WonderMix Bread Dough Mixer

Troubleshooting Chart for Bread Machines

See more in Beginners, Tips
If The Loaf Is…
This Could Have Caused It

Short Loaf
  • Not enough sugar.
  • Not enough yeast or the yeast was old or improperly stored.
  • The timer was used and the ingredients were placed in the pan so the salt or water was in contact with the yeast for a long period of time.
  • Short, heavier loaves are normal when using whole grain flours or when using all-purpose flour instead of using bread flour.
  • The pan was too large for the recipe size used. Not enough dough to fill the pan.

No Rise

  • The yeast was old or improperly stored, or yeast was forgotten or mismeasured.
  • Other key ingredients were forgotten or mismeasured.
  • Timer was used and the ingredients were placed in the pan incorrectly.
  • Water was too high and the yeast was killed.
  • Too much salt was used and the yeast was killed.
  • Too much sugar was used and the yeast was killed.

Mushroom Top
  • Usually indicates that the ingredients were out of proportion. Too much yeast, sugar, flour, liquid or a combination may result in the dough exceeding the capacity of the pan.
  • Bread pan was too small for the amount of dough.
  • Too many sugary ingredients were used.
  • No salt or too much salt was used.

Sunken Top

  • Ingredients amount were out of proportion.
  • Salt was ommited.
  • The bread pan was too small.
  • The dough rose to the top of the machine and interfered with proper baking and cooling.
  • Bread machine was opened during the baking cycle.
  • Warm weather, high humidity or overheated liquids all speed up yeast action, which may cause the dough to rise too fast and the bread to collapse before or right after baking begins. To help avoid this, baking during the coolest part of the day and use cool or cold liquids.
  • Too much liquid in the dough. It was too soft to keep its shape when baking began.

Gummy Areas

  • Too much wet or rich ingredients like applesauce, eggs, fat, etc.
  • Too much sugar.
  • The room that the bread machine was in was too cold and it affected the baking temperature and so the loaf didn’t get baked enough.
  • In rare cases the thermostat of your machine is defective and the loaf didn’t bake properly. If this happens repeatedly this is probably the case.

Coarse/Holey Texture

  • Too much water.
  • Too much yeast was used, or yeast action was accelerated by hot, humid weather or over heated ingredients.
  • Salt was omitted.
  • Drain fruit and vegetables well and pat dry before addingt to the bread dough.

Heavy/Dense
  • Not enough water.
  • Not enough sugar.
  • Not enough yeast.
  • Too much flour.
  • Be sure salt was added.
  • Too much whole-grain flour or whole grains were used. Substitute half bread flour.
  • Too much dried fruits or other added ingredients were used.

Other things to check

  • Make sure your yeast is fresh. If you don’t store the yeast in the freezer make sure you keep an eye on the expiration date. If you do store your yeast in the freezer (the best place to store it) you can disregard the expiration date. Freezing yeast allows it to remain fresh well beyond the expiration date. To store it in the freezer remove it from its container and place is a tight lidded moisture proof container. Use the yeast right from the freezer there is no need to warm it first.
  • If you don’t know if you yeast is good or not, place 1 tsp. of yeast in a glass bowl with 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 tsp. white sugar. Mix well and allow to site for 15 minutes. If the yeast is good it will bubble and become foaming. If it doesn’t replace your yeast it is dead.
  • If you store you flour, sugar, etc. in the refrigerator or freezer warm it before using it. You can either let it come to room temperature naturally or you can warm it in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. You don’t want it to get hot however.
  • Make sure your recipe doesn’t call for more than 1/4 cup of sweetener. More than this amount and it will affect the yeast. Too much sweetener be it sugar, honey, etc. is bad for your yeast. If you want to use more than the 1/4 cup use special yeast called “Brown Yeast” it is designed for high sugar and high acid dough’s. You can order this yeast from King Arthur Baker’s Catalog.

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  • I am grateful for the tips on this site, but I have just encountered something not apparently covered in your advice.

    My most recent whole wheat loaf came out of the bucket of the small second-hand Panasonic Bread Bakery machine that I am gradually learning to use, IN THE FORM OF CRUMBS. Quite literally, it began disintegrating into crumbs as it hit the board, and the lightest touch made it fall to pieces further. Now, I tried to follow a recipe, and previous loaves in this little machine have been tasty although aesthetically lacking, so I am at a loss to explain the excessive friability of this particular loaf. )The crumbs, by the way, promise to make elegant meatball mix, when ground beef next goes on sale.)

    I used fresh yeast, all the sugar, and salt called for, and cool water. There had clearly been rising going on, but of what alien sort, I cannot say. Nor was it the first time I had subsituted a bit of flax seed meal and wheat germ for a portion of the whole wheat flour.

    Thoughts from more experienced bakers??

    Thanks!

    cindy and ben May 10th, 2008 at 7:23 am

  • Hi

    I hope you can help me. I have recently been given (not new but as good as) a Prima model ABM12 bread maker.
    I used the reccommended brand ingredients, followed the instructions and used the reccommended programme and despite several tries the ingredients don’t even mix, let alone rise or look like a loaf – any advice would be greatly appreciated.
    regards
    Charlotte

    Charlotte Tate June 4th, 2008 at 9:48 am

  • @Charlotte – If it is not even mixing then you may have a defective bread machine. Is the paddle securely attached at the bottom of the pan? Is the motor kicking on and the machine heating up?

    BMD June 4th, 2008 at 11:39 am

  • Cindy – If you used cool water, that could be part of the problem. I’ve always been instructed to use “room temperature” water, which to me means you can just barely feel some warmth in the water if you stick your finger in it. We know yeast needs warmth to rise and using cold water could kill the yeast before the machine has had a chance to warm up.

    Here’s on more thing for breadmakers: you may need to change the amount of certain ingredients if you live in a high altitude area! That’s anything over 3500 ft. I live at 4600 ft so have to be careful to check the recipes!
    Margo in Arizona

    He

    Margo June 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pm

  • I have been making my own Pizza Dough and am looking for advice on WHEN to flatten/roll the dough.
    Last night I cut the dough into 2 portions and tried to shape the first half having great difficulty right out of the Maker.
    The second half was much easier but both STUCK to the Pizza Stone which I did nothing to this time.
    What pointers help can you give?
    Thanks

    Don Donalson June 28th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

  • I love to make pizza dough, too, and have found that I need to use either olive oil or flour to make the dough cooperate. When I’m making a stromboli on an oblong metal pan, I prefer the oil — I drizzle it onto the dough in the pan, then help it soak down the edges by running a skinny spatula around the edge and bottom. Then I dump the dough onto the pan and shape as needed. When I’m making pizza on a pizza stone, I prefer to use flour, since the oil soaks into the stone, and that builds up over time. I sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour on the dough in the pan and help it coat the dough by running the spatula around the sides and bottom. This helps the dough pop out onto the pizza stone, where I flatten it either by hand or with a rolling pin (I am completely incompetant when it comes to hand tossing pizza dough!). I have found that initially, the dough will spring back and not want to retain the rolled shape. But if I let the dough rest awhile, it does better on a second try. My chef friend, who can hand toss, lays down a light sprinkling of corn meal onto the pizza stone to keep it from sticking, then uses a wooden paddle to slide the formed dough onto the heated pizza stone already in the oven. Hope these tips help.

    A Hager July 26th, 2008 at 12:36 pm

  • I used my breadmachine for 5 months, everything worked fine. The problem started last week, after kneadling the bread dough, there was some grey stuff found inside at the bottom of the pan, around the shaft. The paddle look fine to me, no scratch. I didn’t cook the dough which had touched the gray stuff. I didn’t use my breadmachine since then. What is wrong with it, can I fix it without buying a new one? Please advice. Thanks.

    Frances

    Frances August 10th, 2008 at 7:12 am

  • I love your pictures of various bread problem. For a beginner like me,it really helps to see and identify the problem. I live in a high altitude area and my bread always comes out with a “sunken top”. Some people tells me my flour is too dry and the bread is rising too fast, so I add 50% more liquids and 25% more salt, but it still comes sunken. I’m going to try your remedy. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks.

    handysimon September 5th, 2008 at 12:17 am

  • I just bought a 2nd hand bread machine, and am hoping to be able to make spelt bread. I have a wheat sensitivity. I have made two loaves of bread now, and both have been dismal failures. The first loaf, I got from a different website and the recipe specified white spelt flour. I think I tried to make a 2 lb loaf in a 1 1/2 lb machine. It was sunken and dense. For the second loaf, I used your first loaf recipe, subbing spelt for wheat flour 1:1. Even more sunken than the first loaf, it’s not even done cooking but it’s a huge failure. Do you have any suggestions for using spelt instead of wheat? There are very few spelt recipes out there, and I’m getting frustrated trying to figure out how to replace the wheat with spelt.

    Jenny October 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 pm

  • I want to make a banana nut bread in my welbilt 2 pound machine. The recipe says use the “cake” setting. I misplaced the manual that came with the machine. Please tell me what would the “cake” setting be?

    Iris October 13th, 2008 at 9:35 am

  • I put raisins in at the correct time, but they sink to the bottom.

    Linda D November 15th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

  • I purchased a Panasonic Bread Bakery bread machine SD BT 51P (one pound) second hand and I don’t have the manual – I’ve been searching the web and went to the Panasonic web site – does anyone know how to find one?
    Thanks so much !

    Nancy November 23rd, 2008 at 5:55 am

  • I have trouble getting the loaf out of baking pan, it eventually comes out with a lot of shaking usually the padlles stay stuck in pan and pulls out chunks of bread with it,,, we have tried different machines, the odd time it will drop right out , no problem, but you have to fight with it most times we need some advice Thank you

    Orance Plamondon November 24th, 2008 at 3:50 pm

  • my Charlescraft bread machine is stuck on timer mode..i unplugged it and still can’t get it off that setting no matter how hard i try! Any ideas?

    wendy November 30th, 2008 at 9:07 am

  • I just bought a Zojirushi bbcc-x20 and as of now have made 3 different loaves/ types. I followed the recipies to the letter and all were hard, heavy and not edible. HELP. I have no clue what to do. My old “cheap” machine was never this irritating.

    Dee February 8th, 2009 at 7:50 pm

  • I recently purchased a Sunbeam Bread machine after years of owning a Hibachi (the Hibachi gasket crumbled and I could not find replacements). My problem with the Sunbeam is that my bread dries out within two days and the texture is very corse. I have tried different recipes within the instruction booklet as well as the recipe I used in the Hibachi. My question, is there any type of preservative that I can add or do you have any suggestions as to what else could be the problem. My old Hibachi recipe was perfect in texture every time and was still good enough for sandwiches after three days.

    Sally Vose February 18th, 2009 at 11:37 am

  • I am getting good tasting loaves, but they are very hard to slice. They are to spongy and don’t hold shape while I cut. Any help? I’m just starting…

    sara March 2nd, 2009 at 12:21 am

  • I’ve had a bread machine for a few years now. Have had two different brand machines. The loaves turn out great, regarless of the recipe I use. The problem I have is this – on the second day the bread seems dry & not as moist as it was the day it was baked. Can anyone advise me. Thank you.

    Karen June 23rd, 2009 at 7:55 am

  • I got a 2nd hand Welbilt ABM-100-3 it kneads the dough but will not advance past the kneading cycle to the rise cycle it just sits there! can it be advanced manually

    Pam July 20th, 2009 at 7:09 pm

  • I have a Black & decker machine which I have loved. But…. the paddle paint has flaked off leaving the bare metal. What can I use to repaint the paddle and replacement part is no longer available????

    evelyn July 27th, 2009 at 6:19 am

  • Firstly, I think this is a great website! My question is what do you do to compensate for things like altitude and weather when you are using a bread maker?

    Ange August 30th, 2009 at 3:16 pm

  • I have a Breadman Ultimate and I am trying to use the gluten free receipy that came with the instruction book. The problem is that I have a large air bubble in the center. What am I doing wrong? I live in Florida, could the humidity have anything to do with this?

    Alice September 3rd, 2009 at 6:54 pm

  • We have a bread machine that has worked just fine in days past, but today the bread maker comes on, but the blades will not turn. The brand is a magic chef.
    Could the ingredients be too thick (though it has done thick before)?

    Carol Ellingson September 4th, 2009 at 12:40 pm

  • i have a Oster bread machine it is about 10 years old its the one that has the 58 minute cycle for bread i have used it for a very long time but just recently when my bread is done the top is not baked with the loaf it separates from the rest of the loaf. the bread comes out perfect except for that. this has just started i have baked bread in this machine for a very long time and have changed nothing with the ingredients or measurements so i cant figure this out
    ANY HELP ANYONE ???? i would greatly appreciate any suggestions
    thank you
    Sharon

    Sharon September 25th, 2009 at 9:26 am

  • I am very new at bread machines, I usually do all the work myself when I make bread. So I just got a bread machine and I am having huge problems. My loafs come out with flat tops and appear overbaked. The last one I tried using the basic recipe from this website turned out the same, I even stopped backing 8 minutes early because it smelled like it was burning. What am I doing wrong, my ingredients are all fresh, could it be high altitude? How do I adjust for that?

    Any help or advice would be great.

    Patti October 8th, 2009 at 9:46 am

  • Patti,

    You may need to add more flour or water to the dough to get the consistency right. Look at http://www.breadmachinedigest.com/beginners/your-first-loaf.php and read the part under “dough consistency”.

    Ethan October 8th, 2009 at 10:06 am

  • Good spelt bread machine recipe here –

    http://www.bacheldremill.co.uk/flourrecipes.htm

    Edwin Moore December 3rd, 2009 at 5:15 am

  • @ Orance Plamodon- I had the same problem, and I put shortening on the blade itself and it made the blade stay in the bread until you have to take it out. It’s a bit difficult to take out, but I just wrestle it out a bit with tongs (it’s HOT) and it comes out. 🙂

    Hope that helps!

    Devin Short December 8th, 2009 at 1:15 am

  • For bread that stays fresh longer, store your cooled loaves in brown paper bags. Fold the end of the bag over and place within a plastic bag. The bread will keep for several days on your kitchen counter and can be stored in the freezer this way as well. I don’t know why this works so well, but it does!

    Jo Ann January 4th, 2010 at 5:50 pm

  • I purchased a Wolfgang Puck bread and desert machine and I have tried twice to make white bread……I am soo disappointed.:( It does not go into a bread dough ball and then when it bakes, it does not rise and even look like a loaf of bread. What could be wrong?? Please help. I paid a very hefty price for this machine and it doesn’t work.

    Verna February 7th, 2010 at 9:10 am

  • I need to know how warm my kitchen neeeds to be for my bread to rise. All of mt loaves are not as tall as they should be. Does the room need to be a certain temp.? Can anyone answer this for me, please.

    Mary February 27th, 2010 at 10:51 pm

  • Well, I just got a bread machine. Oster. Didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg. Had thumb rebuilt and can’t do hand stuff much now. Anyhow, wanted to skip using special ingredients like bread maker flour and made my bread 1st time today and followed the 2lb recipe and the bread is on the glass. tried to raise the lid while baking at first. but went back down. now, cooking time is up and it’s a mess. big, and i’m not certain it’s edible! what?

    Trudy Sherman April 8th, 2010 at 11:26 am

  • Sorry Trudy, I can relate, I’ve tossed as many loaves as I’ve kept. Anyhow my question is this, I have a ABM6000, according to the manual the dough blade comes off. I can’t get it off! Does anybody know how.
    Thanks, James

    James April 17th, 2010 at 10:29 pm

  • Most problems with getting a well shaped loaf are due to not making high altitude adjustments; not having water at right temp, and not using correct measurements and fresh yeast. Never open the lid while the baking process is happening.

    Bob Murphy May 27th, 2010 at 11:48 am

  • If blade sticks after baking run hot water into empty bread abasket and allow to sit for a few minutes; should be easy to remove then.

    Bob Murphy May 27th, 2010 at 11:52 am

  • does anyone know why my oster lights start flashing and screen displays PAN and wont start when started.

    sharyl July 3rd, 2010 at 2:18 pm

  • Thank You a very good chart to go by. I have a new Westbend bread machine and having trouble with the all purpose flour I have used many times in the past.

    Kritter

    Mike Kritenbrink October 31st, 2010 at 11:38 am

  • Hi, My bread machine was unplugged with about 20 left into the bake cycle. How do I get it to go back into the bake cycle without starting the machine again. I have plugged it back in and the display light is blank

    Gigi November 4th, 2010 at 6:31 pm

  • I have a Cooks Essentials CEBR11

    I really just need to know whether solids or liquids go in first and what the max amount of flour you can use if you want to make bread or if you want to make dough.

    Michael H Sodos November 22nd, 2010 at 1:03 pm

  • I have followed all the high altitude tips and finally at 7500 feet elevation, I got a perfect loaf. I removed the paddles just before the rise because in previous loaves, they made it almost impossible to get the bread out of the machine. HOWEVER, I had to MAUL my perfect loaf to get it to release from just the 2 pins (that hold the paddles.) ANY SUGGESTIONS? It is very annoying to have a perfect loaf which gets torn apart when i’m trying to get it out of the pan. HELP!

    Betty Daniel December 15th, 2010 at 1:48 pm

  • Solved my mangled loaf problem.
    1. Used all the high altitude rules: less fluid; less yeast; more salt.

    2. As the RISE begins, I remove the dough; take out the paddles, wipe the “pins”.

    3. Spray the pins and the bottom and up the sides about an inch with PAM FOR BAKING.

    4. Put dough back in and push down evenly and let dough rise and bake.

    5. Loaf has a perfect shape; drops right out with only 2 little holes in the bottom .
    6. Hope this helps someone else.

    Betty Daniel December 25th, 2010 at 9:01 am

  • MY ZOJIRUSHI MODEL BBCC-V20 DURING THE STIR DOWN CYCLES WILL MIX SO RAPIDLY THAT THE PAN LIFTS OFF THE ROTATING SHAFTS AND HAS TO BE RESEATED. THE PAN IS FIRMLY SEATED WHEN THE UNIT IS STARTED USING THE BASIC CYCLE TO MAKE RYE BREAD.THIS UNSEATING MAY OCCUR SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE STIR DOWN CYCLE—ANY CLUES TO STOP THE UNSEATING?

    BOB MILLER January 30th, 2011 at 3:58 pm

  • We have the new Zoirushi Bread Machine: BBCC-X20, and are having trouble making anything other than the basic white bread recipe. We followed the recipe for the rye bread, and chocolate bread (to try something really different) to a T, and they both came out all crumbly on the top and mishapen. The bread actually tasted fine, but looked really weird, and a lot was lost because about 1/3 of it was in “crumbs” or small globs and fell away. We used fresh ingredients, yeast we just bought, and warm, not hot, water. This sounds similar to the issue Cindy and Ben wrote about. Could there be something wrong with the machine?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Joni Fisher March 7th, 2011 at 1:11 pm

  • OOPS! I made a mistake in the kind of machine we have. We have the new BB0CEC20–sorry about that.

    Joni Fisher March 7th, 2011 at 1:35 pm

  • Hi,
    I havebeen using a breadmaker for many years and make beautiful bread but one thing is happening that I don’t like. When I remaove the loaf it clings to the kneading paddle and tears out quite a bit of the loaf. Do you have any solutions, please?
    Jay

    Jay Dunning March 17th, 2011 at 7:53 pm

  • @Jay, There are two tricks for that. 1. Coat the paddle with oil or spray with a nonstick cooking spray such as Pam before adding the ingredients. 2. Remove the paddle before the baking cycle.
    I use a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove the paddle when it sticks. If you remember the shape of your paddle and twist the pliers while pulling out, it causes minimal tearout.

    Fred March 20th, 2011 at 4:30 am

  • I have been useing my breadmachine for months. Made cinnamon rasin bread yesterday. It didn`t shapeup right and when done, wasn`t done in the middle. Thought I goffed used a new recipe. Today I used my tried and true recipe and had the same results. Did everything as I always do. Can anyone help me as to what is wrong.
    Thank You

    Carolynne April 5th, 2011 at 12:15 pm

  • Maybe there’s a problem with machine.

    Fred April 7th, 2011 at 4:58 am

  • I have owned several different bread machines and everyone of them have said not to mix the yeast with the wet ingredients, then I spoke to a friend of mine who was a baker. She said we were taught to mix the yeast with the water when we made bread the old fashioned way (without a bread machine). I always do it this way now and get beautiful 100% WW bread every time. So why do all the instruction books tell us different?

    Ann June 24th, 2011 at 4:06 pm

  • I got a Welbilt model ABM6200 bread machine and the first loaf I made successfully and the two loaves since then did not mix well or rise. They are just all the ingredients crumbled together. I have fresh yeast and use bread flour. I can’t figure out what is wrong. Can anyone help me? Thanks so much!!!

    Christa August 8th, 2011 at 7:40 pm

  • Have a problem with Zojirushi BBCC-X20 model. Bread is rising so high that it blocks the vents in lid and fills the window, causing the top to not bake. Have adjusted dry yeast but same problem. Could liquid milk cause the bread to rise too much? Any other suggestions?

    Marina August 15th, 2011 at 5:19 pm

  • I have a BBCC-X20 around 3 to 4 years old. All of a sudden it will not heat. Not even pre-heat. Please tell me where I can get it fixed withing the Phoenix, AZ area.
    Thank you,
    Evan Hamblin
    2104 Squire Ave. N.
    Tempe, AZ 85281
    (480) 994-3901

    Evan Hamblin August 28th, 2011 at 3:45 pm

  • I have a Welbilt 6200 Bakers Select Bread Machine. The paddle is losing it’s coating. I tried to find a repacement paddle, but no luck.
    What should I do?

    Margie Sutherland August 29th, 2011 at 1:06 pm

  • I recently purchased a used (used twice, so they said) Zojirushi BB-CEC20 bread machine from an Amazon.com seller based on all the rave reviews. My son was recently diagnosed as allergic to wheat (interestingly, not to gluten, though), so I bought this machine *specifically* because of its gluten-free bread reviews.

    I have made 3 loaves of bread in this machine–even one using regular bread flour, just for comparison–and all three fail to rise well and don’t brown very well on the top, either (I used “medium” on the crust cycle). I am getting very frustrated as this was an expensive machine and I had high hopes for it. I’m about ready to throw it out the window, to be honest. I’ve used bread machines in the past (many years ago) and didn’t go through this much aggravation!

    I’ve also noticed that the machine “clicks” a lot during the baking cycle. Is this normal?

    I’m wondering whether I got a defective machine. Everyone writes about how wonderful this thing is, but my experience has been rather underwhelming at best; downright exasperating and maddening at worst.

    Anyone else have problems with this particular machine? I’d love to hear how you remedied them. Thanks!

    Susan September 28th, 2011 at 7:09 pm

  • I can think of two things that may be affecting your bread:
    1: Your machine is failing. Since your bread flour trial didn’t work I think this is most likely. To be sure it’s the machine and not the recipe or your ingredients I’d make a loaf the traditional way and bake it in the oven.
    or 2: Are you using a normal recipe and substituting non-gluten flour for regular flour? Gluten free loaves require other ingredients to make them rise correctly and act like bread (because that’s what the gluten does) so if you aren’t using one already try going to some of the gluten free websites out there and trying what they suggest. If your recipe doesn’t include things like xanthum gums, starches, and tapioca or sorghum flours it’s probably not a very good recipe.
    Best of luck with your bread issue!

    Wyn October 9th, 2011 at 6:12 pm

  • @ Frances (from way back in 2008) I have been having the same issue with my Zojirushi BBCC-V20. I think the gray gunk is lubricant for the axles in the bread pan. For a long while I’ve been tightening the loosened wing nut on the bottom which minimized the leakage, but now, intermittently, the one paddle won’t turn.

    Has anyone else had this type of problem on any bread machine? Do you know of a simple fix or lube job I can attempt before I have to buckle and buy a new ~$50 bread pan? On a related note, anyone know of a good, reliable parts website?

    Ben November 4th, 2011 at 3:18 pm

  • I just started grinding my own flour. I use white wheat…I use a breadmaker, however when using the fresh ground flour and the same recipe I have always used, the bread did not rise. Do I need to add something…more yeast? Please Help!!!! I have 90 pounds of white hard wheat to use.

    Debbie- Roundup November 26th, 2011 at 3:41 pm

  • I have a brand new Zojirushi Bread machine. Last week I called them and they told me to press and hold the time and cycle buttons to turn it off. Now I am making bread and no one told me how to turn the preheat back on. Help.

    Diana December 24th, 2011 at 4:43 pm

  • Diana, instruction manual says press and hold time and cycle buttons together for 3 seconds until “preheat off” disappears from display.

    Judi December 31st, 2011 at 6:55 pm

  • I read so many people having rising, baking and like problems. I am an Organic Chemist by Education–I am so disappointed in the recipes offered both here and in most bread manuals, as they measure with Cups and Tablespoons. This is completely archaic and a waste of ingredients–Why because everyone measures differently. Bread is a very exact scientific experiment that offers more replicable results when…ready for it==you use a Scale!!! How do you figure out the amounts? This website will convert most bread ingredients that you might use–just like I like to use Raw Sugar in my bread and it weighs differently than cane sugar. King Arthur’s Flour is measured for 1-Cup at 128-grams–which is much less than what I load a cup at.

    Dina January 8th, 2012 at 3:16 am

  • I have the BB-CEC20 bread machine. The loaf is uneven. What am I doing wrong?

    Deborah February 12th, 2012 at 9:51 am

  • I have a ‘Zo’ BBCC-X20 that I’ve had since 2004. Love it as I did the previous (but Different ‘Zo’ model). This ‘Zo’ however bakes a much darker crust than the previous. Even the “LIGHT” setting is too dark for me. Is there anyway to lower the thermostat myself? and would that help ?

    Karen Rogers February 22nd, 2012 at 10:28 am

  • I am having a horrible time with my “Zo” BBCC-X20 I have had since 2008. I used it rarely until recently and started by making the chocolate cake recipe in the manual. It turned out great. Then I made a regular loaf of bread with King Arthur Flour and older ingredients. It did not turn out well so I ordered all fresh ingredients….everything! Now it is worse!!! When the knead process is finished it looks like a pile of “dog doodoo” and is unevenly distributed in the machine. There is absolutely no look of a nicely shaped loaf. It is such a mess it fails to rise the full amount evenly. I adjust for high altitude but I am ready to throw the whole thing away. Any ideas from anyone? Why it would start to make this so uneven?

    Marsha Hogan March 26th, 2012 at 1:34 pm

  • I have had a bread machine for years but since moving to a high altitude area I have had short dense loaves. My book says that high altitude causes the bread to rise too much but with me that is not the case. I have had my bread flour and yeast for some time. The yeast is in a screw top jar but the flour I take out of a 35lb bag. I have tried reducing the amount of flour wihich goes in a 2lb loaf but without results. My 1 lb dough from which I make pizza is very successful after it has been in the fridge for 36 hours. would this work for a loaf? Is the problem with the flour and do I need to get it into an airtight container the next time I buy it?

    Patricia Denney March 29th, 2012 at 5:52 pm

  • Patricia,

    I would check to see if your yeast is still good.

    If you don’t know if you yeast is good or not, place 1 tsp. of yeast in a glass bowl with 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 tsp. white sugar. Mix well and allow to site for 15 minutes. If the yeast is good it will bubble and become foaming. If it doesn’t replace your yeast it is dead.

    I always store my yeast in the freezer in a sealed container, that seems to keep it good the longest for me.

    BMD March 30th, 2012 at 11:18 am

  • For those at high altitude, I have found, adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice works wonders for getting my bread to rise properly.

    Wllen April 8th, 2012 at 8:13 pm

  • I have a West Bend Baker’s Choice Plus II machine with a horizontal loaf pan. My challenge is getting a smooth crust on the top. Every loaf I have made has a gnarly, uneven top. Any tips to create a smooth top crust?

    Sarah April 15th, 2012 at 5:14 pm

  • Can someone help me?! My bread machine has some sort of issue that I need help resolving. It mixes everything just fine, but it does not rise. I know it’s not the yeast because the first time that what I thought, I have tried making bread and changing the yeast probably 10 times now…no such luck. After it mixes it just begins to bake and I’m left with this tiny little ball (size of a dinner roll) that is completely inedible! Help please!

    Amber April 21st, 2012 at 3:22 pm

  • I have a Bakers select model #ABM6200 that I purchased 13 years ago. It still makes great bread but the only thing that I dont have with it is a gluten free recipe. Can anyone reccomend or tell me where i can get a recipe? Thanks

    Ron DellaPenta June 10th, 2012 at 8:36 pm

  • Desperate for advice please- I have a Prima ABM6 that I purchased second hand- it was still packaged and unused- I excitedly set about baking my 1st loaf- all the programmes work- the machine gets warm and the bread rises, but the machine does not Cook, I have to remove the dough and cook in a conventional oven. I have removed the element and a local electrician tested it- telling me there was nothing wrong with it- please can anyone advise what the problem could be, as Prima have ceased trading. I understand that all Breadmakers use the same or very similar componants please can anyone help me? Thanks in anticipation

    Barbara June 17th, 2012 at 5:50 pm

  • Using my bread machine for the first time, quite a lot of the flour wasn’t mixed in and came out as tried floury lumps on the outside of the bread, I followed the instructions which didn’t mention mixing the ingredients first, but emphasised that the yeast should not be in contact with the yeast.

    Jo Gilbert July 19th, 2012 at 3:29 am

  • My bread rises and bakes fine, just all around the top, the loaf cracks, and the very top of each slice falls away. Any ideas please?

    Margaret July 30th, 2012 at 4:02 pm

  • An idea to prevent your loaf ‘blowing its top’: shorten the proving time;

    Regardless of the recipe, use ‘basic’ instead of wholewheat, -or ‘Rye’ instead of ‘basic’

    johnno August 10th, 2012 at 12:33 pm

  • I found a hitachi bread machine at a garage sale. Excitedly I brought it home and baked two loaves. The first loaf was perfect, the second was small, then the third was also perfect, but the fourth loaf didn’t mix together and knead into a ball. Now the machine doesn’t mix the dough anymore so I have to reach in the machine with a spatula to mix it and it will knead it from there and the bread turns out okay. Why does this happen and is there a fix for it? I can’t find the answer in the literature that came with it. Supposedly it had never been used before we bought it.

    Brian Juntunen September 6th, 2012 at 3:47 pm

  • @Ben from 2011… we’ve had the same issue with a Kenmore machine… worked great for a number of years of intermittent use, but the last few loaves had what appeared to be machine oil (black) in them, around the hole where the paddle was. Ick. Would love to hear if anyone has solved this problem without buying a new machine.

    Susan September 8th, 2012 at 10:39 am

  • My bread is baking more on the left side than the right. I have

    JoAnne Marcine November 12th, 2012 at 9:26 am

  • Flours are different and if u measure by weight you can get the ingredients easily out of proportion if u don’t use the same kind of flour as in the recipe. Flours are also different in every country so not all recipies just work without adjustments. I always check the dough during the kneading cycle that the dough isn’t too dry and hard. It needs to feel a little moist and a little soft on the surface.

    The machines are quite a lot the same but some seem to require ingredients in a room temperature, some cold and some lukewarm. Also if hard fats are used, such as margarine, i always get better results by letting it go soft for about half an hour than in a runny form.

    Now i have my second machine and all i can say that it’s all about the ingredients and how accurately they are measured and in what temperature. I also get better results by using fresh yeast instead of dry.

    jp November 22nd, 2012 at 1:46 pm

  • Quote:
    Would love to hear if anyone has solved this problem without buying a new machine.

    When my first machine broke, I admit I just went around looking for another at garage sales. I find a lot of people buy these, use them once or twice, and then quit using them altogether. Ironically its too much “work” for some people to buy all the ingredients and use their machine than to just buy a loaf of bread. If you do a little looking, it most likely will not be long before you find one. I have seen a lot of machines in good shape for 10.00 (got a really nice juicer this way for 5.00!).

    Lbrewer42 November 30th, 2012 at 11:41 am

  • I have a great gluten free suggestion. It is Bob’s Red Mill gluten free bread mix. I get it at Kroger, Meijer or a health food store. You add eggs, milk and the yeast even comes in the bag. I have made several loaves since getting my new bread machine…they come out great. It does come out with flat, knarly tops, but great flavor. The crust is perfect. I have not tried to get the paddles out before baking but I might the next time. I even added sunflower seeds and some sliced almonds to it. YUM!

    CindyBelleau January 27th, 2013 at 8:02 pm

  • PS Its a West Bend high riser from Amazon.

    CindyB January 27th, 2013 at 8:03 pm

  • What about bread holes on the bottom. Its as though the bread on the bottom is ropey and being mixed and cooked at the same time. It makes the bread look ugly. I know this never cooked like this before. it looks like the pictures posted by salad in a jar.

    why is this happening? Do I need a new bread machine or is this fixable?

    walter October 24th, 2013 at 8:58 am

  • Room temperature will not feel warm to the touch; it will feel slightly cool. Your body is 98.6 degrees, and the room is significantly cooler than that.

    Elisabeth May 17th, 2014 at 2:36 pm

  • I used my bread machine often with great success! Then I moved here (same duty) and now my bread does beautiful until it jits the bake cycle then in sinks down and is only good for a door stop! I have tried and wasted many times and my last thought is could it possibly be my granite counter tops??? Does it effect the heat cycle? Please let me know! I miss my bread!

    Judy V July 2nd, 2014 at 11:59 pm

  • Not a reply – a Question. My problem is fracturing of the crust of an otherwise wellbaked(Sunbeam)loaf. It starts happening late in baking mode. I don’t see a solution amongst all the Tips.

    Ronald Ingle August 26th, 2014 at 5:07 am

  • My bread machine manual recipes say to enter ingredients into machine in the excact order as listed. Which tells you to make an indentation in the flower after it is put in machine and then pour the yeast into this indentation. And that is the last thing added to machine….you just close lid and let it do its thing. As for the paddle being cooked into loaf and problem getting out….seems to be universal, sometimes not as difficult a chore as other times. And as for hard to get bread out of machine….I have started spraying insides including paddle with Pam. And the bread drying out after first day is normal…no preservatives!!! Just enjoy that first day!!! After that…use for salad croutons, or to dunk in soup!! lol Dying to try raison cinnamon bread…havent tried yet. Also afraid to stop machine and remove dough and make rolls….never know when. I forget name…I think it is somehting called Breadman….haven’t used in a while.

    Peggy B October 3rd, 2014 at 11:07 am

  • PS!! Sorry forgot to spell check!!!! Also…forgot to say my yeast is a dry yeast…not wet after soaking in water like some have talked about.

    Peggy B October 3rd, 2014 at 11:10 am

  • I bought new machine, used box bread mix, machine beeped in about 15 min and shut off, had to dump out and clean, did second box bread mix, baked, but top never rose right caved in–that’s over $8 shot, and all day. Cannot find receipt, is new. My old Panasonic was 10 yrs old when quit, was perfect.

    liz October 16th, 2014 at 10:30 am

  • Have just started to use my Panasonic bread machine SD-BT55P) after a year
    and find that the dough is very wet and also that the machine will not go into the bake cycle. Help!!

    Jane Haynie October 24th, 2014 at 3:52 pm

  • A lot of problems can easily be overcome by just adding two teaspoons of lemon juice to the ingredients.
    Keep the quantities as recommended – such an easy solution.

    Ken December 2nd, 2014 at 9:27 am

  • NOT A REPLY!! I’m hoping you can tell me what I’ve done wrong. I have a Zojirushi bread machine. It makes a one pound loaf. I made the Italian bread recipe from Donna German’s The Bread Machine Cookbook and it came out like a large biscuit. The yeast was fresh. The flour was about 10 months old but I keep it in the refrigerator. This is my second bread machine. I purchased my first in the early 1990’s but the loaf was too large for two people so I gave it to a friend and purchased this one. I love the machine but I’m not sure now which recipes will work with it. Thank-you.

    Mary Jane S. December 7th, 2014 at 6:57 am

  • Love the machine SD-YD250 but lately the paddle won’t stay in machine but ends up in bottom of loaf and loaf is funky and heavy. Could having the paddle come off into the bread have anything to do with funky bread. Thanks

    Debby December 9th, 2014 at 3:28 pm

  • One of the 2 paddles in my pan of my Charlescraft Breadmaker wll not rotate. What can I do to get it to rotate. Thank you

    Mary Lee Rossitter December 13th, 2014 at 7:08 am

  • Please help! I have a Russell Hobbs bakers delight model RHBM 1500 bread machine. The whole wheat + white flour bread baked on the whole wheat cycle keeps on collapsing in the middle. It rises beautifully & then just suddenly collapses when the baking begins.
    Any ideas?

    sureen December 26th, 2014 at 9:38 am

  • my bread came out grey is it safe to eat

    dave December 28th, 2014 at 4:23 pm

  • Please, does anyone have a picture of or a user guide for the Prima Home Bakery model ABM12 bread maker? If so, email me asap at judithlong2958@gmail.com

    Judith Long January 11th, 2015 at 10:31 pm

  • My bread machine has a way of making loaves of bread that wouldn’t rise. I didn’t used to have this problem before. Is this a sign that I need to have my bread machine repaired? I always make sure that the yeast isn’t too old, measure all of my ingredients properly, and time my bread machine perfectly. It’s very important for me to find out what’s causing my bread machine to fail to make my loaves rise as soon as possible. I’m teaching a cooking class next week about how to make bread and I need a couple of example loaves for the class to sample.
    http://www.albertaappliance.com/

    Deanna R. Jones January 14th, 2015 at 4:24 pm

  • I have a problem. It seems that dough is leaking from the loaf pan and settles around the thingy that holds the blade in place yet when I put water in the said pan no leaks??? It doesn’t affect any operations but it cooks and I have to soak the bottom of the pan to take it off. The washer under the blade seems fine, if it wasn’t wouldn’t water leak out?

    Lynn Vallieres February 24th, 2015 at 11:48 am

  • We have hitachi bread maker and been getting along great with it but last 2 loaves have not mixed right flour still on bottom. Any ideas?

    Jo February 28th, 2015 at 12:02 pm

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