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A bread machine is just that: a machine. If you want to get the best from any machine you have to a) use it properly and b) use the right ingredients.

We've all heard the axiom "garbage in : garbage out" - it holds true for bread machines too - so how do you get the best from your machine?

Well - here are a few tips for you to try:

1) Make sure your scales are ACCURATE. I had several failed attempts as my scales (which were digital) were measuring wrong. If you are struggling with the consistency of the dough or your finished bread just isn't mixing properly or turning out "right" then get a friend to weigh the ingredients for you and see if that helps (then you know whether you need to buy new scales!).

2) Buy a better quality flour and yeast. I use Shop's own everything where possible, but the yeast just didn't cut it. Now I always buy top quality yeast, though I have found I can get away with shop's own strong flour.

3) Always add wet ingredients first, then dry, then top it off with the yeast. This helps the mix.

4) Unless you know what consistency dough should be - don't mess with the mix! Do exactly what your recipe says, don't be tempted to add more flour or water first time around. Dough can be deceiving, flour eventually absorbs more water than you think. You will eventually get a feel for what it should look like, and then, only then, should you start tinkering mid batch.

5) Some bread machines need a little extra help in the early part of the cycle to pull in all the flour to the mix. For some reason this also varies between mixes. Mine usually works fine for most breads, but for other recipes needs help to fold in the flour. I have no idea why this is the case, but have found it is a good idea to check the machine before the end of the first kneading cycle and lend a hand if the flour is stuck to the outside edge of the pan.

6) Borrow a "no-fail" recipe from a friend. At first I used the recipe book given to me by the manufacturer and was always failing to turn out a decent loaf of bread. I borrowed a friend's manufacturer's recipe book (different manufacturer but identical machine!) and lo and behold great bread first time!

7) Keep the machine in a warm area in the house. This is usually very easy as most of us have a warm kitchen, but if you have a particularly cold room then you may want to extend the rising time on your programming (if you can) to give the dough a little longer as yeast needs warmth to work and kick starting your machine when very cold will reduce the time the yeast is at ideal growth temperature.

8) And following from above, use hand hot water when you first fill the machine. HAND hot. NOT boiling, or cold. A good guide would be 1/3 boiling water to 2/3 cold.

9) If none of these tips work, then the chances are your bread machine is broken/useless. If you really want to make decent bread - buy a better model.

Learn more about this author, Joanne Smedley.
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