Any tips before I start to use it? :P
chuck it... qahtan
Quote from: qahtan on November 03, 2009, 19:34:40
chuck it... qahtan
You obviously have more time on your hands than me......... :-\
Don't buy premade mixes! Doesn't teach you much..
Experiment..different flour - different liquids.. get a decent book or trawl the net for recipes
qahtan makes amazing looking bread ;D and there is no doubt that making bread by hand is very rewarding but not everyone has that level of experience.
maybe making your own in the machine Will inspire you to go the whole hog and do it by hand.
It actually doesnt take long - well it takes a long time start to finish but you dont have to do much for most of it...
I got a book for christmas, 100 bread machine recipes by vicki smallwood, gives me some really nice recipes..I use mine all the time, can't knead any more ;D
Have you tried using a food processor. qahtan
I use my breadmaking machine all the time and get good results with little effort. Today I baked Winter Squash bread and had warm bread for my tea.
Start by trying out the recipes in the recipe book that probably came with the machine and get used to the methods. Then try a book and also have a look at some of the unusual vegetable bread recipes on the recipe section of my website.
Quote from: qahtan on November 03, 2009, 20:18:11
Have you tried using a food processor. qahtan
still needs knocking back :-\
anyway, we get good results from our panasonic :)
Thanks so far, what about the delay function? I would like to wake up to fresh bread in the morning but the manual doesn't really explain how it works - does it wait for X hours before starting the knead, or does it knead and then wait?
Was just wondering about the ingredients sitting in the pan unmixed...?
Quote from: qahtan on November 03, 2009, 19:34:40
chuck it... qahtan
Absolutely agree with qahtan. You don't need to knead either - have a look at Dan Lepards "The Handmade Loaf."
Anne
Very helpful, I'm sure.... ::)
The delay can work a treat - AFAIR it waits unmixed. This really isnt a problem as long as the yeast is kept dry. The general idea is to add the liquid ingredients first, then the dry ones, and finally the yeast.
This bangs on a bit but...
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/breadmachinemanual.htm
Sorry RobinoftheHood, I hope you will enjoy your machine, sure you will. But breadmaking is so satisfying, and doing without machine you can be so much more productive (like qahtans 5 loaves. ) Just need freezer space!. Also you can make up dough, cover, leave in fridge overnight and bake fresh in the morning...... but can't help with advice on the machine as have never had one.
Quote from: plot51A on November 03, 2009, 20:52:13
Sorry RobinoftheHood, I hope you will enjoy your machine, sure you will. But breadmaking is so satisfying, and doing without machine you can be so much more productive (like qahtans 5 loaves. ) Just need freezer space!. Also you can make up dough, cover, leave in fridge overnight and bake fresh in the morning...... but can't help with advice on the machine as have never had one.
So how can you tell me to chuck it? :o ;D
Seen other peoples and eaten the results ;D
Quote from: BarriedaleNick on November 03, 2009, 20:47:45
The delay can work a treat - AFAIR it waits unmixed. This really isnt a problem as long as the yeast is kept dry. The general idea is to add the liquid ingredients first, then the dry ones, and finally the yeast.
This bangs on a bit but...
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/breadmachinemanual.htm
Ta for that, very informative.
Quote from: plot51A on November 03, 2009, 20:57:49
Seen other peoples and eaten the results ;D
Fair enough.
One more question - anybody made Spelt loaves in a machine? If so, do you have a recipe?
our panasonic doesn't have a cycle for spelt, think you need the next one up ;D
we very often use the delay, lovely results, of course I'd love to still be able to hand-make my own bread but, no food processor, very limited movement in my shoulders, arms and hands so this is the best way for me ;D
Quote from: RobinOfTheHood on November 03, 2009, 21:08:11
One more question - anybody made Spelt loaves in a machine? If so, do you have a recipe?
Hvn't tried it myself but have a recipe for spelt and bulgur wheat bread, if your interested.
Love my bread making machine, hve done it by hand, many yrs ago, to much hard work now...lol
I would love a bread machine but I would just eat too much of it and blow the diet - fresh bread my favourite thing ever ::)
Good luck Robin, let us know how you get on
Lushy x
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.
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!
Quote from: plot51A on November 03, 2009, 20:41:25
Quote from: qahtan on November 03, 2009, 19:34:40
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)
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.
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.
Quote from: RobinOfTheHood on November 04, 2009, 16:32:08
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?
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 perhaps should add I don't use Hovis packets of bread mix. Only Wrights or Salisbury's.
Quote from: RobinOfTheHood on November 04, 2009, 17:28:54
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.
Quote from: RobinOfTheHood on November 04, 2009, 16:32:08
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.
Quote from: Melbourne12 on November 05, 2009, 11:07:55
Quote from: RobinOfTheHood on November 04, 2009, 16:32:08
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?
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.
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.
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
Quote from: RobinOfTheHood on November 05, 2009, 13:44:58
...
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!
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
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
Quote from: qahtan on November 05, 2009, 20:43:34
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.
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 :)
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
And when you are short of time, and overloaded with fruit, you may find that it can make jam too!
Quote from: qahtan on November 05, 2009, 20:43:34
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
You're right. But the engineering challenge is to create a loaf from scratch in a couple of hours without manual intervention. The only way to go is to work the yeast like crazy.
But you can see the logic. Loads of yeast and sugar. Cut down the salt, so as not to inhibit the yeast.
Raise and prove at the highest temperature that you dare. Add milk powder and lots of oil to stop the dough forming a skin during the proving, and especially at the point where the cooking begins - you're not putting the bread into a hot oven, but into a cool one and then heating it up, which is anathema to good breadmaking practice!
The amazing thing about breadmakers is that they produce the quite decent results that they do.
Whoops ! forgot the sugar in my recipe - 1 tablespoon.
Switch it on.
Well that one turned out much better, will try it next time with butter instead of oil.
Might be worth keeping it after all. :)