Bread makers are fantastic tools for quick and consistent bread baking, but many people don’t realize how versatile these machines can be when it comes to producing artisan-style loaves with complex flavors and textures. By customizing your bread maker’s settings, experimenting with ingredients, and paying attention to a few key techniques, you can elevate your homemade bread to a new level that rivals bakery-quality results.
Understanding Your Bread Maker’s Settings for Artisan Bread
Most bread machines offer a range of cycles, including basic, whole wheat, French, and sometimes even dough or custom programs. To mimic the characteristics of artisan bread, such as a thicker crust and open crumb, the French or crusty bread setting is often the best choice because it typically includes a longer kneading and rising time followed by a hotter baking phase.
If your machine allows manual adjustments, try extending the rising or proofing times slightly to develop more flavor. Some bread makers also let you customize crust darkness and loaf size, which are crucial for getting that golden, crunchy crust common in artisan loaves.
Choosing Ingredients That Enhance Flavor and Texture
Artisan breads often rely on simple, high-quality ingredients and sometimes unique additions like seeds, nuts, herbs, or whole grains. Start with unbleached bread flour or a blend that includes some whole wheat or rye for richer taste and texture. You can also experiment with adding a small amount of vital wheat gluten if your bread feels too dense.
Using filtered water and fresh yeast or a high-quality bread machine yeast can improve the loaf’s rise and flavor complexity. For a subtle tang reminiscent of sourdough, incorporate a tablespoon of plain yogurt or sourdough starter discard into your dough mix, which can add depth without the need for long fermentation times.
Incorporating Additional Techniques: Autolyse and Pre-ferments
While bread makers handle mixing and baking automatically, you can still introduce artisan techniques like autolyse or pre-ferments to enhance your bread. Autolyse involves mixing flour and water and letting it rest before adding yeast and salt, helping improve gluten development and flavor. You can do this by pre-mixing these ingredients separately and adding them to the bread maker after the rest period.
Similarly, preparing a poolish or biga—a type of pre-ferment made by mixing a small portion of flour, water, and yeast—overnight and adding it to your bread maker dough mix can produce a more complex, rustic flavor and improved crumb structure.
Tips for Achieving the Perfect Crust and Crumb
Artisan breads are known for their crusty exteriors and chewy interiors. To encourage a crustier loaf, check if your bread maker has a setting for darker crust or extra bake time. You can also take the loaf out of the machine shortly before it finishes and finish baking it in a conventional oven at a high temperature (around 425°F or 220°C) for 10–15 minutes on a baking stone or sheet.
For a more open crumb with large holes, handle your dough gently during any manual additions (like seeds or nuts) and avoid over-kneading. Using a combination of bread flour and a small proportion of whole grain flours can help create the desired texture without making the bread too heavy.
Experimenting with Flavor Additions and Shaping
Artisan bread often includes ingredients like olives, roasted garlic, herbs, or dried fruit. Most bread makers have a beep to signal when to add these extras—make the most of that feature by adding ingredients at the right time to preserve their texture and flavor.
While bread makers typically bake loaves in standard shapes, you can experiment by using the dough cycle only, then shaping the dough yourself before a final proof and bake in a conventional oven. This approach gives you more control over the loaf’s appearance, scoring, and crust development, giving you a true artisan bread experience.
Customizing your bread maker baking process with these artisan techniques and tips not only enhances your bread’s flavor and texture but also makes the process more rewarding. With a little patience and experimentation, your homemade bread can easily become a delicious centerpiece worthy of any table.