Breadmaker recipes!

Morrisons are offering flour from their bakery department, I think you have to ask them.

Trouble at t'mill. Overnight bread came out like a brick... A paddle got stuck. Timing perfect, bread awful. Are all your bread machines fail safe? I'm wondering if mine has seen better days?

The only thing that's not fail safe is me. Occasionally (very occasionally) I forget to put yeast in (my current machine has a little container in the lid that dispenses the yeast at the right time) - and we get a solid brick. The only use is to use it as a log in the stove.

Brue 

We had a couple of instances of the paddle getting stuck in the bread recently although rest of bread OK. According to the instructions - which of course are only looked at in such circumstances, there was a requirement to add more water to the mix. This seems to have worked.

What we can never seem to achieve is a firm top crust. It comes out of the breadmaker looking wonderful but as it cools it tends to collapse a bit. Not really a problem as we mainly use our home made bread for toast.

David

Lidl stores now have strong white back in stock, plenty on the shelves in  the 2 nearest to us.

Like Goldie, our new one has a separate yeast dispenser to remember, which I have done so far.   Once forgot to put the paddle In place in our previous one, that did not end well!

Otherwise both have been faultless, both Panasonics, highly recommended.  The sourdough loaf from the new machine is particularly good.

I think, after close inspection that the non stick coating is very worn around the paddles. I don't worry about them sticking in the bread occasionally but when they stick to the machine and don't rotate (even if I've checked them at the start) it's not too good. I had a read up about this last night and this happens to other people's machines. I can't get replacement pans so reader I bought a new machine. 

A MorphyRichards one on offer as it will suit my needs, not too big either. Many places have sold out of machines. Will let you know what I think later.

My old machine did well, twenty years old!

Thanks for all your comments. 

Hi, Does anyone else make bread without a bread machine? I've been baking our bread for many years now as the OH reacts to shop bread, bloating etc. I must admit I use a Kenwood mixer to do the heavy work as I get some rsi in my hands from years at the CAD workstation.

I use a sponge method for most of my bread and usually make 2 loaves at a time. 

Basic sponge, overnight

500g strong white flour

500g / ml warm water

1/2tsp dried yeast

Sprinkle the yeast into the water and let it dissolve then mix it into the flour, it will be quite wet and gloopy. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave overnight. 

Next day add 500g flour into mixer bowl add the sponge. Dissolve 2 tsp salt in 50g /ml hot water and add to mix. 

Start the mixer using a dough hook at low speed, gradually add 100g/ml hot water. When the mix has all come together, increase the speed one setting to knead the dough for 5 to 6 minutes. 

Remove from the mixer, place in a bowl and cover in clingfilm and leave for an hour. 

Remove from the bowl and knock back (knead to remove large air bubbles. Divide into 2 and either shape into balls, stretching the outside to hold the shape and place on a baking tray, or place in 2lb bread tins. Cover or place in clear plastic bag and leave for 1 to 1.5 hours. 

Bake in a preheated 200°c fan oven for 35 mins

To vary the recipe, add seeds when doing second mix or use a mixture of flours for the sponge. I sometimes use 300g rye with 200g white, or 500g wholemeal. 

I have some recipes for focaccia if anyone wants. 

Robin

Many thanks for the recipe Robin. I use a Kenwood for all the baking I do, my hands and wrists don't work as well as they used to so a machine of any type has been a godsend. I was glad to read how it's done with the Kenwood. 

Well not a good start the new bread maker has got to go back.  Back to the old one for now.