How to Adapt Bread Recipes for Bread Machines

Here are some tips on how to adapt bread recipes for a bread machine. Believe it or not, any yeast bread recipe can be made in your bread machine.

It may take a few attempts to get the formula just right for your machine. After you adapt bread recipes, remember to write down the quantities that worked for you.

• Using your bread machine manual as your guide, determine the amount of flour that you can use (number of cups). You cannot exceed this amount or you could damage your machine.

• For each 1 cup (250 ml) of flour used, you need approximately 1/3 cup (75 ml) of liquid. You also need at least 1 tsp. (5 ml) of sweetener (sugar, honey), 1/4 tsp. (1 ml) salt, and 1/2 tsp. (2 ml) bread machine or quick-rising dry yeast per cup of flour. Do NOT leave out the sweetener or salt - they are both needed to produce a successful yeast dough.

• Do not omit the fat in a recipe. Fat gives the crust its tenderness and the loaf its softness. Use at least 1 tsp. (5 ml) room temperature solid fat or vegetable oil per 1 cup (250 ml) of flour.

• Be sure to have bread pan removed from the machine before adding ingredients. Add ingredients to pan in the order suggested by your machine's manufacturer. The yeast must remain dry (added last) until the machine mixes the ingredients.

• If this is your first attempt at trying a new recipe in the machine, be present when it starts to knead the dough. Look at the dough ball during the first knead. If it looks very firm and dry, or the machine sounds like its straining, add a few drops of liquid until the machine stops straining. If the dough looks too sticky, add more flour (a spoonful at a time) until it looks smooth.

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