Topic: Bread Making Problem

[Palustris]

We have used Lidl Bread flour for almost as long as we have had the Bread Machine(Panasonic) We also add Bran, Oats and Malted flour to the mix. Never had any trouble with bread like bricks, except when the yeast was forgotten. True you really do have to get the weights and amounts of things spot on. The Spelt flour makes a decent loaf too. Bread is made overnight every third day so it is a very regular procedure.

[Mr Smith]

Which is the correct yeast to use in bread making, sorry but I have not made bread before, :)

[Melbourne12]

Which is the correct yeast to use in bread making, sorry but I have not made bread before, :)

By far the most reliable if you're just starting is instant dried yeast, available from any supermarket. It comes in sachets, usually 7g each.  You sprinkle the contents of the sachet into the DRY flour.  If using a breadmaker simply sprinkle the yeast on top of the flour.

[Paulines7]

If using a breadmaker simply sprinkle the yeast on top of the flour.

Not according to the Panasonic instructions booklet!  It says to put the yeast in the pan before the flour, then add sugar, salt, butter and water.  It then goes straight into the breadmaker without being mixed. 

[Palustris]

According to other sites the Quick Loaf setting is the one which gives heavier bread.

[Melbourne12]

If using a breadmaker simply sprinkle the yeast on top of the flour.

Not according to the Panasonic instructions booklet!  It says to put the yeast in the pan before the flour, then add sugar, salt, butter and water.  It then goes straight into the breadmaker without being mixed. 

There you go!  An upside down breadmaker.  Whatever, the yeast goes as far away from the water as possible, in with the dry ingredients.

[valmarg]

Which is the correct yeast to use in bread making, sorry but I have not made bread before, :)

I usually buy fresh yeast from the larger Sainsburys stores, where they (I think) make and bake their own bread.  A 750g block costs 99p.  I don't usually use it all, but at that price I can afford to waste a bit. ;D

The only other yeast I would recommend is the 'easy-blend', which you add to the dry ingreditnts, and then add the liquids.  Most supermarkets have their own brand in 7g sachets.  Doves Farm does a pack of  125g.

The only yeast I would not recommend is the dried granules.  It needs reconstituting, and loses a lot of its strength.

If you are thinking of 'having a go' I would recommend any of the baking books by Linda Collister, in particular The Bread Book ISBN 1-85029-532-8.

valmarg

[Mr Smith]

Thanks for the info on 'yeast', I will now buy myself a bread making machine for Christmas, :)

[goodlife]

There is few sorts of dried yeast in the shops too...one is for breakmakers and other for hand making..the first one is quick acting.
Bread problem could be cause many different things..for me is usually the age of the flour or the yeast..
I have never had problem with any particular brand and I've had equally good loaves from cheap and expensive flours.
Too much salt will prevent loaf from rising too..too much flour make bread heavy..too sloppy dough will cause centre to collapse... ::)
My morphy richards have served me faithfully for 10 yrs. I've bought couple of new pans inside and a new hook too..but rest of the machine runs as well as new ;D Last couple or years I've started to to make more and more sourdough in traditional way so my breadmaker is having much more restful days..but every now and then it has its use.

[tracyk859]

It could be as simple as adding extra water. I found out that brown bread needs more water than white.




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[JuliaBalbilla]

Sorry, I have come in a bit late on this one, but the fault must either be your machine or your flour.  I have a Panasonic and have had no problems making wholemeal bread in it.

Someone mentioned Waitrose flour and I am inclined to agree.  For the majority of my breadmaking I use Waitrose Very Strong Canadian Bread Flour - available as white or wholemeal and it works beautifully.  Having said that, there is no apparent reason why other wholemeal flours should not work.  Perhaps try making a small loaf by hand and see what happens.  If it works, then bin your breadmaker.  If it doesn't try the Waitrose flour.

Good luck! ;)

[Jayb]

Hello and Welcome to A4A  tracyk859 and JuliaBalbilla  ;D
Interesting that Waitrose flour seems to come out tops in recommendations, shame I don't have stores anywhere close to give it a try.

[valmarg]

The Waitrose Canadian Bread Flour is recommended for bread making because it has a much higher gluten content.

The American/Canadian hard wheats are infinitely superior for breadmaking, as opposed to the european soft wheats which provide OO flour, and are very low in gluten, and are only good for pasta.

valmarg

[Vinlander]

I've had fairly some heavy loaves from using just wholemeal (that wasn't strong enough) in the breadmaker - I still like them because they are excellent used like black rye - sliced thin with strong stuff (like smoked salmon).

I find the most important solution (apart from getting the recipe right) is to use the timer.

Always use the longest bake (5 hours on mine) and add timer to make up 7 or 8 hours - preferably to be ready before breakfast.

However if the problem persists the answer is to substitute some very strong white flour. Sometimes 20% is enough, but for a really light loaf suitable for making flexible sandwiches I will go as high as 80%.

It still tastes more 'brown' than a lot of supermarket 'wholemeals'.

In the weaker mixes I used to substitute buckwheat flour @ 20% to add both darkness and flavour - delicious - but it is getting very difficult to source proper grey buckwheat flour - Doves Farm's 'wholegrain' buckwheat went nearly white last year and all the flavour left with the colour.

I haven't bought buckwheat flour since.

Apparently you can extract an expensive medicine from the black husks. Coincidence?

My current alternative is to use 40-60% white and throw in a small handful of stoned chopped dates (with the yeast). They always seem to disappear in the breadmaker cycle and add a wonderful flavour (and a bit of colour) - I'd challenge anyone to detect it 'blind' as anything other than a very tasty loaf.

Cheers.

[grannyjanny]

Vinlander, would hemp seed flour do as a substitute for the buckwheat? It would certainly add colour in small quantities.

[Vinlander]

Vinlander, would hemp seed flour do as a substitute for the buckwheat? It would certainly add colour in small quantities.

That's a new one on me!

Buckwheat is starchy and widely used (and for centuries) as a bread/crepe-making flour (eg. blinis) and I tend to regard it as a superior substitute for wheat in every dimension except gluten - but only if you can get the proper grey stuff.

It makes fantastic pasta too (soba noodles are an obsession in Japan) but it is grey!

Isn't hemp an oilseed? the oil is outrageously expensive - is the flour expensive too?

However I have tried a different (more strongly flavoured) oilseed before and it works well substituted in small quantities - I've used pumpkin seed flour (hulled green seeds in a coffee grinder and whiz for 10 seconds) - about 10% gives a good flavour even if the resulting green loaf is a bit startling (though a little paprika can cover that).

I'm sure you could use more than 10% hempseed - maybe even 20%.

Cheers.

[Vinlander]

I forgot to say, when using eggs in bread you need to mix them thoroughly into at least half the water you're going to add - otherwise you might find they don't mix right through or stop other ingredients mixing through.

It may be necessary to add a little extra water in case the egg cooks before anything else - it might lock up some of the water if it does.

I know this isn't a big effect because I'd remember if I added more than 5% extra water, and I definitely don't add that much.

[landimad]

Duke,

Have you the time and the energy to try Nigel Slater's lazy loaf without the yeast in it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/nigels_lazy_loaf_71344

I did and well it turned out to be a hit with the family. I shall try this again over the weekend to see if I got it right the first time round. Could even be used to make rolls if they wanted them.

[qahtan]

 I think all that where to put the yeast in the bread machine is a lot of codswhollop, My daughter gave me her machine to try out.
 I can't remember now when it said to add the yeast, but just before I closed the lid I saw the little paddle thing on the counter, so I just tipped every thing into a bowl put in the paddle tipped every thing back into the machine,  by then it was all mixed up. any away we went and it was fine,,,,

 qahtan

[Duke Ellington]

Landimad ~ yes I did see Nigels Soda bread it looked lovely I will definately give it ago.
Qahtan I often wonder about the rules as to the order of things in the bread machine eg... salt in one corner yeast in another etc.  packet bread mixes seem to have everything mixed together and it turns out fine too.

Duke :)