bread making

[REWD]

Are bread making machines successful

[Moog]

Depends what you them to do, but if it's making bread then yes they are

[cheyenne]

ive got a bread machine,but i let it do the donkey work,mix the dough.then all i do is let it rise and pop it into the oven,nice and easy does it.

[SteveD]

Yes, yes, yes! I've had mine for a year now and we have never bought bread during that time. It is very easy to use and the bread tastes delicious. If you are British, I would recommend "Great recipes for Your Bread Machine" by Joanna Farrow, published by the Good Housekeeping Institute ISBN 1-85585-987-4 for lots of great recipes for all types of bread and dough. My bread maker is a Panasonic SD-253. I chose it after having searched the Internet for comparisons and users' opinions. A loaf made with a bread maker probably costs about the same to make as a shop-bought one. However, in reality it must cost more because it tastes so good and it is difficult to slice thinly - consequently you eat more!

[moonraker]

they also make brill.. fruit cakes.

[dirtyharriet]

I must be doing something wrong because everytime I use mine the bread is horrible.

[woofgang]

I too have a panasonic and the bread is WONDERFUL but it doesn't keep...then again it doesn't have to

[FP]

Wouldn't be without my breadmaker. Have made several different sorts of loaves and am now experimenting quite a lot with different oils and seeds, etc. Loaves don't last more than about 2 hours in our house. Thick sliced warm bread in the morning, mmmmmm.

[SteveD]

dirtyharriet, the trick is to put the ingredients in the pan in the correct order and in precisely the right quantities. With my breadmaker it is yeast, flour, salt/sugar/oil, water. I use oil instead of butter because it's easier to measure out. I use digital scales for the flour because they're dead easy. You have to use the right kind of flour, of course. My basic recipe is one-and-a-quarter measures of quick-action yeast, 400g brown flour, 100g white flour, 1 measure of salt, 2 measures of sugar, 25ml of maize oil and 320ml water. I sling them in in that order and press a couple of buttons. 4 hours later the cooking sequence starts and a beautiful fresh bread spell starts to waft around the kitchen. Another hour and the bleeper goes - tip out the bread and it's difficult to stop yourself cutting a slice! The machine has a timer so you can put everything in at night and wake up to the smell of fresly-baked bread. I can get all the ingredients together, put them in and programme the breadmaker in less than 5 minutes. How easy is that?

[FP]

*WAB* Steve, Just wondering why I have to put ingredients in my bread maker in exact reverse order to yours!?

[FP]

***GAB!

[SteveD]

Herbie, it must depend on the make and therefore something to do with the dynamics of the mixing process. (I'm impressed with that!) GAB, WAB - Whatever!

[blanx]

I agree with SteveD - I'ver never bought any bread for the 1.5 yrs that I've had my breadmaker. I originally bought it because I wanted bread with less salt in, and my supermarket only stocked low salt bread occasionally. The bread maker is fantastic. Takes a couple of minutes to measure ingredients and I've never had a duff loaf. Only probably is every time mates come to visit, they expect me to bake them a loaf to take home.

[chappie]

I tried several times with my breadmaking machine, always unsuccessfully, the texture of the bread was wrong, and the taste was not that great either, then someone suggested I tried a bread mix. I bought a packet of Wright's Premium White mix and it came out great. Really easy too, you only have to add water. Been using it ever since.