The Morphy Richards BM Club

annie-c

carrieparkinson wrote:

im beginning to hate the useless piece of junk n considering taking it back. not one single loaf has turned out as bread. ive tried different types of flour, yeast, water temps and they are all comin out like yellow sponge cake.:mad:

I only had one good loaf out of my first 5 but I think I've cracked it now. A BIG problem that I was on loaf 4 before I realised I was using too much yeast - which was causing my loaves to rise too much and then collapse during cooking.

For a 1 1/2 lb loaf, I was using Tesco quick yeast which comes in 6 g sachets and which the pack says is suitable for a 1 1/2 lb loaf. The bm recipe says to use 1 1/4 tsp quick yeast and so, using annie-c logic, I thought that a 5ml tsp is probably the same as 5g and so 6g yeast was as near as damn it.... well I was WRONG!!! 6 g yeast was more than twice as much as I needed!!!

So, my advice is to be sure that you aren't confusing weight with volume - which was my downfall!!

Incidentally, I was able to reduce the salt, sugar and oil quantities without it affecting the overall taste of the loaf (according to my tastebuds anyway!). But as far as water, yeast and flour go, the quantities are really important.

Edited to say - my dad thinks that the reason you need less yeast in the BM than when baking by hand is probably because the BM kneads the dough so much better than by hand, and the constant warmth means the yeast really works hard to make the dough rise!!!

annie-c

angelavdavis wrote:

Carrie, I had lots of problems when I first started - either bread with a caved in centre or a thin cake like loaf. I bought some Doves Farm Quick Yeast (for bread machines) as I had previously just bought bog standard yeast, and haven't had a disaster since.

I bought some traditional dried yeast by accident - and discovered that you camn use it in the BM but you have to prepare the yeast mixture in advance. Basically you add the yeast and sugar to tepid water and leave it to froth up - for about 15 mins - then you can throw it in the BM and set it off as usual. Obviously this is no good for the delay setting, but now I've bought it I don't want to waste it!! Hmmm 5g down, 120g to go - that's a lot of loaves to bake!!!!!

lynzpower

All mine have turned out "the same" and thats because I am barely tinkering with the "programme" at all. LIterally, Im putting in EXACTLY what the ( quite stained now!) instructions tell me.

Im using either
a) Hovis white flour b) hovis seeded white.

Sorry to be ( possibly) asking a dumb question here Carie but are you using the spoons that are given with the BM. Eg Ive had 3 basci white loaves 11b out of one sachet of yeast.

When you say cakey what do you mean? Short? Crumbly? Or something else?

annie-c

lynzpower wrote:

All mine have turned out "the same" and thats because I am barely tinkering with the "programme" at all. LIterally, Im putting in EXACTLY what the ( quite stained now!) instructions tell me.

LOL, you are very good Lynz..... when the instructions told me that breadmaking was an exact science, my rebellious self NEEDED to rebel and try something different!!!! :rotfl:

carrieparkinson

they are coming out looking well like a sponge cake would!!!!!! and golden syrup yellow......
yup im using the spoons, cup etc what came with the maker. i was using allinson strong white flour, basic oil.... hovis or allinson quick yeast, n standard sugar n salt n water. ive even left the water out on the side in the kitchen for an hour before using the maker! im completely stumped!

annie-c

Ooh, that's not right then, Carrie - I'd ring the helpline if I were you - the number's on the back of the instruction book. It may well be a fault with the bm.

carrieparkinson

thats what i was thinking. it cant be me as ive used the right stuff (and even a bit of the wrong...)...... and 5 loaves coming out the same on different settings is a bit wrong aint it?

cheers 4 the advice/ suggestions ladies!!! keep them coming please!!!

lynzpower

What sort of oil are you using?

Is the blade alway upright when you start cooking- if its flat then i guess it would whisk rather than knead

Pink.

I've made minestrone soup for tea and wanted to make a sort of crusty loaf to go with it.

I set the breadmaker on the dough setting, so that I could finish it off in the oven and it would look more like a traditional crusty bread (sort of oval shaped). It's almost ready to come out of the breadmaker........but what do I do now?

Knead it and allow it to rise again before baking? Or just bung it into the oven?

Can anyone help me please!

Pink

Horasio

I have just made an eggless apple cake in mine - scrummy:)