Here’s an explanation of the bread machine features that we find are important for making great gluten-free bread.
Bread Machine Features
Gluten-Free Setting
This should be a no-brainer. The manufacturer has tested their bread maker to make sure it is able to cook gluten-free bread. Mostly what these modes do is they skip any extra rise cycles and also cut down the kneading.
Programmable
Almost all manufacturers of bread machines like to call their unit “programmable”. Mostly this means that they have several different pre-programmed courses that you can choose between. So for example each course will have a certain amount of rising, punching down, kneading, and baking, and will do so a certain number of times. Experts have discovered that to make great gluten-free bread, it is good to skip the second and third kneading, rising and punching down. Since it has no gluten, you don’t really need to exercise the dough much, and in fact, it’s better if you don’t. So while it’s possible to get a “non-programmable” bread machine to make good gluten-free bread, it’s better to be able to really program every cycle of the baking process.
Keep Warm after Baking
This isn’t really a necessary feature, but I like it enough to include it here. A lot of breadmakers have timers so that you can delay when it starts. So you can set your bread machine to start early in the morning and have fresh bread when you wake up. How cool is that? The “Keep Warm” feature keeps the bread warm when it’s finished baking, so you can hit the snooze button once or twice after your bread is ready.
Warm Ingredients Before Mixing
This is another feature that isn’t particularly vital, but helps you get more consistent results with your bread. Here the machine brings the ingredients up to the idea temperature before mixing them, so that your yeast won’t get a shock when it gets introduced to the water, oil, and egg. As you know, yeast needs to be at the right temperature to do its work, and this ensures that it can get to work immediately.
Bake Only
If you want to mix the dough by hand, and then let it rise and punch it down by hand, then this mode is for you. It lets you take a larger part of the bread making.
Can Be Paused
This is another feature that lets you take more control of the baking process. One good example of why you would want to pause is if you wanted to take the paddle out just before the machine starts baking the bread. It’s kind of a delicate operation, but it can be done with breadmakers that can be paused. Also, if you have a machine that’s hard to program, you can stop it and pull the paddle before the last kneading cycle.
Dough Mode
Sort of the opposite of the “Bake Only” mode. In this case, the bread machine will take the ingredients and make ready-to-bake dough out of them. One really obvious thing that this is good for is making pizza dough.
Rapid Bake
We have a Breadman TR900s, which isn’t programmable. When we contacted the manufacturer about how to best bake gluten-free bread in their unit, Breadman recommended using the rapid setting. On the Breadman, this reduces the rise time, and it makes great bread for us!
Has Double Paddles
We’ve been able to get a hold of several bread machines for testing, including one with a double-paddle. The bad news is that it doesn’t eliminate the need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides after the breadmaker has finished mixing the ingredients. The good news is that the ingredients do get mixed better. The bread is more consistent, and some people feel that it has a better texture, although we haven’t noticed a difference.
Well that’s it. Don’t miss our page of recommended Gluten-Free Bread Machine Models.