Is a breadmaker worth the money?

[CoconutSty]

Just that really. Have no time to make my own by hand, but I'm so fed up of shop-bought in the plastic. Does anyone have a breadmaker they really rate??

---

MNHQ Update
Searching for a bread maker to help you perfect homemade bread? Our guide to the best bread makers is up to date with a wide range of tried and tested options. We hope it’s helpful!

Yes, that's the model number on mine. Not sure if they've changed anything about them since I bought mine in 2012/13 though

We've tried this, but dh doesn't like defrosted bread, and I don't eat enough bread to be bothered.

Besides, I quite like a soft loaf for a change.

Thanks. There’s a few on marketplace second hand.

@lampformyfeet

Do you have a link for the recipe please?

Right, I’m messaging someone about their second one. A diff panasonic one.

I have one with a dispenser and never use it. I just throw loads of seeds on top of the dry ingredients before adding water. I add an extra 25ml of water to make up for the seeds absorbing some but when I said loads of seeds, I mean easily 150g of mixed seeds.

I have a SD-ZB2502BXC but before that had an old sd254, ancient but worked perfectly until DH accidentally destroyed it. (Not its fault!).

Don't use ours as much now (children grown up so just two of us at home and I've got diabetes, so avoid too many carbs) but still love it for pizza dough, stollen, occasional loaves of bread.
The Panasonic is expensive but is definitely the best. My MIL had one and the bread was delicious so we bought a cheaper one - definitely a case of "buy cheap, buy twice".
The one we've got now is about 20 years old, so they last.

Not tried that, it only has the one paddle

@DigbyTheDigger I don't thinks it's that important. My cheap one just beeps at x number of minutes so you can add them if you want. I had a Panasonic previously, and this replacement is perfectly ok.

Russell Hobbs 23620 Compact Fast Breadmaker, 660 W, Black amzn.eu/d/eodS6fA

I don’t need one but after reading this thread have convinced myself that maybe I do? Found one on FB marketplace for £30 😬

Damn. I just checked and there was one for sale for £50 unused just uo the road from me. It’s sold now.

So if you want to use a sourdough starter developed at home, you def can’t use that in the Panasonic directly?

Stollen?! Do you have a recipe?

i like spicy fruit loaf and use that for the fruit. Handy, but not essential, but saves being around to add it at the correct time.

I used mine all the time, daily as I don't eat highly processed food so I liked to make my own bread.
But now ny DS has left home I don't eat bread because I've cut down on cards so it's lingering in a cupboard.
If you are cutting back on highly processed food then a breadmaking is ideal. Obviously using flour that hasn't been messed about with.

Another vote for the Panisonic! We use ours 3-4 days a week. Had it about 10 years and still going strong. Made brioche for the first time in it this week and it was delicious, made fantastic French toast.

I've a Panasonic, it's great. Mum is on her second now, with the first one only dying after being used about 4 times a week for nearly 15 years.

@doingthehokeykokey
I do have a recipe for stollen - it was really nice.
I'm away for a few days at the moment but I'll post it here when I'm back.

Thank you 😋

Ask your friends and family, at least one of them will have one that they never use!

@doingthehokeykokey

Hi! Have just got back, so I'll try and post the stollen recipe now.
I couldn't get a decent photo of the ingredients list (maybe because it's in italics) so I'll type that here, but then should be able to add pictures of the method.
Apologies to other posters as this could go on a bit...

Stollen:
75g sultanas
50g currants
3 tbsp rum
375g white bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
50g caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp cinnamon
40g fresh yeast (it says in the recipe - I've used 1 1/2 sachets of instant yeast too)
120ml lukewarm milk
1 beaten egg
50g mixed peel
50g chopped blanched almonds
Melted butter (to brush over)
Icing sugar to dust

Almond filling:
115g ground almonds
50g caster sugar
50g icing sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 beaten egg

Really sorry! My lack of techy skills means I can't attach the photos. However, the method is for doing it by hand, so it's probably easier if I just give it in breadmaker terms:

Add the sultanas and currants to the rum and leave to soak (I gave them a minute or so blast in the microwave first as it seems to make them more absorbent).
Add dry, then wet ingredients (excluding sultanas, currants, mixed peel and almonds) to the breadmaker. I'm trying to remember which program just takes you to the end of the first rising - it might be just "Dough". Anyway, press that and let the machine do its thing.

For the filling, mix the almonds and sugars together. Add lemon juice and enough egg to knead to a smooth paste.
Shape into a 20cm long sausage.

Once ready, take the dough out of the breadmaker, pat it into a rectangle about 2.5cm thick and sprinkle over sultanas, currants, mixed peel and almonds. Fold and knead to incorporate.
Roll out to 30cm X 23cm rectangle.
Place the filling along the centre and fold the dough over to enclose the almond paste, but making sure the top of the dough doesn't completely cover the bade. Press down to seal.
Place the loaf on an oiled baking sheet and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 mins to an hour. It should double in size.
Bake at 200°C for about 30 mins.
Brush the top with melted butter and dust with icing sugar before serving.

I realise now - having written it out - that there's a fair bit of hand-kneading as well as bread maker help 🤦‍♀️
However, it is really good and has a far, far better texture than any one I've done all by hand.
It also says, at the top of the page, that the folded shape of the dough over the filling represents the baby Jesus wrapped in his swaddling clothes, which I didn't know before

@LaMarschallin thank you! Will def make it. Much appreciated.

We use ours every other day or so. 13 years old now, money well spent.