For those who have the Panasonic SD253... bread maker

[pupuce]

Can you use fresh yeast?
Can you put any seed, even very small ones like flaxseed?
Thank you

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I've got one, but must admit I'm not a frequent user. Just thought I'd bump this for you.

I guess you know it has a little dish at the top that just dumps in the seeds/nuts/raisins at the right time. As far as I know you can put just about anything in it.

i've never tried using fresh yeast with this machine, presume it's no problem. is it worth the hassle though? Dh makes elaborate breads by hand, the sort that get started a week before and need pampering every day before they get baked and he's back to using dry yeast because fresh results were identical (and shhh - my breadmaker breads always turn out just as well ).
You can put in any seed you like, we use flax seeds too. It's just a little compartment at the top with a flap that opens at a certain time, about the size of a pack of butter.

Thanks Uwila, why don't you use it?
Geekgirl, do you make sourdough bread with it ?
We currently make bread by hand but due to double rising we keep forgetting and we just do it once a week at best, I want my own fresh bread, using good quality flours and seeds.... we use to make sourdough too...
we have just ordered the Panasonic from Amazon.

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I don't have that model/make of bread maker but understood that it was better to use packet yeast in the bread maker as it has more constant results. We have in the past used fresh yeast in the breadmaker and it was fine.

I don't use my machine any more as I have found it just as easy (if not easier) to use my Kitchen Aid, although you have to be more involved to make it this way, the bread machine certainly wins when it comes to putting the ingredients in at night and coming down to fresh bread in the morning.

Pupuce, no, not really. The reason is (As I understand it) that the dried yeast activates at a precise speed, which makes the recipes accurate. I use mine a lot, usually overnight for bread, or in the daytime for pizza dough, which is brilliant. Yes, if you have a seed/nut/fruit dispenser on the top of your model you can put any size seed in there to be dispensed at the right time. The Panasonic comes with a recipe book which has some great stuff in it. The pizza dough comes out and then you thump it a bit into shape and it proves again. Otherwise everthing comes out cooked if needed. Also does croissants - yum yum!

Hi Pupuce, only reason I don't use it is my life is way too busy to make room for breadmaking.

Uwila - I thought the whole point of the machine was to dump the ingredients and wait.....

Ah, but I don't even have time to collect and dump the ingredients. That sounds crazy, but really I don't have time. My nanny, however, does use the breadmaker occassionally. Come to think of it I really do like helthful bread (with nice bits of nutritious ingredients)... maybe I'll have to give nanny a nudge.

Do you have any good recipes for sneaking veg into the bread. DD loved toast so I'm always looking for creative ways to smeak nutrition into her toast.

Blimey, pardon the typos!

ahh I see pupuce. No, we don't use it for sourdough, dh makes that by hand when he's got the time. But the machine does make really lovely bread, in so many variations. We've had other machines and this one is by far the best, and the recipes in the book work very well (I stick to them slavishly and always get a really good result).

We have this machine. Technically you are not meant to use fresh yeast. But I have done, it was fine.

Its a very forgiving machine. Don't worry about quantities of seeds, fruit etc too much. I normally just throw in whatever I feel like + its always been fine.

Uwila-how about dried tomatos/fruit etc, added to the bread?

I agree with last post. It's meant to be dried.

To make croissants - how does THAT work? Does it make the dough but then I assume you must shape it and put it in the oven.... right?

well yes it is a clever machine, but not that clever ;) . For croissants it only does the first mixing and kneading. You then have to do all sorts of rolling, brushing with butter, repeat 3 times etc, shape and bake in the oven.