Bread Machine Recipes

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betterthanabox

Senior Cook
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
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475
Location
Pennsylvania
I just bought a bread machine, and don't know what to do with it. All of the bread recipes that I see call for dry milk. I don't want to run out and get some, any tnt recipes?
 
You don't need to use it if you don't want to. Skip it and make some bread.

When you get around to it pick some up and make some bread.
 
It's been years since I had a bread machine (I gave it to my daughter), but as I recall, powdered milk (Carnation) is a necessity with no acceptable substitute for those recipes that call for it (usually ordinary white bread.) But understand that not all recipes use powdered milk. You might try one of those until you do get powdered milk. French bread usually doesn't use it.
 
Here is one I use. We like "sweet" bread, but you can add a bit more or take out a bit of the sugar to your taste:

1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tbsp margarine or butter
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast

Add all ingredients and push start. Yum
 
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My Mom bought us a bread machine years ago. I don't recall ever having to use powdered milk.

I first thought it was a silly purchase for a kitchen with almost no counter space, but it got used constantly.

A real favorite was herbed bread which called for about 1/8-1/4 tsp. of various herbs, usually 4 of them. It made the most wonderful bread and the aroma was outstanding.

She would sometimes set it up so that we would wake up to the smell of fresh bread and coffee.

Have fun!
 
When I make a loaf in the bread machine I use dry milk, but I have also used regular milk. I believe the recipe called for scalding it first?
 
I think the main reason for the dry milk is not to have fresh milk sitting for hours and hours in the machine if you use the time bake mode so you have fresh warm bread waiting for you after work. If you are adding ingredients and starting right away, there's no reason not to substitute fresh milk for the water/dry milk called for in the receipe.

However, with that said, dry milk lasts forever and is a handy pantry staple to have on hand if you are out or running low on fresh milk. I personally wouldn't mix and drink dry milk product but for cooking use it's not an issue. Shoot, I keep evaporated milk in the house for mashed potatoes and such in case we run out or forget to buy milk - neither of us drinks milk and only have cereal occasionally so we don't have milk in fridge often.

Karen
 
Milk has a "denaturing" effect on gluten, making it more "slippery" resulting in a softer "crumb" and smaller holes. Both powdered and regular milk achieve this, but the difference is the liquid content has to be accounted for in the recipe that only calls for powdered milk.

It's not a big deal which one you use, but merely using a little forethought in producing the proper stiffness to the dough during mixing. It's easier to adjust when kneading by hand, but you can also do it in the machine if you test the amount of spring when lightly pressing on the surface of the dough when it's in the knead cycle. When it's dimpled by your finger, is should spring back at least half way.
 
Bread machines typically use instant yeast, so no proofing necessary, but if you use regular yeast and proof it in milk (which I've never heard of) I'm pretty sure you would need to scald the milk like I mentioned earlier. At least King Arthur recommends scalding, so it doesn't affect the yeast, but some people say you don't need to scald pasteurized milk. When I used regular milk instead of dry I scalded the milk. Maybe someone needs to do a comparison.
 
Bread machines typically use instant yeast, so no proofing necessary, but if you use regular yeast and proof it in milk (which I've never heard of) I'm pretty sure you would need to scald the milk like I mentioned earlier. At least King Arthur recommends scalding, so it doesn't affect the yeast, but some people say you don't need to scald pasteurized milk. When I used regular milk instead of dry I scalded the milk. Maybe someone needs to do a comparison.

I have made all kinds of bread dough using a bread machine. I have used milk, sour cream and milk, water, powdered buttermilk, dry milk, buttermilk, potato water...I don't bake the bread in the machine. I don't like the crust. So, I guess I use mine like you'd use a mixer with a dough hook. I find as I get older, kneading is harder to do, so I use the machine to mix the dough. I made a whole-wheat french bread yesterday. Bread machines can cut the cost of bread and you control the ingredients. I think the DH figured out that his "daily" bread costs about 50 cents/loaf with the cost of the electricity and the ingredients. Now, electricity rates, flour, etc. have gone up in price since he figured this out...might be $1 now.
 
Thank you, CW!
I've always wondered if someone ever did an actual price comparison. I might have to go back to making my own loaves again. I got lazy after the initial wow factor wore off and only make half a dozen (or so) loaves in my machine per year now. I'm all for saving a buck though.
 
I have made all kinds of bread dough using a bread machine. I have used milk, sour cream and milk, water, powdered buttermilk, dry milk, buttermilk, potato water...I don't bake the bread in the machine. I don't like the crust. So, I guess I use mine like you'd use a mixer with a dough hook. I find as I get older, kneading is harder to do, so I use the machine to mix the dough. I made a whole-wheat french bread yesterday. Bread machines can cut the cost of bread and you control the ingredients. I think the DH figured out that his "daily" bread costs about 50 cents/loaf with the cost of the electricity and the ingredients. Now, electricity rates, flour, etc. have gone up in price since he figured this out...might be $1 now.


I got it in hopes of saving money, and have occasionally been making my own bread off and on. It does save money. I got the bread maker in hopes of saving time too. We will see how it pays off. I got it for $3 so I think I should be able to make that up in about 2 loves :mrgreen:
 
I used to use powdered milk in recipes, back when it was a lot cheaper than fresh milk. Now it costs a fair bit more than fresh, so I'm not nearly as interested. The stuff is virtually undrinkable.
 

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