Bread machine 1093416 222869216 2008-07-01T14:40:59Z Hankwang 25806 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/Ramgay|Ramgay]] ([[User talk:Ramgay|talk]]) to last version by Haikupoet {{redirect|Breadmaker|a person who makes bread|baker}} [[Image:Breadmaker.jpg|thumb|240px|A bread machine, or bread maker]] [[Image:breadmachine open.jpg|thumb|240px|A bread machine with freshly baked bread]] A '''bread machine''' or '''breadmaker''' is a [[home appliance]] for [[baking]] [[bread]]. It consists of a [[bread pan]] with a paddle mounted in the center, in a small special-purpose oven, with a control panel. While most bread machines have different cycles for different kinds of dough (including straight white bread, whole grain, European-style (sometimes labeled "French"), and dough-only for [[pizza]] dough and shaped loaves baked in the oven), many also have a timer to allow the bread machine to activate without operator attendance, and some high-end models allow the user to program a custom cycle. == History == The first breadmaker was released in [[Japan]] in 1986. A decade later they had become popular in the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[United States]]. While not viable for commercial use due to the fixed loaf shape and the limited duty cycle, bread machines often produce the best results when dealing with kneaded doughs <ref>The [[King Arthur Flour]] test kitchen uses bread machines extensively in their recipe testing; for more details, see ''King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion'', Countryman Press, 2003.</ref>. == Use and features == To create a loaf of bread, ingredients are measured into the bread pan in a specified order (usually liquids first, with solid ingredients layered on top) and the pan is then placed in the breadmaker. The order of ingredients is important because the [[Baker's yeast|instant yeast]] used in breadmakers is activated by contact with water, so the yeast and the water must be kept apart until the program starts. The machine takes a few hours to make a loaf of bread, first by turning the ingredients into [[dough]] using the paddle, then baking the loaf. Once the bread has been baked, the pan is extracted from the breadmaker and the bread freed from the pan. The paddle, now at the bottom of the loaf, is removed, leaving a small paddle-shaped indentation or hole. The shape of the finished loaf is often considered unusual, with many early bread machines producing a vertically-oriented, square or cylindrical loaf very different from commercial breads; however, more recent units generally have a more traditional-appearing horizontal pan. Bread machine recipes are often somewhat smaller than standard bread recipes, and are sometimes standardized based on the capacity of the machine's pan; most common in the United States market are 1.5lb/700g units, and the majority of recipes are written for that capacity; however, 2lb/900g units are not uncommon as well. Packaged bread mixes are available, specifically designed for breadmakers, containing premeasured ingredients including flour and yeast, as well as flavorings and occasionally dough conditioners. Only water usually needs to be added. Bread machines generally do not deal well with non-wheat flours, so any recipe that requires a substantial addition of a grain such as [[rye]] or [[corn]] that lacks [[gluten]] will prove difficult at best in a bread machine, as will any dough with unusually large amounts of liquid (such as [[ciabatta]]). Generally, homemade bread goes stale faster than bread from a commercial baker because the former does not include [[preservative]]s. However, it is possible (though rather difficult) to use a [[sourdough|natural leaven]] or a [[pre-ferment]] in breadmaker dough recipes if the starter is sufficiently fast to rise. [[Sourdough]] contains a symbiotic culture of yeast and [[lactobacillus|lactobacteria]]; the yeast provides some flavor as well as [[carbon dioxide]] to provide lift, while [[lactic acid]] produced by sourdough's lactobacteria greatly preserves bread, as well as enhancing its flavor, while pre-ferments provide some of the same benefits as a sourdough culture with the greater predictability of domesticated baker's yeast. Breadmakers are often equipped with a [[timer]] to control when the breadmaking begins. This allows them, for example, to be loaded in the evening but only begin baking early in the morning, to produce a freshly-baked loaf for breakfast. They can also be set only to make dough, for instance to be used to make [[pizza]]. Some can also be set to make other things besides bread, such as [[jam]] or [[Mochi (food)|mochi]], a kind of [[Japan]]ese [[rice cake]]. One of the most recent innovations is the facility to add nuts and fruit during the kneading process automatically from a tray. == Selected manufacturers of bread machines== * [[Funai]] * [[Black & Decker]] * [[Breville]] * [[Cuisinart]] * [[DAK Industries]] * [[DeLonghi]] * [[Kenwood Limited]] * [[Hamilton Beach Company]] * [[Hitachi, Ltd.]] * [[Morphy Richards]] * [[Panasonic]] * [[Salton Inc.]] (Trades as Russell Hobbs in UK) * [[Sunbeam Products]] * [[Toastmaster (appliances)|Toastmaster]] * [[West Bend Company]] * [[Zojirushi Corporation]] ==See also== *[[Convenience cooking]] ==External links== *[http://breadmakerrecipes.blogspot.com Breadmaker Recipes] *[http://www.sankey.ws/bread.html Canadian bread maker recipes] <references /> <!--Categories--> [[Category:Cooking appliances]] [[Category:1986 introductions]] <!--Other languages--> [[de:Brotbackautomat]] [[fr:Machine à pain]] [[nl:Broodmachine]] [[ja:ホームベーカリー]] [[ru:Хлебопечка]] [[fi:Leipäkone]] [[sv:Bakmaskin]] [[zh-yue:麵包機]] [[zh:烤面包机]]