About Our Recipes
We work very hard to create and test these recipes. All of our recipes have been tested in over 30 different bread machines ranging from old discontinued machines like the Dak and Welbilt to the newest bread machines like the Zojirushi V-20 and the Breadman Ultimate. The information in this document is intended to help you make our recipes so that they turn out perfectly every time. Before making any of our recipes please read the text below completely.
Recipe Size
Unless stated otherwise all of our recipes are 1-1/2 pound recipes (12 servings). We use servings for our recipes so that using recipe management software like MasterCook we can easily scale recipes up or down.
If you are using a recipe management program like MasterCook simply scale the recipe as follows. 1 Pound = 8 servings, 1-1/2 pound = 12 servings, 2 pound = 16 servings and 2-1/2 pound = 20 servings.
Measuring
There is a big controversy over the best way to measure flour. Some people use a scale. Some people spoon the flour in to their measuring cups and then level off with a knife others scoop the flour in to the cup using the cup. All of our recipes are done using the scoop method. We use the measuring cup to scoop out the flour and then level off with a knife. If you choose to use one of the other methods to measure the recipe may need to be adjusted during the kneading process. This adjustment could require a considerable amount of extra flour. We recommend that you use the scoop method for all of our recipes. Many professionals chef’s use this method and it has worked well for us and it is faster.
If you wish to use a scale that your choice. None of our recipes include weight measurements. All measurements are in U.S. cups, teaspoons and tablespoons.
Dough Consistency
Unless our recipe states otherwise you need to check and make sure that the dough is forming a smooth round ball. You do this after 10 minutes of kneading. Simply open the machines lid and look at the dough. While it may not be a smooth round ball at this stage it should be coming together and well on its way. If the dough looks too dry (crumbly) or too wet (doesn’t hold its shape), then you need to adjust the dough. If it is too dry add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough begins to come together. Allow a minute of kneading in between each addition. If the dough is too wet add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time the dough begins to come together. Allow a minute of kneading in between each addition.
Remember that just because the dough needs some minor adjustment doesn’t mean the recipe is wrong or that you did something wrong. Your weather plays an important role. It can affect how much moisture is in the flour. On hot dry days you may need to add more water. On rainy or humid days you may need less water. Always check the dough consistency each time you make a recipe.
