Ingredients for a bread machine?

[Mimi1977]

We're getting a breadmaker for Christmas and I just wondered what ingredients we would need to get - best flour, type of yeast etc And I read somewhere about adding sugar?

Thanks

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

you will need:
-strong bread flour (we use Doves Farm but any decent quality will do)
-dried yeast (again, Doves Farm in the orange packet is good but if you're not going to use it much, the stuff that comes in sachets will keep better)
-any sugar
-any salt (little granules not big sea salt crystals as that would mess up the measurements)
-milk powder
-butter but you can replace it with oil (eg oliver or sunflower)

[Blackduck]

milk powder is not necessary - an Americanism...

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

true Blackduck.
it will be in the recipes that come with the machine but if you don't have any, just ignore it.

[Lilymaid]

Dove's Farm Yeast (as mentioned previously), your choice of strong flour for breadmaking, a little salt and some oil.
Nothing else necessary for a basic loaf.

[Mimi1977]

Great, thanks all. Glad you said didn't need milk powder as sounds a bit fake to me and that's one of the reason we wanted the bread machine, so we could go more natural!

[SoupDragon]

Yes, just leave the milk powder out. I've also chopped the sugar content right down to 1/2 teaspoon in the recipe I use.

I often add 4 tablespoons of wheatgerm to mine. It gives a nice flavour and texture. I also tend to do a 50% white/50% wholemeal bread using Waitrose bread flour (and Doves yeast). I've not bought a loaf since I got the bread maker at Christmas.

[Prunerz]

I don't use milk powder. I am not sure what it is meant to add, I certainly haven't noticed any difference.

Oil instead of butter
A bit more salt than they suggest [Scottish]

Spelt flour (combined with either white or wholemeal flour) makes a tasty loaf, and yes to throwing in things like wheatgerm, and oats, and linseeds, pumpkin seeds etc.

Have also made fig bread: brown loaf, handful of chopped figs, nice toasted

[Kathyis12feethighandbites]

It softens the crust.
You might not want a soft crust anyway, though!

[Dumbledoresgirl]

I add a small amount of milk powder to mine but it is not necessary. It makes the bread slightly softer and adds calcium.

[Dumbledoresgirl]

And I half the salt.