Originally Posted by Loobs72:
“Why would it be the breadmaker? I was going o buy a cheap one today to try it as I don't want to spend loads of money to find I still don't like the taste of the white bread but do you think the breadmaker could be causing the funny taste?
The taste was a bit yeasty but I did put the right amount of yeast in.”
Can't answer that one - but I've had 2 cheap bread makers in the past - which both found their way to the local tip. Our current one (Panasonic SD255) has lasted maybe 4 years so far (a lot of time, admittedly in cupboards), but it produced consistently good bread.
My experience, and that learnt from research before buying this last breadmaker:-
* Be precise with measurements, maybe adjusting from experience, but still measuring with care.
* Add ingredients in the precise order said in the instructions (at least in the case of the Panny which provides justification for why the ingredients are added in the order that they are)
* Use a strong flour, where appropriate (for most breads)
* Use a "fresh" yeast (what I mean is, even dried yeast - since this can live in a cupboard for many months, make sure it's within its sell-by). I tend to use dried yeasts and have few problems unless they're old.
* Not all machines are the same - our cheaper machines had problems with uniform cooking and not proving/rising the bread properly. There's a reason, I guess, that the Panny takes 5 hours to make a sandwich loaf
FWIW... one gimmick on the Panny that might make or break a particular model's deal is the raisin tray - I went through a phase of using this in conjunction with a brioche recipe to make loafs that my wife devoured with vigour.