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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to bake my own bread whilst also bringing up a small person?

85 replies

Ecgwynn · 27/08/2012 16:28

Is it worth having a bread maker while I have a small baby (currently 4 months) or am I realistically not going to use it? Also any recommendations of models to get?

OP posts:
Trazzletoes · 27/08/2012 21:14

Love my bread maker. It takes about 2 mins to put the ingredients in so no reason not to use it despite small child!

GWenlockMaryLacey · 27/08/2012 21:15

Chestnutx3 what recipe do you use in the KA? I've just bought a KA and would like to try bread in it instead of the bread maker.

Trazzletoes · 27/08/2012 21:16

Also, homemade bread is SIGNIFICANTLY lower in salt than shop bought (my loaves contain 1/4tsp of salt in the whole loaf) so good for DC when they are weaned too.

SeventhEverything · 27/08/2012 21:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bronze · 27/08/2012 21:27

Another person who had a crap one
And then got a Panasonic that I love

DoMeDon · 27/08/2012 21:32

Is it easy to do wheat free? Have wanted a BM but heard it's near impossible to get a nice wheat free.

JeezyPeeps · 27/08/2012 22:17

The Panasonic has a gluten free setting, but Ivenever had to try it.

nannyl · 27/08/2012 22:21

I have the panasonic one

and a 11m DD

and my bread machine get used all the time

I LOVE it... it is much easier to spend 1min putting ingrediants in the tin and turning it on, than it is getting yourself out of the house to buy bread

also much cheaper, the bread is much tastier, and when DCstart weaning you can make bread which much less salt than normal shop bread.

I wouldnt be without mine

lovelyredwine · 27/08/2012 22:25

I inherited a Panasonic from my gran about 8 years ago and still use it several times a week. I probably used it more when dd was smaller as she slept more in the day! I think they're great- as others have said- chuck a few ingredients in and leave it to make you some lovely bread! They are great for experimenting with different breads as well.

I do also hand make bread sometimes if I fancy it. Bread is a great thing to make however you do it.

MoreBeta · 27/08/2012 23:04

DoMeDon* - there is a gluten free setting on my Kenwood breadmaker which I use a lot. It makes quite a heavy dense loaf though.

QueenOfMuppets · 27/08/2012 23:19

We have a breadmaker- have a Kenwood now, chose it over other brands as they are made to be fixed- Kenwood sell spare parts and the machine has standard screws to get into it. Our previous one broke after years of daily use, parts weren't easily available and it was designed to be difficult to take apart to mend. if you're not a "mend-it" person then other brands are also really good.

Didn't even buy supermarket bread when our newborn baby arrived a few months ago- really yummy bread and no chorely-wood foam in sight. If you really want to do it then having a baby is no obstacle- the machines are really easy to use!

Be careful with the yeast through- it doesn't all work well with a breadmaker and using the wrong type is a surefire way to end up with a bullet-loaf. "doves" is really consistent; available from Lakeland I think....

SDeuchars · 28/08/2012 01:11

DoMeDon I tend to find it is the flour that makes a difference. I use Dove's gluten-free (or spelt). It has a recipe on the side and I use that. Some people on the Dove's website say that they use the Panasonic BM on the regular setting with the Dove's flour.

ZonkedOut · 28/08/2012 02:28

I made a bullet loaf once when I forgot to add the yeast!

We have a Kenwood one, and like it. I typically make the basic white recipe. If you don't get through a loaf in a day or two, you can always cut it up and freeze it. It can go straight from freezer to toaster to use for toast.

We also make pizza dough with it. Here's another tip: get a pizza stone and cook your pizzas on a barbecue (if you have a gas powered one), the barbecue gets hotter than your typical oven, so more like a pizza oven.

jojane · 28/08/2012 02:37

I use it mainly for making pizza dough - easy enough to put on in morning and ready by lunch to roll out - much nicer than shop pizza.
Don't really like the bread it makes too heavy for me but my husband loves it, find it makes better read if you bake it in oven. We don't have airing cupboard so machine mixes it and proves it for you

tryingtoleave · 28/08/2012 03:48

I don't like breadmaker bread either. But I did do a lot of homemade bread (even sourdough!) when I had two small dcs. If you don't want to knead, try googling the no-knead method.

giraffesCantGoBackToSchool · 28/08/2012 03:49

I read it as burning up a small perrson Blush ok back to bed for me!!

TheSkiingGardener · 28/08/2012 04:11

I use our breadmaker pretty much every day and have a small DC and am expecting another. I timed it and it takes 3 minutes 30 seconds from taking the breadmaker out of the cupboard to pressing the on switch and walking away. So it's really quick.

I'm crap at kneading bread so I also use it to knead dough for foccaccia, brioche, Chelsea buns, pizza etc. it's great.

I have a Panasonic one which has been going a good 10 years without a problem.

TheCatInTheHairnet · 28/08/2012 04:26

How much bread do you people eat?!! We're a family of 6 and eat probably a loaf a week. Which I buy from the local bakery. Life's too short to bake bread fgs!! Wink

kerrygrey · 28/08/2012 06:16

I use my breadmaker for the first mix and rise, then take out the dough and divide it between two smaller loaf tins. Rise it again and bake. That way you dont get the hole in middle. One goes in the bread bin, one in the freezer. I also add an assortment of seeds with the flour in the mix.

MoreBeta · 28/08/2012 08:36

"Life's too short to bake bread fgs!!" Shock

dustyhousewithdustypeople · 28/08/2012 08:39

They are especially handy when you have a small baby, as you might not be able to get out to the shop to get a loaf but can quickly make one.

DizzyBeeisSchoolShoeShopping · 28/08/2012 08:41

I have a Panasonic bread maker and it's so easy to use, just buy the bags of bread maker mixer (about £1 each) and drop them in, add the water and 2 hours later you have a fresh baked loaf.
Now I want to make one, yummy bread but I am trying to lose weight :(

PigeonPie · 28/08/2012 08:50

Haven't got time to read whole thread - sorry! But in answer to OP's question, I got a breadmaker (a Panasonic) the month before DS1 was born almost 7 years ago. I haven't bought a shop-made loaf since then. It was much easier, particularly in the early days, to buy and store flour than whole loaves of bread. I used to put a loaf on over night so it was ready for the morning, but I have found that it's easier to cut if you leave it for at least 12 hours before cutting if you want toast.

Not only do I make loaf bread, but the DSs prefer rolls in their lunch boxes and they are really easy to do; I also make pizza dough and all sorts of other bits.

Hope this helps.

DoMeDon · 28/08/2012 09:02

Thanks for the gluten free responses

choccyp1g · 28/08/2012 11:54

Any advance on CLEANING the breadmaker? IME all these wonderful gadgets are difficult to clean.