My breadmaker has arrived!

[wulf]

If it works, then you might as well stick with it. I've found missing out the yeast doesn't go down so well (*) but there is a lot of flexibility with the other ingredients!

Wulf

(*) Unless you are short of a brick or two.

[Shirley]

It was supposed to be 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS of sugar, not Teaspoons!

I've done worse than that... I chucked a handful of quinoa in instead of sesame seeds... it was just after the Neeps! food co-op share out and we had bags of stuff on the side. I grabbed the bag that looked like sesame seeds... it was a slow motion thing... realised as soon as the bag was tipped but wasn't quick enough to stop it.

It was an interesting texture - the stuff on the inside was fairly soft, but the bits in the crust were VERY crunchy but not unpleasant.

[ina]

I rarely add sugar at all, and it still works... Especially if I leave the dough overnight, on a "slow rise". That's handmade, not breadmaker, of course. If I do add sugar because I want it to work a bit faster, it's no more than half a teaspoon. And definitely no milk powder - unless I make a sweet loaf (with fruit or something, but then I would use "real" milk). Fat of any kind is also not absolutely necessary; it keeps better if you add a bit - but then, show me the household where freshly baked bread manages to keep at all!

[Millymollymandy]

Ha, well upon making my 2nd loaf yesterday, I set it all up, turned it on, then realised I hadn't put any water in!!! Didn't know how to turn it off so pulled the plug out of the wall, then grabbed the manual!!

Anyway loaf looks good but the seeds didn't drop in from the automatic dispenser - of course they went bloody everywhere inside the breadmaker and the bread pan when I opened the lid, and then all over the kitchen when I tipped the bread out. I did set it on the 'raisin' setting, so I hope there is nothing wrong with it.

[Shirley]

Strange - btw - if I've forgotten to put water in or whatever in then I just open the lid and bung it in....

I've just looked at mine, and for mine the whole raisin dispenser will lift out (don't force it just incase the design is different now) - I saw a little springloaded button on the righthand side. I pressed it and the flap opened. Might be worth running a raisin programme again just to be sure that there IS a problem. I know this sounds daft, but did you remember to do the raisin programme again when you switched the breadmaker back on.

[ladykathryn]

Oh no! My lovely bread maker that I use every week just died! It still makes bread but it no longer heats up to make the bread rise! What a shame. Still it's warm enough for it to rise slowly so the bread comes out okay despite this problem.

Can anyone suggest an inexpensive reliable model. I use my bread maker all the time and REFUSE to buy yucky bread from the bakers or markets. It just takes horrid. My bread is lovely and full of flavor.

Any suggestions? Web sites would be excellent if you have em. Thankx

[Thomzo]

It was supposed to be 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS of sugar, not Teaspoons!

My best one was forgetting to put the paddle in the bottom.

I'd put it on and then realised when I saw the paddle sat on the work surface. I had to tip all the ingrediants out and put the paddle in.

My recipes all call for between 1 and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Even if your machine makes larger loaves, 1.5 tablespoons sounds like an awful lot for a normal loaf. Even the sweet loaves don't take that much.

Zoe

[lorax]

My worst mistake was making ciabatta bread from a mix. It was only a small bag and it said to use it all, but it rose far too much and stuck to the lid, it took me ages to clean it up.

I've got the Panasonic one and it makes lovely French bread, the wholemeal bread is great too, far better than I can make it by hand. Recently I've been doing half and half wholemeal and granary (had to use it up as the flour was near its sell by date) and that works really well.

[Millymollymandy]

It is good hearing all your stories and experiences! Yes I think 1.5 tablespoons of sugar is a lot! I never put sugar in hand made bread until I bought a packet of Allinson flour from the UK and read the recipe on the back. Can't really see the difference that a teaspoon makes in the taste of a loaf.

Shirlz - I'm pretty sure I reset it to raisin! but I'll try again. Sunflower seeds and linseeds shouldn't gum it up, should they?

I have removed the whole seed dispenser just so I was familiar with all the bits, but it was hard work; the instruction manual under cleaning just said 'remove' (typical ) but it took me 5 mins before giving up and getting my husband to work it out - brute force it seems!

Anyway I found the wholemeal loaf a bit too fluffy for my liking - I might try the quick bake as I think I prefer it a bit heavier.

[Millymollymandy]

Have made two loaves now where the seed dispenser worked OK so maybe it was just a blip! Seems to be making good loaves from French flour now so no need to buy any more bread flour from Tescos! (just as well as I've nearly run out).

I forgot to ask you Shirlz, when you clean out the bread pan, do you immerse the whole thing in water, or just wash the inside? It doesn't say in the instructions.

[Cornelian]

What a great thread - I am thinking about a breadmaker (there is only so much hand kneading one can do before one grows somewhat tired of it LOL) and this thread has some great tips. :)

[Millymollymandy]

I would recommend it Cornelian! Having made bread by hand for 2 years I was growing very bored of making it indeed! (and the bread is quite different too, must have been my bad kneading technique!).

[Thomzo]

I would very definitely recommend it. I just don't have the time to make bread by hand and I am really happy with mine. It took me a little while to get used to it but now I wouldn't be without one.

[Thomzo]

I was thinking about this thread this morning as I turned out yet another carrot loaf. How are you getting on with yours, MMM? Are you still using it?

Cheers
Zoe

[Silver Ether]

Has anyone tried using gluten free flour in a Breadmaker ...does it work ... Is the bread anything like real bread.


I would love a proper cheese sandwich ...