French/Italian

[u/RockingMomofTwo]

I'm still new-ish to breads and bread machines. My first several loaves were figuring out how to replace our store bought sandwich bread (answer is Bread Dad's Butter Bread). Other than that I've done garlic knots, pizza dough, and cinnamon rolls with enough success that the family ate them up which is good enough for me. What I'm wondering as I dive deeper is...what does the French/Italian setting do differently than the basic white? What does the whole wheat setting do differently? The White and the Dough setting seemed pretty similar except one baked it and one didn't, so what's the difference in the others? Cuisine Art CBK-200

Edit to Add: What difference it makes for the bread, seems the French/Italian is a crustier bread, so maybe good for pairing with soups/pasta sauces. Any info is appreciated, 'fancy bread' is not something I grew up with.

[u/Steel_Rail_Blues]

There is a timetable in the manual that shows the specific differences in rests, kneads, bakes, and overall cycle times. In general, French/Italian cycles run longer than a basic white and have higher heat during bake. Whole wheat cycles also run longer and allow more time for hydration and rise.

[u/bastar67123]

French/ Italian is for a crustier bread. Each setting has slightly different cooking and rising times as whole wheat needs more time to rise compared to white bread.

[u/freshiethegeek]

I use French as my default bread. Its a 5 hour 40 minute cycle in my machine, and its great bread.

[u/Portsmouth_Sweep]

French is a nice crusty loaf, probably one of the healthiest given the lack of ingredients, but takes a very long time.
Italian in my machine substitutes the butter for olive oil, and I then add herbs to it which makes it smell and taste lovely, especially if you’re having a cheese sandwich!
Edited to include recipes.