This is based on a Betty Crocker Cookbook recipe for Rich Egg Bread, which I
adapted for use in my bread machine. This is a cake-like bread that lasted less
than four hours in our household. Even the puppy was begging for more! (Okay,
well, maybe the puppy isn't a good indicator of food quality. But the humans,
birds and one cat loved it too. It was really good!)
Bread Cycle: white bread
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp margarine, softened
3 1/3 cps of flour (maybe a little less!)
3/4 cp warm milk (original recipe said to scald and cool, but I didn't bother)
1/4 cp water
I'm baking in the arid Arizona desert, so you may have to adjust the amount of
flour. What I did: put in 3 cps of flour with the other ingredients and start
the machine. Watch the dough during the initial kneading cycle. If it looks
gluey and wet, add more flour one tablespoon at a time. Stop when the dough
looks "just right." If you aren't sure what "just right" dough looks like,
observe your own dough with a recipe you know works, then try this recipe.
My theory about adapting bread recipes: my machine takes 3 cps of white flour
very nicely. One package of dry active yeast is the same as 2 1/4 tsp. of
yeast.
Look at your original ingredient list. If the recipe makes two loaves and calls
for 7 to 7 1/2 cps of flour, cut all the other ingredients in half. Use 2 1/4
tsp yeast. If you run into a peculiar amount of eggs, like 1 1/2 eggs, round up
and use a little more flour or a little less fluid. Always watch the initial
kneading cycle the first time you try the recipe, and add more flour or liquid
as required. WRITE DOWN ALL YOUR MEASUREMENTS so you can refine your recipe the
next time around.
Happy baking!
Tina Quinn Durham / tqd@asu.edu "What can you say about a society
tqdurham@imap1.asu.edu that says that God is dead and Elvis
is alive?" --Irv Kupcinci