dried fruit. Most bread machines have a timer (during the rising/kneading process) that alerts you when to add these ingredients.
Note: If this recipe doesn't turn out for you, you may want to consult your own machine's manual. I have a Sunbeam brand so what works for me may not work for you. It might take a few tries to get the right proportions of ingredients, but it's worth it!
What's your favorite type of homemade bread to make? Do you use a bread machine or make it by hand?
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