Bread maker help please

[The Riff-Raff Element]

We bought a Panasonic about 9 years ago and, to be fair, it has worked very reliably.

That said, I returned to hand bread making all the time about a year ago because I never really liked the flavour that much. It's a personal preference, but I found that the bread was a bit "industrial" in taste.

I bake about 5/6 loaves a week and during the winter do this in the Godin wood-fired stove. It is a more difficult proposition to control, but I have to say the results can be brilliant.

[becks77]

I had killed about 4 or 5 "cheap" bread makers in less years, then managed to get a deal on a Panasonic(sorry dont know the numbers) that was about 5 years ago, not a hint of trouble dont even notice a hole in the bottom. However if Panasonic not available would recommend the typical loaf shaped tin type(does that make sense?) not one of the upright varieties much more economical as the hole (again if you notice it) only affects one or 2 slices whereas on the uprights it affects more of the loaf and in the middle so you get polo bread!!!!

[Thomzo]

would recommend the typical loaf shaped tin type(does that make sense?) not one of the upright varieties much more economical as the hole (again if you notice it) only affects one or 2 slices whereas on the uprights it affects more of the loaf and in the middle so you get polo bread!!!!

I definitely agree. I've had a Morphy Richards for the last 10 years. It needed a new pan within the first year (which they gave me under warranty) but since then has worked pretty well. I do find that the loaf doesn't rise occasionally, I think the temperature may be slightly unreliable.

The main downside is that it's a square pan which means that the paddle hole affects more than half of the slices. Also, the loaves tend to be too tall for the toaster.

Also, it only makes small loaves and I would love a larger one.

Zoe

[prison break fan]

hope someone from Panasonic is reading this! Wonderful recommendations, thankyou all again. pbf.

[citizentwiglet]

I've got a Panasonic SD255 as well, and it's worth its weight in gold. I'd love to bake by hand, but having such small sprogs (who always need something urgently when I'm covered in flour) and nowhere warm enough to proof the loaf properly means I don't do it often; but the breadmaker is used pretty much every day - it was an absolute godsend when we got hit by the bad weather in early December, as there was no bread in the shops, I ended up as my estate's most bestest neighbour by being able to provide bread!

[battybird]

If you are short of time, a good compromise for those who like to get their hands in the dough is to mix the dough in the maker and then knead by hand. I like to do the final prove in the kitchen/ airing cupboard and prefer the bread baked in the oven. I set the timer on mine so that the dough is ready for the "hands on" bit in the morning and takes much less time. Best of both worlds!!

[Milims]

I can't remember the last time I bought a loaf of bread! I love my bread maker (s)!

[prison break fan]

You've all convinced me! off today to buy one! pbf.

[greenorelse]

Here's a soda bread recipe for you all, whether you have a bread machine or not. It is simple and quick. And you could have a loaf of your own bread within an hour. First I'll give you the original recipe:

Pre-heat the oven to 220C

200g white spelt flour
200g wholegrain spelt flour
Half a teaspoon of salt
Half a teaspoon bread soda

Sieve them into a mixing bowl. If using all wholegrain flour, use one to one-and-a-half teaspoons of bread soda.

Rub in 25g of fat.

Stir in 333ml buttermilk and make sure it's blended well.

Grease and sprinkle with flour a 2lb loaf tin then pour or spoon in the mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes then turn down the oven to 200C for 30 minutes.

We use some other substitute for buttermilk - a vegetable milk such as soya. Heat it gently (no more than blood heat) and add up to 2 teaspoons of cider vinegar. Lemon juice works too. The mixture should curdle. If it doesn't, you'll have to try another type of liquid.

Also, we don't bother rubbing in the fat (margarine) - we melt that in the liquid before adding the vinegar. That means more air is retained in the flour and the recipe is even simpler, which is quite an achievement.

I've been using spelt flour for a while and I like it (it has the benefit of being a more alkaline food), though the next loaf will be the same recipe using wheat flour.

I throw in a tablespoon of ground brown linseed for the omega 3, which is not destroyed by baking and gives the loaf more nuttiness.

Soda bread has to be used within a couple of days but this is so easy to make, who cares?

[Milims]

What's bread soda?

[greenorelse]

Sorry! Sodium bicarbonate. Should be with the baking ingredients in your local shop.

[Milims]

Sorry! Sodium bicarbonate. Should be with the baking ingredients in your local shop.

Lol! Or in a 5kg container in my pantry! I use a lot of it so buy it in bulk from the Chinese supermarket.