Serves: 5

Cycles, also called settings or modes, really enhance the versatility of bread machines. Although all machines offer the basic white and whole wheat bread cycles, many machines are equipped with special cycles. To help you out, we've included some key features so you can check out at a glance the features on your bread machine. We do recommend, however, that you read the use-and-care book that came with your machine, so you fully understand how to use your bread machine.

Basic Bread Cycles are cycles that let you choose your favorite crust color for most bread recipes, including rye and white breads. The crust colors are medium (regular), dark or light. During these cycles, the bread machine will knead the dough twice, rise the dough twice, shape it and then bake it. Most bread will be best at medium setting but some that are higher in sugar might be better at a light setting. If you like a thicker, darker crust, then dark is the setting you will want to use. Using the setting that your recipe specifies is best, then change it the next time you make the recipe if you want a different crust.

Whole Wheat or Whole-Grain Cycle is a setting for recipes that have significant amounts of whole wheat or rye flour, oats or bran. It has a longer rising and preheat time to allow heavier grains to expand. Generally, these loaves will be shorter and denser than basic breads.

Dough Cycle is a useful feature if you want to use your machine for making dough for pizza, coffee cakes, rolls or other shaped breads. This program does not bake, nor does it have a keep-warm function. The dough is kneaded twice and allowed to rise once in the machine. Then you can remove the dough, shape it by hand, let it rise and bake it in your regular oven.

French or Crisp Cycle will give you a bread with a crusty exterior and soft inside texture. During this cycle, the bread machine will knead the dough twice, rise the dough twice, shape it and bake it to perfection.

Sweet or Sweet Bread Cycle is used for making breads with cheese or high sugar or fat content. The result is a bread with a golden brown crust and a dense, moist inside texture. With this cycle, the baking temperature is usually lower so the outside of the bread won't burn. The bread machine will knead the dough twice, rise the dough twice, shape it and then bake it. This setting requires a little more resting and shaping time, so if fruits or nuts were added at the raisin/nut signal, they will have time to settle in the dough.

Raisin/Nut Signal lets you know with a beeping sound when to add fruit or nuts to the dough. The signal beeps about 5 minutes before the end of the kneading cycle. This helps to retain the shape and texture of the ingredient.

Rapid or Rapid-Bake Cycle cuts the knead and rise times. Usually, the loaf is ready about an hour sooner than with basic cycle. Keep in mind that the use of the word "rapid" is relative rapid cycles on some machines are actually longer than the regular cycle on others.

Quick Cycle is a cycle for making no-yeast breads. These breads use baking powder for the leavening instead of yeast. The cycle is faster and will mix the ingredients and bake the loaf.

Delay, Delayed-Bake, Delay-Start or timed bake lets you program the machine to start at a later time, for some bread machines up to sixteen hours later! This feature is great to have if you want to wake up to or come home to freshly baked bread. DO NOT use this cycle if your recipe has fresh meats, eggs, honey, fruits, vegetables or fresh dairy products such as milk, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese or yogurt. Bacteria could grow while these ingredients stand in the machine for several hours. You can substitute dry milk and water for fresh milk and use the delay cycle if no other perishable ingredients listed on page 7 are in a recipe. When using the delay cycle, be sure the yeast does not come in contact with liquids, wet ingredients or salt or else it will be activated too soon and won't work when it needs to make the bread rise.

Most bread machines feature several of the cycles we have mentioned above. Here are some additional features you may want to consider for your next bread machine purchase.

Take a peek! Some machines include a viewing window on the top so you can watch the bread as it is mixed, kneaded and baked.

A bucket-style pan comes in handy if your ingredients aren't near your bread machine. The pan is removable, so you can load the ingredients on the counter or in the machine.

Some machines have a separate compartment that adds yeast after the other ingredients are mixed. Although a yeast dispenser is a common feature on many machines, it's not neccessary. It's just as easy to dump all of the dry ingredients, including the yeast, into the machine at the same time.

A keep-warm or cool-down feature helps keep the bread from "sweating" in the pan or getting too moist from the moisture in the closed bread machine after it has been baked. You'll appreciate the dual advantages of this feature - the crust stays crisp and the bread stays warm for at least an hour after it bakes.

A power-outage protection feature contains bread processing if you experience a brief interruption in power.

When it's time to clean up, you'll want a bread pan and bough blade with nonstick coating. A quick and easy cleaning with a sponge and hot, soapy water is all it takes to clean the pan and blade.

Some machines also have settings for making jam, jelly, pasta dough, cake, fudge, pudding, rice, and yogurt. Some even roast meats! Of course, it is your decision if you need these capabilities on your bread machine.

More Recipes from the Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook Cookbook:
Any Way You Want to Slice It
Basic Cycle Features
Betty's Tips for Shaping Dough
Bread Baking Glossary
Five Steps to Great Bread
Flour Power!
Freezing Bread
Helpful Nutrition and Baking Information
Here's How We Test the Recipes
Keeping Bread Fresh
Know Your Bread Ingredients
Let's Make a Great Bread Machine Loaf
Measuring Your Bread Machine Pan Size
Metric Conversion Guide
Mystery Punch
Refrigerating Dough
Some Like It Hot: Reheating Your Bread
The Proof Is in the Dough
Your Bread Machine Baking Questions