Breadmakers

[CAMRAMan]

I've just bought a secondhand Panasonic for £25. It made a very decent wholemeal loaf yesterday using a very basic recipe. I think I'll try 75/25% wholemeal/strong white flour mix next to lighten it a little.

[Feanor]

In my experience of breadmaking, I find 40% wholemeal to be a sweet spot if you want a wholemeal loaf. More than that starts to become a tad hair shirt. YMMV.

[CAMRAMan]

I've just gone for a 3:1 wholemeal/white flour mix to see how it turns out. I forgot to put the yeast in the dispenser and chucked it into the mixture. I'll find out in 5 hours whether it matters, I suppose.

I've also ground up some fennel seeds and star anis and added it. When I was in Sweden they used those as a bread flavouring. The cumin seeds didn't show up in the delivery, but I'll try those next time too.


Edit: I'm quite happy with the results of the ratio above. The texture seems fine. Putting the yeast into the mixture doesn't seem to have affected things at all. 1tsp of the spice mix is a bit subtle, so I'll try a couple next time.

[Wowbagger]

Mine are 50% wholemeal, 25% strong white and 25% malted brown, this last a bit "granary loaf" like. All the flour is from Marriage's in Chelmsford. It makes a lovely loaf, but I only do the small ones these days: a 400g loaf lasts Jan and me between 2 and 3 days. Definitely past its best on the 3rd day, but still perfectly edible.

[rogerzilla]

I don't have one, for the simple reason that I would eat far too much of it and become an even fatter bastard.

When there were two of us in the house to eat it, I generally used a French recipe.  It goes off fast but has no fat.

[Wowbagger]

Today's effort. Still too hot to eat.

[CAMRAMan]

I hadn't considered that it takes a good deal longer to toast this bread than the Chorleywood crap. Lovely and crisp, so perfect for scrambled eggs on toast, etc., so worth the wait.

[CAMRAMan]

Maybe one for a new thread, but are the panel using anything to aid slicing? My half-German friend suggested a Zassenhaus slicer, but I have neither the room, nor the funds for something so useful. Any bread knife recommendations?

[andrewc]

This works for me.


https://www.sourdough.co.uk/courses/opinel-bread-knife/

[Mrs Pingu]

I hadn't considered that it takes a good deal longer to toast this bread than the Chorleywood crap. Lovely and crisp, so perfect for scrambled eggs on toast, etc., so worth the wait.

I've started storing a loaf of Chorleywood crap in the freezer specifically to make toast. I really don't like the toast of home made bread, but then I like my toast to be brown and soft, not like shatter like a ryvita.

[robgul]

I hadn't considered that it takes a good deal longer to toast this bread than the Chorleywood crap. Lovely and crisp, so perfect for scrambled eggs on toast, etc., so worth the wait.

I've started storing a loaf of Chorleywood crap in the freezer specifically to make toast. I really don't like the toast of home made bread, but then I like my toast to be brown and soft, not like shatter like a ryvita.

On the subject of toast and toasters . . . our Kitchen Aid 2 slice machine decided yesterday afternoon (whilst unattended - we only eat toast in the morning ) to bleep and for the bread lift mechanism to spring into action, without bread in it, going up and down about every 90 seconds!  No amount of power off/power on or different toasting settings would stop it!

So, up to the loft to find the Dualit 3 slicer we used to use to bring it back into service pro tem.

GN is that Kitchen Aid said it's still under warranty so will be replaced - packed up and collected by UPS 2 hours later.  Looks like a new one will be here within days.

Have to say the the toasting in the Kitchen Aid is better than the Dualit as the KA has defined settings rather than a random time dial on the Dualit - and oh, back to the topic, all our bread save for the occasional purchased sourdough is made in a Panasonic with flour bulk-purchased from Shipton Mill.  Much better than Chorleywood bread crap, and you know what's in it.

[CAMRAMan]

I've settled on 350g of wholemeal flour, 150g of strong, white flour (both Sainsbury's), 1 tbsp olive oil, a tsp each of salt and sugar and, most significantly, Allison's tinned yeast. The latter has risen the bread much better than Sainsbury's sachet stuff. Cheaper too, and less packaging. 350ml water and my spice mix finishes the recipe.