Problems with breadmaking by machine

[patricia53]

I have been using my bread machine to make wholemeal bread 2 or 3 times a week for months and months. This week my loaves have been rubbish - not rising properly and heavy - same recipe used - 350g w/meal flour, 150g white, 2 tsps salt, 25g butter, 2 tsps salt, 2 tbsps milk powder, 2 tsps lemon juice and 1.5 tsps yeast. Any ideas appreciated. Thanks

[Sachs]

Hi pat,
from what I remember, when making wholemeal bread in a breadmaking machine, a vitamin c tablet helps the rising process! Generally though a wholemeal loaf rises less than a white one xxx

[tamborine]

no yeast?

nothin' much rises in cold weather

[patricia53]

Hi, Thanks for that - I use the lemon juice instead of Vitamin C. I know that w/meal doesn't rise as much but the loaves didn't rise as much as usual - probably half. Do you think a Vit C tablet would be better than lemon juice? :-)

[patricia53]

Tamborine you obviously rose too early this morning!!! Yeast is in the recipe!!!!

[Sachs]

I've never used lemon juice in a breadmaking process pat. Try a vitimac c tablet. Also alternativley, half wholemeal half white flour gives good results! xxx

[Sachs]

Just reading through my book for my breadmaking machine. Apparently salt limits the growth of the yeast, so try 1 tsp instead of two, all trial and error pat.

[patricia53]

Thanks Sachs, I will give it a try this week and I'll let you know. Pat :-)

[Sachs]

Sorry pat, I see you're already using half & half flour!
Also, is your breadmaking machine away from draughts?
Are all your ingredients brought to room temperature before use, especially the liquid ingredients? Too cold & it wont activate the yeast.

[patricia53]

Hi Sachs, No they aren't, I use the butter straight from the fridge and sometimes the water may not be. I will bear all this in mind. Thanks. Pat :-)

[tamborine]

put the dough in the airing cupboard for an hour.

[Jugglering]

I think you'll find that it is simply due to the really cold weather we are having here, if you've not had problems with that particular recipe before. I don't see any sugar mentioned in your list of ingredients, but you've described salt twice, so I assume you are actually putting in 2tsp salt and 2tsp sugar, otherwise I would think it might be the lack of sugar (the yeast grows in the sugar solution, in the warm and gives off carbon dioxide which makes the dough rise).

I had this very same problem this week, so I made up a fresh loaf using warmed ingredients, plus I moved the machine into a warmer part of the kitchen and have just finished off a lovely wholemeal loaf !

[patricia53]

Thanks, Jugglering, I have just missed the sugar off the list!!!
I will try warming the ingredients and also move the machine. Fingers-crossed!!!

[Milvus]

Check your yeast. Yeast gets less and less effective over time. If you buy the bigger packs it can get "stale" before you finish them resulting in the sort of things you have experienced. |i've moved back to the small sachets.

[patricia53]

Thanks Milvus - I am using one of the bigger packs!! Strikes me I was doing everything wrong - back to the drawing board!!!!

[mintymow]

Hi patricia, As you've had no problem with your recipe for months and months, can I perhaps suggest that the problem is with the machine. I say this because I had a similar problem and eventually found that the paddle in the bottom of the pan had become loose. It was not mixing the dough properly. I sent away for a new set of paddles, problem solved.

[patricia53]

Thanks MintyMow, I'll bear that in mind too.:-)

[patricia53]

Hi to everyone who gave me advice, I have just turned out a loaf having taken on board the advice from you all and it is much, much better.
Thanks again
Pat