Breadmakers

I loves me my breadmaker! Been using them for fifteen years at least - Panasonic for me... I use Dove Farm yeast, and Carr's strong flours, and sometimes a spot of spelt. Oil, salt and sugar plus water gives me an excellent loaf. I recommend leaving to cool and then dry out slightly for at least twelve hours, as otherwise it can be difficult to cut in a controlled manner.

I recently replaced my breadmaker and was pleased to find that the paddle in the new one leaves a very thin line through the middle of the loaf which is hardly noticeable when the bread is sliced. And as others have said you can always use it to prove the dough before making allsorts of shapes and sizes in the oven.

There was a thread on Gransnet that got onto the subject of bread over a year ago. At the time I was also thinking of buying a bread maker, but after the discussions I started making my own no knead bread. Since then I have barely eaten shop bought bread and I make two loaves at a time so I can freeze a loaf. I found that a popular brand of flour for bread making (in Australia) didnt work for me, I then found another brand which is perfect for my bread. I use five cups of bakers unbleached flour, half a teaspoon of yeast, one teaspoon of seasalt and around four cups of warm (not hot) water and mix, no need to knead. I cover the bowl (not stainless steel bowls, but I usually use a large enamel saucepan) and leave it on top of the oven overnight. Sometimes if I have run out of bread I will make a batch in the morning and leave it for around six hours. I don't worry about leaving it in a warm spot, it just rises. My mixture is quite sloppy and I pour it into two tins and put it in the oven for around forty minutes. I normally stick a sharp knife through the middle to see if its cooked. That's it, too easy and delicious bread that doesn't give me heartburn. When using the other brand of flour I found too much water in the mixture would make my bread too soggy. Not enough water also makes the bread too dry.

I use Allinson Easy Bake Yeast (just had a look in the cupboard) and a Kenwood Breadmaker and yes the paddle does leave a small hole but why would it matter? Is there any way of having the breadmaker knead your dough without some form of paddle/kneading device? I can't think of one which would mean an indentation or hole must be left behind when the bread is removed it certainly does not detract from the taste. The infinite veriety of loaves you can produce from walnut through Malt, Almond, Olive and anything else that takes your fancy more than makes up for the hole although I would have to question if it is in any significant way cheaper to produce a loaf. However it must be healthier for you as no preservatives are used, presumably.

shysal I might give this a try too. Feel quite enthused now and keen to get baking especially as I can avoid a holey bottom!

Thanks Mrs SB. I think I've decided to give up on the idea of a bread maker and will use my dough hook and start baking again. Trouble is with home-made bread, the more you make the more you eat!

I have recently bought this book no knead artisan bread It contains recipes which are quite wet, and all you do is beat the dough 40 times in it's bowl. It can then be put to rise and used that day, or stored in the fridge for up to 12 days. I make a batch to refrigerate, just taking out enough to bake a small loaf or baguette every other day (I am doing alternate day fasting diet). I vary the type of flour, and all are tasty with a good texture. This method uses little more time than loading a machine, although you do have to shape the loaves at the intermediate stage. I personally enjoy handling dough.

I make all of my own bread. I use Allinsons instant yeast.

I do use my mixer, with the dough hook, to do all of the hard work but the bread tastes lovely, and no hole in the bottom. .

Thanks everyone. I'll follow up Mr Hollywood's recipe Hilda and give it a try. I have a dough hook for my mixer so should be able to use that hopefully.

I am making Paul Hollywood's basic bloomer (titter not) every other day. Folllowing his instructions to the letter am getting great results. Its about a 20 min knead (you get better and quicker with practice) at the moment then it really does only take a couple of mins 2-3 hours later to shape and then another rest of an hour or so so I can sort of fit it in with most things.....hardly see the need for a bread maker as the results are so dependeble (my opinion any way). Am getting a bit anti electrical devices in my old age!

Allinson's make a slecial yeast for breadmakers, which works much better than the ordinary dried yeast.

The bread is baked in the same container it is mixed in and rises in, so the paddle stays in place until you take out the bread and remove it (the paddle!) It is only an inch and a half or so deep, so does not affect the bread. It only appears on the middle few slices.

There is usually a dough setting as well as the full baking one, so you can knead and raise the dough on that, then take it out and give it a short second rise in an ordinary pan before baking it in the normal oven. That way there is no hole, and you can make it any shape you want, or make rolls.

The machines use dried yeast, I do not know any breadmaker recipes which use fresh.

The machines I've seen and used do leave a hole part of the way through a loaf but its never been a problem.