Breadmaker - can I use self raising flour?

[thejaffacakesareonme]

I've been given a breadmaker and fancied trying it out this evening. I don't have bread flour though and can't go out as there is no one to look after the kids. The only flour I have in the house is self raising. I do have yeast in a packet and the label says it can be used in a breadmaker. Can I use the self raising flour or will it break the breadmaker if I use it with yeast?

I've read that strong flour contains gluten and it is the protein in the gluten that helps the bread to rise. If I made a milk loaf would the protein in the milk help to compensate?

I sometimes add a bit of baking soda (1/4-1/2 tsp) to a yeast dough in the breadmaker. But no, I wouldn't use self raising flour. My mschine has a "quick" setting for cakes made with baking powder, but the results have never been very impressive.

I'd strongly recommend following some tested and true basic breadmaker bread recipe to a T the first time you try out a breadmaker. If you end up with a goopy mess and a dense, soggy loaf, the odds are that you will never use your breadmaker again. It's hugely discouraging.

I get wonderful bread using just a water-based dough. For some recipes, I add a bit of dry powdered milk, it improves the texture, but it isn't essential. For some reason, using milk as a base hasn't been a huge success for me.

Lots of cooking is all about improvising. Bread making isn't, at least not in the beginning. Measuring very precisely, following instructions and making copious notes is the way to go.

If you use self-raising flour your bread will taste like cake... Rather than wasting your s/r flour, wait until you can get the right sort and then the result is more likely to be a good one.

Yes - I use SR flour when making pizza dough in the bread maker as it comes out 'doughy' rather than rock hard pizza base!

I used it by mistake the other day and my loaf tasted like cake, it was very strange!
That will make me check the side of the flur bag in future LOL

flour even!

Thanks ladies. I left it until I had bread flour and made a loaf yesterday. It was yummy.

you need strong flour, which you prob know now. Something to do with starch molecules

if you want to make pizza dough in your breadmaker, i highly recommend the double '00' flour you can buy in some supermarkets which is pasta flour. It makes the most delicious pizza base. Jamie Oliver recommended it in his Jamie at Home book (I think thats the title) and he was right, it makes amazing pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've noticed that you don't recommend using self rising flour. I have to be honest...I've been using it to make this bread every time, because I didn't actually know what I was using. I just leave out the salt and in place of vegetable oil, I use olive, avocado, coconut oils or just plain salted butter. I've also used it to make more than just white bread. I've made a lot of herb bread and garlic bread and my family loves it! The only problem is sometimes the crust is too hard, so before I take it out of the pan to cool off, I've been pouring butter on top and letting it go down the sides, then leaving it for a few minutes before I take it out. That takes the hardness away and makes the outside as soft as the inside.