Breadmaker Hints #2 Rev

I’ve found that I can use butter, margarine, diet
margarine (although it does add a little moisture),
olive oil, etc. for the fat. I add 3 T. buttermilk
powder to many of the recipes. I add it on top of the
flour, but I have heard that many people add it right
after the yeast. Eggbeaters and dry egg substitutes
work fine, too. I often add 1/2 cup of sourdough
starter to my breads. I have 3 starters: white
sourdough, potato (sweet bread) starter, and whole
wheat starter. I decrease the water or milk called for
in recipes when I add a starter.
Although the DAK takes 3 c flour, you can use more
if you are making whole wheat or other dark breads
because it doesn’t rise as much. If you are making rye
or pumpernickel, your bread will be a smaller, denser
loaf when baked. If you are adding nuts or raisins to
your recipe, shake them in a baggie with about 2 tsp.
flour BEFORE adding them to the dough. The time to add
them is towards the END of the second cycle when you
hear the beeps. Raisins add a little moisture to the
dough so you’ll probably need a tad more flour after
adding them in order for the dough not to be sticky.
I know that there are gadgets out now to help with
slicing Breadmaker Bread, however I still use my
trusty electric knife to slice it. Since my Breadmaker
makes round bread, I slice it in half vertically first
and then slice each half into slices. After it has
COMPLETELY cooled, I store it in baggies. The first
day, I just leave it on the counter. After that, I
store it in the refrig. or freezer.