Spinach Feta Bread - Bread Machine Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you use boxed bread mix in a bread machine? ›

Yes, you certainly can. I've used a pre-mixed bread mix exactly one time in my bread maker. While it turned out fine, I have found just following the recipes that came in the manual for my bread maker give me larger loaves, and it's less expensive.

Conditions that are too cold might delay proofing or rising, resulting in a super-dense loaf. The bread machine works on a timer and hums along at its regular pace. Regardless of the conditions, it's up to you to adjust accordingly (or bake another day).

Bread made from your bread machine is best eaten on the same day, however if kept in an airtight container will last for 2 to 3 days depending on the type. Most bread types can be kept in the freezer. If the bread is slightly stale it can be used for bread pudding, croutons or baked French toast to save wasting it.

A motor turns a paddle to mix and knead the dough just the right amount. A heating element provides the gentle warmth needed for rising and, when it's ready, the higher temperature needed for baking. You add the ingredients, and the bread machine makes and bakes the bread in one handy appliance.

Making bread from a machine is marginally cheaper than buying it, as long as you eat bread frequently enough to offset the cost of the appliance. Specifically, I see this as an investment that's smart for households that go through bread quickly, like large families or homes with multiple roommates.

Bread flour has a higher amount of protein and higher amount of gluten which is why it's good for an airy, chewy bread that needs time to rise. All purpose flour has a lower protein content which makes it good for cookies and cakes that don't need to rise.

Some attribute the demise of the bread machine to the fact that cooks were just disappointed by their results. Lara Pizzorno, the author of Bread Machine Baking, chalked it up to food snobs who regarded the machine as “the electric equivalent of The Bridges of Madison County” in a 1996 article in The New York Times.

Just be sure to use a flour with a high protein content. King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, with its high gluten, is an excellent flour for bread machines. Numerous people have told us that their recipes worked in the bread machine using King Arthur, when they didn't work with other all-purpose flours.

3. Healthier Options. Using a bread maker means you'll know exactly what you've put into your bread, unlike store-bought alternatives which can be pumped full of synthetic additives.

VERSATILITY: Your bread maker will be able to create dough only-this allows you to shape your finished bread into buns, braids, etc. Some bread makers also have a “preserves” function where you can make jam. These are the only two things you can really do with a bread machine though.

Can I open my bread machine while baking? ›

Avoid opening the cover in the middle of the proofing period, especially if your kitchen is cold. You don't want any heat to escape, thus slowing down the dough's rise. Don't open the lid during the preheating and baking cycle if you use your machine to mix, knead, and bake. You don't want to lose heat.

It makes bread soft, and it gives it a wonderful flavour and aroma. The mouthfeel of bread made with butter is smooth and pleasant.

Adding Ingredients to the Bread Machine

Manufacturers usually recommend adding the liquids first, followed by dry ingredients, with the yeast going in last. This keeps the yeast away from the liquid ingredients until kneading begins.

Water is a common ingredient, but since many people use the timer on their bread machines, most recipes call for non-fat dry milk or powdered buttermilk. However, if you are mixing your dough right away, you can certainly use fresh milk. Simply replace the water with milk or buttermilk and omit the powdered milk.

A Bread Flour will need the addition of other ingredients for a good loaf such as salt, sugar and bread improvers together with yeast and water. The alternative is a Bread Mix which is a bread flour which has everything already blended to the correct proportions and simply needs the addition of yeast and water.

Too little yeast, your bread won't rise sufficiently; too much, and it will rise and collapse. It's important to watch your dough as it rises and bakes; dough that has risen and collapsed may look just like dough that never rose at all, once it's baked.

Both commercial dry yeast and instant yeast are suitable for bread machines because they are designed to be added directly to the dry ingredients, and they don't require proofing in water before use.