On Sep 25, 6:44*pm, "Brian Christiansen"
> wrote:
> I recently put together a toastmasters group presentation about making
> bread. *While I was puting it together I got to wondering if a bread machine
> truly saves time.
>
> The bread certainly does not rise or bake any faster in a bread machine.
>
> If you use a bread machine, you do not have to knead the bread, and that
> saves about 10 minutes, but at least some of that savings is countered by
> having to get the bread machine out of and back into storage, unless of
> course you have the counter space to keep it set up all the time.
>
> If you make bread by the sponge method, the sponge has to be started the day
> before the actual baking (or at least that is the impression that I get from
> several of the recipes that I looked at - I have never used that method),
> but it isn't like you have to sit out in the kitchen watching the sponge
> develop.
>
> Also the impression that I get is that the development of the sponge is what
> develops the flavor, and whether the kneading method is by hand or
> mechanical in a bread machine or whatever really does not make that much
> difference (though opinions seem to vary on this as well), but like with the
> straight dough method, I dont think it really saves that much time.
>
> Brian Christiansen

Speaking of breadmakers.....
Recently my loaves have come out with a concave top rather than a
raised arch (if you can picture what I mean).
The bread itself is fine, taste, size and texture wise.
The troubleshooting page in the recipe book speks of too much this or
not enough that yet I followed the ingredients to the letter.
The loaves used to be perfect and I haven't changed a thing.
Can anyone think of something else that may cause this?