Topic: Just bought a bread making machine

[tomatoada]

I would not be without my panosonic breadmaker.  I started off making small white loaves, and then moved onto making larger and different flour ones.   I also use packet mixtures when short of time.  These are still better than bought bread in my opinion.
Best tip for me is weigh everything, even the water.   My scales have a zero button so pu the pan o9n the scales.
Hope this helps.

[Poppy Mole]

I have got a machine & wouldn't now be without it.
Experiment with recipes, chuck all sorts of things in & get to know YOUR preferences. The only drawback I have found to the delay function is that as I am all on one floor & keep the doors open, it tends to wake me when it starts trundling away in the wee small hours.
Enjoy it!

[asbean]

                          chuck it... qahtan

Absolutely agree with qahtan. You don't need to knead either - have a look at Dan Lepards "The Handmade Loaf."

Anne

And "Dough" by Richard Bertinet.  No kneading needed.  Quick and easy (still has to prove, though)  8) 8) 8)

[pookienoodle]

I am a chef by trade and have baked 1000s of loaves of bread at work and home over the years.
I bought a beadmaker a few years ago as I didn't have time to make bread anymore as I had a newborn.
I struggled at first as the results were terrible,then my husband bought me a book.
fresh bread in the morning from your bread machine...anne yates.

the book itself looks cheap and nasty but the recipes are fantastic and I have never looked back.
If i have time I use the dough program and then take it from there by hand,gives a bit of the pleasure back.

[RobinOfTheHood]

Well my first attempt wasn't too brilliant, a 2lb Hovis white bread mix, it was a bit dense and doughy, didn't rise to fill the tin completely as I expected it to.

I'll find out how the wholemeal mix went on when I get back home.

[Chrispy]

Well my first attempt wasn't too brilliant, a 2lb Hovis white bread mix, it was a bit dense and doughy, didn't rise to fill the tin completely as I expected it to.

I'll find out how the wholemeal mix went on when I get back home.

I have a morphy richards fastbake, it is one of the cheap ones, I think £30 a few years back.
If I use the recipe that came with it, all is fine, but if I use a bread mix or try a recipe from a book the results are not great.
I think some machines can vary, so always start with a basic recipe from the manual with it and go on from there.

At the moment I am trying a wheat free bread mix for my other half, If I had a better machine, I think it would work well, but I am having to try a few different settings.

What is the make of your machine?

[RobinOfTheHood]

It's a Cookworks one:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4233282/Trail/searchtext%3EBREAD+MAKER.htm

Bought the thing yesterdy at the knockdown price of £37.99 cos it was the last day of that promotion.....the beggars just knocked another £6 off it!   >:(

PS the manual is absolutely rubbish - seemingly badly translated from Chinese with a few bits missed out for good measure....

[tomatoada]

I perhaps should add I don't use Hovis packets of bread mix.  Only Wrights or Salisbury's. 

[Chrispy]

It's a Cookworks one:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4233282/Trail/searchtext%3EBREAD+MAKER.htm
Bought the thing yesterdy at the knockdown price of £37.99 cos it was the last day of that promotion.....the beggars just knocked another £6 off it!   >:(
PS the manual is absolutely rubbish - seemingly badly translated from Chinese with a few bits missed out for good measure....

I think argos has really gone down hill this year, how can something that is NEW also now be HALFPRICE, I think they are learning form homebase.
AW, leave that for another day, but if you don't like the model you have bought, take it back.

The basic instructions for following a recipe in the manual, is put in the ingredients in the pan in the order they are listed, stick pan in machine, select correct mode and press start.
If that does not produce a good loaf, then there is no point in keeping it.

Good Luck.

[Melbourne12]

Well my first attempt wasn't too brilliant, a 2lb Hovis white bread mix, it was a bit dense and doughy, didn't rise to fill the tin completely as I expected it to.

I'll find out how the wholemeal mix went on when I get back home.

May I make a suggestion? In spite of the claims of breadmaking machines to make an 800 or 900 gram loaf, many struggle to cope.  I find that 600g is a sensible size - just multiply the ingredients quantities by three quarters, but still use a whole sachet of yeast.

We use a breadmaker AND make bread by hand.  Of course the hand made bread is superior - you can use far less yeast, and far more salt, and leave it to rise and prove far longer.  But if you're pressed for time, then just quickly assembling the ingredients (agree with Tomatoada about precise weighing) and leaving the machine to get on with it gives a more than adequate result with minimum effort.

[RobinOfTheHood]

Well my first attempt wasn't too brilliant, a 2lb Hovis white bread mix, it was a bit dense and doughy, didn't rise to fill the tin completely as I expected it to.

I'll find out how the wholemeal mix went on when I get back home.

May I make a suggestion? In spite of the claims of breadmaking machines to make an 800 or 900 gram loaf, many struggle to cope.  I find that 600g is a sensible size - just multiply the ingredients quantities by three quarters, but still use a whole sachet of yeast.

We use a breadmaker AND make bread by hand.  Of course the hand made bread is superior - you can use far less yeast, and far more salt, and leave it to rise and prove far longer.  But if you're pressed for time, then just quickly assembling the ingredients (agree with Tomatoada about precise weighing) and leaving the machine to get on with it gives a more than adequate result with minimum effort.

I'll try that tonight with a proper recipe rather than a premixed one, the wholemeal one was more or less the same as the white one ie a brick!

To be fair, the mix packet says that it is suitable for both hand and machine baking, it surely won't be right for both, maybe a bit of a compromise?

I've found this one for basic white bread:

Ingredients
•   225ml (8 fl oz) warm water (45 C)
•   2 tablespoons caster sugar
•   1 teaspoon (1/4 oz) quick yeast
•   4 tablespoons vegetable oil
•   400g (14 oz) bread flour
•   1 teaspoon salt

Preparation method
1.     Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

I guess that this would make a 2lb loaf?

[tomatoada]

Like your idea melbourne12 about a smaller loaf.
My Panasonic book says to put the water in last.  So cannot comment on your recipe.  Sorry.

[Chrispy]

If it helps, this is the basic white loaf recapie that came with my machine.

                        Water   1 1/2 cups
Skimmed Milk Powder   4 tbsp
              Sunflower Oil  4 tbsp
                          Sugar  3 tbsp
                             Salt  2 tsp
              Bread Flower  4 cups
                 Dried Yeast  1 1/4 tsp       

Just put them in the pan in order, and stick in machine on program 1, makes a 2lb loaf
The water does not have to be warm, out of the tap is fine.

[Poppy Mole]

This is my favourite basic recipe
9fl oz water
1lb bread flour (I use granary)
11/2 tsp salt
1tsp fast acting dried yeast
1oz butter
1 tablespoon dried milk powder
With 3/4 hour left on timer I quickly sprinkle the top with various seeds

[Melbourne12]

...

I'll try that tonight with a proper recipe rather than a premixed one, the wholemeal one was more or less the same as the white one ie a brick!

To be fair, the mix packet says that it is suitable for both hand and machine baking, it surely won't be right for both, maybe a bit of a compromise?

I've found this one for basic white bread:

Ingredients
•   225ml (8 fl oz) warm water (45 C)
•   2 tablespoons caster sugar
•   1 teaspoon (1/4 oz) quick yeast
•   4 tablespoons vegetable oil
•   400g (14 oz) bread flour
•   1 teaspoon salt

Preparation method
1.     Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

I guess that this would make a 2lb loaf?

No, that looks right for a one and a half pounder, so pretty good.  I'd probably use less sugar and fat, but stick to the recipe the first time through.  I would suggest substituting butter for oil, though.  The oil will give a very open crumb, extending to holes in the loaf, like a ciabatta.  An equivalent piece of cold butter, grated on top of the flour, would be better.

Also, very important, if you're using sachets of dried yeast (which most people do), don't add it to the water!  (Look at the yeast instructions to check this out)

Put in water, sugar, salt, then the flour which will form a layer, then sprinkle the yeast evenly, then the grated butter.  If you use oil, add it to the liquid ingredients.

I reckon you'll get a far better loaf from this recipe than your ready mixes.  Good luck, and let us know how you get on!

[Melbourne12]

This is my favourite site for breadmaker recipes - this link gives proportions for different breadmakers for simple white loaves http://www.carrsbreadmaker.info/recipes/stong_white_flour.html

[qahtan]

 I notice that several of the machine recipes posted use a LOT of sugar. I thought it was only the Americans that put lots of  sugar in their bread....... qahtan

[Chrispy]

I notice that several of the machine recipes posted use a LOT of sugar. I thought it was only the Americans that put lots of sugar in their bread....... qahtan

Not a lot of sugar, 2 or 3 table spoons, think it helps feed the yeast.
Maybe one thing to point out, when it says table spoon, then that is a measured table spoon, or 15ml or about a heaped teaspoon, so that is 30-45 ml of sugar in a 2lb loaf.

[manicscousers]

my recipes use 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 25 grammes of butter/oil to 1lb 4ozs flour and 1 1/4 teaspoons yeast  :)

[plot51A]

Don't put any sugar in mine!
http://www.fwpmatthews.co.uk/regions_domestic.php#1
I use fresh yeast - sold in Sainsburys, given away in Tesco's - or it was last time i asked.  ;D