Application Guide

shaped, cooked, or browned differently in different parts. Caution must be used in han-
dling the machine or any parts of it during the baking cycle while the machine body ra-
diates heat. The baked bread may occasionally stick in the baking pan (this generally
occurs only with the thinner-walled baking pans). The loaves are oddly shaped as com-
pared to traditional hand-shaped ones, and sometimes a slight depression occurs in the
top of the loaf caused by over-rising in the warm machine (this doesn’t hurt the loaf,
which is still delicious). The bread machine is not total perfection, and some models
may be easier to use than others. But you should know that though all machines have
their quirks, none of which prevent them from producing good bread, you will quickly
learn to work around them. While automatic bread-bakers produce bread the “painless”
or “no work” way, they are by no means no-brainers. Be prepared to familiarize your-
self with the idiosyncrasies of your machine.
Understanding the following basic components will help acquaint
you with your machine, or narrow down the choices to fit your needs.
What are the bread machine’s dimensions? Bread machines are all countertop appli-
ances, but they have a wide variety of dimensions. Consider your counter space; a ma-
chine should fit in a safe place with minimal activity around it, as the body is very
warm or even hot while functioning. It should rest about 4 inches away from all walls
and cupboards. Make sure there is room above to open the lid; most machines are taller
than they are wide. Some machines are quite compact and space-efficient, under 14
inches high and 14 inches wide, while others are much larger, like the Zo V20, one of
the largest at 17 inches wide, 11
1
/
2
inches high, and 8
1
/
2
inches deep. American Har-
vest makes an even larger side-by-side bucket unit that allows two loaves to bake at the
same time.
What size loaf does the machine make? Although machines are categorized by pound
size, the volume of the loaves is really what differs in different size machines. (A loaf
that contains nuts and dried fruit, for example, may be the same size as a loaf that is
made with just the basic ingredients, but it will weigh more.) Still, it has become the
convention of bread machine manufacturers to designate the volume of a machine in
terms of a loaf weight, so that is the terminology used throughout this book. A 1-
pounder is a small loaf, a 1
1
/
2
-pounder is a medium loaf, and a 2- or 2
1
/
2
-pounder is
large. A machine can always make a smaller loaf, but not a loaf larger, than the capac-
ity of its pan. Figure out what your needs are based on how many people will be eating
the bread you make. A single person or a couple would consume the 1- or 1
1
/
2
-pound
sizes. A medium family would eat the 1
1
/
2
-pound loaf, and for more than four people,
a 2-pound loaf is popular (at this writing, it is the top-selling size). There are also a few
2
1
/
2
-pound-loaf machines on the market.
What shape is the loaf? The unconventional loaves that come out of a bread machine
17