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Did you know that you can chop the butter when using the DOUGH cycle on a bread machine?

It's much faster than waiting until the butter warms up or microwaving and accidentally melting it.

Why chopped butter instead of room temperature or melted butter?

1. Chopped butter will soften as the friction caused by the bread machine paddles raises the dough's temperature. This action allows the yeast to mix into the flour and liquids before coating it with fat.

2. Melted butter makes the dough seem too wet and sticky. Wet dough hinders the kneading action and tempts the baker to add more flour too soon.

One caveat: Don't try this with frozen butter. It's a little too cold.

Here's how I chop butter (to keep extra dirty dishes at a minimum) before I put it into a bread machine recipe:

1. Unwrap the butter (straight out of the fridge), and leave it on the wrapper.
2. Use a table knife to cut off the amount you want.
3. With the butter still on the wrapper, cut or chop the butter into tiny pieces. I use a table knife to chop the butter since it's not sharp (and I don't have to wash it by hand).

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Note: If you use your bread machine for baking your bread, you can skip this tip. The geeks who design the mix-and-bake cycles recommend room-temperature ingredients for the best results.

Try this chopping-the-butter trick with my recently updated recipe for Cinnamon Twist Bread. Valentine's Day is approaching, and this decadent recipe is the perfect present for your neighbor or friend who deserves a "thank-you" or some extra attention.

Enjoy sharing your bread,

Paula