Postive and negative comments on breadmakers please?

spiddy100

Thanks carbonel, I will definitely try that. I don't know why I am so nervous of yeast :rolleyes:

Just adding my 2p on breadmakers (though much of it is repetition of what others have said). They are very convenient and if you are making granary or special breads they can work out much cheaper than buying the supermarket stuff. however, the paddle mark at the bottom is a real pain (especially if making sandwhiches for kids who can't chew the crusts due to lack of teeth), and I haven't managed to perfect the recipe for a nicely textured and flavoured loaf yet. Plus I suspect that Lidl sliced bread is cheaper (or at least as cheap) for day-to-day eating, and it makes better toast.

My mum made all her own bread by hand while I was growing up and it was lovely. I will have to get her to show me how next time she stays here. She got a BM a few years ago and now uses that because of bad health etc and while her BM bread is much better than mine, it is nothing compared to the bread she used to make.

anniewoo

I bought a Panasonic about 4 months ago and I absolutely love it.

It was quite expensive and I did worry about it being one of those gadgets you use twice and then it sits at the back of the cupboard,but I haven't bought a loaf of bread since I got it.

I make the smallest size loaf because there is only me and I make maybe 3 loaves a week.Every one has turned out perfectly,even the first one and the bread tastes gorgeous.I know exactly what goes into my bread and I find it keeps well too,although it doesn't usually last long enough to go stale.

It has got to be one of the best buys I have ever made.

I have tried making bread by hand,years and years ago,but it was always like a brick.The loaves from my Panny are lovely and light,both white and wholemeal,it is brilliant.

I would recommend it to anyone.

newlywed

debtworrier wrote:

You can leave bread to rise overnight in the refrigerator (if you've got room!)

Is is possible to "over" rise the bread? To leave it to rise for too long? What happens does it just make it more "airy"??

kippers

My breadmaker 'wobbled' off my work surface about 3 years ago and broke the lid. I can't bake in it now, but thats when i discovered cobs. I make the dough on the dough setting then take out and make into good sized cobs, then i leave to rise somewhere warm for 30 mins then i bake for approx 16 mins gas 5 in the oven...i always make cobs now at the weekend and freeze them for the week ahead...they are gorgeous!

(By the way i'm not sure if the word 'cob' is a leicester thing...its the same things as 'rolls' ).

COOLTRIKERCHICK

my m.i.l has given me her breadmaker..... but no instructions:eek: .. i have had it for ages....

so i now want to use it .. so as someone got a hinari homebaker..

could you tell me what to do and how much of what.... thanks......

reading through the various breadmaker threads.... i understand that its not the best bread maker in the world..... if i get on with it i might try and save up for a panasonic one:D

apprentice_tycoon

I bake by hand (or should I say by Kenwood Chef) and it beats breadmakers hands down. I borrowed one and got so frustrated with how hit and miss it was, somedays it was OK and the next day it wasn't and I was following the same recipe etc, they seemed to be on a hair trigger as far as the measurements go, there was no room for a tiny mistake over 1/4 of a spoon here or there.
There are so many posts on here about 'what went wrong with my bread?' so they they seem to be problematic until you hit on the winning formula, the one I used seemed to bake the bread with the crust on the bottom, it wasn't a good sandwich shape and the recipe I used wasn't nice, it was very sweet and cakey but those that love them will love them regardless.

If you want to bake (and knead) by hand the only one point to remember is that if you skimp on the kneading the bread will be heavy, it needs the kneading to develop the gluten which holds the air - that is the crucial point.
You can get free yeast from supermarket bakeries too.

Jazzy_B

I used to make bread by hand regularly, but bought a Cookworks one in Argos sale last year. I wouldn't go back to making by hand now. I use it every day.
When I got it, I wasn't sure I would use it regularly, but it's paid for itself several times over. I usually use a 3 hour setting, and don't use any more yeast than I would do for a hand made loaf. I must be lucky, as I've never had a duff loaf yet.
Have you got a Freecycle group near you, as they seem to be offered fairly regularly ? Maybe you could borrow one for a couple of weeks to see what you think.

exlibris

snow wrote:

Thriftlady, just take the paddle out after the second round of mixing the dough, place the dough back into the BM again and let it rise and bake. You won't have any hole!

I had not thought of doing this. Don't you still get the hole where the spindle goes though, or is it too small to make a difference?

Pink.

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote:

my m.i.l has given me her breadmaker..... but no instructions:eek: .. i have had it for ages....

so i now want to use it .. so as someone got a hinari homebaker..

could you tell me what to do and how much of what.... thanks......

reading through the various breadmaker threads.... i understand that its not the best bread maker in the world..... if i get on with it i might try and save up for a panasonic one:D

Hi Cooltrikerchick,

This post might help: Hinari instruction manuals

Pink

snow

exlibris wrote:

I had not thought of doing this. Don't you still get the hole where the spindle goes though, or is it too small to make a difference?

Yes, its too small to make any difference. May be one slice from the whole loaf will be slightly imperfect... The only problem is remembering of getting that paddle off in time