Common Troubleshooting Solutions for a Breadmaker

Published on 11th June 2013

The smell of fresh bread fills up a kitchen and quickly puts everyone in a great mood, but if you are having problems with your breadmaker you might end up a little upset instead.

bread machine problems

Try not to get too angry! (image source: Flickr)

Starting the day off by wrestling with the bread machine is not something that you have to deal with if you know some of the most common troubleshooting solutions for a breadmaker. The following are just a few tricks that you might want to try before you get too agitated and ready to give up hope on your fresh bread.

Bread Won't Rise

If your bread will not rise then you might want to check your yeast to see if it is expired, or consider adding more yeast next time you make bread. In addition, if the yeast is not properly stored or the packaging is damaged then this will explain why your bread is not properly rising. Also, be careful not to use too much water or salt as this will affect the bread.

Bread Falls Flat

If your bread looks great until after you have removed it from the bread machine then there are a few things you can try to keep it looking full and moist. One reason is that the yeast might have been ruined by too much salt or the power might be turned up too high. The most common explanation however is that the dough has too much liquid in it. Next time you mix up bread think about reducing the amount of milk or water you put in the mix and chances are your bread will stay much firmer. You also might want to make sure that the machine closes properly because leaving it open, even a crack, might ruin your bread.

Bread has Big Holes

If the bread always has large holes then you might want to check out your measurements before trying your bread again because chances are there is too much water or yeast in the mix.

You also might want to lower the temperature of water that you use because while the water needs to be warm if it is to hot it will ruin the yeast. Check how much salt you add to the mix as well since too much salt will cause the bread to fall flat and too little salt will not properly activate the yeast.