Topic: Which is the best breadmaker ?

[killerflies]

Is that Dough book any good??

Im a complete novice at bread making any was on the look out for such a thing.....

Dont mean to hijack.......sorry!

[Baccy Man]

Is that Dough book any good??

Im a complete novice at bread making any was on the look out for such a thing.....

Dont mean to hijack.......sorry!

It won the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) 2006 Cookbook of the Year Award, the Julia Child Award for First Book, the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Cookery Book - Baking & Desserts and the Guild of Food Writers Jeremy Round Award for Best First Book. Shortlisted for the Glenfiddich Food & Drink Awards Best Food Book & Best Photography and the Andre Simon Memorial Fund Award for Best Cookery Book 2005.

This is a quote from someone on a bread making forum I use givimg their opinion on the book.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/forum

I have purchased Dough by R Bertinet and I think it is an excellent refreshing book on making bread. It may seem quite basic to some, but I have been baking bread for 15 years and there is always some tidbit to be picked up. What he communicates well in this book is from five basic recipes, many, many breads. And some novel breads they are, bread shots with little treats poked inside balls of dough, puff balls with salad greens hidden inside, morrocan spice rolls all with your basic french bread and it continues in that vein throughout the book. Like Floyd encourages, Richard really allows you to expand your horizons and think outside the white bread box per say.

Along with that it does come with a 30 min DVD illustrating his method of hand kneading and how to shape and form various loaves. Nice to have and basic, but I picked up a few things from him. It is evident in his video how much he loves his bread and loves to bake.

As you can see, I do like the book. Found one copy at B&N and previewed the recipes a and the intro before I bought. I say do the same,and perhaps you will enjoy as much as I did.

[asbean]

Well, the bread my son makes from it is the best we've eaten. The DVD explains it all very well, demonstrating,  and there is no hard graft kneading either.  It's hands on and the mixture gets slapped round the bowl till it "comes to life" or so it seems. It's hard to describe, but you can see the mixture changing and it only takes a few minutes to do.  Obviously the proving takes time, as it would anyway.  We're completely sold on this method. 

[chickadoodle]

Definately Panasonic.  We had a Prima previously and it was erratic and seemed to be temperature dependant on where you used it.  Didn't always give good results.  The Panasonic however has proved (excuse the pun) itself over and over again.  It was more expensive at the time but well worth the extra dough. Sorry I couldn't resist  ;D

[Paulines7]

It was in Waitrose where I first sampled and saw bread that had just been made in a Panasonic breadmaker.  It was delicious and I promised myself that I would buy one at some future date when the price came down.  That was about 5 years ago and I still haven't bought one.  Maybe I will think about it again as they are cheaper now than they were 5 years ago.   :D

My OH thinks it will be like the yoghurt maker.  I bought it three years ago and haven't used it yet!!    ::)

[killerflies]

It won the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) 2006 Cookbook of the Year Award, the Julia Child Award for First Book, the James Beard

Bought it on Amazon. Thanks to all for feedback. The Hijack is officially over. Apologies. ;)

[Lindsay]

No need to apologise for the hijack - I found it interesting as well!   :)

Haven't bought a machine yet - need to save a few pennies first I think! 

[Paulines7]

It was in Waitrose where I first sampled and saw bread that had just been made in a Panasonic breadmaker.  It was delicious and I promised myself that I would buy one at some future date when the price came down.  That was about 5 years ago and I still haven't bought one.  Maybe I will think about it again as they are cheaper now than they were 5 years ago.   :D

Earlier this week, I went to look at the Panasonic SD255 breadmaker with fruit and nut dispenser in Comet (£99.95) and Waitrose (£99.95). 

I thought I would try to see if I could get it cheaper on line having decided on that particular model.  I found Amazon did them for £89.99 with free delivery so I have ordered one..................Yipee   ;D ;D ;D

It has been dispatched so I should get it shortly.   ;)

[calendula]

Surely the best bread maker is the two things on the ends of your arms.  But I'm old fashioned!!

absolutely - think of all the flour you could buy for that money spent on a machine, so therapeutic too  ;D and so many recipes out there - along with pasta and yogurt these are the things that get made every week

[Jeannine]

Well done Pauline, speaking from long time breadmaker who did it by hand to feed eight for donkey's years you won't regret the Panasonic. I am no longer able to stand and knead and I find it is an excellent machine. It takes me 30 secs flat to set mine going and that is that.

I buy my flour in mill sacks then I make bread mixes ahead of time and pack them in plastic bags. On the day I chuck one in the machine add the water and oil and turn it on.

I tried a few borrowed ones before I settled on the Panasonic, now a few years old and still going strong.

XX Jeannine

[Paulines7]

Like you Jeannine I used to make bread very many years ago but unlike you I was never very good at it.  Now that my hands are deformed with arthritis it is out of the question to even attempt making it by hand again. 
 
I have already bought three different types of flour, strong white, strong brown and strong stoneground, but what sort of oil will I need?  I have corn, sunflower and olive oil in the cupboard.  Will any of them be any use?  Also, what yeast should I buy please?    :-\

Silverbirch and Calendula, I know a breadmaker will not save me money, but I do not have a shop in my village and it  means a 10 mile return trip just to buy a loaf.  I tend to get over this by freezing bread but it doesn't taste the same when it has defrosted.  I also end up buying a large loaf because I think we will need it but then I have to give it to the chickens halfway through the week because it has gone mouldy. 

I have also noticed that the price of bread has gone up considerably these past few months and Warburton loaves are about £1.50 each.  I tend therefore to get something a bit cheaper but it isn't quite what I wanted.   :(

[calendula]

of course machines have their wonderful uses  :)

a lot of people I know set their machine to make bread very early in the morning so it is ready for breakfast and they wake to the lovely smell - that seems a nice idea

[Jeannine]

Pauline, my basic oil is sunflower, I never use corn oil and only use olive oil for cooking and dressings, but I would use in in some special breads.

The yeast I use is the instant easy blend one and I buy it in a packet not individual sachets.

Flour I use strong white, and I also use a sprouted wheat called  Bradmore/Bradmalt, this covers the two breads that I use regularly.

I would think Bradmore is available all over , I am lucky that I am within driving distance of the mill that makes it.

Basic recipes.

White

Set on large loaf.(4 hours) soft crust(light)
Put things in in this order (if you don't make the kits ahead of time)

I make mine using a US baking cup set, and a measuring spoon set,you can buy these in Tescos now, I can't be bothered weighing stuff!! Fill the cups RIGHT to the top and level off with a knife blade.

1 1/2 cups water &&&&
1 1/2 5ml teaspoons of salt
4 1/2 cups of strong white flour
1/4 of a vitamin c tablet crushed between two teaspoons ***
2 15 ml tablespoons oil
1 5 ml teaspoon of easy blend yeast

Press start.

Remove the second the machine stops as it tends to go soft if not.

Cool on a wire tray.

***  The vitamin c tablet adds vitamins but more important it acts as a dough improver and helps the dough react with the yeast better and you will get a better rise.

&&&&& If I make it I fill the water cup till it won't hold 1 drop more, John can't do this without spilling it,and always leaves a bit of space, so on  his recipe I have added 1 tablespoon of water, whichever way the water should add up to 12 fluid ounces total.

You can change the oil to butter but oil is easier to measure out.

If you can find the Bradmore flour I can post the other one

I keep mine in a snap top plastic container that fits the loaf perfectly, available in Tesco.

Have fun XX Jeannine

[Paulines7]

Jeannine, thank you so much for all the information, I am really looking forward to having a go now.  I will buy the snap top plastic container that you mention if they have it in my local Tesco.

I have never heard of Bradmore flour and a search on the Internet hasn't revealed anything either.  It must just be local to your area.  I will have to ask my son to bring some back with him when he goes to Hull again! 

Which brand of yeast do you use Jeannine?   Would Doves Farm Quick Yeast be suitable?  They stock it at Tesco so I could get my John to pick some up tomorrow during his lunch hour.  He can also get the Vitamin C.

[Doris_Pinks]

Tonight mine mostly made Rosemary & Onion dough to be made into rolls by me, to accompany our cassoulet................................lovely they were too! ;D

[Jeannine]

Pauline   The name  f the company is  EB Bradshaw,Bell Mills,Skerne Road,Driffield 01377 253163

The Garden centre attached where I get the flour from is called Bell Mills Garden Centre, 01377 254043

The yeas I use is Allisons, but any will do, just make sure it says easy blend on it, quick yeast is not the same thing.

Oh and I should have put 1 tablespoon of sugar in the recipe.

From the mill I buy Strong flour I think it is called Orion, plain white flour called Venus athe sprouted one called Bradmalt  and a SR one. the big csacks are betweem £6/£7 depending ont type, if you go check that Orion is the one with the hadr Canadian wheat in it

XX Jeannine

[betula]

Jeannine,do you remember in the seventies there was a craze for baking bread in flowerpots.New of course.They were great the bread looked so rustic.
My daughter in law has just had a panasonic bread maker and she tells me it is really good. :)

[Jeannine]

Betula, yes  I do, they made good bread. I used to have a panchon in those days too but it broke, I have tried for yeard to find another with no luck

XX Jeannine

[Paulines7]

Yipee!!  My breadmaker has arrived.   I have unpacked it and read all the instructions ready for my first attempt tomorrow.

Jeannine, I bought the effervescent vitamin C tablets.  Are they the right ones please?   

[Jeannine]

Pauline I don't know, the ones I use are not effervescent, try them , if the bread is good use them if not don't.. you can use them for yourself if you get a cold!! I use the tablets as a baker friend told me to years ago and the bread does rise more with them but I don 't know if they are in any recipe so you could leave them out.

You probably have it baked by now !!!

Don't be upset if the first couple are not exactly as you want them, even flours differ.

Let us all know.

XX Jeannine