Question on new old bread machine?

15 years ago

Ok, I cheated, I used two bags of Bob's Red Mill 10 grain bread mix to start with ran the first through the dough rise first cycle took it out punched down and let rise again, put in 375 oven, was done in 30 minutes. This is in a Gag convection oven. (always seems to cook faster) Second one I let the bread machine do. When it got to the bake part it looked (kept peeking with flashlight!) done when it had 20 minutes to go, I was debating just turning it off when suddenly a FINNISHED light started flashing, so I turned it off. So my long rant, how does the machine know ahead that the bread is done before scheduled turnoff? And if I was in the garden per say how would it know when it was DONE?

Comments (2)

grainlady_ks
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I have a Zojirushi and it does everything according to a pre-set timer - which was magically determined after lots of testing, I'm sure. On the Zo you can override these pre-set selections and create your own.

When you select a particular course, it's because of the bread type and/or yeast type used (active dry yeast or one of the fast-rising yeast products - SAF-Instant, Bread Machine Yeast, Rapid-Rise, or Quick-Rise). Bake time is also according to a timer.

I bake in the oven according to the internal temperature of the loaf, not a timer. Bread is done at certain temperatures, and different temperatures for different types of breads.

Bread machines are nortorious for over- and under-baking bread. Next time you bake in yours, take the loaf temperature with an instant read thermometer when it's done; and if it's over 200F for a basic loaf of bread, it's over-baked. Internal temperatures of 205Â°-210Â°F are best for free-form Artisan breads baked in really hot ovens, not sandwich bread. I like some breads best when they are baked to 195Â°F.

You can also be deceived to the doneness of the bread because of the crust color. Bread is done to internal temperature, not crust color. Most machines will also let your choose your crust color (light, medium, dark).

On a Zojirushi-V20:

BASIC - This setting is for baking a basic bread using ACTIVE DRY YEAST and this course takes 3:30.

BASIC WHEAT - This setting is for whole grain bread using active dry yeast and this course takes 3:40.

QUICK - This setting is used for quickly baking a basic bread and you MUST use a FAST-RISING YEAST. This course takes 1:58. It only requires a short rising time because a fast-rising yeast product is used. (I also have a QUICK WHEAT setting.)

Personally, I only let the bread machine do the grunt work of the mixing and kneading. I never leave the rise to a machine set on a timer. Dough rises according to the ambient air temperature, the humidity, and the strength of the yeast - NOT a timer. I can develop more flavor by a long, slow, cool rise outside the bread machine.

I always remove the dough when the kneading is over and watch the rise in a dough-rising bucket myself. Because I use 100% freshly-milled wholegrain flour, it doesn't have the extensibility to go to "double", or over. If I used "double" as my standard, that is actually over-proofing the dough. Todays unbleached and bleached flours are no longer bromated and they don't have the extensibility they did when flour was bromated and "double" was the rising standard. If you allow dough to over-proof during bulk fermentation, you won't have the "umph" it needs for the oven-spring.

I also like to use more methods of bread-making than direct (straight) dough (which is what the bread machine is designed to do). I also use the bread machine for a sponge method and sourdough method, and the pre-set times don't work for those methods, but the bread machine is EXCELLENT for kneading. Better than a stand mixer (which tends to aerate dough) or by hand. This is why the King Arthur Test Kitchens use the Zojirushi for making bread dough - instead of stand mixers or by hand.

Sourdough takes much longer to rise than the pre-set times on a bread machine. I leave a sponge set for anywhere between 2-1/2 hours to 12-hours. These long methods develop a lot of flavor you can't get when using a Quick Cycle and get a loaf of bread, start-to-finish, in 1 or 2 hours (some machines in 45-minutes).

I also follow other bread-making science that isn't part of a bread machine-style recipe. Such as when you add fat will determine the crumb of a loaf and can affect the rise of the loaf. Add fat early and it will have a shortening effect on the gluten and you'll get a close, almost cake-like crumb. Add fat late in the kneading and you'll get an open crumb and a higher rise. When salt is added early, it takes longer for the gluten to develop. Add the salt later and the gluten will develop quicker and better, but these facts fly-in-the-face of the convenience of dump-and run. I add both fat and salt according to what type of bread I'm making, not according to the loading instructions of the operating manual.

-Grainlady
bonjo
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you for the response! From lurking I know you have lots of experience! I am new at this whole bread machine thing. I liked the loaf better that I baked in the oven, but I do agree putting ingredients in and pushing a button to knead is way FUN! It will be fun to experiment. As a pre Valentine gift my hubby bought me The Bread Bible by Rose Beranbaum yesterday! Had toast and eggs for breakfast!Again Thanks!
Bonjo
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Question on new old bread machine?

Comments (2)

grainlady_ks

bonjo
Original Author

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Question on new old bread machine?

Comments (2)

grainlady_ks

bonjoOriginal Author

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bonjo
Original Author