With the help of our instructions, you can bake a beautiful loaf in your bread machine the first time. The tips are general, should work for all bread machines and should be used in conjunction with your bread machine's instructions. Use fresh quality ingredients as you cannot expect good results from expired flour or yeast.
1. Place the bread maker on a flat, fireproof surface. Make sure it is away from heat sources, such as a stove or sunlight, and away from drafts, as these factors will affect the temperature inside the bread maker. Do not plug in the bread maker at this stage. Open the lid. Remove the mold by the handle, turning it slightly to the side or pulling it up, depending on your machine model. 
2. Make sure there are no bread crumbs stuck in the kneading blade from previous baking. Place the paddle onto the rod at the bottom of the pan. The blade can only be put on in one position, since the rod and the part of the blade that fits on it are made in the shape of the letter D. 
3. Add water, milk and/or other liquids unless your bread machine instructions say to add dry ingredients first. If this is the case, change the order in which you put the ingredients into the bread machine, starting with the yeast. 
4. Add flour so that it completely covers the liquid, add all the dry ingredients specified in the recipe, for example, milk powder. Place salt, sugar and butter in different corners of the mold so that they do not touch each other. 
5. Make a small well in the middle of the flour so that it does not reach the liquid and add yeast to it. If your well reaches the liquid, the yeast will get wet and start working quickly. 
6. Place the pan in the bread maker, securing it tightly in place. Depending on the model, the bread maker may have special fasteners that secure the pan in the bread maker, or the pan may need to be slightly screwed into the bottom of the bread maker. Lower the handle and close the lid. Then plug the bread maker into a power outlet. 
7. Select program, crust color and loaf size, if possible. Press the “Start” button. The kneading process will begin immediately unless your machine has a special "rest" period to set the temperature and you have programmed your bread maker so that the bread is baked by morning. 
8. When the dough is kneaded, the bread maker will beep a few times and you can add additional ingredients, such as dried fruit, if you like. Open the lid, add food and close the lid. 
9. At the end of the cycle, the bread maker will beep a few more times to indicate that the dough or bread is ready (depending on the program). Click the Stop button. Open the lid. When you take out the bread, be sure to wear oven mitts to avoid getting burned. Do not lean or lean on the open bread maker, as hot air may escape from there, which can also burn you. 
10. Still wearing the mittens, turn the pan upside down and shake a few times. If necessary, tap the bottom on a wooden board. 
11. If the kneading blade is stuck in the bread, use a wooden spatula or other fireproof tool to remove it, for example. It will come out easily. 
12. Place the bread on a wire rack and let cool. Unplug the bread maker and allow it to cool before using it again. A machine that is too hot will not bake a proper loaf, and many will not turn on if they are too hot. Rinse the pan and kneading blade and wipe down the bread machine. All parts of the bread machine should be cool and dry when you put them away.
The main rule is that the products must be fresh and of high quality, otherwise you will simply waste energy and energy. The second rule is that you need to use the bread maker as carefully as possible, then the baked goods will turn out excellent, and the bread maker will serve you for a long time.
Baking process in a bread machine or instruction manual
- The bread maker should be placed on a flat, fire-resistant surface, away from sunlight and the stove (heat sources affect the temperature inside the device). Without turning the device on, open the lid and pull out the pan by the handle - in different bread machine models, you need to turn the pan to the side or pull it up.
- Check to see if there are any stuck bread crumbs in the kneading blade and place the blade on the mold rod.
- Depending on what your bread maker's instructions say, you'll need to pour water, milk, or other liquids into the pan, or put in the dry ingredients (yeast) first. Typically, the liquid ingredients are poured in first.
- Add flour until liquid is completely covered, then add all dry ingredients. Salt, sugar and butter should be placed in different corners of the mold so that they do not touch.
- Make a small depression in the flour so that it does not reach the liquid, and put the yeast in it.
- Carefully place the pan in the bread maker and secure it tightly in place (different models may have special fasteners or the pan is screwed into the bottom of the bread maker). Lower the handle and close the lid. After this, you can plug the bread maker into a power outlet.
- Select the program, bread size and crust color and press the “Start” button. The dough kneading process will begin immediately unless you have programmed the bread maker for a different time.
- Once the dough is kneaded, several beeps will sound. Now you can add other ingredients, such as nuts or dried fruits. To do this, you need to open the lid of the bread machine, add food and close the lid.
- At the end of the work, several more signals will sound, indicating that the bread (or dough, depending on the selected program) is ready. You need to press the “Stop” button and open the lid. Before you take out the baked bread, you need to put on oven mitts. Also, be careful not to get burned by the hot steam.
- Without removing the gloves, turn the pan upside down and shake to remove the bread. You can tap the bottom of the mold on a wooden board.
- A kneading blade stuck in the bread can be removed using a wooden spatula.
- Place the bread on a wire rack and let cool. Unplug the bread maker and let it cool. After this, the mold and mixing blade need to be washed and wiped - all these parts must be cold and dry before putting them back into the bread machine and baking bread.
Baking problems
- The dough rises too quickly- the reason may be that there is a lot of sugar and yeast loaded (you can reduce their amount or add salt, which slows down the rise of the dough), too much liquid has been added, or the bread machine is standing near a heat source.
- The dough rises too slowly- there may be too little yeast or it may be expired, the baking cycle is set too fast (and the dough simply has not had time to rise yet), when adding the products, yeast and salt were mixed (dry ingredients must be placed in different corners of the mold), lack of sugar, poorly sifted flour , insufficient liquid or too cold liquid (liquid should be at room temperature).
Before answering the question, , decide for yourself the question of which model you will buy. The experience of many housewives shows that among the great variety of models, Panasonic, Saturn, LG “Russian Chef”, Mulinex stand out - so there is a choice.
When buying a bread machine, first think about how much bread you need: there are machines for a 0.5 kg loaf, and for 1 kg, and for 2-3 loaves of bread. Also note that although some instructions say that the flour must be specialized, in fact, premium, first grade, rye, and bran flour are suitable - so don’t worry!
So, How Right use a bread machine?
For a woman, the main thing is cleanliness, so you will, of course, wash the bread machine often, so remember: wash carefully so as not to scratch the body with hard washcloths. Naturally, more expensive models are made of good steel that cannot be scratched, but stains always remain on them when washing and wiping the body and parts.
How to use a bread maker correctly, is written in detail in the instructions, we would like to draw your attention to several mandatory rules: during operation, the unit should only stand on a flat surface and away from all sources of heat, and that there should be no drafts in any case (all this greatly affects the rise test). Make sure that the dough mixers (blades) are always clean and free of crumbs from previous baking.
Carefully read the instructions (recipe) for making the dough: sometimes it is indicated that you first need to load the dry ingredients, and then the liquid; sometimes you need the opposite - first the liquid, then everything else. Therefore, we repeat: be careful.
Always try to secure the shape of the bread machine tightly (the instructions indicate exactly how; do not miss this important point). Plug into the outlet only after you have completed all the operations of loading the mold with all the ingredients (in accordance with the recipe) and - attention! — close its lid.
The instructions, which you, of course, have studied well, will help in choosing a program for determining the color of the bread crust and its size.
Answering the question, how to use a bread maker correctly, we urge you to remember the following safety rules: when taking out the finished bread, do not bend low or lean your elbows on the open hole of the stove, and be sure to wear gloves - the bread is very hot, and the air coming out of the bread machine can also seriously burn you. Also remember that the machine needs to cool down before you prepare it for baking again, otherwise the bread maker may not even turn on if it is very hot.
Now that you already imagine how to use a bread maker correctly, let's talk a little how to avoid two problems when baking bread.
Problem one: the dough rises too quickly.
Here the following is possible: a lot of sugar or yeast is loaded - reduce their quantity; You can also add salt, it slows down the rise of the dough. Too much liquid can also increase the rise of the dough. If the bread machine is close to some heat source, then this also contributes to rapid rise.
Problem two: the dough rises too slowly.
The following is possible: there is not enough yeast or it is bad and expired. Or maybe the baking cycle was set too fast, and the dough simply didn’t have time to rise. Or maybe, when adding the ingredients, they allowed them to mix (especially yeast and salt), and this slows down the rise of the dough (when adding the dough components, place them in different corners of the mold so that they do not touch each other). Another reason 
- poorly sifted flour, or little liquid was added, or the liquid was cold - better than room temperature. Be sure to add sugar in accordance with the recipe - a lack of it will also stop the dough from rising.
Although these tips are general, nevertheless, guided by them in practice, you will be able to bake your first loaf of bread without much difficulty. An equally important component in this matter is the choice of ingredients from which the bread will be baked. If they are of poor quality, then you should not count too much on a good baking result.
1. First you need to choose the right location for the bread machine; it should be on a fire-resistant surface, and there should be no other heat sources near it, be it sunlight or a switched on stove. There should also be no drafts. All of the above factors can change the temperature inside the bread maker, so they are unacceptable. For now, you shouldn’t plug the electrical appliance into the outlet, but you need to get the mold out from the inside, pull it up or to the side, it all depends on the specific model of the device.
2. Make sure that there are no crumbs or pieces of dough from previous baking left on the dough mixing blade. Once you are sure of this, you should put the blade back on the rod located at the bottom of the mold. The blade can only be put on in one position, as this was provided for during the manufacture of the bread machine.
4. Flour is poured in such a way that it completely covers all the liquid, then dry ingredients are added, and butter, salt and sugar are laid out in different corners of the mold without touching each other.
5. A small well is made in the center of the poured flour into which yeast is added. This must be done so that the liquid reaches the bottom of the yeast.
6. After all of the above is done, the pan must be returned to its place - in the bread machine. Typically, such machines have special fastenings for the mold, and with their help the mold should be secured. Make sure that everything is done correctly, if so, then you can plug the electrical appliance into the outlet.
7. Further actions depend on the menu capabilities of your bread machine. If possible, you should use the menu items to select the color of the crust, the size of the loaf to be baked, and, if possible, set the end time for baking in the morning.
8. At the end of the dough kneading process, the machine will beep, and if you want, at this moment you can add any ingredients (for example, dried fruits). To do this, you need to open the lid, add the required amount and close it back.
9. When the bread baking process is completed, the bread maker will again let you know about this with a sound signal. When you take out the baked bread, be careful not to lean too far towards the bread maker, as there is a risk of getting burned. And, of course, you should wear protective oven gloves to prevent your hands from burning.
Baking delicious and healthy bread at home has recently become very popular. A modern bread machine performs the entire cycle from kneading to baking automatically. In order for the result of the equipment to be justified, and for the baked goods to rise and bake well, it is necessary to observe all the parameters of the cycle when starting. So, how to use a bread machine to bake quality homemade bread?
A good multifunctional bread machine will not be enough for beautiful and aromatic baked goods. Particular attention should be paid to the preparatory stage of the stove for operation, the order and quality of the ingredients used. The main recommendations for proper operation of equipment are the following factors.
- Correct placement bread machines. It should not be in a draft or near working burners - the external temperature affects the quality of the bread. For example, it may not rise well if the stove is in a cool place, and vice versa, it may rise too much when the room is hot.
- The form into which the ingredients are poured must be free of residues from previous baking. It is necessary to check and, if necessary, remove all crumbs.
- Add ingredients room temperature unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
- Adhere to the dosage and order indicated in the recipe. For these purposes, any bread machine is equipped measuring cup and spoon. An important point about adding yeast: it should not come into contact with the liquid ingredients immediately when loading. Mixing should occur evenly during kneading.
- You can turn on the bread machine and set the mode only after all the products have been put in for kneading.
- You can control the bread baking process only at the dough kneading stage. At the moment when the equipment mixes the ingredients, you can open the lid and see if the dough comes out with sufficient consistency. Add flour or water if necessary.
- The stove warns you when the process is complete sound signal: You can take gloves and take out the hot pan with bread. If the bread sticks a little to the walls, you should turn the pan over and tap the bottom with a spatula.
- You can start the bread machine for a new baking cycle only after it has completely cooled down, as this will affect the speed of preparing the dough for baking.
Baking problems and their solutions
The baking recipes that come with the bread machine are not always thorough. Sometimes baking may not work out if some ingredients are replaced or the proportions are not followed.
When choosing a form, you must take into account the weight of the bread the recipe is designed for.
What problems may arise when baking homemade bread? Let's look at the most common errors and tips for eliminating them.
Common problem: bread doesn't rise. In this case there could be many reasons:
- The main stimulator of dough growth is yeast. It is important to ensure that they are fresh.
- The quick bake mode was activated and there was not enough time for the dough to rise well.
- While loading the ingredients, the salt combined with the yeast, which weakened its effect.
- The flour must be enriched with oxygen. It is imperative to sift and use only high-quality product.
- There is no sugar in the recipe, which activates the yeast.
What if the bread rose and fell, this may indicate the following:
- The bread maker is in a draft.
- The dough has risen too much due to too much yeast. It is rational when using the same recipe next time to use a faster baking mode.
- The dough is too runny. You can adjust the consistency with flour.
- No salt.
Strongly burnt crust formed when there is an excess of sugar. The browning process can be adjusted using the “Weak Crust” and “Sweet Bread” modes. If too hard or even rubber crust, you can add a little more butter to the original recipe or replace some of the water with milk.
Bread not fully baked? This problem can have several sources:
- The volume of the batch does not match the baking pan.
- Multiple ingredients in the recipe can make the dough very greasy. This usually occurs in the presence of ingredients such as cream, butter, nuts.
- The lid may not have been tightly closed, or the bread maker may have been in a cold room. If it is not possible to heat the room additionally, it is necessary to select a longer baking program to complete the recipe.
It happens that candied fruits, raisins and nuts unevenly distributed in the dough or have too large pieces. This process must be controlled and additional ingredients added in a timely manner. If you do this in advance, they have time to grind, and adding them at the last moment will not allow them to mix well with the dough.
If the bread turns out too dry, this may indicate a violation of the baking technology. The bun dries out faster when it cools for a long time and when there is insufficient fat content.
A bread maker is a very convenient and easy-to-maintain appliance. The ideal baking result is achieved when it is used in compliance with certain rules. Correctly set parameters and a good recipe will allow the bread machine to bake delicious crispy bread.