Do you need milk powder for a breadmaker?

[chloemegjess]

Hello. I got a breadmaker the other day from freecycle and went and bought some bread flour, yeast etc. But then I got home and realised all the recipes in the book say use "dried milk powder". Can I not justuse normal milk? I really wanted to make bread today!

Any suggestions?

I leave it out. Doesn't seem to make a difference. Don't use ordinary milk though, it'll affect the liquid balance.

I've always left it out and it is fine.

greeat!

Can I ask a silly question. All the receipes in my instruction book are in "cups" - does anybody know a way of translating this into grams or oz or something?

I am not used to this baking lark!

Sazzles - your receiepe sounds yummy, shame I ran out of olive oil yesterday!

The milk powder softens the crust. You can use milk instead of some of the water if you like, or leave it out as people say.

i never bother with dried milk powder. or sugar. and the bread is lovely.

1 American cup = 8fl oz

I think they suggest dried milk rather than fresh so that you can use the delay start feature. (i.e. load in the evening, fresh bread in the morning). You could replace some of the water with fresh milk, or just leave it out for now. Most hand-bake basic bread doesn't contain milk anyway.

haha sazzles, at least he cooks when he is drunk! My Dh turns up with a kabab that certainly doesnt smell as nice as fresh bread!

Well I turned out with a desaster loaf yesterday, npot even edable! I am out all day today so will try again tomorrow. Might even do it on a timer tonight. Is it really safe to leave it in there overnight? I would have thought that with Yeast, sugar, water etc it would have been an excellent home for tonnes of bacteria to breed? I am not at all fussy, and by no means a germ freak or anything, just sseems that it will be warm, wet etc and have all the right conditions to breed like crazy?

chloemegjess- I have got one of dd's old plastic beakers which I use as my 'cup'. I thought if I use the same one for the recipe then it would be kind of equal measures IYSWIM.

I never use milk powder.

I have found it turns out better if I use 2 and a half cups of white flour and half a cup of wholemeal- makes a lighter loaf.

And I usually make a 750g loaf as it doesn't seem so 'dense'.

Mind you I am very much still learning!

markstretch - I've thought about doing 3/4's white flour and 1/4 whole wholemeal but do you do it on 'white bread' setting or 'brown bread'?

I have a 'basic' setting on mine which seems to do the job.

I would probably do white bread as it is majority white.

I want to make an olive oil/herby bread, any good recipes?

markstretch - thats what I did! And I put that down as the reason it didnt work!!! It seem to have too much liquid me thinks!

I am going to try the reciepe sazzle put on here tomorrow.

Hmmm....

Don't add any extra milk?

Practice makes perfect...

Chloemegjess - new to breadmaking here too. If you're setting it on the timer make sure the yeast isn't touching the liquid otherwise it will start to activate straight away and I guess you may end up with a home for bacteria as you say!

I haven't dared tinker with any recipes yet. The instruction booklet cautions against it but do most people find you get decent results changing a bit here and there?

How do you stop the yeast touching the water? Sorry to sound silly!

But mine says to put the water in last?

Ok I will give it a try. Seems to make more sence. My Manual does say to add the yeast and the water (last 2 ingredients).

Will give it a try though with your receipe. Do you add it in the order you wrote the list?