Cookworks Bread Maker

anguk

I've got a Cookworks breadmaker, I agree about the recipe book it does have ingredients in that you don't need.

I tend to make a 1.5lb wholemeal the most and I've tweaked the recipe: 250mls warm water, 1tbs oil, 200g wholemeal flour, 200g white flour, 1tsp yeast, 1tsp salt & 1tsp sugar. I cook it on the "sandwich" setting because whenever I've used the wholemeal setting it's risen too much then sunk back down.

For a 1.5lb white loaf I use the same ingredients but miss out the wholemeal flour and just use 450g white flour. I bake that on either the sandwich or basic setting.

For rolls or pizza dough I just use the same ingredients as I would for a white loaf (but put it on the dough setting).

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Thanks Anguk! I used 450g of strong white flour and almost the same of the other ingredients so hopefully that's done the trick. Didn't think about sugar though.

Do you use normal flour or the strong flour? I'm not really sure of the difference.

Definitely want to give the pizza dough a try. I hope I'm going to fall in love with my breadmaker :-D

anguk

If strong bread flour is on offer I'll buy that but to be honest I use Tesco's value plain flour more often than not and haven't noticed much difference. And I always just use the value plain if I'm making pizza dough.

Icey77

Milk powder added to the loaf ingredient makes the bread lighter in my experience. I always add it.

If you feel that the bread is heavy or dense try adding the milk powder next time and see what you think.

Auntie-Dolly

Isn't the sugar a 'must'? What feeds the yeast otherwise?

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

anguk wrote: »

If strong bread flour is on offer I'll buy that but to be honest I use Tesco's value plain flour more often than not and haven't noticed much difference. And I always just use the value plain if I'm making pizza dough.

That's good to know - thanks

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Icey77 wrote: »

Milk powder added to the loaf ingredient makes the bread lighter in my experience. I always add it.

If you feel that the bread is heavy or dense try adding the milk powder next time and see what you think.

Will do - I wondered what it was for. Thanks!

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Auntie-Dolly wrote: »

Isn't the sugar a 'must'? What feeds the yeast otherwise?

No idea tbh, it has risen but I've not yet tasted it...

angeltreats

Auntie-Dolly wrote: »

Isn't the sugar a 'must'? What feeds the yeast otherwise?

I never use sugar in my bread, I usually use dried yeast (not fast-acting, but sometimes I will use fast-acting). It always turns out fine.

sueeve

I prefer it without sugar as well. I use a very small amount with fresh yeast, but dried is fine without. I would guess, remembering Domestic Science lessons from another era, that the starch in the flour makes it activate.