Bread makers

I swear by my Panasonic which I use every other day. It's wonderful for wholemeal which others don't seem good at. I use dried yeast and an extra half teaspoon of Vit C powder for wholemeal flour for a good rise. Bought wholemeal bread has lots of salt which isnt good for DH high blood pressure.

It's arrived! My first Panasonic loaf of bread safely delivered after 5 hrs of labour.
Hello to Olive Rosemary Bread.

I have to say it does not look very different from the one OH made a couple of days ago. It's heads a funny shape though.

If you forget that it is on, it can give you a fright when it suddenly starts up kneading again.

I have just been worrying that it wasn't doing anything, but just reading the book again it rests for 90mins.

This is as nerve wracking as waiting for your daughter to give birth.

Can I have some congratulations when my first Panasonic loaf is actually delivered ?

I have a Panasonic that I put on at night on a timer, and wake up to fresh bread in the morning. Comes with a good recipe book. The facility to store dried fruit etc in the the lid to drop down at the right moment in the programme is useful for malt bread etc.

I now find the first loaf my OH made with our "new" machine was actually done using his favourite wholemeal stoneground flour. Considering that this is a lot rougher in the grain, the texture and the rise was excellent.

I am now trying an olive loaf, half white half wholemeal. I did get a bit muddled with the new order of putting stuff in. Like forgetting salt and oil but they went in before kneading started. Here's hoping.

I may be back to you lot for tips.

My husband is the bread maker & makes a range of delicious breads after I paid for him to join Betty's bread making courses. He's been on two now & enjoyed both. They are little expensive but he does bake very good bread

Being alone I have recently bought a small Lakeland bread maker to replace my old Morphy Richards. Just make the dough and divide it into 4 small loaves. Freeze three. Also make dough to make two fruit loaves. Have always made my own bread and haven't bought shop stuff.

I have a Panasonic, which is good - but I really prefer to make my bread using my Kenwood Chef. I then make it into rolls or a loaf, which I slice and put loosely in a freezer bag and into the freezer (I can then take out exactly the number of slices I need).

Panasonic for me, had it for years, used 3-4 times weekly, various sorts of bread. Would not be without it!

Panasonic. Have had it for years and it's brilliant!

We have an elderly Panasonic that has done sterling service - DH uses it a couple of times a week to make a loaf that might vary (our current favourite is one quarter spelt, one quarter rye and half Canadian strong white, and lots of added seeds) but we do at least know what's going into it.Sliced and quickly frozen, easy to take out what you need when you need it - and it makes divine toast.

GrandmaH I would love to try your recipe. How long do you leave the dough in the mixer?
I make the loaf where you leave the mix in fridge overnight and where you do not knead! Next morning turn out into an oven hot la cloche dome . . . back in oven . . . take off dome lid at end to brown for a bit and you get a seriously handsome artisan looking loaf. Fools even me.
I also make the easy sourdough rye again no knead, but you do need a rye starter.
Branching out slowly as never was a bread maker before and enjoying it lots now.

Agree with TriciaF- My Breadmaker is in the loft. Much quicker- much better crumb & much nicer bread if you use a dough hook in your mixer & no silly shaped loaf with a big hole in the bottom.

I put 600g of strong four, 9g Dove Yeast , 7 g salt ,25ml oil & about 310ml water & just let it mix away while I have a coffee. cover bowl & wait until double in size them put in 2lb tin & prove until over the top & bake 3-35 mins on 220.
Perfect every time & I get on with other things. Works with wholemeal & my favourite -half & half & all the lovely flavoured flours you can now get. Hot cross buns, panetonne, pizza dough- you name it!

I would rather spend money on a good mixer that can be used for so many other things than a bread maker. Mmmm- I can smell it now- must be time to get it out of oven.

Gosh there isn't much to beat the Panasonics is there! Now what should I make?

Get a Panasonic.

We have had a Morphy Richards bread maker for several years and had reasonable results with plain bread but a friend brought some home made ciabatta to a meal and it was superb. A lovely big holey texture on an "Italian" setting.

Last week I bought a used Panasonic 255 on Ebay to see if it was really better. OH got to it first but the wholemeal seeded loaf he made was a much better texture than anything from our old machine. It's my turn to experiment next.
His previous trys at wholemeal bread had left some very tough results .

Had a Panasonic bread maker for years and although we don't use it lots I wonder why I don't as the bread is delicious but it takes ages (5 hours) to bake a granary loaf - am I missing something.
Tried all makes of dried yeast and they all work ok but the Tesco packets are a little larger.

Old yeast is useless, and the tins hold more than a sachet so they can be getting elderly without you noticing. Bread made from a new tin is an eye-opener.

Panasonic-SD2501, Allinson's yeast in a tub, Waitrose or Tesco standard strong flour. Works brilliantly for both bread and dough for rolls, etc. Only thing it doesn't produce (unsurprisingly) is authentic French or Italian bread, though these are still very edible, and I sometimes miss the rather denser wholemeal bread as made by hand. Only problems were when the yeast got a bit old.

I was given a Panasonic when I retired 5 years ago which I've used about 5 times every week since. I use Allinsons strong flour and Allinsons dried yeast (green tin). I've made all types of bread including tea cakes. I couldn't have asked for a better present.

I use a Panasonic with Allison dried yeast going in first. I follow the recipes in the booklet that comes with it. It makes good bread, pizza dough etc and gives you the options of overnight on the timer. A hugh time saver and none of the preservative that the supermarkets put in which make my tummy so uncomfortable. Good luck

PS - if using fresh yeast - the yeast goes in last. Seems if it is in contact with the salt it won't work so I put salt, sugar then flour, water and yeast in that order. Works fine!

Hi!

I've had a Panasonic for years (could well be my second Panasonic) and use it most days. I don't like the hole at the bottom where the paddle goes either, so I just make the dough and shape and finish in the oven. I make a small french loaf recipe - but it's large enough to feed our family of four - seems to go further when shaping and baking myself. Love knowing exactly what is going in to my bread rather than shop bought. Still trying to achieve 'real' French bread with that flaky crispness - mine is very crisp as I use steam in the oven whilst cooking - but it still isn't quite French bread. I buy fresh yeast in Sainsbury sometimes (buy from the fresh bread bakers!) and that makes it even more special - and the smell when cooking..........!!!

Strangely, I have never tried freezing my bread - usually gets snapped up as it comes out of the oven and any left-overs go into home-made bread pudding - so a double treat! Will try freezing - thanks for that!

There is no special virtue in hand-made bread! You don't get extra points...

I've used a bread-maker since the early 90s - Get a Panasonic, with or without the automatic gadget for dropping fruit in at the right moment.
Incidentally, I noticed that as the years passed, the ingredients lessened. At one time we added Vitamin C - I suppose that found its way into the flour at the mill eventually. Dried milk was another addition that has vanished from the manufacturer's recip. Strange - I couldn't tell any difference without it.

So it's simple; flour (part whole-meal part white), easy-bake Yeast, sugar, salt, butter (I use oil) and good old aqua pura ... 3 - 5 hours later - bread!

I remember experimenting with adding about 5mls of lemon juice as part of the liquid measure - apparently the yeast likes it. Not sure it made much difference.

Patpat I have a Panasonic which has a special gluten free programme. I use the recipe on the bag of gluten free flour and it comes out fine, according to my SiL. I don't eat it myself.

I've experimented with the recipe, making cheese and herb bread, spiced fruit bread etc and it's always been successful. Unlike my attempts at gluten free biscuits!