S/o: Making your own bread, Bread machine version

[DawnM]

I have never been able to make good bread machine bread.

 

It is edible and tastes fine, but it is too hard on the outside and too soft on the inside to actually cut well and use for a sandwich.  

 

How can I make a denser loaf that is evenly dense for cutting into slices?

 

Recipes appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Dawn

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[DawnM]

Thank you.  I will try it.

[MercyA]

Copying from the other thread:

 

1 1/3 cups water

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 teaspoons yeast

 

It is evenly dense and slices well when cool.  You can also omit the all-purpose flour and use all whole-wheat flour instead (white whole wheat or regular whole wheat).  For whatever reason, I get better results when I use the "rapid bake" cycle on my machine. 

[pink&bluemommy]

My tip is not to use your breadmaker to bake the dough, we just can't handle the thick crust. Use the dough cycle, then shape the dough into a light metal bread pan, let rise again, and bake.

[Prairie~Phlox]

I agree with Pink.

[FriedClams]

Using bread flour for white makes a big deference. If you do whole wheat adding vital wheat gluten and soy lecithin in small amounts makes for a soft, lovey loaf.

[flyingiguana]

My tip is not to use your breadmaker to bake the dough, we just can't handle the thick crust. Use the dough cycle, then shape the dough into a light metal bread pan, let rise again, and bake.

 

That's what I do.  The crusts on the machine loaf are kind of icky.

 

We also just turn the dough into an oblong and put it on buttered and floured cookie sheet instead of a loaf pan.  It's a more "traditional" look, but the part I like best is that the pan is easier to clean than a loaf pan.  There are no fussy corners.

 

I use all purpose flour for the white flour.  I used to use bread flour but it never seemed to make much difference to the bread.

 

I do use bread flour if I'm doing whole wheat.  My other choice is pastry flour and that doesn't work as well.

 

For whole wheat, I use about 2/3 whole wheat and 1/3 all purpose white flour.  It works fine.  I tried wheat gluten with pure whole wheat flour but no one here liked the results.  I think it was kind of a heavy loaf.

 

I've also started adding a half cup of rolled oats (not instant) to replace a bit of the flour.  It seems to add a bit substance.  And when I want a bit of crunch, I add a quarter cup of bulgur.  I don't take flour out when I add the bulgur.

[JoJosMom]

I posted on the other thread, but I think I should have posted here.

 

I use a Zojirushi machine and it does fine with even VERY dense dough.  I know that the bakers at King Arthur say that they frequently use the Zo just to make the dough and then free bake it, but I'm too lazy.

 

The book of recipes that I use regularly is Hensperger's The Bread Machine Cookbook.