I am in love with my Panasonic breadmaker

JennyW_2

fifi35 wrote: »

Please help. After reading the comments on this site I went out yesterday and bought a panasonic sd 255 breadmaker. I attempted to make a wholemeal loaf last night and after 5hrs it hadn't risen and came out like a house brick. Undounted I tried a basic white loaf on rapid bake this morning and that was the same.

I have adehered strictly to the recipe guide in the panasonic book and to the measurements.

The ingredients I have used are:

Tesco strong white flour
Tesco strong stoneground wholemeal flour.
Tesco sachets of dried fast bake yeast.
Salt, pepper and butter.

Any advice please?

Thanks.

Fifi.

the brand of flour plays a huge part in successful breadmaking. I don't get very good results with sainsburys own and I know Hovis flour has been poor this year. Breadmaking with the machine is quite a fine art with regards to getting the ingredients spot on.

I don't use butter, I use oil instead and I use 20ml less water in all bread recipes.

I have used Tesco and Hovis dried yeast with no problems and the best flour with superb results in Waitrose organic. The Doves isn't too bad but the loaves aren't as good as when I use Waitrose flour. It's worth paying the extra for decent flour instead of having duff loaves and wasting money

billieboy_2

JennyW wrote: »

the brand of flour plays a huge part in successful breadmaking. I don't get very good results with sainsburys own and I know Hovis flour has been poor this year. Breadmaking with the machine is quite a fine art with regards to getting the ingredients spot on.

I don't use butter, I use oil instead and I use 20ml less water in all bread recipes.

I have used Tesco and Hovis dried yeast with no problems and the best flour with superb results in Waitrose organic. The Doves isn't too bad but the loaves aren't as good as when I use Waitrose flour. It's worth paying the extra for decent flour instead of having duff loaves and wasting money

I've always used the Waitrose ordinary bread flour, white and wholemeal and the Hovis Granary and Allinson "Granary" type (apparently Granary is copyrighted to Hovis!) along with the Dove's orange pack yeast and can honestly say I've never had a bad result except for the time when I left the paddle out:eek: . The granary rolls are especially yummy. I never cover rolls up either (except when they're cooling and then I use a tea towel to stop the crusts going hard). I usually have to prove them on the lower shelves of the oven on a very low setting to get them to rise enough and then turn the heat up and move them up.

jembie

princess_leia wrote: »

Hi all, after my first few attempts turning out like bricks, I am now using different flour (was using Asda) and i am now using Tesco and I have got some Doves too, the bread is so much better, still not quite as big as some of the pictures on here but then it wouldn't fit in my toaster

Oh Dear, I just bought some Asda flour...Will keep my fingers crossed that this one turns out OK

JoeyEmma

I use Asda flour and never have a problem. I also use Sainsbury's strong wholemeal without incident. Asda don't do an own brand wholemeal bread flour, so when I shop there I use Allinson's, which is very strong and sometimes needs a bit of extra water in.

The worst loaves I ever had was when I tried the orange big pack of Dove's yeast. I always use Asda's sachets now

jasmine33

Originally posted by Surfing spaniel

Tesco flour & dried yeast have been fine for me too, no problems at all.
I'd like a bit of advice on dough, what does everyone use to cover it while it proves? I used greased cling film & put it on top loosely but I ended up with greasy squashed cobs. If I use a teatowel will it be better or does it stick to it Ooh & if anyone knows what mix to use to make M&S style submarine rolls you'd make my day Thanks in advance

I always cover my dough with a damp tea towel.

Hope this helps

joanie

Here's a question for you all.....

When i make bread i tend to do it in fits and starts which means that i never get to the point where it's normal to have a warm home baked loaf calling my name accross the kitchen...... as I am usually (trying) to diet I tend to stop baking bread.... a loaf of mass produced white sliced doesn't have the same appeal .
So the question is do you eventually just treat it as bread (although very nice and all that) and does the "eat the whole loaf in one evening" habit die away???? Or am I kidding myself ?

snow

Has anybody tried to use bread improvers (just spotted selling them on ebay)? Do they make a real difference?

Farway

No real knowledge of e-bay bread improvers, but my guess is that vitamin C plays a large part in the mix, never used vit c myself but from other posters it does seem to work wonders

Joanie - the eat me quick does die away, needs a bit of will power of course, now I only have a sarnie at lunchtime and not slicing wedges off and spreading with hm marmalade, well not often anyway

BigMummaF

I too, use the Dove's yeast--never tried anything else--& the imfamous Lidl bread flour with excellent results every time. But I was wondering if the sachets of yeast some folk buy are a different capacity to the measuring spoon I use, that came with the BM.

Just an idea.......

Peckedhen

Hovis white bread mixes are labelled as 34p at Asda but scanning through at 20p. :jShhhh!!