How do I avoid fruit/cheese from being pulverized?

[MJC]

Hi there,

I've had a black & decker bread machine for around 5-6 years, and it works great, except for one thing: when I want to make a cheese, raisin, or other type of bread that has fruit in it, the loaf always comes out in a way that one cannot tell there are raisins/cheese, etc. in it. The machine pulverizes the fruit. I always add it in on the "add fruit/nuts" cycle, which is around 25-30 min. into the cycle, and it hasn't helped. I tried putting in large chunks of cheese instead of smaller---no go. I get a swirl and sometimes the cheese or raisins settle all at the bottom of the loaf.

Yesterday, I made a cranberry-orange-almond loaf, and the photo shows a lovely orangish-coloured loaf with cranberries throughout--mine is pink with no hint of cranberry pieces.

Do all machines do this? Can I get around this? Do the newer machines do this too?

It's annoying, because I don't think the bread tastes as good as when you bite into an actual cranberry or raisin, or pocket of cheese...

thanks!
m.

[Chris in NM]

Hello and welcome MJC!

I often wondered about that, too, with my machine. However, I quit doing my breads from start to finish in the machine. If I were you I would take the dough out of the machine at that point and add the fruit, nuts and cheese by hand and go from there. That would keep them from getting pulverized. I always take my dough out of the machine after the 1st rising, anyway, and finish in the oven. No hole in the bottom of the loaf!

Good luck!

[MJC]

Thanks Chris. I read that tip somewhere on the board, and thought it would likely work. Someone else (on a non-bread/food board) suggested freezing the cheese/fruit, etc., so it wouldn't melt so quickly if i wanted to do the whole loaf in the machine. She didn't know if it would work---it was just an idea she came up with. I'll have to try both!

Petty, I know, but the hole doesn't bug me as much as I have an upright loaf pan. I really like my crust along the length of a loaf! Guess I'll have to try your idea~

m.

[whisperingpass]

I am now on my second Black and Decker bread machine, and I also have a Rival and use both almost every day. I did have the same problem with the first machine but not the second. I do put in bigger pieces after the add buzzer and no problems. I now only use the dough setting on both and add the fruit and cheese when ever I feel like it. But I do flour it first. I have had no problems with this method.I have even added the cheese and fruits at the final stage and added it when I have been rolling the dough out after it comes out of the machine. I use my marble rolling pin to help me get rid of the air bubbles. Then lay down what ever I am adding and rollit up after gently poking it into the dough so as not to have it all ball up on me.Good Luck and let us know what method you try and how it turns out.
Lynn