Absolute Best Uses For A Bread Maker
When it comes to countertop appliances, bread makers sometimes become the butt of a joke. No matter your intentions, the machine often gets used regularly for a short time, then stowed away and forgotten. We humbly believe that this abandonment happens because the owner doesn't know how versatile these machines can be.
With the many different settings on contemporary bread machines, you may be a little unsure of exactly what kinds of things the "jam" setting can do. Well, you'll be pleased to know that the jam setting is as versatile as they come. It's helpful for making cranberry sauce, dips, and even pasta sauce. Between homemade pasta and bread maker fresh sauce, your kitchen could very well become the favorite Italian dinner spot in town. So, as you dream about your next small appliance purchase and decide which bread machine would be best for your kitchen, check out the wide range of foods this little machine can prepare.
Cake
Although quite different, when you get down to it, cake and bread have many of the same ingredients. Honestly, it probably comes as no surprise that you can make a cake in your humble bread machine. In fact, some breads are so much like cake that they are actually declared as much in different parts of the world. Take Subway, for example, NPR reports that Ireland's Supreme Court declared that Subway bread has too much sugar to be considered bread.
Though the settings might vary, many machines have a cake option you can use to create a sweet treat. On some devices, you'll use a similar setting to prepare the dough, but the machine won't actually cook it. However, if your machine has a cake setting, you'll be able to prepare the batter and bake your cake all in one machine. So, the next time you're looking to whip up a vanilla loaf cake recipe, let your bread machine take a whack at it!
Jam
What goes better with bread than jam? Quite simply: little else. And you can even prepare fresh jam in your bread machine with the aptly named jam setting. One of our favorite bread machine brands, Zojirushi, has a jam setting, and the only ingredients you need to make fresh jelly are fruit, sugar, and a little lemon juice.
To make an easy strawberry jam recipe, you'll need mashed strawberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. The machine will do the rest of the work. Feel free to mass around with the different fruit you add. Just be sure to mash it a bit before adding it to your machine. This will help create the appropriate texture. After making your own jam, you'll see why so many people are more than a little obsessed with their bread machines.
Pizza dough
There's not much better than pizza night. Family gathering around a big pie topped with all the good stuff, smells wafting from that precious box, and full bellies at the end of dinner all make for one fine evening. But, pizza doesn't need to always come from that local pizza spot in town. Instead, consider making pizza right in your kitchen.
To make some of the best dough you've ever had, you need to look no further than your bread maker. Since making a homemade pizza dough recipe can be a little difficult when it comes to kneading and letting it rest (and all the steps in between), simplifying the process will make your pizza nights much smoother. We've noticed that it's essential to let your dough rest for a little while after coming out of the bread machine, so be sure to set aside 30 extra minutes before you start preparing your pizzas.
Bagels
New Yorkers might be passionate about pizza, but there's nothing quite like the love New York City has for bagels. While you'd be hard-pressed to get a perfect Big Apple bagel from your own kitchen, that doesn't mean you can't try, and your bread machine can even help the process along.
Like making pizza dough, you'll be using the dough prep cycle, so you'll still need to cook the actual bagel using different means once they're formed. Even still, the process couldn't be more straightforward than putting the ingredients in your pan and pressing a button. In no time at all, you'll be reaching for the cream cheese and lox to slather on your improved homemade bagels at home. They may not rival the best bagels New York City has to offer, but we're willing to bet you'll love this scrumptious breakfast food all the same.
Beignets
If you've spent time in the Big Easy, then you know the glory of these fried-dough delights. New Orleans is famous for beignets that get a nice coating of powdered sugar and are absolutely divine when served fresh. Like other wonderful teats that seem initially hard to make, a homemade beignet recipe becomes immediately easier with your bread maker.
After adding all of your ingredients and letting it go through a dough cycle, you'll take the dough out of your bread maker, roll it out, and cut it into pieces. Normally, this will be in a rectangular shape, so a pizza cutter works really well for dividing the dough, but cookie cutters can also make fun shapes for your beignets. After frying that dough, be sure to give them a heavy dose of powdered sugar.
Challah
The dough setting on a bread machine can create so many different styles of bread and one of the ways you can use this setting is to create a braided challah recipe. Challah plays an important role in two Jewish rituals: For the first, challah is placed on a table on the eve of Shabbat. Then on the Jewish New Year, a round challah for Rosh Hashanah is made with plenty of raisins.
Your bread machine can make preparing this bread easier with your dough setting. You'll add all the ingredients in your recipe. Then, you'll remove that dough and braid it, if that's the look you are hoping for. While your machine cannot cook the bread, this setting will certainly cut down on some of your work.
Croissants
That dough setting is also perfect for that most perfect of French pastries: the croissant. The balance of the perfect croissant should have a flakey and delicate exterior that reveals a buttery interior without mushiness.
Make croissants at home by adding your ingredients to your bread machine and letting it run on a dough cycle. Then, you'll need to do lots of work outside of the machine to create those flakey layers. There are several tricks to making the perfect croissants, but one thing you'll want to make sure you do is to roll out the dough from your bread maker, cover it with plastic wrap, and then put it in your refrigerator for the night. Then, following your croissant recipe the following day, ensure you are chilling that delicious dough between adding each of those thin layers.
Doughnuts
Pastries make one of the very best breakfast options out there. We recommend trying homemade doughnuts. Certainly, there are plenty of incredible doughnut places across the U.S., but making your own ]adds a whole layer of uniqueness to these delicious breakfast treats. What's more, your bread machine can help you whip up some delicious options.
To get your feet wet, we recommend making a basic glazed doughnut recipe with a little powdered sugar. To make this in your bread machine, you'll add your wet ingredients to your bread pan and then separately combine your dry ingredients before adding those in. Don't mix in the yeast, though; instead, add yeast at the end of the dry ingredients. Once you fry those donuts, don't be afraid to get creative with the ingredients: Start with sprinkles and work your way up from there.
Focaccia
Bread machines are great for many things, but perhaps one of the most obvious is for making bread. Focaccia is a great way to take your breadmaker to a whole new level — even if this style has been made without the help of bread machines for thousands of years. The Sussex Kitchen says that focaccia originated even earlier than the Roman Empire.
Like some of our other favorites, you'll utilize that incredibly useful dough setting to prepare your focaccia. For a great spin on the classic focaccia, consider giving a breakfast focaccia recipe a try. If you prefer a sandwich, consider the mortadella focaccia sandwich; this one will require a simple focaccia bread as your base.
Ravioli
Like all pasta, ravioli has seemingly endless ways to customize. This pillowy pasta has a long history that dates back as far as the 14th century. From fillings to toppings, ravioli can be as much a summer pasta as a winter one. Bring this tasty dish into each new season using different cheeses, like egg-yolk and ricotta-filled ravioli, or seasonal fruits.
You'll save time preparing your favorite homemade ravioli by using your bread machine's dough setting. Some machines also have a setting for pasta, though most don't. If you have it, use it; if not, your dough setting will work perfectly. While the dough mixes up, scrape down the side with a rubber spatula a few times throughout the run.
Meatloaf
We know what you're wondering. Can a breadmaker make meatloaf? The simple answer is yes, provided your bread machine can do a few things. To prepare your meatloaf, we recommend removing the kneading blade before adding the ingredients to your favorite meatloaf recipe and changing a few things on your machine.
Change the setting to "homemade" and turn off the preheating, kneading, and rise aspect. If done correctly, your meatloaf will bake for roughly one hour. You can even add a glaze to your loaf with 30 minutes left on the clock. By utilizing your bread maker in addition to your oven while making dinner, you free up your range for savory side dishes like mashed potatoes and gravy.
Bread pudding
When you have stale bread, it can be heartbreaking to throw away what's left of the loaf. However, you don't really want to use it for much because stale bread, quite simply, doesn't taste great. We have the perfect solution: bread pudding. This delicious dessert is an excellent way to use up that stale bread, and you can make that bread pudding in the same machine that made your bread to begin with.
To make a rich bread pudding recipe in your bread machine, combine all of your dry ingredients, add in the wet, and mix well. Then, you're going to adjust the setting in the same way that you did with the meatloaf. This means removing the kneading blades before putting your bread pudding in the pan and canceling the preheating, kneading, and rising cycles.
Sandwich bread
Most families have their go-to choice in the bread aisle. And while this bread is great, you can make even better sandwich bread at home in your bread maker. This is the most simple, but easily overlooked perk of having your own bread maker. To make a homemade sandwich bread recipe, check out the recommendations from your bread machine manufacturer and layer your ingredients accordingly.
We've noticed that most breadmakers recommend beginning with your wet ingredients and then layering your dry on top of that. Just be sure you put your yeast in last and in a little pile on top; we typically make a little divot in the top with a spoon and then put the yeast right in there. Once you have all your ingredients, set your bread to the basic or white cycle and choose your crust doneness. You'll love getting to enjoy fresh bread with your favorite sandwiches.
Pasta sauce
There are many delicious jarred pasta sauces available to you, and they certainly do a fabulous job of finishing your favorite pasta dish. However, you could also kick your pasta to the next level by making your own pasta sauce in your bread machine. While nearly no breadmakers will have a dedicated "sauce" option, you will often have a "jam" setting. In this course, the device will stir and heat your sauce.
You can use fresh or canned tomatoes to make your sauce, but we recommend a little of each. On the other hand, if you're preparing that pasta at the height of tomato season, consider opting for all that fresh tomatoey goodness. Most tomato sauce recipes are very simple and recommend tomatoes, seasonings, and a little oil. Add those ingredients to the pan and let the maker go to work preparing your new favorite pasta sauce.
Scrambled eggs
When it comes to easy, savory breakfast dishes, nearly nothing takes the cake like scrambled eggs. You can also be pretty creative with your eggs, but there are also simple ideas that you'll love. Most basic scrambled egg recipes include butter and salt, but you can add more veggies to the mix if that suits you.
For perfect scrambled eggs in your breadmaker, combine all ingredients before adding them to your machine. Be sure to keep those kneading paddles in and then set the bread maker to the jam setting. Normally, this setting goes for quite some time, but you'll only need it for 15 minutes or until the eggs seem done. So, don't wander too far from your machine once you dump all the ingredients in because you'll want to check on the scrambled eggs throughout the cooking time.
Yogurt
When it comes to old foods with an incredible history, yogurt may just take the cake. BC Dairy describes the significant roots of the food going back to the 11th century when it was enjoyed in Turkish culture.
Yogurt from the store is delicious and easy, but you can also tap back into those ancient roots by preparing homemade yogurt right in your kitchen. Consider using your bread machine if you'd prefer to make yogurt away from the stove. Provided your bread machine has a yogurt setting, you'll be able to whip up some delicious homemade yogurt in no time flat. The Saki Bread Maker and Sana Smart Bread Maker both have a dedicated setting for yogurt, making each a great option for a versatile option.
Dip
Preparing for guests to visit your home can be overwhelming. Between prepping your home and cleaning toilets, the idea of making snacks to have on hand probably seems a little overwhelming. In these instances, we recommend getting creative with your solutions. For example, you can use that incredible bread machine to make a tasty dip.
For some delicious spinach and artichoke dip, combine your spinach, artichoke hearts, onion, and garlic in a food processor to get it chopped nice and small. Then, mix that with the rest of your dip ingredients and put it in your bread pan with the kneading blades in place. As far as settings on your machine, use the jam setting for a cycle that will warm and stir your delicious dip. And just like that, you'll have an excellent snack for your guests.
Cranberry sauce
When it comes to quintessential Thanksgiving sides, cranberry sauce is certainly one of those. Of course, during a busy holiday, finding space to prepare everything that needs to be prepared can be a little challenging. Premade cranberry sauce is deliciously tart, but there's just something special about the homemade stuff to accompany that turkey and stuffing.
Thankfully, the bread machine is helpful here, too, and you'll be using that jam setting again. The method for making cranberry sauce at home is so simple that it's hard not to love. Add your cranberries, water, sugar, and vanilla extract, and set that jam cycle to go. This way, you can have that stovetop space to prepare all of the other delicious dishes that need preparation. Since you're making it yourself, you can also shake it up by being creative and experimental with those ingredients.
Cinnamon rolls
Our sense of smell is one of our most powerful senses. It can bring to mind plenty of important memories and emotions. With such a strong flavor and scent, cinnamon rolls are a food that often brings strong emotional responses to mind.
While you could use your mixer and oven to make homemade cinnamon rolls, that way still requires a lot of time and effort to ensure the dough rises the way it should. So, instead, put your bread maker to work using the dough setting. This can save you time and stress in the initial steps of your tasty cinnamon rolls. Of course, you will need to remove the dough from the maker to slather it in a cinnamon spread and then roll it up, but the bread machine gives you an excellent head start.
Cheesecake
Our favorite part of a meal may very well be dessert. And if there's one option that will always get us salivating, it's cheesecake. So, for an easy dessert made right at home, consider making your next classic New York cheesecake recipe right in your bread machine.
To do this, you'll utilize the cake setting on your machine. After adding all the ingredients, let your machine do its thing until you see that there is one hour left on the timer and then add the graham cracker crust on top. After the full cooking time, gently jiggle out your cake, chill it for a minimum of four hours, and then top it with a fruit graze to help cover those holes made by the kneading blades.