Bread Machine Help

[gscrym]

I've been following the recipes but my bread always goes stodgy. If I use breadmix, it's fine. Where could I be going wrong. I'm following the recipe and using the cup I'm supposed to for all the ingredients. Any suggestions would be great.

Are you using Strong flour (or Bread flour)

I think it matters

What yeast are you using? Have you tried with a fresh packet?

I found it makes a difference whether I scoop up the flour in the cup or spoon it in. Scooping can get more flour in the cup as it's pressed in, so spooning flour gently into the cup (without pressing down) gives a lighter mix as there is less flour and more air iyswim.

The fact that breadmix works suggests that the flour is the problem. You must use Strong Flour, as Katymac says. Also, the flour must be well dated. Plain cake flour keeps well enough for cakes, but for some reason bread flours do not keep very well, and even if they still smell and seem fine before their use-by date they may not make good bread.

Other things:
Are you using a yeast that claims onthe packet that it is suitable for breadmakers? Use only that sort.
Are you leaving the bread in the breadmaker for longer than 10-20mins after it has finished baking? Although breadmakers often have 'keepwarm' timers and claim that you can take the bread out up to 1h after it has finished, in practice I find that it must be removed within 10mins, otherwise the sides collapsed inwards slightyl and the bread is markedly stodgier.
Measuring blour by volume is risky - it is easy to pack the flour in too firmly. I measure the flour by weight, which is how the breadmix flour would have been weighed. But I doubt that would be the problem, as I find the recipes are pretty robust, and, apart from the quantities of yeast or ascorbic acid, you can be quite generous or skimpy and still get good bread.

Prettycandles is right about flour - I find that the quality makes a difference too: Sainsbury's own brand strong doesn't work so well as (slightly pricer) Hovis, Allinsons or Doves Farm.