Hi Jake,

Most bread machines are designed to work best with yeast leavened high gluten flours such as bread flour. One of the primary features is that all the kneading of the dough is done by the machine. The kneading is necessary in order to develop the gluten, which gives the bread its structure. The developed gluten (comes from the word glue), is a gluey netting like a bounch of connected balloons.

The yeast give off gases which get trapped inside the netting. This fills the balloons and makes the difference between a brick and a light loaf of bread.

The main ingredient used in most machines is normally a wheat product because of its gluten content. That may be a traditional wheat, like white flour or whole wheat, or perhaps one of the ancient wheats like kamut or spelt. Bread flour and vital wheat gluten are, also, often used in bread machines, because of their higher gluten content.

Bon Appetit, Paul...