dodgy breadmaker? bread sponge like and sunken

ginger

Can any bread experts help me please. I tried out my Hinari breadmaker for the first time today and everything seemed to be going well until the last 30 mins when the bread sun in the middle and now is like a doorstop. Tried to make basic white bread but had no dried milk so used a tiny bit of fresh milk instead. Also kitchen window behind it was open - do you think either of these might have caused the problem or something else.

L

Whitefiver

There could be several reasons for a sunken loaf, but too much liquid is probably the most likely.

It will still make great toast though!

Regards,

White.

lil_me

If you use fresh milk you usually substitute the water and milk powder amount for fresh milk, not milk and water mixed. They usually recommend powder, mainly with those with a delay on as you don't want fresh milk stood getting warm in a BM before it starts. I have used fresh milk successfully before instead of the powder and water, lovely texture to it aswell.

foreign_correspondent

Hello,

I need your advice - Today I dug out my breadmaker and decided to give it a go again...

I had a cheapo asda one for a few years and it was great, till the motor died.

I bought a russell hobbs one to replace it, but I tried making a few loaves in it and none of them were any good. I got a bit disheartened and shoved it in the cupboard.

Today I decided to give it another go, with a recipe found on here, I set it up for a dark crust - and got another terrible loaf - a bit sunken and flat on top (not domed) with a spongey, almost crumpet like texture, a bit soggy in the middle, with a light coloured but very crunchy crust.

Now, is this the breadmaker or something else? I have tried a few variations on recipes but seem to always get the ame rubbish bread! I wish I had returned it when I first got it, but I had other stuff going on, and didnt do it! grrr.

Any advice would be really appreciated, I am gutted if this machine is no use - but maybe that is the case.

anyway, thanks in advance,

fc x

squeaky

Hiya

Every machine is different, and changes in ingredients can make a difference too.

Because a BM works on a timer - ANY variations in a recipe, OR a change of ingredients even in a tried and tested recipe, can give you a very different loaf.

From the sound of your post it would seem that you are using a bit too much water (for a guess - but it would be at the top of my own list of "things to change").

One tablespoon less of water, or one tablespoon more of flour might sort you out. (And yes, small changes like this can make a big difference.) Learning your machine's little quirks is as much an art form as it is a science


TBH I'd suggest you use a recipe from your manual for your your first few loaves before you start using other recipes. If you can't find your book - post the make and model of your machine and we'll help you find a copy on line.

There are other threads dealing with "bread disasters" listed in our main collection:-

The Complete Breadmaking Collection

lucasmum

I have only had a couple of half decent loaves come out of my breadmaker and plenty of bricks!!
My most successful attepmt was to use the dough setting instead of cooking it in the bread maker. My MR BM takes 1 1/2 hrs for this then I took the dough out and kneaded it lightly, I then split it into 3 and made a chunky plait(I don't have a loaf tin the right size) then left it to rise until doubled in size (needs to be somewhere warm) then popped it in the oven until bottom sounded hollow when tapped.
It was a bit more fiddly but the loaf was as light as any shop bought one- and it was wholemeal which are normally even heavier!
Hope this helps and good luck with the breadmaking.
becky

gunsandbanjos

I got a BM recently and my first attempt at white bread was really disappointing, very cakey texture like you said. Used this recipe though and bread was fab!
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=9914735&postcount=158

foreign_correspondent

thanks for the good advice - and, yes you guessed right - I have lost the manual! It is a russell hobbs 4462, and I have already hda quick look online, but with no sucess. If anyone has the basic white bread recipe from this manual I would be very grateful,
thanks
fc x

foreign_correspondent

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

I got a BM recently and my first attempt at white bread was really disappointing, very cakey texture like you said. Used this recipe though and bread was fab!
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=9914735&postcount=158

cool, thanks - this recipe contains no sugar at all - how does the yeast start working then? i am confused!!

gunsandbanjos

Erm, it does contain sugar;)

foreign_correspondent

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

Erm, it does contain sugar;)

aha - yes you are quite right it does! :rolleyes: Sorry, I swear my brain doesn't work before about 10am!:D

Doh!