breadmaker should i....

craftingqueen_2

Buy or not to? i have a big family and i was wondering would it be worth buying a breadmaker.We use 6 loafs a week and have other bread and cake products.
Can i also make some sort of cakes with a breadmaker?any help would be grateful,l don't want to waste money on something we won't use much.

anniewoo

Hello craftingqueen,
I am very new to breadmakers,I only bought one a couple of weeks ago,a Panasonic 252,but I have to say I am thrilled with it.Every loaf I have made so far has turned out perfectly,I just took one out of the machine 10 minutes ago.

I live on my own so I obviously don't use the amount of bread that you do,but I would think that using 6 loaves a week it would pay for itself in no time.Plus if you make bread yourself,you know what goes into it,no nasty additives etc.

I am sure other people on here with more experience than I will soon be along to give you advice.

craftingqueen_2

many thanks anniewoo have decided on the panasonic 252.Now i've got to make sure i've got the ingrediants to make any bread.Any ideas what i should have on my shopping list?

CLARABEL

ohhh

YES

I use mine all the time for bread and pizza, but also for jam and fruity buns. i couldn't be without it now!

Clara.x:j

rhubarbs

Hi,
The Panasonic breadmaker is fab. Bread and pizza dough are my favourite. Cinnamon and raisin bread is delicious. The recipe booklet you get with the machine has a lot of good recipes.

For a basic loaf you'll need:-

strong bread flour
fast acting dried yeast
butter
sugar (I often put in a bit less than suggested)
salt
water

A lot of recipes mention vitamin c but most fast acting yeast already contains vit c. Many also list dried milk powder, this is just for flavour, personally I prefer to leave it out.

Have fun!

Rx

mummyof3_2

I have had my bread maker for about 6 years and it does come in handy.
There is nothing like waking up in the morning to the smell of home made bread !! x

tigs78

Another thumbs up for the Panasonic - I have the 253 but have never used the raisin dispenser function.

My favourite loaf is a granary, I make one every couple of days. It literally takes two minutes to throw the ingredients in and then five hours later I have quite possibly the best bread I have ever tasted. I'm ashamed to say that I'm not really OS in too many other ways but wouldn't be without my breadmaker now. It beeped at me about 10 minutes ago and I took out a lush banana loaf that used up some manky bananas that in the old days I would have just thrown away.

I also love waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread, the panasonic has a timer so I set it for when I wake up then by the time I leave for work it's cooled perfectly and I take a massive chunk into work with me to have with soup.

Iona_Penny

I have been vaguely thinking of getting a bread maker, and a friend has been really pleased with hers!! My menu planning is going well (although I am still over budget:eek: ) and think this might keep costs down. Then today someone at work has asked me if I would like to borrow hers on a very long term loan:T so I hope thet at the weekend I will be joining the ranks of the home baked bread brigade!! Hope it will become part of my routine.

Gers

My breadmaker must be my most useful gadget and almost indispensable in our household. I don't make the variety of breads which others do - never got round to it - but the bread which is eaten in this house is only home-made. I have a Russell Hobbs Breadman Ultimate which has a seed/nut/fruit dispenser and normally add sunflower seeds (organic) and use organic flour straight from the mill. Can't touch the taste and texture of mass manufactured bread. I always add half an effervescent Vit C tablet too as it ensures a well risen loaf.

I have never regretted this purchase, unlike the juicer which lasted about 3 weeks here before being sold on!

craftingqueen_2

Thank you everyone for all your kind and helpful replys as i work in the Number 2 supermarket,lol.I've been looking at the breadmaking flour etc...,has anyone tried Carrs breadmaking flour.I've heard all the other makes of flour but not this one.Also what is Yeast Activate it comes in little tins?Do i need to buy this as well as the packet yeast???Hoping Amazon deliver it pretty soon will be buying all my ingrediants tomorrow just incase it gets delivered this weekend.Amazon say it has been despatched so here's hoping.

thriftmonster

Carrs flour is excellent. Also my parents live in Silloth where the mills are and they are a big employer in a very rural area that would be quite isolated otherwise. Also several of their employyees are on the Silloth lifeboat and Carrs are very good about that apparently.

The flour they put out for the breadmakers is their CSS special, which according to one of the guys my dad plays golf with, is some of the best you can get

And no I don't have shares - I just like to support local industry:D