DOUGH CYCLE: How to use it and why

In this video I explain why some people use the dough course/cycle of your bread machine. I give detailed instructions for how to make dough and what to do when it’s ready to be taken out of the bread machine!

How to use dough cycle and finish bread in oven by Ellen Walker Hoffman

I have made hundreds of loaves of bread and dozens of batches of dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, chocolate rolls, braided challah, etc. I follow this same routine every time with success. I hope this helps those of you ready to take the next step in bread baking.

1. Read your manual to find out how to set for dough cycle.
2. Put ingredients in and set for dough. (My Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus takes almost 2 hours at this point.)
3. The dough cycle takes it through rest, mix, knead, first rise, punch down, and a second rise . Mine punches it down a little at the end.
4. When the dough cycle is complete, remove dough and unplug machine. Put dough on a floured surface. (Sometimes I use oil instead. I do this with rye bread always.)
5. Shape dough for loaf pan or rolls.
6. Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray or prepare cookie sheet with parchment if making rolls.
7. If making a loaf of bread, shape dough to fit loaf pan, and pop it in.
8. If making rolls, form rolls as you wish. You can use muffin pans for rolls as an option.
9. Leaving dough on counter, set your oven to 170 (or lowest temperature your oven can be set to) for ONLY ONE MINUTE and turn it off. DO Not let it reach the 170 or lowest temp. We are just providing a slightly warmed oven. This is crucial! Set a timer so you don’t forget. More than a minute is too long.
10. Put dough in the slightly warmed oven. (I never cover it when I do this because there’s no draft in the oven.)
11. Set timer for 45 minutes.
12. Relax!
13. When timer goes off, remove dough from oven.
14. Preheat oven to 350. I bake EVERYTHING at 350 except rye bread that bakes at 375.
15. Prepare egg wash (optional) while oven is preheating: One egg beaten plus a splash of water. I don’t measure the water. It’s somewhere between a teaspoon and a tablespoon and it’s not crucial! If you want to add seeds or other topping, get that out.
16. Brush top of loaf or rolls with egg wash using a pastry brush. Sprinkle seeds or whatever or leave plain.
17. If you don’t use egg wash, your bread will have a more matte or floury crust. Egg wash gives it a pretty color and a bit of sheen.
18. Put loaf or rolls on middle rack in oven. Most loaves bake at approximately 25-30 minutes. Set timer for 20 minutes and check color. I use a bamboo skewer to check inside doneness. Recently I bought an instant read thermometer and make sure the reading is between 180 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
19. Rolls will take less time. Set timer for 10 minutes and keep checking.
20. When bread is done, turn bread out of loaf pan onto a cooling rack immediately. If you made rolls, transfer to cooling rack.
21. Cool your bread 2-3 hours before slicing. Whatever you don’t eat the same day should go into the freezer in a freezer quality plastic bag. I freeze as soon as it’s cooled and sliced, usually within 4-5 hours of baking. Just take out a slice when you need it and toast!
22. Bread and rolls freeze really well! If you’re planning for guests or a holiday, you can do gorgeous rolls for dinner or cinnamon rolls for breakfast!

How to make your dough one day and bake the next:

1. Follow steps 1-8.
2. Spray plastic wrap with nonstick spray and cover loaf or rolls dough.
3. Put in the refrigerator.
4. In the morning, take dough out to come to room temperature, approximately 1.5 hours.
5. It should have risen slowly overnight, but if it appears to need a bit of time to rise, put in a warmed oven (step 9) for 20-30 minutes.
6. Return to steps 14-22!
Enjoy your gorgeous, yummy creations!