Application Guide

Measure and add the yeast on top of the other ingredients (or into the yeast dispenser
after you close the lid in Step 8, if your machine so requires). While machine
manuals usually make the point that you don’t want the yeast and salt to touch
(salt inhibits the action of the yeast), if you will not be setting the Delay Timer, it
doesn’t matter what touches what; it will all be mixing in a matter of minutes any-
way. Wipe clean the edge of the pan around the rim.
Replace the bread pan in the machine and click it into place on the bottom of the
oven floor. Fold down the handle, close the lid, and plug in the machine. The dis-
play surface will light up and there will be a beep.
Program the bread machine for the cycle appropriate to the type of bread you are
making. In this case, the desired cycle is Basic. With some machines, choosing
the cycle is as simple as pressing the button labeled with the name of the cycle
you want; consult your owner’s manual for the clearest instructions for program-
ming your machine.
If applicable, press the loaf control button and select the size loaf. Press the
setting for the desired crust color. Use the medium setting the first time you make
this loaf. You can adjust this setting the next time you make it, if need be. (If you
were using a recipe that called for extras, and if your machine has a dispenser,
you would place the extras in there, and then press the Extras button as you were
programming the machine.)
Push the On or Start button to begin the cycle, which starts with Mix and Knead 1.
Clean up the work area, leaving on hand the measuring spoons, some flour, and
some water. Place a long, narrow plastic spatula at the ready for testing the dough.
During the first 5 to 10 minutes of Knead 2, open the lid and check the consistency
of the dough, even if this is not stated in the manufacturer’s manual. Every loaf is
different and you need to adjust and repair the dough as needed. (Some bakers
regularly withhold 2 to 3 tablespoons of the total amount of flour so they can add
it slowly into the dough ball, so they have better control of the consistency.) Pop
open the lid and, using the spatula, push the dough around, checking in the cor-
ners to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated into the dough ball. Some
machines stop when you open the lid, others keep running. If the machine is run-
ning, you need to exercise caution to avoid the moving kneading blade, but you
will become comfortable with this. Use your fingers to touch and press the dough.
If the dough is wet and sticks to the sides and bottom of the pan, sprinkle in some
flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, while the machine is kneading (be careful not to
splash flour over the sides of the baking pan rim and onto the element because
you will smell it burning later during the baking) until the dough forms a ball that
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