I am in love with my Panasonic breadmaker

Andy_Hamilton

Try making a medium loaf with a bit more yeast and sugar than recommended (about 1/2 tsp extra of each). Good white flour is very forgiving.

Don't try rapid bake without starting the yeast off first.

My SD-206 (about 4 yeasr old) recipe is:
1/2 tspn yeast (fresh in my case)
425g white flour (lidl flour is brill)
1 tbsp sugar (yest tbsp)
1 tspn (4g) salt (LoSalt in mine)
15g of butter/oilive oil/nut oil etc
dash of milk
310ml of water.

Never fails and make me excited just thinking about my supper.

searsp

thanks Andy, looking forward to giving this a go tonight.

Can I just check re the yeast element and your comment about using a little more than recommended. The 1/2 tsp of yeast was less than I was using in the basic bread recipe (in the Panasonic recipe book) - is that because you're using fresh yeast?

I'm using the Doves Farm dried stuff which was recommended to me by a friend.

Thanks again
Pete

JennyW_2

searsp wrote: »

I have a Panasonic SD253 and am pleased with it - however every loaf so far has been heavier/'doughier' (if that's a word which I don't think it is) that I expected, certainly compared to fresh bread you buy in the supermarket.

I'm wondering if this is because I'm using 'Utterly Butterly' instead of real butter? Any advice gratefully received, particularly if I'm better off dispensing with the butter completely and using Olive Oil instead?

Incidentally, I'm using Dove Farm bread flour and yeast so believe I'm using the best of the best when it comes to other ingredients.

Thanks in advance

Pete

I find that with all the panasonic recipies, I need to use 20ml less water. There also seems to be problems with certain flours too. I called the help line last week and due to the endless rain, it's ruined many wheat crops (Hovis flour badly affected) and the panasonic ladies recommended Waitrose Organic. So far I've had no problems using this flour so I'm pleased Funnily enough I thought I would just give my Hovis flour another go (seeing as I had opened packets and it seemed a waste). Used the 5 hour bake, nothing fancy, just making a 50/50 loaf and I had a failed loaf. Desperately needed bread so I went back to my Waitrose Organic, 50/50 on 5 hour bake again and had a perfect loaf. So at the moment I'm convinced that the flour makes a big difference.

With regards to oil I too also use olive or sunflower oil. About 1 tablespoon seems to do the job regardless if it's a large or Xlarge loaf. Same with the cakes

Andy_Hamilton

searsp wrote: »

thanks Andy, looking forward to giving this a go tonight.

Can I just check re the yeast element and your comment about using a little more than recommended. The 1/2 tsp of yeast was less than I was using in the basic bread recipe (in the Panasonic recipe book) - is that because you're using fresh yeast?

I'm using the Doves Farm dried stuff which was recommended to me by a friend.

Thanks again
Pete

The recipie I have listed above is for a MEDIUM loaf which uses less yeast. Panasonic changed there basic recipies when they moved to the newer designs to cut down on salt and sugar intake.
Try using your own medium loaf setting with 1/2 tsp extra sugar and yeast. It will come out massive. If your happy with that tast but the air pockets are too big try the same recipie on sandwich loaf seeting.

BigMummaF

I too use the Dove Farm Quick Yeast---only 99p & it's lasted approx 45 loaves:eek:---& I keep it wrapped tight in the top of the fridge once it's opened.

I use Lidl white flour & stork soft marg & the offspring have demanded to have this recipe for ever more:pThey're used to my tinkering with recipes & have warned me of the consequences seeing as they paid for the BM, so I guess I gotta be a bit careful or they'll take away my toy:o

I had a bit of a hiccough with the Lidl Granary Mix, but threw in some extra seeds today & although a bit 'heavy', tastes OK. We had a ciabatta the other day, but personally I couldn't taste the difference....but that could be due to my hayfever:rolleyes:

soba

Potential bread flour bargain if you have a B&M (Bargain Madness) close by. Been into the one in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent and bought 1.5kg Hovis wholemeal bread flour and Hovis strong seeded white bread flour 1kg today and they cost 29p each!! It's one of those places where you're never quite sure what you'll find, but if you see a B&M it might be worth calling in.

rich68

I tried my usual flour again today and checked it before the baking phase. It had only partly risen and unevenly so I turned off the machine. I don't think it was a case of sinking after rising.

The temperature of the dough was warm to the touch so presumably warm enough for rising to take place. Therefore, this points to the flour being at fault. The dough was like chewing gum. It could be pulled away from the pan easily but stuck to my hands.

The bread I made with the new (cheapo) flour the other day rose ok I would say, although not the best. The bread was more dense towards the bottom and light at the top.

JennyW_2

JennyW wrote: »

Before I spoke with Panasonic, I had been using Hovis flours. Since switching to Waitfrose flour I haven't had a sunken loaf so I think the flour has made a difference to me. I still have 2 unopened bags of Hovis flour so I will try then again so it'll be interesting to see what happens.

hmm, I'm convinced the Hovis flour is a problem for me :think:

Thought I would perform a little experiment so I baked one small loaf, 5 hour bake, 50/50 wholemeal using Waitrose flour - perfect then repeated for another small loaf but used my Hovis flour - ended up with a large biscuit :rolleyes:

Clutterfree

When I was in Morrisons on Tuesday they didn't have any Hovis Wholemeal flour on sale and its usual place on the shelf had been filled with other flours.
Wonder if they have withdrawn it due to complaints?

pmorrisjones

Have had problems finding any wholemeal breadmaking flour - except £1.65 Allinsons! Seems to have disappeared off shelves. White is fine and still quite cheap. May have to go for Allinsons as getting bored with white. I worked out its still cheaper than buying wholemeal sliced bread (unless you buy Somerfield Savers). I must say that Allinsons flour (when I have bought it) makes the bread taste so much better. Maybe one case where you get what you pay for.