Re: Breadmakers

Same here, we had to dump ou breadmaker as we couldn't stop eating the b****y stuff, covered in thick butter and marmite, a real diet buster...

Re: Breadmakers

I am another Panasonic owner and love my machine but do not use it very often.

Re: Breadmakers

If I had a breadmaker I'd be even bigger! I love bread

Re: Breadmakers

Breadmakers are sadly hugely wasteful. You burn up electricity trying to force Nature through a speeded up process. You wait some 2 hours for a relatively tiny loaf that these things make and it's gone in 10mins because the smell of fresh bread is too good.

Here's a thing. Actually making your own bread yourself is incredibly easy and requires very little skill. There is absolutely no need for a bread machine (unless you have physical restrictions).

There exist a number of misguided beliefs that bread making must :

- be hard to get right
- be incredibly sticky and messy
- require long periods of hard kneading.

I can promise you that none of the above are true. Making your own bread is incredibly satisfying, very healthy, very "Earthy" and very easy. It will brighten your spirit.

Sounds unbelievable? Here's all you need:

1 large plastic bowl - costs pennies
1 spatula
Some fresh yeast - costs pennies (70p for 200g at Sainsburys)
Some flour - white, spelt, wheat, rye etc take your pick
Some salt - costs pennies
Some water - costs pennies

1 loaf tin or a pizza stone (£18 from dept stores)

The outlay is tiny and easily available.

The recipes and techniques are easily learned and, imo, everyone ought to be taught and be able to make bread from an early age. Bread is the staff of life.

I have learned to make all manner of breads, started with a day course at a great artisan food school and went from there. One of THE best things I ever did. I threw out the old breadmaker immediately afterward. It's such a limited device and you can't make volume.

I can now make scrummy:

Ciabattas, Focaccias, Rye Breads, Sourdoughs, Baguettes, Boules, tinned loaves, seeded loaves, classic Levain De Campagnes and so on.

Honestly it is so satisfying and overall simple to do. Start with breads made with fresh yeast which is reliable and consistent then move up to sourdoughs.

Anyone who wants tips in bread making just shout and I will help if I can.

Re: Breadmakers

I would agree with you there Realist, I don't see the point of bread makers and I dislike using dried yeast .

I don't have a Sainsburys near me so buy yeast online from Richard Bertinet and freeze it.
While the weather has been cold I have been making bread with olives and dried tomatoes to eat with homemade soup. The only problem is it is so delicious you end up eating half a loaf

Re: Breadmakers

Sounds delicious !

You can get fresh yeast from most of the regular supermarkets at their bakery counter.

Alternatively find your nearest Artisan Bakery and just ask them for some. It's really that cheap that they are usually very happy to give you some.

Re: Breadmakers

Not around here you can't and the local bakers look at you as if you are mad if you try to buy yeast from them .

The yeast from the health food shop is frequently old and smelly . Anyway I prefer to use l'hirondelle yeast which comes from France and arrives in its own little cold box .

http://www.thebertinetkitchen.com/shop/bread_making

Re: Breadmakers

L'hirondelle is a great yeast.

I got some from one of "Britain's Best Bakeries" and loved it.

Never ordered it online though.

Skipton Mill do a bio-yeast but I have yet to try it. Sounds interesting tho.

Re: Breadmakers

Do you have to eat the fresh bread the same day it's made?
Does it taste as nice the next day?
Does it dry up quickly?

Re: Breadmakers

Hi Carol I freeze mine on the day it is baked .I don't make sandwich loaves but baguettes/bloomers/rolls and I cut them in chunks ready to take out and pop in the oven for a couple of minutes or slice to toast. Living alone this works best for me.