Bread Maker - worth it?

rchddap1

I bought my breadmaker just to give it a try....very quickly wished I'd bought the panasonic as I was using it so often. The one I have is perfectly fine for the job, but it is well used and now think the extra money would have been worth it.

Yes the loaves are smaller, but boy do they fill you up quicker.

It also means that instead of popping to the shops to buy a loaf of bread (and spending £30 on stuff I don't need) I can just pop the machine on and let it do its thing.

We also use it lots for making pizzas. We like deep base pizzas, and the dough it produces is perfect for this. Even managed to convert a pizza hating daughter.

Have recently found receipes for doughnuts and other danish pastry dough and intend to give these a proper bashing when I get 5 minutes free.

I would not swop my breadmaker for all the tea in china...not just because of the bread, but of all the things that can be done with it that otherwise I wouldn't be able to do.

Note: I get my yeast from lakeland for £1. Its a little orange vacuum packed package of yeast. I find it easier to handle that the sachets and lasts for ages.

Topher

I believe some past quirk in the law, or it could just be about surplus, means that bakeries offer their yeast (The fresh putty like stuff) for free, or for a nominal packing charge i.e. about 3p for 2ozs. I've never tried fresh yeast in the machine, as in old breadmaking you have to create a yeasty liquid from it & get it "started" with sugar, ad I don't see how that would work with a BM. I'd be interested in hearing about anyone else's efforts using the B.M.
Yes you do grow it.

T.

Jazzy_B

I only got my breadmaker last week, so can't claim to be an expert, but I got fresh yeast from Asda. I start it off, top it up with the rest of the liquid, and
add salt last. It's worked perfectly each time.

leni

rchddap1 wrote:

I bought my breadmaker just to give it a try....very quickly wished I'd bought the panasonic as I was using it so often. The one I have is perfectly fine for the job, but it is well used and now think the extra money would have been worth it.

Yes the loaves are smaller, but boy do they fill you up quicker.

It also means that instead of popping to the shops to buy a loaf of bread (and spending £30 on stuff I don't need) I can just pop the machine on and let it do its thing.

We also use it lots for making pizzas. We like deep base pizzas, and the dough it produces is perfect for this. Even managed to convert a pizza hating daughter.

Have recently found receipes for doughnuts and other danish pastry dough and intend to give these a proper bashing when I get 5 minutes free.

I would not swop my breadmaker for all the tea in china...not just because of the bread, but of all the things that can be done with it that otherwise I wouldn't be able to do.

Note: I get my yeast from lakeland for £1. Its a little orange vacuum packed package of yeast. I find it easier to handle that the sachets and lasts for ages.

where'd you find the recipes?

Jazzy_B

You can download the manual for the panasonic SD253 here
There are some excellent recipes in it. I bought one of the Cookworks bread makers, but this manual has much better recipes.

little_miss_thrifty

We dug out our breadmaker yesterday (after ashamedly not using it for a couple of years) but since going to the supermarket on Saturday evening and actually noticing the price of bread (£1.24!!) i was appalled and vowed to use the BM again...hubby made a loaf yesterday and it was lovely!! No going back again!

Queenie

doddsy wrote:

Squeaky - the vit c tablets, do you mean the ordinary ones you can buy at Holland & Barret or other health food shops?

doddsy

If you can get Vit C powder from the chemist, just ask and tell them it's for breadmaking.

Also, if you don't have to have Vit C tablets or powder, use fresh lemon juice (natural vit c )

littlelily wrote:

... Didn't realise this was controversial!

Aw, bless ya! There are a few subjects which have proved 'controversial' in the Old Style boards, bread machines being one of them (dish washers, tumble dryers among the others :shhh: ).
It's true what you say that no one needs to invest in an expensive machine simply to make bread. It's equally true, as Trow said, that we all have differing schedules, priorities and why a bread machine is a most useful tool to ensure her family gets homemade bread.
You've given an alternative point of view and that's great because anyone reading now has a broader view to consider and will make their choices to fit within their needs/lifestyle.
Thank you for taking the time to post your recipe for hand made bread and sharing your experience. :T

One of the beauties of OS is that we come from a range of incomes, lifestyles and OS needs covering a broad spectrum and we can take the bits we can use/like and disregard the rest.

Queenie

Jazzy_B wrote:

You can download the manual for the panasonic SD253 here
There are some excellent recipes in it. I bought one of the Cookworks bread makers, but this manual has much better recipes.

Oooh I was planning on doing a cake or two in my BM today (non panasonic ) Just downloaded that PDF File with the recipes and I noticed "Boozy Cake" ... :drool: :drool: :drool: ... now on my To Do List :rotfl: :T

RubyMurray

Topher wrote:

I believe some past quirk in the law, or it could just be about surplus, means that bakeries offer their yeast (The fresh putty like stuff) for free, or for a nominal packing charge i.e. about 3p for 2ozs. I've never tried fresh yeast in the machine, as in old breadmaking you have to create a yeasty liquid from it & get it "started" with sugar, ad I don't see how that would work with a BM. I'd be interested in hearing about anyone else's efforts using the B.M.
Yes you do grow it.

T.

As I posted in another thread, on Monday I tried to get some free yeast from the Asda bakery but they said it was chargable, and I was given a small piece and charged 47p. I wondered if they are asked for yeast so often these days they have to charge!

I was told the yeast has to be used within 2 days. It's in the fridge at the moment but I'm not really sure how long to keep it before it goes 'off'.

squeaky

RubyMurray wrote:

As I posted in another thread, on Monday I tried to get some free yeast from the Asda bakery but they said it was chargable, and I was given a small piece and charged 47p. I wondered if they are asked for yeast so often these days they have to charge!

I was told the yeast has to be used within 2 days. It's in the fridge at the moment but I'm not really sure how long to keep it before it goes 'off'.

I'm still getting mine free from my local. (As of last Thursday).

Your best bet it to divide it up into suitable portions and freeze it. Normally the chunks I get are pretty good and will do for eight to ten loaves, so most of mine gets used from the freezer with no problem.

To use I just start it in cool or even cold water from frozen with a teaspoon of sugar and let it sit for about an hour. Then just bung the water into the machine as usual and add two extra teaspoons of sugar and two cruched vitamin c tablets. Your own quantities will vary to meet your machine so you'll need to experiment.