The SECOND most important secret of making bread:
Add ingredients into the bread pan in the exact order given in the recipe.
This means:
— FIRST, liquid ingredients
— SECOND, dry ingredients
— LAST, yeast
Also, make sure ingredients are at room temperature, unless otherwise
noted (that is, between 75°– 85°F or 24°– 30°C). Temperatures too cool
or too high can affect the way the bread rises and bakes.
Last, it's a good idea to start with fresh ingredients (especially fresh flour
and yeast).
Now, let's try a simple (but really good) recipe.
Homestyle White Bread
1.5-Pound Loaf
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. water
(75°–85°F or 24°–30°C)
1 Tbsp. butter or
margarine, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. non-fat dry
milk powder
1 1
Attach the kneading blade in the bread pan.
1 1
2 2
Place ingredients into the bread pan in the following order: water,
2 2
butter or margarine, sugar, milk powder, salt and flour.
3 3
With finger, make a small indentation
3 3
on one side of the flour. Add yeast to
indentation, making sure it does not come
into contact with the liquid ingredients.
4 4
Carefully insert bread pan into breadmaker and gently close the lid.
4 4
5 5
Plug the power cord into a wall outlet.
5 5
8
1-1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups bread flour
2-1/2 tsp. breadmachine
yeast