How the bread machine works: device and principle of operation
The bread machine is a household appliance, designed for making dough and baking bread at home. With this device you can make the most ordinary bread, and a product with all sorts of additives. Such a useful thing in the economy is recommended:
- people, who have difficulty buying bread, due to employment or its irregular delivery;
- fans of healthy eating, because in this case there is 100% confidence in product quality;
- team, who knows how to count money correctly, instead of spending them in supermarkets;
- professional housewives, for whom the loss of half an hour of time to hike to the bakery is an illicit luxury;
- entrepreneurs, because now every cafe wants to attract customers with its own pastries.
No need to describe the benefits of fragrant, crunchy, always fresh homemade bread, we will tell better, how the bread machine works, and how to choose a good unit.
Unit device
The principle of operation of any bread machine is quite simple. Standard device device:
- main body plus heating heaters, removable top cover with control display;
- flask or baking dish.
The latter is made of non-stick materials, has several blades for kneading the dough. The blades are mounted on the drive shaft, and it is attached to the adapter, and thus combined with the rotation mechanism. During the preparation of the dough, the mechanism makes the blades move, thus kneading the dough. There can be two blades, but there are models of one.
In the standard version, all components are made of Teflon, but there are also more advanced models with ceramic coating.
The body of most products is made of plastic, and only some expensive models are clad in a stainless steel case. Plastic is also of different quality, more expensive is not so fragile and does not smell during operation.
Operation
Although there are also electromechanical modules, in most electronic control models. The standard option includes contact buttons, and advanced models - touch control. The sensor is definitely better, after all, no flour, nor will other ingredients interfere with its operation, unlike the option with buttons. And in the care of the sensor is extremely unpretentious. The integrated display fully displays all the necessary information for work (set baking weight, the desired color of the crust, type of program, duration of the process).
A nice addition is the automatic reconnection of the device after power outages - the machine itself will resume operation according to the agreed program. Other designer supplements make life easier, but you can do without them: flashing button indication, mechanical timer, touch switches, beautiful display.
A very useful mode of protection against children, it protects the lid of the bread machine from accidental opening, because inside the device is very hot and it is dangerous for the child.
Possibilities of a bread machine
Most bakeries bake bread of the correct oblong shape, but there are models on the market with additional forms for making round bread or French baguette. You can put the dough in the form of small pieces, which makes it possible to get small rolls. Bread machines can be used not only for their intended purpose, they can automatically knead the dough for other products, example, dumplings.
Homemade bread can be baked either with the help of built-in automatic programs, or manually. The manual version is available in all models, but requires some experience and skills.
The process of making bread takes up 6 hours, in addition, high-capacity devices emit significant noise. It must also be taken into account, that the bread machine in the kitchen will need a lot of space, about the same as microwaves. And the weight of the device is from 4 to 8 kg. Therefore, it is necessary to consider its location in the kitchen, so as not to collect and disassemble with each use.
Subtleties of choice
The main parameter is the weight of the product. Its possible fluctuations from 300 city., to 2,5 kg. For a small family of three with a head enough bread machines, baking bread by weight 0,5 kg, but, if the family is larger, you need to buy a large bread machine. It is desirable, that the purchased device could vary the weight of the baked bread: 600 city., 1000 city., 1200 city. In this case, do not throw away excess bread, and the cooking time will be different.
This circumstance cannot be ignored, as the curing time of the finished product. Because homemade cakes do not use preservatives, used in industry, then in a day it becomes stale, it means that it is not necessary to prepare a stock of bread at home.
The power of the bread machine has a variation of 400 up to 1800 W.. The scrupulousness of the dough kneading is directly dependent on this parameter, and cooking time of the product. Simply put, the greater the amount of power, the faster the finished bread is obtained, but also more electricity consumption. That must be taken into account, that slower baking is usually tastier than instant cooking.
Usually, all purchases are completed with a disk with video instructions for use of the device.
Built-in programs
Every bread machine is equipped with a set of basic programs. These are options for preparing different dough, toasted crust, accelerated programs. The bread machine may have a set of 25 software, but not all of them are widely used in everyday life. Plus you need to understand, that each additional program increases the price of the product. Such interesting functions can be found in different models:
- Very attractive, but an ineffective program for making jams and preserves. In a medium-sized bread machine you can get about 600-800 city. product, which is not very appropriate for making jams.
- The program "rye bread" allows you to get a very fragrant and delicious product.
- If the house often prepares various flour products, then, certainly, the necessary option for dough preparation. This feature greatly facilitates work in the kitchen.
- The option of "gluten-free bread" will be unnecessary, if there are patients in the family, not assimilating ordinary bread. This program will be useful for diabetics and those, who follows a healthy lifestyle.
- The function of baking bread with bran makes it possible to always have bread at home, rarely sold.
- There are devices, using which you can make butter and homemade yogurt. For these types of products, special containers are included. Milk and sourdough are necessary for fermentation of yogurt by gradual heating. The LG HB-2001BY bread machine will prepare homemade butter from high-quality cream in an hour and a half.
- Option for baking cupcakes, usually, needed only to satisfy the curiosity of the hostess.
Extra options
It makes absolutely no sense to buy a modification with a built-in viewing window. After all, the entire course of the baking process is displayed, and there is no need to watch him through the window. Moreover, taking into account its design features, the window increases unproductive heat loss, as a result, you can lose fried skin. During the operation of the bread machine, such a window completely fogs up and becomes clean from moisture only at the finish.
Many bread machines are equipped with so-called dispensers. This is a small tank with a metered output, from which various additives are added to the dough: sesame, raisins and others. All this is quite acceptable to add to the dough by hand, when the machine finishes working with the main components, about which she will warn with a sound notification.
The option of maintaining the temperature for one hour can be considered insignificant. After all, thanks to the timer you can clearly determine the time, on which you need to get hot bread.
But the option "unleavened pastries" depends entirely on the taste preferences of users.
Products from the bread machine are a little more expensive, than store bread, but only high-quality ingredients will be used in its production. Well, in terms of taste, bakeries are far from high-quality home baking.
