Prima ABM 9 instruction manual Environment, Storing Your Bread

Things like cheese, milk and fresh fruit contain quite a lot of water, which will determine the look of the finished loaf. At first you can stick to dry substitutes like Parmesan cheese, dried milk or dried fruit. As you become more proficient with the machine you will instinctively know whether the dough looks too wet or too dry and can add flour or water during the process. Remember to consider the salt content of the ingredients you add. Salt can slow down the yeast.

Finally, as a rule of thumb, if the added ingredients are wet like yoghurt or powdered like dried herbs they can go into the mixture at the start of the process. For things like nuts or dried fruit there is a time during the process where the machine will beep to let you know it’s time to add these to the dough mixture. Refer to the CYCLE TIME table so you know when to expect the beep.

Last but not least of the ingredients is the environment in which the bread is made. The Prima Home Bakery will work well in a wide range of temperatures but there could be a difference of 15% in loaf size between a very warm room and a very cold room. Do not site your bread maker in a draughty part of the house. The machine will offer some protection to the dough against draughts but it does have limits. If the humidity in the room is high this too could affect the loaf. As a general rule, if the room is comfortable for you it will be comfortable for your bread maker.

Homemade bread contains no artificial preservatives. However, if you store the bread in a clean, air-tight container in the refrigerator it should keep for 5-7 days. The bread is also good to freeze but allow finished loaves to go cold before placing into a polythene bag and storing in the freezer.