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Old 04-02-2008, 16:39
purplecatz
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I have got a breadmaker and would like a good recipe for plain white bread.

All the recipes that come with it, don't work out for some reason - they tend to make bread that is cakey in texture, and too sweet - do you HAVE to put the amount of sugar in that they are recommending - it can be up to 2 tablespoons (for a small 1.5 kg loaf)

I just want ordinary white bread - like I would buy from a baker.
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Old 05-02-2008, 15:24
mad1
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Try cutting down on the sugar - my Panasonic book only says 1 1/2 tblsp for 1.5kg loaf.
Not sure why it would come out cakey. Maybe its the flour or yeast? I've heard that the best flour is the very strong canadian stuff. I'll see if there is any troubleshooting advice in the back of my bread cookbook.
There are a few breadmaker threads here - try searching to see if anyone has had the same problem.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...play.html?f=33
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Old 06-02-2008, 13:37
ruthiebabie
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I've tried my hardest with my bread maker - the pre mixed mixes (if you see what I mean) come out fine using the fast bake programme. But any that I measure out myself raise but then seem to go flat on the top just as they finish baking. The bread itself tastes fine though.

I thought at first it was my haphazard measuring but I've been super careful and tried lots of recipies and none come out any better.
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Old 06-02-2008, 14:34
pickledlily
 
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I had a panasonic, and the only failure I had was when I tried to make a gluten free loaf, a brickie would have been glad of it!

I gave it to my daughter in the end, and she uses it almost every day, and uses a mixed grain flour that gives a seeded loaf, but there was a very good recipe book with it and a complete set of mesaures etc.
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Old 06-02-2008, 14:51
ruthiebabie
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I've got all the measures and I'm pretty good at cakes and most other baking (if I say so myself!) but this machine just stumps me. It was only a cheapie though and as I say its fine for pre mix. Also fine when just using it mix dough and then baking it in a normal oven.
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Old 06-02-2008, 20:15
mad1
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But any that I measure out myself raise but then seem to go flat on the top just as they finish baking. The bread itself tastes fine though.

I thought at first it was my haphazard measuring but I've been super careful and tried lots of recipies and none come out any better.
Do you have an electric scale?

This is what my panasonic book says in the troubleshooting section
My loaf seems to have collapsed after rising -
Poor flour quality to hold the rise - try another brand of flour
Too much yeast - Use measuring spoon provided and check the recipe
Too much liquid - reduce water by 10 - 20ml

This what my cook book says
Bread collapsed after rising or during baking
Too much liquid was added . Reduce by 15 - 30ml or add a little extra flour.
The bread rose too much. Reduce the amount of yeast slightly in the future, or use a quicker cycle.
Insufficient salt. Salt helps to prevent the dough from over-proving.

Air Bubble under crust
The dough was not mixed well or didn't deflate properly during the knock-down cycle between risings. This is likely to be a one-off problem, but if it persists, try adding an extra spoonful of water.

HTH
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Old 06-02-2008, 20:37
Ruby Shoes
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I cut down on the sugar a lot.

Also it seems to depend on the quality of the breadmaker. My Panasonic one cost over £100 five years ago and it's still around about the same price. The bread is always great. When I first thought about buying my breadmaker a lot of people warned me against buying a cheap one saying that basically they weren't much good!
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Old 20-04-2008, 22:55
job
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I bought the Panasonic SD254 yesterday. Made gluten free bread today. Very nice. The crust is beautiful! I think next time I'll put the setting to XL instead of Medium.
Will try other types soon!
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Old 05-11-2008, 22:28
promil
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I had been looking at breadmakers for a while, especially since the price of shop bought bread has rocketed.
The price of the Panasonic SD255 breadmaker has dropped in price and I got one for under £90. The rye loaves are lovely and will start trying out the recipes that came with the breadmaker. Looking forward to trying my hand at some of the more exotic loaves.
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Old 06-11-2008, 07:36
LQS
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Try adding a tablespoon of coffee mate or skimmed milk powder to a white loaf... might sound weird but it somehow changes the texture.
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Old 06-11-2008, 14:18
bigtunes
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Problem with baking bread is its not an exact science. Different brands of yeast may have slightly different properties, along with the flour, type of fat etc, warmth of the water - all can make a difference. This is OK when making bread by hand, you can see its a bit sticky/dry whatever and adjust accordingly, but you don't have this option with a 'fill and forget' breadmaker.

My breadmaker has a troubleshooting section at the back of the book advising different adjustments for different situations. I used that to adjust my recipe, and now use the same brand of flour, yeast etc and it generally turns out ok.

Another thing to remember is to add the ingrediants in the right order, with mine its the order listed in the recipe. Apparently this can make a difference to the end result.

Last edited by bigtunes : 06-11-2008 at 14:20. Reason: more info
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Old 06-11-2008, 17:11
Clank007
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Can I ask a really stupid bloke question please?

How much does it cost to make a loaf of bread using a breadmaker?

ie what's the cost of the ingredients compared to buying a loaf?
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Old 06-11-2008, 17:18
geordiegump
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Can I ask a really stupid bloke question please?

How much does it cost to make a loaf of bread using a breadmaker?

ie what's the cost of the ingredients compared to buying a loaf?

It works out SO much cheaper!

Yesterday I bought some packs of granary bread mix from ASDA that were on special offer at 2 for £1

If I make my own granary/seeded loaf using granary flour, yeast, etc, then add extra sunflower seeds etc, it costs around 50p per loaf.

To buy that kind of loaf now can cost between £1.20 -1.65 ish depending on where you shop.
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Old 06-11-2008, 17:30
takeyourpick
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Has anyone tried Tesco's own Breadmaker? We dont eat that much bread, but I prefer the idea of home-made rather than having to pay a semi-fortune for supermarket bread. (bring back the 6p loaves of 1999!!)

At only £25 it doesnt seem so bad, and we would only want small loaves anyway so it seems about the right size! http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-7334.aspx
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Old 06-11-2008, 17:40
Lovetats
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Has anyone tried Tesco's own Breadmaker? We dont eat that much bread, but I prefer the idea of home-made rather than having to pay a semi-fortune for supermarket bread. (bring back the 6p loaves of 1999!!)

At only £25 it doesnt seem so bad, and we would only want small loaves anyway so it seems about the right size! http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-7334.aspx
That does sound like a brilliant deal! If I hadn't liberated one from my mum, I'd definitely be buying it!

I have no instruction manual with mine so churned out about a dozen soggy bricks until I found this recipe which makes perfectly risen, really yummy bread every time!

Put 260g of water into the breadmaker.

Add 2 level tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 level tablespoons of dried skimmed milk powder.

Add 2 level tablespoons of sugar and 1 level tablespoon of salt.

Add 460g of strong white bread flour (often, I substitute varying amounts of strong wholemeal flour eg 200g of wholemeal and 260g of white) and make a small well in the middle of the flour.

Pour in one sachet of easy yeast and bake on a 1 1/2lb setting.

Nen bother!
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Old 06-11-2008, 17:46
takeyourpick
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That does sound like a brilliant deal! If I hadn't liberated one from my mum, I'd definitely be buying it!

I have no instruction manual with mine so churned out about a dozen soggy bricks until I found this recipe which makes perfectly risen, really yummy bread every time!

Put 260g of water into the breadmaker.

Add 2 level tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 level tablespoons of dried skimmed milk powder.

Add 2 level tablespoons of sugar and 1 level tablespoon of salt.

Add 460g of strong white bread flour (often, I substitute varying amounts of strong wholemeal flour eg 200g of wholemeal and 260g of white) and make a small well in the middle of the flour.

Pour in one sachet of easy yeast and bake on a 1 1/2lb setting.

Nen bother!
260'g' of water? do you mean ml's?
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Old 06-11-2008, 18:00
bigtunes
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Recipe for my breadmaker's basic white bread 1lb loaf, it came with a measuring cup so all the recipes are in cups or fractions/multiples of, bit annoying so I did weigh a cup, think it was about 180g.

Water 3/4 cup
Skimmed milk powder 2 tbsp
Sunflower oil 2 tbsp
Sugar 1 1/4 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Strong white bread flour 2 cups
Fast action yeast 1 tsp
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Old 06-11-2008, 18:06
GaseousClay
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260'g' of water? do you mean ml's?
samething at the end of the day

1ltr = 1000grm
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Old 06-11-2008, 18:29
Lovetats
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260'g' of water? do you mean ml's?
No, I mean 260g - I know, I thought the same when I saw it - but I weigh the water and it works out brill.
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Old 06-11-2008, 18:30
Lovetats
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samething at the end of the day

1ltr = 1000grm

Clever clogs!
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Old 06-11-2008, 19:41
iamonit
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I bought a Morphy Richards Fastbake bread maker a couple of months ago and it works brilliantly. I bake Soft Grain bread (2ib), it’s my favourite and have had no trouble with it rising to a perfect crust every time. Delicious!!
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Old 06-11-2008, 21:08
Ajax.
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Ohhh I love my bread machine! Its been in use for at least 3 times a week and works like a charm

Bread in the Netherlands is quite expensive too plus full of e numbers, so I make my own. Tonight I cooked a lovely bread using buttermilk, but mainly make brown loaves (can get the flour cheaply at the windmill).

But a nice white loaf if this one http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Portugu...-I/Detail.aspx

tastes and smells devine

Its worth getting the measuring cups and spoons, cant go wrong that way
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Old 08-11-2008, 11:17
Clank007
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Can I ask another question please?

Is the Panasonic SD255 Breadmaker here http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...BREADMAKER.htm

the same as the Panasonic SD255 Breadmaker with Raisin/Nut Dispenser here? : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-SD...6142982&sr=8-1

i.e does the argos one come with the dispenser do you think?
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Old 09-11-2008, 09:15
robinsbatman
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I bought a Morphy Richards Fastbake bread maker a couple of months ago and it works brilliantly. I bake Soft Grain bread (2ib), it’s my favourite and have had no trouble with it rising to a perfect crust every time. Delicious!!
I've got one too (this model - lovely stainless steel), & I love it. We don't eat lots of bread, but I really begrudged buying a loaf when I knew that about a third would be wasted (you can only freeze so much bread) & sometimes we'd feel like we had to eat it just because we didn't want to throw it away. Now I just bake a small wholemeal loaf with cinnamon - I set it to bake overnight, & it's great to wake up to the smell of freshly-baked bread.

The recipe book is very good too - as well as the loaves, I've managed to make croissants & buns without a problem. I've found making a small well in the flour & putting the dried yeast in there stops it touching the water too quickly & reacting too soon, & my loaves come out lovely & brown, & full-sized. No more waste - a small loaf lasts us 2-3 days, & every bit gets eaten.
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Old 09-11-2008, 14:30
Studmuffin
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My breadmaker threatens you with the wrath of doom (ok slight exaggeration but you get my drift) if you even think of reducing the sugar. I can never get a nice white loaf out of it I can make lovely seeded loaves though. In fact any loaf not requiring white flour comes out of it really beautifully.
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