Bread Makers - practical solution or a marketing exercise?

[Michael7]

Allinsons sell big bags of bread flour (buy more than you need. I read somewhere that flour gets better if its stored longer).
Doves Farm sell quick yeast in a 125g packet (cheaper than the sachets and if you bake a loaf every day you will use the packet before the yeast goes off). Make sure you buy "Quick Yeast".
Both can be bought in Tescos.

Michael.

 

[gidon]

Allinsons sell big bags of bread flour (buy more than you need. I read somewhere that flour gets better if its stored longer).

We used to stock pile it - but then had 1st hand experience of flour worms!! We don't bother anymore - we just buy as we need it.

We have the Panasonic machine, before that the LG - both had come out well in reviews. Prefer the Panasonic though - look out for deals on Amazon - the cheaper one was less than £50 a while back.

The bread doesn't last long - good for the first day only as bread I'd say - but delicious fot toast well beyond this.

We tend to use it in fits and starts - when in the habit - every day and then not at all for a month or two!!

Cheers

Gidon

 

[RobertMP]

Recently ordered the Panasonic 255 from here (£ 88 ) . Free delivery was stated to be 'up to 10 working days' but order status says despatched after 1 day.... so it may arrive soon or it may not

Went via quidco so getting about £3.50 off what already seems a good price.

Seems a breakmaker table or cabinet of some kind where it can live and be used may be my next project. Theory is if it is somewhere easy to use we'll use it... put it away in a cupboard and it will never come out again.

£88 88 8)

ah it is 8 and ) that makes 8)

 

[cambournepete]

Dried Milk (Marvel, though I prefer generic as it is cheaper)

I don't think any recipe in the Panasonic book requires powdered milk.
I use olive oil instead of butter in the bread as I prefer the taste.

 

[dickm]

We are on our second Panasonic (first one was commandeered by our daughter) and both are used at least twice a week as there's no bread shops out in our bit of the wilds.
Use the wholemeal recipe from the Panasonic book (which does need dried milk, cheapest from Co-op). Flour comes in kg packs from local wholefood shop.
Interestingly, the one our daughter has is better for granary bread than ours, where our's is better for wholemeal. No idea why.

 

[Michael7]

Allinsons sell big bags of bread flour (buy more than you need. I read somewhere that flour gets better if its stored longer).

We used to stock pile it - but then had 1st hand experience of flour worms!! We don't bother anymore - we just buy as we need it.


Gidon

Thanks for the tip

 

[cambournepete]

Use the wholemeal recipe from the Panasonic book (which does need dried milk, cheapest from Co-op).

Not in my SD255 recipe book... not that it matters
Although one of the spelt an one of the gluten free recipes do use it.
We mostly use Glebe Farm organic flour (and yeast), as they're local to us, and Doves organic for flour Glebe Farm don't do.
It's definitely worth paying more for a good flour as it makes much better bread.

 

[Stormsinger]

you can always store flour in your freezer if you buy it in large amounts. We used to that when living in Africa, kept the weevils out, so I would think it would work here too.

 

[Robert]

We were given a Panasonic for our 25th wedding anniversary. Its really useful for normal bread ( almost always wholemeal but sometimes exotic fooled around with loaf). But it is slow. Not longer than you should leave it to rise etc but I am impatient at this sort of thing.
The result is we use it a couple of times a week for everyday bread setting it to cook overnight and taking it out finished around 6am. If we are in a hurry or need bread during the day it is quicker and easier to use the food processer/hand and oven. I then will warm the flour in the oven on a low temp and rise in the oven with the heat off.
Its been very useful and is a great kitchen machine, the instruction book is a good place to start but experiment and rejoice in the failures.
Our flour comes from the local windmill, good strong flour. http://www.wickenmill.co.uk/index.html sorry for the plug

 

[cambournepete]

Our flour comes from the local windmill, good strong flour. http://www.wickenmill.co.uk/index.html

That's not far from me - I'll have to go and visit...
Glebe Farm is at Kings Ripton, near Huntingdon.

 

[Smudger]

I lost the manual for my Russell Hobbs, and I've just borrowed another to scan a copy.

It is probably the most patronising document I've ever read:

"If you'd rather tear a bit off, smother it in butter, and eat it hot, hold a bit of kitchen towel under your chin, to keep the drips off your clothes"

WTF?

"Don't cut the bread until you've removed the kneading arm, you'll score the non-stick surface, you'll probably damage the knife, and you may even cut yourself."

I haven't found the part that warns me not to lick the electrical socket yet.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Dick, don't lick the electrical socket.

My Breville AWT has started to produce bricks. I did modify the program and it was working tickety-boo, but I've changed the flour and I'm getting loaves that are risen all round the edge but sunken in the middle. In section they look like a capital M. The flavour is good but they are very heavy and crusty. Does anyone know what aspect of the cycle (or recipe) I need to tweak?

S

 

[cambournepete]

How fresh is your instant yeast?
If it's much out of date it won't work properly - been there, done that, as I wasn't going to waste it...

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hmm, dunno, I got a big bag yonks ago. I think I'll try a new batch. Thanks.
S

 

[filsgreen]

Thanks to everyone who has posted recipes and tips, please keep them coming.

Phil

PS. It's a good job I've decided to make my own bread, people are starting to panic buy. Apparently the bread shelves were empty in an Asda in liverpool yesterday.

 

[Gordon T]

Hello all bread addicts, yesterday I found a well out of date bread mix at the back of a cupboard, I baked it anyway.......it only rose to half size. My wife calls it heavy bread, you dont need much of that to fill you up, and even though it is not at its best it is still better than shop bought, and will be superb today toasted!!!!

GT

 

[Michael7]

My Breville AWT has started to produce bricks. I did modify the program and it was working tickety-boo, but I've changed the flour and I'm getting loaves that are risen all round the edge but sunken in the middle. In section they look like a capital M. The flavour is good but they are very heavy and crusty. Does anyone know what aspect of the cycle (or recipe) I need to tweak?

S

As Pete suggested yeast, I too think so. I was having the same problem with using the wrong type of yeast.

 

[filsgreen]

I bought fresh yeast from Morrisons yeaterday, 45p for 120gms. Is this the correct one to use?

 

[gasmansteve]

Hi folks
Interesting topic :lol: . I was shown a book by a guy at work `The Handmade loaf` by Dan Lepard and in some of the book Dan advocates bread making using home made leaven as the rising agent. Unless I`m mistaken I think this method goes under the name `sourdough`?. The dough takes a lot longer to rise before going in the oven but the bread has the most amazing taste when baked. I did wonder if some of the new programmable bread making machines could be used for sourdough type bread but I`m not sure I dare ask the question on Dan`s web site :shock: .
Regards
Steve