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You will be able to bake one small section of the dough at a time. Keep the rest in the refrigerator, to bake when it suits you over the next couple of days. Remove the paddle from the bread machine’s bucket, and use the bucket upside down like a cookie cutter to mark the dough, then cut along the marks with a pizza cutter or knife. Plan so that the segments will use the dough as efficiently as possible—piecing is OK. Carefully transfer a segment into the bucket, nudging it so it lines the bottom of the bucket without wrinkles. Top with any of the selected toppings except cheese. Drizzle with herby oil, making finger dents, as before. Allow to rest at room temperature for 2 hours, then top with cheese, if desired. Set the machine to “bake only.” (Or program out all other cycles, leaving bake.) It will bake in about 25 minutes. Focaccia is done when golden brown and coming away from the side of the pan. Turn off the machine. Let bread cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing in two, or four. Just right for a hearty lunch, or with soup and salad for two.

TO BAKE IN OVEN

Remove pan from refrigerator and set on a countertop away from drafts. Use fingertips to make dents in the top as before, drizzling on the rest of the herby oil. Put on toppings if desired, except cheeses. Keep at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 450°F. Crumble soft cheeses on now. Put the pan in the middle of the oven and bake 10 minutes. Check; if necessary, turn the pan to make sure it is cooking evenly. If adding grated hard cheese, add it now. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more; it is done when nicely golden brown. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes before slicing into squares.

Converting Recipes

We had dearly hoped to be able to tell you that any recipe in this book is fine in your machine, if you just do the math. In a way it’s true; here’s what you need to know to make it work.

SPEED AND FLAVOR

Bread machines make bread very fast—all but the longest (older) machine cycles count as a “fast rise” in terms of traditional baking. Some models let you reprogram for longer rising times, in a more traditional pattern, and, for sure, that is a help. But because machines keep the dough so warm, there’s a top limit of 3hours for total rising time—still a “fast” dough. Note that fast doughs require extra yeast.

Because a fast rise doesn’t allow the dough time to develop full flavor, machine recipes increase the relative amounts of added ingredients that provide flavor: salt and sweetener, raisins, nuts, etc. (For more see this page)

Another way: mix—but don’t knead—the dough. Cover it and put it in the refrigerator. After several hours, or next day, let it come to room temperature, put it in the machine, and push “start.”

LIQUID BALANCE

Machines require stiffer dough—relatively less liquid—than traditional bakers would consider ideal, and less than what is called for in the recipes elsewhere in this book. Loaves made with the traditional balance of liquid almost always collapse in the machine, possibly because the last rise gradually segues into a very low-temperature bake; the center of the loaf continues to rise after the outside edges have baked, so that the inside becomes weak and collapses. This is much exaggerated when the bucket is wider than 5″.

Decreasing the liquid measure, as suggested by all the manufacturers, prevents collapses. However, less liquid in the dough translates to dry bread. To ameliorate this, use ingredients that promote moistness: honey for the sweetener, extra butter or oil, fruits, cooked grains. As you use your machine over time, gradually try to increase the amount of liquid as much as you can without provoking collapses.

SHAPING AND BAKING

Machines do a splendid job of kneading, but most cannot shape the bread well, and none can preheat their “oven.” Shaping provides even, structured texture. Preheating promotes oven spring. Both together usually give a loaf an additional couple of inches in height—they make your bread lighter. Some machines do a better job of “shaping” than others,