Well hello there friends!
Happy Sunday!
How is your August thus far?
Today is a post long over-due.
We're going to chat about my bread machine.
I know, right?
I originally had planned on making a full review article, but scrapped that idea in favor of a conversational chat.
Back in January, I was sitting on the couch with my husband debating on a Target order. I wanted to get a four-slice toaster and we were browsing through the options. Side note, they had a cute, retro toaster I loved, but $100 for a toaster?
My husband mentioned getting a bread maker, which is something we had wanted for a while. We started looking at those and quickly switched tracks. Suddenly, the toaster was put on the back burner. We found this Hamilton Beach Bread Machine on sale, with decent reviews. Before we made the purchase, I did a little research on what all I would need to go with it. Turns out, not that much honestly. Boxed bread mixes are a thing and yeast is not as intimidating as it may seem. Also, you can use pretty much whatever flour you want, depending on the recipe.
So a few hours later, I was impatiently waiting for my order to arrive.

When it finally showed up, I couldn't wait to open it up and get baking! But of course, I first had to clean all the parts, run an empty bake cycle for 10 minutes, let the machine cool, and then clean all the parts again.
Once that was done, it was time to bake!
I started easy. Krusteaz makes Sourdough Bread mix and Hawaiian Bread mix. I purchased both and we chose the sourdough first.
Oh was it delicious!
Everything we needed, aside from water, came in the box. I just needed to put the ingredients in and let the machine do its thing.
The loaf was gone within the day and I set my sights on the Hawaiian bread.
Let me tell you, it was better than King's Hawaiian... and that's saying something!
After that, it was time to branch out on my own. I needed to test this machine out; put it through its paces.
And I did.
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2 lb. loaf French bread |
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1.5 lb. cinnamon raisin bread |
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2 lb. Brioche bread |
But let me back up and chat about the bread machine.
This is the Hamilton Beach Artisan Breadmaker. It comes with the machine, the bread pan, the kneading paddle, a measuring cup, a measuring spoon, and a paddle hook.
This machine has 14 cycles, including a quick cycle, gluten-free, whole grain, jam, and two express cycles.
There is an option for 1 lb., 1.5 lb., or 2 lb. loaf as well as three crust options. It has a delay timer and the door offers a window to see the bread as it's being mixed and baked.
One of my goals with this purchase was to never have to buy bread again. I can pretty much make any type of bread we might need.
I've made all sorts of breads with this machine, but I use the dough setting the most. It saves me so much time and effort.
I've made bread, of course, but also breadsticks, hot dog buns, hoagie buns, biscuits, and I attempted to make donuts.
Friends, don't make donut dough in the bread machine. It's a bad idea.
About buying bread... here's the issue. We didn't buy bread for months, but recently we needed to. In order to make camp pies on the campfire, we need sliced bread that will fit in the iron. The bread I make in the bread machine is large, shaped like the pan. It just wasn't going to work. We also purchased hot dog buns, not because mine weren't good. They were delicious! The problem was they were too bready.
So, unfortunately my dream of never having to buy bread again wasn't reality. There will be times we need to, but I can tell you it has saved us money -- we aren't buying loaves of bread every time we grocery shop like before; It's on occasion and I can live with that.
So, remember when I told you I forgot to put the kneading paddle in the pan? Yeah...
I've done it twice.
The first time, I had the pan in the machine and looked through the window of the door. I realized it wasn't mixing.
That was a mess.
I had to take the pan out of the machine and try to scoop the ingredients out as best as possible. I wiped the pan down, put the paddle in, and poured my ingredients back in, hoping for the best. The bread turned out just fine, no issues.
I vowed to never forget again.
I forgot again.
But the second time, I was only halfway through putting the ingredients in, so it wasn't as bad.
Friends, don't forget to put the kneading paddle in. haha!
Okay, so you might be wondering...
What ingredients do I need to buy and have on hand for my bread machine?
You're in the right place. I'm going to list it all out for you.
Here's what I recommend keeping on hand:
- Bread flour - this will be used for most recipes.
- All-purpose flour - this can be used for some breads and biscuits. Plus, it's nice to have for anything else you want to whip up. Remember, the dough setting is your bff.
- Sugar - you're going to need this for almost every bread recipe you come across.
- Salt - again, you'll be using this a lot!
- Yeast
Instant yeast doesn't need to be dissolved in water while active dry yeast does. However, when using active dry yeast in the bread machine, you don't need to dissolve it first. You just need to adjust your measurements.
Bread Machine Diva gives these conversions:
1 teaspoon of active dry yeast = 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon of instant yeast = 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
Bread machine yeast is a type of instant yeast, so you don't need to buy "bread machine yeast" specifically. SAF is a favorite among bakers because of its strength, price point, and it works well for a variety of baked goods.
I agree, I love the SAF.
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Ingredients to always have on hand. |
Other Features Worth Noting:
- When mixing, the machine will beep 12 times, indicating it's time to add any extras you might want. (raisins, nuts, etc..)
- The machine will beep 10 times when bread is finished baking. If bread is not removed, the machine will switch to a warm setting for 1 hour. The machine will beep again when the hour is up.
Extra Tips:
- Always put the kneading paddle in the pan first. *It's worth repeating a third time. Trust me.*
- Get in the habit of separating your salt and yeast when pouring ingredients in the pan. This is a good habit overall, but important if you ever decide to use the time delay feature.
- Pay close attention to the manufacturer's instructions on ingredient order and always follow it.
- If your bread sticks to the pan and is hard to get out, use a rubber spatula to gently ease it out of the pan.
- Keep unused yeast in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Label with the date and store in the fridge.
Other Baking Tools To Consider:
- A French rolling pin. I love mine and it's easy to clean!
- A dough cutter. This will come in handy as you branch out into making other culinary treats.
- Extra measuring spoons and cups. We recently purchased these larger scoops and I'm in the market for another set of measuring spoons.
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Tools to have on hand. |
I may be a tad bit biased, but I think everyone should have a bread machine. It saves money, makes life easier, and there's nothing better than freshly baked bread, especially if you made it yourself.
<3
-A