Where did I go wrong with my bread??

mrspostman

I got a bread machine for mother's day [STRIKE]after dropping shameless hints for almost 6 months[/STRIKE] and I've been having a great time experimenting with it. I've been mostly making herby loaves and dough for ciabattas/subs but today I decided to try a plain white loaf for the first time. I found this recipe on allrecipes and it had so many great reviews I thought it must be fine-

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package bread machine yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

It came out looking delicious but I was raging when I cut myself a [STRIKE]slice[/STRIKE] doorstop and discovered it was disgustingly sweet :mad: Now, I did think that 2 tablespoons of sugar was a bit more than what I would normally use for a loaf but I wasn't going to argue with a recipe that had two and a half thousand positive reviews! Is there something wrong with tastebuds or bread machine?

bylromarha

Looks very similar to the recipe I've used + loved for the last year. I like it that way. It is a little sweeter than shop bought bread and smells like a cake when it's baking.

We like it that way in this house. It may be that your tastebuds just don't like it. Have a look for another recipe with less sugar. You know they'll be another.

krlyr

Was it a UK recipe or a US one? Not to generalise, but lots of baking recipes I find on US websites tend to have a bit more sugar than their UK counterparts - we must have a bit less of a sweeter tooth. I always just reduce the sugar in the recipe a smidge, works well.

mrspostman

Just realised now that it was the US site :doh: Funny cos the first thing I thought when I tasted it was that it was like the sweet stuff I got for breakfast every morning when on holidays in Florida. I'm sorry but bread is a strictly savoury affair for me I'm afraid! less sugar the next time then

FairyPrincessk

The generous sugar is also probably there to ensure a fairly soft and squishy texture. I'd actually reduce it by half next time and see how you get on. The only recipe I have that has a lot of sugar is for a 30 minute soft breadroll recipe. My normal recipes call for around 1 tbsp/500grm loaf (and some of those are American! so it even seems generous by those standards).

jk0

I use half a teaspoon of sugar, and my bread still comes out fine.

(Sugar gives me zits, so I try to minimise it.)

bizzylizzy

I don't use any sugar at all in my bread.

Farway

I use a flat teaspoon on sugar, guess the clue is they are using cups in the recipe not grammes

Search for UK recipes, the US ones are very sugar heavy

kippers

To make a lovely white large loaf in my bread maker I use:

1 ¼ teaspoons Easy Bake Yeast

550 grams Strong White Flour

2 teaspoons sugar

25 grams margarine (or butter)

½ teaspoon salt (add more if you like it salty)

360 ml water