How to Slice Bread Machine Bread: Cooling, the Paddle Hole and Turning the Loaf

Bread machine loaves have three features that make slicing harder than with a store-bought loaf: a soft, tall crumb, a domed top and – unless you remove it – a paddle hole in the bottom. Result: even slices without a squashed top. Effort: about 30 minutes of cooling, then a few minutes of cutting. Tools: wire rack, oven mitts, the paddle removal hook that comes with many machines, a long serrated bread knife and, optionally, a slicing guide.

Which slicers fit a tall loaf at all is the question on the parent page, bread slicer for bread machine loaves. This page is about the technique.

Step by step

1. Remove the paddle before the last rise (optional)

   Cuisinart's CBK-110 signals with 10 short beeps when kneading is done. At that point you can pause the program, take out the dough, remove the kneading paddle, form the dough into a neat ball and put it back. The manual says this avoids the small hole in the bottom of the loaf; neither step is necessary.

2. Take the loaf out as soon as it is done

   After baking, the machine keeps the bread warm for 60 minutes. For best results, the manual recommends taking the loaf out right away: lift the pan with oven mitts and shake it until the bread is released.

3. Cool it on a wire rack

   The instruction section says 20 to 30 minutes on a wire rack before slicing; the recipe section says all breads slice best after a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably longer. Use the longer value for tall 2-lb loaves.

4. Take out the paddle if it stayed in

   If you did not remove it earlier, lift the paddle out of the cooled loaf with the paddle removal hook: the end of the hook on top of the paddle, then a gentle pull. Do it before slicing so the knife never meets the metal.

5. Measure and position the loaf

   Measure height at the top of the dome and width at the widest point. Then choose a guide that fits, or a board.

6. Slice with long, light strokes

   Use a long serrated knife and let the teeth cut; pressing down crushes the soft top. In a guide, keep the blade flat against the slot.

Turning the loaf to fit a guide

A slicing guide limits height and width separately. The Akebono PS-955 takes loaves up to 200 mm high and 140 mm wide (about 7.9 × 5.5 in). Turning a loaf on its side swaps the two numbers. A loaf that is wider than it is tall – say 6.5 inches wide and 5 inches high – does not fit upright, because it is wider than 5.5 inches, but it fits on its side: 5 inches wide and 6.5 inches high. A loaf that is taller than 7.9 inches and wider than 5.5 inches fits neither way. Then you need a slicer without side walls; see guide or hand-crank slicer.

The Akebono has five fixed slots of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mm (about 0.4 to 1.2 in) and a removable crumb tray; no knife is included. Its plastic parts are rated heat-resistant to between 70 and 120 °C (158–248 °F) depending on the part, one more reason to cool the loaf first. If your loaves vary in width, an adjustable guide such as the Kiss Core^* widens the gap, but its listing states no maximum height. All guides are compared on bread slicing guides.

The knife

Bread machine bread has a thin crust and a soft crumb, so a serrated edge matters more than force. Mercer Culinary describes the wavy edge of its 10-inch Millennia bread knife as getting through a tough crust without tearing the soft interior. A blade longer than the loaf is wide lets you finish each slice in long strokes instead of short sawing. Knife choice for crusty loaves is covered on bread knife for sourdough.

Common mistakes

Safety

The paddle and pan are extremely hot right after baking – Cuisinart's manual tells you to use oven mitts and to take care with the paddle. With a knife, keep the hand that holds the loaf on top and behind the blade path. On a hand-crank slicer, the risk is the last piece of the loaf, where fingers come close to the blade; use the carriage or end-piece holder if your slicer has one.

More on slicing any homemade loaf is on how to slice homemade bread, and the overview of manual bread slicers is on the homepage.