Anyone got a Breadmaker

[flying haggis]

+ 1 for the panasonic breadmakers. we use ours every weekend. we bought ours years ago and I recently picked up the same model at a car boot for £2 (yes £2) i bought it primarily to have a spare pan and paddle, so keep your eyes peeled if you go to car boots ours is the simple one without the nut/raisin dispenser thing but I think they all have the same basic built in recipe modes

ps just remembered our local charity shop had one in recently, but they wanted a tenner for it (five times the price of the last one, not likely :lol: )

 

[thick_mike]

I also have a Panasonic...though they appear to have gone up in price.

https://www.johnlewis.com/panasonic-sd- ... lsrc=aw.ds

Bought 4 years ago, and I think I’ve bought three loaves of bread since (e.g. coming back from holiday and not wanting to wait 4 hours for a slice of toast). Breadmaker bread is easy (say 2 minutes to weigh ingredients, then set it going) and convenient, but I do prefer loaves baked in the oven. I’ll usually make 1-2 loaves a week and I tend to make the dough in the Panasonic and bake in the oven.

 

[Yojevol]

We've been making our own for probably 25 years. We started with Kenwood mixer then went for Panasonics for ease of use and reputation. But we had 2 and they both failed with faulty control boards. We then went for a Kenwood on recommendation and it has served us well for probably 10 years now. The only problem that we've had is the seal in the bottom of the bin has failed which means a new bin. It's probably a generic problem.
It gets used every 4 days or so. We always use Sainsburys Wholegrain Seeded Granary and any dried yeast, usually Allinsons because you can buy it in a 100gm tin.
We've got one baking at the moment and I can smell that it's nearly ready! My wife usually manages to pinch the end crust while it's still warm.
Brian

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I can't remember what make mine was. This is what I found as well - I found that he dough rose far better out of the machine. When the machine broke down, I thought about replacing it but made up my mind to start from scratch and make the dough with a dough hook on my mixer.

 

[Garno]

We also have one and find they really are so easy to use.

The taste of home made bread is loads better than any shop bought.
We only ever use it for white bread.
As another poster has pointed out, sadly the loaf does not stay fresh for very long.

Make sure you get good strong flour when using one it makes a lot of difference.
As far as it being cheaper to make your own we worked out the costs to be similar to the price we paid in the shops. But after tasting your own bread you will never buy from the shop again.

 

[Garno]

I can't remember what make mine was. This is what I found as well - I found that he dough rose far better out of the machine. When the machine broke down, I thought about replacing it but made up my mind to start from scratch and make the dough with a dough hook on my mixer.

Doing it without the bread maker is a lot better, you get a better shape as well. The bread maker we have churns out square looking loaves.

 

[thick_mike]

Yes, the larger loaves from my Panasonic are too tall, so they are awkward to slice evenly.

 

[Dibs-h]

Yes, the larger loaves from my Panasonic are too tall, so they are awkward to slice evenly.

Is that always the case or can you somehow "ensure" they aren't?

 

[MikeG.]

.........My wife usually manages to pinch the end crust while it's still warm........

One official warning, then away with her to the flogging tree, and don't spare the lashes.

 

[MikeG.]

....... We always use Sainsburys Wholegrain Seeded Granary.....

Yes, that's my favourite. I add some wholemeal, and however much wholemeal I use, I add the same in strong white, as wholemeal alone reduces the rise. There's another good flour at Waitrose, something like Malted Granary.

 

[Dibs-h]

....... We always use Sainsburys Wholegrain Seeded Granary.....

Yes, that's my favourite. I add some wholemeal, and however much wholemeal I use, I add the same in strong white, as wholemeal alone reduces the rise. There's another good flour at Waitrose, something like Malted Granary.

Am I reading that correctly - all things being even, if the loaf is say half wholemeal it will rise less than a pure white loaf?

And if you want a pure white loaf and don't want so much rose - less yeast?

 

[Garno]

....... We always use Sainsburys Wholegrain Seeded Granary.....

Yes, that's my favourite. I add some wholemeal, and however much wholemeal I use, I add the same in strong white, as wholemeal alone reduces the rise. There's another good flour at Waitrose, something like Malted Granary.

Am I reading that correctly - all things being even, if the loaf is say half wholemeal it will rise less than a pure white loaf?

And if you want a pure white loaf and don't want so much rose - less yeast?

Less yeast is never a good option, the only thing adding less yeast does is to make the bread rise slower and the bread will also be denser. With a bread maker that's the biggest bugbear, no control of the fermentation as all of the heat settings to make the dough rise are all pre-set. If making bread without a machine you have a lot more control.

 

[flying haggis]

Yes, the larger loaves from my Panasonic are too tall, so they are awkward to slice evenly.

i turn my loaves on to the side and slice from the top and the slices then fit in our toaster. you do get the last slices having a hole in them though (oh and use an electric carving knife, much easier especially when the loaf is still nice and warm) another excuse to buy a new power tool!!

 

[MikeG.]

....... We always use Sainsburys Wholegrain Seeded Granary.....

Yes, that's my favourite. I add some wholemeal, and however much wholemeal I use, I add the same in strong white, as wholemeal alone reduces the rise. There's another good flour at Waitrose, something like Malted Granary.

Am I reading that correctly - all things being even, if the loaf is say half wholemeal it will rise less than a pure white loaf?

And if you want a pure white loaf and don't want so much rose - less yeast?

Yes, that's absolutely right. A wholemeal loaf will rise less than a white loaf. A lot less, in fact. I don't make white loaves, but suspect you are right in reducing the yeast if you want to reduce the rise, but it will of course be more dense. You could also try having it prove somewhere cool.

 

[Dibs-h]

Thanks for bearing with the numpty questions - greatly appreciated!

 

[Steve Maskery]

One of the advantages of a "tall" pan is that you can do a half mix and still get a sensible-looking loaf.

For those of you who find it goes stale too quickly, try adding a good dollop of Stork into the mix (you can use butter or oil, but Stork (the soft sort) gives excellent results). It will add a day or two to the loaf without adversely affecting the taste or texture.

 

[Steve Maskery]

My recipe:
320g water
1 tsp salt
2 tsps sugar
1/2 tsp vitamin C powder
100g granary flour
150g strong wholemeal flour
200g strong white flour
1 ball yeast (from the freezer - 12g fresh yeast mixed with 24g flour)

 

[Chris152]

I now have a Panasonic, but I have become a bit intolerant to bread, which is a real pain (little French joke there ), so I don't eat it much and I can't remember when I last baked a loaf.
...
I miss my bread

Me too - doc recommended staying off wheat. Can you make gluten-free bread with a machine? Costs £££ in the shops and it tastes like cardboard.
We have an Electrolux, used to go through phases of using it and does a reasonable job, I think - the kids really enjoyed making it. I'd really like to get back to it.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I don't know, never tried it. What do you usually for stretch? Is that what amaranth is for? I can't remember. I'd have to hunt for the manual, but I have a feeling there is a recipe for GF in it.
I really, really want to make a loaf, now

 

[Steve Maskery]

Look what I've found.