Calling all Breadmakers! Especially Pan 253

Str4berr3

Hiya there,

I would like to know how everyones results in breadmaking recently. (Especially one with he Panasonis 253. )

I have realised for the pass 2 months my results in breadmaking has gone horrible!

The reason why is:

*The bread does not seem properly cooked on top.
* Bread on Craggy on top and looks slightly lopsided.
* Does'nt rise much.

I remember when I use to use the X Large for my pan 253 and how enormous the size was but now it just looks like a medium loaf

I bought the machine 4 months ago from Comet but as I have lost my receipt for it, I don't know if I could return it to get placed etc.

The reason why I am asking is because in my manual it says that the quality of bread flour may not be as good as when it was cropped/grown in warmer weathers and as its colder now, could this be the problems for several breadmaking peeps like me?

Also I remeber someone posted a thread/post last year having the same problem with thir panasonic but I have ben trying to search it for over an hour - Just cant find it.

Please help - I rely on my B/m to make our packed lunches!

shoperholicnot

when I have had this problem it has usually been because my yeast was abit past its best, I have this sometimes with wholemeal as well, but i think that is lack of vit c, it is also important ot make sure that yeast does not come into contact with the water in the pan, before mixing

Ticklemouse

It could possibly be the flour. A while ago I went and bought that Allinsons whole and white flour when it was on BOGOF. I really don't like it as it doesn't rise very well, even with lots of vit C in it. If I do a plain white loaf with Lidl/Aldi flour, it hits the top of the BM I tried new yeast and all sorts. Maybe just try changing your flour?

(only another 7 packs of Allinsons to go )

squeaky

Str4berr3 wrote:

Also I remeber someone posted a thread/post last year having the same problem with thir panasonic but I have ben trying to search it for over an hour - Just cant find it.

Hiya

All our breadmaker threads were recently collected in one place (linked below) and there are a number of threads on problem (disaster) breads and, in the main breamaking index, there are quite a number of posts listed that might help too.

The Complete Breadmaking Collection

RacyRed

Str4berr3 wrote:

Hiya there,

I would like to know how everyones results in breadmaking recently. (Especially one with he Panasonis 253. )

I have realised for the pass 2 months my results in breadmaking has gone horrible!

The reason why is:

*The bread does not seem properly cooked on top.
* Bread on Craggy on top and looks slightly lopsided.
* Does'nt rise much.

I remember when I use to use the X Large for my pan 253 and how enormous the size was but now it just looks like a medium loaf

I bought the machine 4 months ago from Comet but as I have lost my receipt for it, I don't know if I could return it to get placed etc.

The reason why I am asking is because in my manual it says that the quality of bread flour may not be as good as when it was cropped/grown in warmer weathers and as its colder now, could this be the problems for several breadmaking peeps like me?

Also I remeber someone posted a thread/post last year having the same problem with thir panasonic but I have ben trying to search it for over an hour - Just cant find it.

Please help - I rely on my B/m to make our packed lunches!

Hi Str4berr3,

I know exactly the problem you are talking about as I've been having the same thing with my Panny 253. Just lately I've had a couple of complete bricks.

Ticklemouse is right about the flour though, I'm new to BMs and am still experimenting with flour combinations, especially as I prefer wholemeal, multi-seed breads. I've not had great results with Allinsons either.

I have been using a "fix" of slightly increasing the flour to water ratio when using 100% wholemeal flour. This seems to help, and not using the timer gives better results too.

If I remember I posted a while back about the craggy tops, mine were soft and indented when I pushed a finger in. The post is in the main BM thread now.

To get round that one I use quantities for large, not extra large, and when the beeper goes at the end of cooking I briefly raise the lid to let the condensation out (use an oven glove, it is very hot) then leave the loaf in the machine with the BM switched ON so it gets the extra time on the "Keep warm if not switched off" setting. Usually 30 mins is enough.

Think I should start keeping notes of my experiments

Str4berr3

Ticklemouse wrote:

It could possibly be the flour. A while ago I went and bought that Allinsons whole and white flour when it was on BOGOF. I really don't like it as it doesn't rise very well, even with lots of vit C in it. If I do a plain white loaf with Lidl/Aldi flour, it hits the top of the BM I tried new yeast and all sorts. Maybe just try changing your flour?

(only another 7 packs of Allinsons to go )

Actually, I do always use Allinson Bread Flour and when Teso did a BOGOF offer for them last month or so I bought 6.
I suppose there could be a numerous reasons like, where I am putting the yeast aswell - I have stored my yeast in a new shelf so that could go back to its old place.

pollys

Hi I had a few problems last year, in the winter months I store my flour in a warmer cupboard (not the one on the outside wall) I also wash the pan in hot water so it is warm. I also put water in that is not very cold. The flour can alter, at the moment I'm using Doves organic with no problem.

HTH

RacyRed

pollys wrote:

Hi I had a few problems last year, in the winter months I store my flour in a warmer cupboard (not the one on the outside wall) I also wash the pan in hot water so it is warm. I also put water in that is not very cold. The flour can alter, at the moment I'm using Doves organic with no problem.

HTH

Great tips, thanks pollys! just realised my yeast and flour ar stored in a cupboard against an outside wall :eek:

GreenFingers_2

Hello Str4berr3,
I have a Panasonic 253 but the SD model...the one with the Dispenser but I have'nt used this yet.... I generally make Granary and Wholemeal loaves and Pizza bases - these have always turned out really good, in fact wonderful...

It should be said however that I follow the instructions to the letter and I believe putting the ingredients into the pan in the order given in the recipe is essential. Also the yeast has to be within the Sell-By-Date. The ingredients I use are Hovis Fast Action Yeast and Hovis' flours.

The only minor problem I've had was with the first attempt at the Pizza base dough. It was very sticky and difficult to get out of the pan. The next attempt I added two extra heaped tablespoons of flour and the problem was solved - how wonderful is that....

prettypennies

I have been using Doves Farm organic flour in my Morphy Richards machine without any probs. I store my flour in the cupboard near my hob.

Whitefiver

Hmmm, sorry folks are having problems. If strong flour is being used, all I can think of is that flour/water is not being weighed/measured accurately.

With a BM, which does all the work, then you do have to get the proportions right first time - it's not like hand kneading dough where you can adjust the amount of flour or water if the dough doesn't feel "right".

Do you have accurate scales, for example, and are you measuring the water in the provided cup - on a level surface, and with the meniscus at eye level?

On the other hand, if you are sure your measures are OK - just maybe you have a faulty machine?

Hope you can get it sorted - but even the failures usually make excellent toast!

Regards,

White.