Does anyone really think that breadmaker bread is as nice as bought?

[BroccoliSpears]

Now that the novelty is starting to wear off, I can't help but notice that breadmaker bread is dry and heavy and samey and a bit like chewing a brick.

Oh for a Sainsburys tiger loaf.

STOP! I'm on my diet! I can't eat bread on my diet! Stop talking homemade breads!!!!!

solo slams the bread threads door HARD!

Home made is much nicer. Maybe doing something wrong?

I have the Panasonic with nut dispenser and am also slightly disappointed. I find the sides and base are so very crusty, the kids leave loads. I've totally given up trying wholemeal, even just 25%.

However, the picnic tear&share bread recipe is dangerously moreish, esp done with mango chutney instead of mustard. I did the cherry and marzipan cake recipe which was very strange indeed (but edible).

I have the same machine, and find I need to use more yeast than the recipe book says, otherwise it doesn't rise properly. Also own brand flour is rubbish, you need (as a minimum) Hovis or Allinsons. And selecting Light Crust makes a (slightly) less crusty loaf. Also makign sure you take it out of the pan as soon as it bleeps at you.

I made some bread a few weeks ago and I could have used it to hold the door open with.

Breadmaker bread is usually better than cheap and nasty bought stuff. That's about all.

However, bread made by hand at home is gorgeous and can compete or even better 'good' stuff bought from a real bakery.

My kids can recognise breadmaker bread every time, whether it's from a cheap or expensive machine - although top of the range machines do seem to make a slightly better loaf, almost acceptable.

But we've been spoilt somewhat by having eaten home-made bread for years and years, so breadmaker stuff just can't compete.

if you get the recipe right it is better - if you don't then it is definitely worse. Try experimenting.

eco, I made my bread by hand and it was horrible. How do you make yours if you don't mind me asking?

I have the panasonic & make bread far superior to even sainsbury's tiger loaf. I've had it since christmas & haven't bought bread since.

I have had to cut back on the yeast (from recipe book that came with it) because I found it rose too much for me.

I use -

Tesco bread flour,
Doves farm dried yeast
Water - no milk
50:50 olive oil/sunflour oil
Slightly less sugar & salt than suggested also

It also makes fabulous dough, I made a great shaped museli loaf at the weekend which was gorgeous & now make my pizza dough in it too. The dough is much better than I used to make by hand much more elastic & as it should be. Makes fabulous naans & pitta bread dough too.

I have one of those small "top tips" breadmaker books and it says that using all wholemeal is always a bit risky. I mix half plain bread flour and half wholemeal breadflour which tends to come out well.

At the weekends I quite often use it just to make dough and then give it a free form bake - have a try, its easy and v nice.

Mine is much nicer and everyone likes it. It does go dry very quickly if you don't eat it in a day or two.

Are you making 100% wholemeal bread? I find that is rather solid, so I tend to do 60:40 or 70:30 wholemeal to white flour, depending on my mood. Or substitute oats for 1oz of the wholemeal. The fast programme on my maker also produces rather dense bread, so I avoid that except in emergencies.

now I have actuallt read the thread () a few more comments :

1. you can set the crust level - have a play with that

1. try more or less water.

1. don't skimp on the salt - it kills off the yeast at the right point in the cycle and stops the loaf collapsing (says she who's DH forgot the salt the other day).

1. we use half and half - cheap lidl white bread flour, and better quality (much more expensive) granary flour - yum

We always use milk powder - will try without after all your recommendations.

Eco warrior - I don't agree - I too made bread for years before I got my breadmaker & the breadmaker has definately improved it - better risen definately.

Quantities please!

I'm thinking about dusting off the breadmaker again.

Although I always hated the bread, and dh thought it was gorgeous. So perhaps it is down to taste after all.

Still, might make him some for Father's Day ...

Hmmm, a bread maker might make my life complete....
I still have to get to grips with the pasta machine I bought two years ago

I really don't like shop bought bread these days. We have a Kenwood bread maker and the bread is never heavy, never dry and much tastier than bought loaves. We had a second hand panasonic for a bit when our first breadmaker died, but the loaves always seemed to collapse in the middle and remain wedged in the pan afterwards. We got a new kenwood and we're back to lovely, soft yummy bread.

My top tip for breadmakers is cook a loaf, leave it out overnight to cool (don't slice hot), slice it in the morning and immediately freeze it. Then you just break off the number of slices you want when you need them, and they are always fresh.

I use my breadmaker for the dough cycle only. then I whip it out and bake it in my pampered chef stonewear loaf pan. (after having left it to rise again for second time).

Far, far superior to shop bought imo.

The bread actually made in the breadmaker is nice but is the wrong size plus I don't like the hole in the bottom.

But it still doesn't taste tasty like Sainsburys tiger loaf. Doesn't really taste of anything, certainly not that orgasmic fresh bread taste. Was wondering about buying some 'improver' additive off Ebay although that might defeat the point of home-making, depending what's in it.

I bought a breadmaker years ago - spent about £10 with all fancy schmancy ingredients (olives, sun-dried tomatoes etc.), made one loaf of bread and never used it again You have all made me want to try again though! I may have imagined this, but Nigella says that using water in which you've cooked potatoes works wonders. At least I think it's for bread - it's definitely good for something...

Mine used to come out like bricks - I read the bok from front to back.

I started putting warm water in the pan instead of just cold water - this imrpoved the bread a great deal.

I played around with the french bread recipe and have got it just right

for a small loaf

13oz flour (i mix the flour even use three sorts, cheap white, wholemael, granary )

1 teaspoon/measure of yeast - I use the yeast in a small tub with plastic lid - the one that states for hand baking only and is in orange tin - it works well

1 teaspoon/measure of salt

2 teaspoons measures of sugar - I use any sugar white brown sticky brown sugar molasses is it.

I found the original recipe for french bread was to sweet so halved the sugar. The salt got reduced from 1 and a half to 1 and the yeast from 1 and a half to 1.

I have stuck with my recipy and it works I get bread that I enjoy eating, it is not dense like a brick and alhtough the french bread is a little chewy I like it - not all air and nothing. My dd's prefer the homemadme bread to sainsbury tiger bread so that is good.

My dad buys fancy breads and always asks me if I have any going spare - he is really fussy over bread so i know its ok.

I think my biggest mistake was using cold water and the best thing I did was use the simple revcipe and get it to how it is now. Really easy to throw in the pan as I remember the recipy of by heart.

No thanks for supermarket bread - I would rather not If I can have homemade.

Message withdrawn

good bakeries were killed by the supermarket they came along in the nights and killed of the baker - make your own and get your own back for the baker and his destitute family

Our breadmakes makes really really nice bread. The brioche is fantastic. Dead easy too. Just chuck five or six ingredients in, leave them to bake for four hours and out comes a lovely, plump loaf. Smashing.

Shop bought is rank in comparison. I'm talking about the standard loaves in plastic bags, mind. They put so much yeast and preservatives in it and bake them in fifteen minutes. Yeuch.

Very interesting thread, I had virtually given up on my breadmaker because it churned out collapsed bricks that we could only really eat the top half of.
But, I always use butter and milk so I'm off to dust it down and try a nice loaf for tonight.

Winky what make of breadmachine do you have mine was only £30 so if tonights loaf doesn't work I'll be shopping for another.