I am in love with my Panasonic breadmaker

JennyW_2

Arghhh! I want to throw my panasonic BM down the stairs (if I had some....)

Only had it a couple of weeks and the regular loaves (wholemeals, basic browns) all come out great.

Last week I chanced my arm and attempted a spicy fruit loaf. Came out perfect - better than you'd get in any shop so assumed I cracked it!

Anyway, now I cant repeat the success. I have tried 2 now over the last couple of days - followed the ingredients exactly and the first one didn't seem to rise and the 2nd one looks like the top has caved in slightly.

The yeast is from a new sachet so I know that's not the problem and the brown strong flour I used successfully made a basic brown loaf yesterday

When I check the trouble shoot I'm not sure if the problem is "My bread does not rise" or "my bread seems to have collapsed". The suggestion is to add more water and to use less water respectively, so I'm really not too sure what to do or more importantly, why this fruit loaf hasnt been as successful as the first attempt. I just dont get it?

This one has a slightly caved-in look (sides are slighly higher) does this mean it's collapsed or not risen?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

JennyW_2

anyone help

Ishtar

My first thought is to use slightly less yeast - perhaps reduce by quarter of a teaspoon and see how you go. Is your bread machine in direct sunlight? This might make the yeast work faster leading to the dough collapsing.

I've only made the fruit loaf a couple of times and its turned out fine...100% wholemeal is a different matter though....

Hope you find the solution

D.

Swan_2

hi,
I agree with Ishtar, it sounds as if the loaf is over rising then collapsing back on itself

if less yeast doesn't help, try reducing the amount of water slightly, atmospheric conditions can affect the amount of liquid needed to make a dough of the right consistency

JennyW_2

it's just so frustrating that the first one comes out great and the next 2 don't :mad: .
No the machine isn't in the sunlight, but I suppose I could try less yeast. It looked sunken/crater effect so perhaps that means too much water

Baked a 50/50 wholemeal last night on rapid (3 hrs) and it turned out lovely.

JennyW_2

Swan wrote: »

hi,
I agree with Ishtar, it sounds as if the loaf is over rising then collapsing back on itself

if less yeast doesn't help, try reducing the amount of water slightly, atmospheric conditions can affect the amount of liquid needed to make a dough of the right consistency

THe most annoying thing is waiting for 5 hours then discovering you've got a disaster. Can I take a peak when the bake cycle starts? At least I can stop the cycle and not waste the last hour of the machine baking a duffer?

Swan_2

I'll probably get shot down in flames for this advice but ... (confession, my BM's not a Panny MR Fastbake, I was given it by a friend who couldn't get along with it) but the principles seem to be much the same & even measuring really accurately sometimes doesn't yield consistent results

I've been handmaking bread for a long time & you get a 'feel' for when the dough's the right/ready, & after 1 or 2 loaves in the BM didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, I took to having a look at the dough during its first kneading (know I shouldn't, but it doesn't seem to do any harm) & if it looks too firm or too slack, I add a little more water or flour half a Tablespoon at a time till it looks right, & that seems to do the trick

I've even stopped & re-started the cycle if I felt it hadn't mixed in the extra water/flour well enough

JennyW_2

Swan wrote: »

I'll probably get shot down in flames for this advice but ... (confession, my BM's not a Panny MR Fastbake, I was given it by a friend who couldn't get along with it) but the principles seem to be much the same & even measuring really accurately sometimes doesn't yield consistent results

I've been handmaking bread for a long time & you get a 'feel' for when the dough's the right/ready, & after 1 or 2 loaves in the BM didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, I took to having a look at the dough during its first kneading (know I shouldn't, but it doesn't seem to do any harm) & if it looks too firm or too slack, I add a little more water or flour half a Tablespoon at a time till it looks right, & that seems to do the trick

I've even stopped & re-started the cycle if I felt it hadn't mixed in the extra water/flour well enough

that's a good tip, however I'm not experienced enough to know what the dough should look like

Swan_2

JennyW wrote: »

that's a good tip, however I'm not experienced enough to know what the dough should look like

hmmm, kinda hard to describe, but I'll give it a go ... it should look smooth, but not sticky & with no bits breaking away, & if you poke it, it should be like, errr, firm flesh

maybe the best way to find out is to make a loaf of something you know works well & have a quick look during the first kneading, & once that's done, have a quick poke/feel, it shouldn't do any harm
I've seen people post that they take the paddle out of the dough after the final kneading so they don't get a hole in the bottom of the loaf, so what I've suggested should be ok

JennyW_2

thanks Swan. I'll give it a go. Like the comparison to firm flesh :rotfl: