Kenwood Breadmaker questions tips etc

skyelark

angeltreats wrote: »

I have the Rachel Allen BM too, I've probably had it for about a year and it does produce lovely bread, in a 'proper' shape and the two holes were never really that bad. I've never had a bad loaf from it. I never use it these days, but I used it a lot when I was at my old job and didn't have time to bake bread by hand, and DH used it sometimes because it was simple enough for him to just tip in the ingredients. The poor thing is sitting unloved in the corner of the kitchen.

It's a shame it's been discontinued, it was a great little machine.

I wonder if the double paddles are a bit smaller? It is a weird thing how british machines all have the single paddle (apart from this one).

skyelark

Diflower wrote: »

I use an electric knife for my bread, works a treat and doesn't take up any room. Also handy if you have a big piece of meat/ham to carve.
I always cut the large loaves down the middle, then put cut-side down and cut half-slices, find it much easier and think there's less waste:)

Now, I do have one, but it is in a place I can't reach and I keep forgetting to ask to have it brought down .
Might ask OH or kids to get it down for me tonight and try it. Thanks for reminding me:)

Swan_2

Diflower wrote: »

I use an electric knife for my bread, works a treat and doesn't take up any room. Also handy if you have a big piece of meat/ham to carve.
I always cut the large loaves down the middle, then put cut-side down and cut half-slices, find it much easier and think there's less waste:)

I cut the large loaves the same way you do :T
it's easier to store too

I caved in & bought an electric knife recently & it's a made a world of difference to cutting the lighter white loaves

my trusty old bread knife is fine for the denser breads, but a white one would end up in 5 or 6 wildly mis-shapen doorsteps :rotfl:

Swan_2

skyelark wrote: »

Meant to ask you about the artisan dough recipe in the handbook. Have you tried it? What do you do with it after the dough cycle finished? No more instructions in the book. Or am I being daft?:o
Looks nice, but I would like to know how long to bake/how high etc before I try

that's a very good question :think:

I imagine you'd shape it & treat it as you would hand made dough going into its final rising before baking

as a rough guide
re-knead gently, shape, allow to double in size then into a hot oven, 200/GM6, for 40-50 minutes depending on the size of the loaf


I'm sure there's someone on the boards who was experimenting with artisan/sourdough & bread machines, but I can't remember who it was or which thread it was on

angeltreats

skyelark wrote: »

I wonder if the double paddles are a bit smaller? It is a weird thing how british machines all have the single paddle (apart from this one).

Yes they are, I was looking at Panasonic and Morphy Richards breadmakers in Robert Dyas recently, out of curiosity, and their single paddles are definitely quite a bit bigger.

skyelark

Swan wrote: »

that's a very good question :think:

I imagine you'd shape it & treat it as you would hand made dough going into its final rising before baking

as a rough guide
re-knead gently, shape, allow to double in size then into a hot oven, 200/GM6, for 40-50 minutes depending on the size of the loaf


I'm sure there's someone on the boards who was experimenting with artisan/sourdough & bread machines, but I can't remember who it was or which thread it was on[/QUOTE

Thank you, Swan. I can always rely on you for the answers:A
You have been very quiet of late. Hope you are well

Swan_2

skyelark wrote: »

Swan wrote: »

Thank you, Swan. I can always rely on you for the answers:A
You have been very quiet of late. Hope you are well

I was guessing, there's probably someone over on the Handbaking thread who'd be able to give you a definitive answer, or have a look on the Sourdough thread

I keep threatening to try all these wonderful bread experiments (including the elusive Tiger bread one) but my house has been like a building site since I moved here more than a year ago & somehow the kitchen is always the most chaotic part

if you fancy a read here's The Complete Breadmaking Collection, there's an old thread on there about leaving salt out of bread but no-one seems to have had our monster experiences


I'm not really a very prolific poster, although occasionally late at night I'll play some of the word games in the arms, if they're not too difficult for me that is
since this thread opened my post count per day has rocketed!

cooking-mama

Morning guys,after work last night i had a quick go with the food slicer... . http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...OOD+SLICER.htm


.unsuccessful!,
it shredded my bread rather than sliced it,also i tried it on the 1kg loaf but the round slicing blade is smaller than the loaf...to be honest i think this may be the case for all loaves...Id forgotten i have a kenwood electric knife that i bought at a car booty months ago,ive never tried it(mainly cause the sellers had removed the plug!!).I may rake that out,add a plug and give it a try.

Swan_2

cooking-mama wrote: »

Morning guys,after work last night i had a quick go with the food slicer... . http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...OOD+SLICER.htm


.unsuccessful!,
it shredded my bread rather than sliced it,also i tried it on the 1kg loaf but the round slicing blade is smaller than the loaf...to be honest i think this may be the case for all loaves...Id forgotten i have a kenwood electric knife that i bought at a car booty months ago,ive never tried it(mainly cause the sellers had removed the plug!!).I may rake that out,add a plug and give it a try.

hi cooking-mama,
that's a shame it didn't work

I'm sure there was a thread a while ago about slicing bread & a couple of people were using mechanical slicers, I'll see if I can find it, maybe there'll be some tips

yes try out your Kenwood knife, I got one recently & I don't know how I managed without it
well I do, I'd only get about 6 slices out of a loaf

Swan_2

can't seem to find that thread, but I'll keep looking, watch this space ...

I know it's out there somewhere, because I was pontificating about how you only need a good breadknife & good technique to cut your HM bread
in mitigation, this was in pre Panny & Kenwood days when I'd only had experience of a *Morphy Richards BM


*don't get me wrong, I love solid rustic bread, but if I want a light white loaf, I want the lightest fluffiest white loaf, not cake