Bread making machines

Shocked by this! Don't people slice the bread and freeze, or turn into breadcrumbs and freeze?
I have so many recipes that use breadcrumbs, and it's so easy to get a bag from the freezer to use. (My vegetarian lentil loaf recipe says to use cooked rice, but instead I substitute the same volume of breadcrumbs, which works at least as well!) I suppose they buy ready-made breadcrumbs?!!

 

Just read through this thread again, as I've just bought a Panasonic. Makes for interesting reading, lots of good info
How are you getting on with yours @Sheal ?

 

Hi @Freddy, I came across this by chance, my alerts aren't working!

Up until a month ago I was using mine twice a week for bread but have taken a break from it as I'm into Tortilla's at the moment. I did bake a loaf for my daughter yesterday though.

I've found through trial and error that it's better to use a good quality flour if it's available, I use one that's milled locally and surprisingly cheaper than the others on supermarket shelves. If at any time I can't get it then I use Allinson's, I also use Allinson's dried yeast, produced particularly for breadmakers (in a green tin).

Measurements can be a bit hit and miss to start with and yeast and water measuring tends to need adjusting for different flours. I also find that adding water has to be spot on, with fine adjustments to how much is used either way, up or down.

I haven't experimented with different types of bread as I'm happy with straight forward white, I'm not a lover of bread with grain or seeds in either. I have used it for making pizza dough though with no issues.

With my own machine I always bake on 'Dark' as I find the other choices to light.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

@Freddy , once you have mastered the basic white loaf, you can then experiment a little.

One of our favourites is what is called here "gris", which literally means "grey". It is made with about 50-50 white and wholemeal. You get a good rise, as with a white loaf, but lots of flavour, as with a wholemeal.

Unlike Sheal, I tend to use live yeast. I put the yeast in with the liquid (again, often half-and-half water and milk), then the flour, then the salt, sugar and fat. But I do have a good source for live yeast here.

I tend to use the machine for making the dough, but then bake in the oven, using a round silicone mould, which makes a good round "folky" loaf. It has taken me many attempts to get that lovely split in the top - you have to cut much deeper into the dough than you think, and the knife needs to be sharp!

Have fun experimenting, you know it tastes better!!

 

Thanks for those replies folks

Here's my first effort, made on Sunday



It was nice and crispy when it came out, but went a bit soft after 15-20 mins. I'm going to try maybe 10mils less water next time I make a white loaf. I have to say though it was delicious, and it didn't last long Yesterday I made a 70% wholemeal loaf which came out really well, but not sure I'm that keen on the flavour. I want to look into making a malted loaf.
I quite fancy making some of the dough recipes, but not sure how I can maintain 40c while the dough rises?

 

Hiya FC

What I mean is, after the dough has been taken out of the breadmaker, shaped to suit, and going for the second rise before baking in the oven.

 

You don't need to have it at 40c, @Freddy - if anything, that is a little hot.

Our oven has a defrost session (really posh - previous owner was a patisserier, and OCD!), and so I use that, which keeps the oven at 30c. But the proving drawers you see people using on GBBO is for speed - bread is actually better if you let it prove really slowly, even in the fridge overnight! That way, you get a better, denser, bread. Average house room temp is about 20c, so that would be fine. I often prove my bread in the oven, without turning it on at all, just as a safe place to keep it where the temp is constant, and the flies and dogs have to leave it alone!!

(Oh, and depending on the flour, 70% wholemeal can be a little over-strong, I agree)

I haven't tried a malted loaf yet. We did a beautiful rich Christmas fruit and spice bread last year - we had to stop eating it on Christmas morning, or we wouldn't have had room for our roast beef!!

 

I just replied on the bread making post, but I knew I had posted about breadmaker machines in the past and couldn't see it..... it's in this thread, duhh me!

Anyway, I'm looking for help on making a gluten free (preferably dairy free and soya free too but gluten free is a must) sandwich loaf in the breadmaker please?


On a side note to those of you who helped with my daughter's issues this time last year...... she has been dairy free for just past a year and soya free since Nov last year. She's like a different child No more sore tummies, constipation, she finally sleeps through every night, no more nasty nightmares (which plagued hours on end, every single night!), her skin is better, her fungal toenails are gone, cradle cap is gone. But!!!!! The biggest benefit is she no longer has horrible 3 to 4 weekly asthma flare ups (always needed 999/A&E and oral steroids). The past few months I have been weaning back her preventer inhaler (which was not licensed for her age when she was put on it, but it was our last hope in stabilising her), and this weekend I am due to stop it completely

 

That's great news about your daughter's improvement Snowbaby.

 

Hiya Sian

Yeah, I thought that. It's just that it's what it says in the handbook that came with the machine.

I think it's a case of trying different flours and methods until you get it how you like. My understanding though is that it'll never be great. I have read that the Panasonic makes a half-decent loaf though.
Good news about your daughter

 

I bought another bag of Dove's GF bread flour today so tmor I plan on trying another loaf, but either on the GF setting, or the standard 3hr setting. Everything I read online points towards the standard setting. But the GF recipe on my panasonic book, says use the GF setting so I'm not sure!!

 

Could you let me know how you get on? I need to make some GF for my B-I-L come Christmas

 

Of course Freddy........ it was BLEURGH!!!! I'm giving up on making GF bread now. It was more like a loaf of bread in looks, but it was veryyyy heavy. Didn't taste good and gave me heartburn, so it fed the bin :(