Can I make good wholemeal /seeded bread in a bread maker or is a kitchen aid better?

[OhRosalind]

Thinking of investing in a slow cooker and something for fresh bread to make winter meals easier. I’m time poor but mornings when DS is in nursery I wfh and can pop in an out of kitchen for quick tasks.

Our local bakery has great white bread and focaccia but limited other choices. Can a bread maker make really tasty wholemeal loaves/ bread with seeds/nuts/olives, bread with oat flour and alternatives? Maybe a Panasonic? Or am I better off with a dough attachement on a kitchen aid? Are the cheap equivalents as good (though I’d like the excuse to buy something beautiful!)? And am I kidding myself that a kitchen aid would remove enough faff and prep time to actually get used daily? I used to make lots of bread by hand but I just don’t have the time now unless it’s a baking activity with DS.

I have a kitchen aid but I’d rather have a bread maker as I think this has a timer?

I've been using a bread maker for years and make fab seeded whole meal every week. Be aware all bread makers are not equal and yes it's definitely worth shelling out for a Panasonic. I love that I can just throw the ingredients in and a few hours later have a lovely fresh loaf, I've not bought a loaf of bread in years because non are as good as the ones I make in the bread maker.

@TinaWeymouthsBass does it matter which Panasonic or are they all good?

Yes a timer would be a big advantage, as long as the bread is actually nice!

@OhRosalind
I have the £240 one as it has a timer, yeast dispenser and seed and nut dispenser, you can also make cakes, jams and compotes in it. It has a really good recipe book, and top tip buy some powdered vitamin c and put a teaspoon in every loaf for an amazing rise.

Thanks! I didn’t realise you could use them to make other stuff too, interesting.

We use this recipe to make 100% whole grain bread in our bread machine, We change the honey to molasses and often use a mixture of stone ground whole wheat, sprouted whole wheat and sprouted spelt.

We also add an extra 1/4 cup water and one tbsp more gluten. I also use buttermilk powder instead of the milk powder.

Had family stay a month ago and they asked for the recipe.

www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/100percent-white-whole-wheat-bread-from-the-bread-machine/

Kitchenaid is good to make the dough with and you can make different bread shapes. I jo longer have a bread maker and I loved it. I used to set iypt up before going to bed and then get up to lovely fresh, warm bread. Things may have changed but it only made a small loaf. I must see about getting another which can make a bigger loaf. Any suggestions?

We have a Breville bakers oven, I mainly use it to bake wholemeal loaves and also to make pizza dough.

Rather than a slow cooker, I would invest in an Instant Pot or multicooker. With mine, I can sauté, slow cook or pressure cook. It's fab because I can easily prep soup in one pot - just sauté any onions/veg etc, throw in the rest of the ingredients into the same pot, then leave it to cook. When done it will switch to a keep warm function.

It's been brilliant having both in winter while working from home, as with 15 mins prep in the morning, by lunchtime I have fresh wholemeal bread and a huge pot of healthy homemade soup.

I have a Breville Custom Loaf Pro....I love it and use it 1-2 times a week. You just throw all of the ingredients in, close the lid, press a button and 3 hours later you have an amazing loaf....no mixing, no kneeding! It is amazing. Even my 2 year old can do it (with supervision!). You can make all sorts of bread...seeded, fruity, olive etc

You are giving me lots to research. Can you use different types of flours in your machine @Willthewashingeverend? That sounds delicious @LoveFall.

We have had a Panasonic for fifteen years. It's been pretty much faultless for any kind of bread and dough. As long as you use quality flour and yeast you'll never look back.

Another vote for the Panasonic. Have mine about four months. Haven't bought a loaf since. Mine only cost £170 from Argos. Though now I see the more expensive ones can do sourdough bread so I prob would've went for one of those had I known. Have bagel dough in mine at the minute.

I make sourdough in my Panasonic , it tastes fab! I have a mixed fruit and cinnamon loaf in mine at the mo and the kitchen smells like Christmas 🎄

Bagels and sourdough, definitely looking for one that can do both of those!

The bread from the custom loaf sounds great but there are a lot of reviews complaining about the paddle…

Panasonic looks good and like they last forever. There is a one especially for hard crusts, does that mean the other Panasonics don’t make crusty bread?

We got a Panasonic bread maker a week ago and it’s amazing. The bread is SO nice.

Which one @SomethingNastyInTheBallPool?

www.argos.co.uk/product/8892258

This is the one I have. A bargain at the minute. You choose what crust you want on the loaf. It has seed dispenser etc. Only thing it can't do is sourdough

we used to have a 'unold backmeister' bread maker with 2 paddles.
it definitely could make a heavy loaf.
after almost 10 years of use making 2 or 3 loaves a week it gave up it's ghost and we switched to a kitchen machine (bosch mum) and oven.
that had the advantage of baking 2 or 3 at the same time, saving energy and time.

[quote TinaWeymouthsBass]**@OhRosalind
I have the £240 one as it has a timer, yeast dispenser and seed and nut dispenser, you can also make cakes, jams and compotes in it. It has a really good recipe book, and top tip buy some powdered vitamin c and put a teaspoon in every loaf for an amazing rise.[/quote]
Dough improver is a good idea for heavy breads too. Lakeland and amazon both sell it.www.lakeland.co.uk/11682/Claybrooke-Mill-Dough-Improver

If you want crusty bread you need to be around to take the bread out as soon as it is finished.
It goes soft if left in.
Most bread makers have several different crust settings.

@OhRosalind

This is the one we got (from Argos). I chose it because of its slightly smaller footprint than some of the others, and it had good reviews:

www.lakeland.co.uk/32820/Panasonic-White-Automatic-Breadmaker-SD-B2510WXC

www.johnlewis.com/panasonic-sd-yr2540hxc-automatic-bread-maker/p5445755
This is the one I have

Resurrecting this thread. Is it possible to make a sourdough style crusted loaf in the Panasonics? Or will it come out with a softer thinner crust?