New Panasonic SD255 - bread not rising - help please

Little_Mama

Hi!

Hope I'm in the right place.

We finally bought a Panasonic SD255 a couple of weeks ago. Bread tastes very nice, the family love it but it's not rising.....well not like the pictures on the front, it's coming out more like a rectangular sandwich loaf.

We've used the basic white loaf recipe, following the ingredients for a large loaf. We've also tried the large ciabatta loaf.

We've been using Hovis's Strong White Flour and Doves Farm yeast....it was in a cool cupboard but is now in the fridge (having read other posts).

What I need to know is:-

Is it us, are we doing it wrong?

Are the recipes a bit out? Today I tried more water, as per their troubleshooting pages, but it only rose ever so slightly more.

Do we have a duff machine?

Any help on this will be very much appreciated.

Thank you for reading.
LM

Lorian

Try "fast acting" yeast, if the doves isn't.

Little_Mama

Hi Lorian,

The Doves Farm one is the quick action.

LM

Zed42

Is the Panasonic sited in a cold place, or a draughty one? I ask this, as the temperature really can play havoc with the way the loaf rises (or doesn't).

debbiedebt

Is the Doves yeast in a little orangy coloured box? If it is I don't think it's suitable for breadmakes. The Hovis one is fast acting in sachets. Each sachet has plenty for more than one loaf.

I have the same breadmaker as you - I've had it about 10 days and used it constantly. The Hovis yeast with Dove flour makes lovely white and wholemeal bread.

It's a fab machine and you must be feeling a bit disappointed.

Persevere it will be well worth it.

Little_Mama

Hi Zed42,
I wouldn't say where it is, is draughty. We were surprised when it said keep it away from other things and out of reach as it will get hot and it's not got very hot at all from the outside. We wondered what the fuss was about.

Hi Debbiedebt,
The doves one does say for breadmaking machines but I've got to get some more flour today so i think I'll look for the Hovis sachets you mention.

The bread is still very nice, better than shop bought but it just doesn't have a nice 'dome-shape' to the top.

I suppose if, once I've tried different yeast/flour etc, that I'd better check it's not something mechanical.

Thanks for your help

julbags

I've used the Dove's farm yeast in the orange packets that say suitable for breadmakers since I've had my Panasonic 4 years ago and the bread has always risen fine (apart from the time I forgot to put any in, ho hum). I keep it in the cupboard until I open the packet then it lives in the fridge, it still makes loaves rise after about three months after opening. I found that different flours could really make a difference to the bread and I've now pretty much settled on using the Dove's farm flours and get predictable results from them.

I have some wholemeal flour from Wessex mill that I will be trying over the next month or so and I'm preparing myself for some unpredictable results when I first use it, friends have been using their cobber flour and are having to do some experimenting.

I think cutting the salt can help the rising process ? (Though I may be wrong), I put less salt in than the panasonic recipes call for anyway.

Little_Mama

Thanks Julbags,

I'll try cutting the salt in the next one I make. I've got some granary flour (hovis) so I'll try that one tomorrow.

I'll also try a different flour. Our Tesco appeared to be very limited on strong white flour, I'll have to try somewhere else to see if that's the trick.

Does your panasonic get particularly hot when it's baking or does it just feel warmish on the outside?

Thanks
LM

saving-grace

I have a Panasonic too. I use the Dove's farm yeast all the time with great results.
No my panasonic certainly doesn't get hot on the outside, I suppose it does get slightly warm but I can't say I've ever really noticed this.

Which recipe are you using? If you're doing the rapid loaf it really does help (esp at this time of year when tap water can be really cold) to use warm water (blood heat) to help the yeast work. This doesn't apply if you're doing the longer recipes as the machine does some warming for you.
Hope this helps and you get some better results.

Little_Mama

Hi Saving-grace,

I'm using the 4 hours basic white loaf recipe. Our water is very cold at present, I will try using warmer water. Do you boil your water then let it cool?

Good to know that yours doesn't heat up either, that kind of rules out an element of mechanical probs.

Thanks for helping.
LM

saving-grace

I mix hot water from the kettle with cold water from the tap so that it is comfortably warm when you put a finger in it.