On 2006-06-28, Andy <q> wrote:

> The loaf size is much larger and more a square than an ordinary
> rectangular loaf of white bread, so I'll be using it just to make the
> dough and bake it in a reasonable loaf pan. I don't want to increase the
> size of a sandwich as a result. I like my 4"x4" sandwich surface area.
> That and one reviewer mentioned that the slices don't fit in a regular
> toaster. I'll no doubt bake the first couple loaves in it. Do other bread
> machines bake ordinary loaves?

AFAIK, every bread machine has a fixed loaf "footprint" determined by
the pan, although different models have different pans. The loaves
made in the same machine can vary in height, so if you get a bread
machine with a 4" pan and experiment with recipes and quantities, you
might be able to get the bread about 4" high too.

Most bread machines also leave a paddle-shaped void in the middle of
the bottom of the loaf (so you can't pass off a loaf of machine-made
bread as "really home-made"), although I've heard that a few fancy
ones withdraw the paddle before the baking part of the program. (I
haven't seen one of these, but I'd expect it to involve a much more
complicated and therefore less reliable mechanism.)


> I don't understand the use of an advance-ON timer. Can you really leave
> those ingredients just sitting there for 13 hours without spoiling?

Yes, provided you don't use eggs and you keep the yeast separate from
the water, sugar, milk powder and salt. I do this by putting the oil
and those ingredients in first; then the seeds and flour; then the
yeast on top (where it's dry).

The advance timer is very useful because you can set the machine to
run while you're asleep and get the bread out when you get up, so that
you can have fresh bread first thing in the morning and you don't have
to set up the machine and ensure that you're back at home at the end
of the program (usually around three hours) to take it out.