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Experiments with rapid bread machines

Andie Paysinger <asenji@earthlink.net>
Sat, 03 Mar 2001 08:15:49 -0800
v101.n012.30
After several months of playing with a couple of rapid bread machines the 
Oster and the Breadman Pro, I have discovered that they can be coaxed into 
making a pretty good loaf of bread by making some adjustments to the 
ingredients.

I like a denser loaf for some uses - particularly when I want to make melba 
toast and need a denser, very fine crumb so the bread can be sliced  very, 
very thin.

As some of you have mentioned the loaves are small,  rise unevenly, etc.

I did my experiments with box mixes - Krusteaz, Eagle Mills, etc.

For the longer "Rapid" cycle,  80 minutes - I used 1 +1/2 boxes of the mix 
for  the loaves and with the Krusteaz only 1 packet of yeast -The Eagle 
Mills has the yeast mixed into the dry ingredients.  I used the exact 
amount of water indicated for the  1 1/2  portions.   I set the crust at 
dark. The loaves crowned just to the top of the pan were evenly risen and 
nicely browned, were fully baked throughout and had a fine crumb and was 
just fine for very thin slicing.

For the shortest "Rapid" cycle (58 minutes in the Oster)  I used 2 packages 
of mix with the exact amount of water but with only one package of yeast 
with the Krusteaz mix.  Again with the "dark" crust setting. The loaf rose 
evenly, was just short of the top window . The bottoms and sides were well 
browned but the top was somewhat light.  The  loaf was quite dense, but had 
a very fine crumb and was perfect for making the super thin slices I need 
for making melba toast.

So my conclusions are that if you want to try the rapid bake options on 
these machines, use a recipe 1 1/2 times the usual size because it does not 
have time enough for a full dough rise - use a rapid rise yeast because 
this will give it enough of a boost for the oven rise.
--
Andie Paysinger & the PENDRAGON
Basenjis,Teafer,Cheesy,Singer & Player
asenji@earthlink.net    So. Calif. USA   "In the face of
adversity, be patient, in the face of a basenji, be prudent,
be canny, be on your guard!"
http://home.earthlink.net/~asenji/