Home Bread-Bakers v105.n040.13
[Advanced]

Re: Bread Machine Taste

Debunix <debunix@well.com>
Sun, 18 Sep 2005 10:49:28 -0500
v105.n040.13
<lisa@stolze.us> wrote:
>I am using a bread machine for all my breads, but I've noticed that 
>no matter what recipe I use, the bread all tastes the same.

Just wondering what bread recipes you're using that are all coming 
out the same.

I would guess that the consistency of kneading/mixing/rising/baking 
might mask some differences in flavor for simple recipes that depend 
on subtle things like varied rising times/temperature or different 
baking conditions to give unique results.   I'm thinking here of a 
simple flour/yeast/water/salt  bread that, prepared with long slow 
cool rises to yield a crusty, flavorful batard, would be very 
different if rising quick and warm and baked in a loaf pan for sandwiches.

And many bread recipes do taste the same, because they add such small 
quantities of flavorings.   A tablespoon of honey vs a tablespoon of 
sugar vs a tablespoon of molasses is not going to make a large 
difference to a single loaf, but a larger quantity of each might make 
a noticeable difference.

But a lean plain bread vs an herb bread or rich buttery nut bread or 
sweet bread with raisins ought to taste different, bread machine or no.

So what kind of recipes are you using, and what differences are you 
trying to achieve?

Diane Brown in St. Louis
http://www.well.com/user/debunix/recipes/FoodPages.html