Serves: 5

What is a great loaf of bread? If it tastes good and looks good, that's everything! Your bread machine occasionally may produce a loaf that does not meet your expectations. Each bread machine works a little differently, so you may need to make slight ingredient changes to the recipe so it works in your machine. Remember that correctly measuring all ingredients carefully is the first important step to a good loaf of bread. If you encounter a problem with your bread machine, try only one change at a time, rather than trying several changes at once. For example, if the loaf has a mushroom-shaped top, there could be three different reasons why that happened. One reason could be too much yeast. The next time you make the recipe, decrease the yeast by 1/4 teaspoon, and jot down the results.

If the Loaf Is:

Short, unsatisfactory rising

This Could Be the Reason:

-Not enough sugar.
-Not enough yeast, or the yeast was old or improperly stored.
-Delay timer was used and ingredients were placed in bread pan so that the salt or water was in contact with the yeast for a long period.
-Short, heavier loaves are to be expected when using whole grains or whole-grain flours or when using bread flour and reducing the amount of other flours and grains.
-The bread pan was too large for the recipe loaf size.

If the Loaf Is:

No rise

This Could Be the Reason:

-Yeast was old or improperly stored, or yeast was forgotten or mismeasured.
-Other key ingredients were forgotten or mismeasured.
-Delay timer was used and ingredients were placed in the pan incorrectly.

If the Loaf Is:

Collapsed

This Could Be the Reason:

-Ingredient amounts were out of proportion.
-Salt was omitted.
-The bread pan was too small for the amount of dough.
-The dough rose to the top of the machine and interfered with circulation needed for proper baking and cooling.
-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 baking begins. To help avoid this, bake during the coolest part of the day, avoid delay cycles and use refrigerated liquids.
-Bread machine was opened during rising and baking cycles.
-The baked loaf was left in the bread machine too long.

If the Loaf Is:

Mushroom-shaped top

This Could Be the Reason:

-Usually indicates that ingredient quantities were out of proportion. Too much yeast, sugar, flour, 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. Reduce the amount by 1 tablespoon.

If the Loaf Is:

Gummy layer

This Could Be the Reason:

-Too much whole-grain flour or whole grains.
-Too much wet or rich ingredients such as applesauce, eggs, etc.
-Bread pan was too small for the amount of dough, so the loaf is under baked.

If the Loaf Is:

Open, coarse or holey texture

This Could Be the Reason:

-Too much water was used.
-Too much yeast was used, or yeast action was accelerated by hot humid weather or overheated ingredients.
-Salt was omitted.
-Drain fruit and vegetables well and pat dry before adding to bread pan.

If the Loaf Is:

Heavy, dense texture

This Could Be the Reason:

-Not enough water was used.
-Not enough sugar was used.
-Not enough yeast was used.
-Too much flour was used.
-Be sure salt was added.
-Too much whole-grain flour or whole grains were used. Substitute half bread flour.

-The proportion of ingredients was imbalanced by too much dried fruits or other addedd ingredients.

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