Bread maker help!

[Jux]

My brother bought a Russell Hobbs bread maker and few years ago, used it once, and then didn’t use it again. He gave it to me a couple of days ago along with a big pack, unopened, of yeast.

Today I am making bread. As only had strong white bread flour in a sufficient quantity that’s what I’m making. It has started. And now it is sitting there doing precisely nothing at all, having run the programme for only a short time.

Is this normal? Has it mixed it (looks like it) and is waiting for the yeast to party, or maybe it’s waiting to get to sufficient heat to cook it?

The stuff is still quite wet, it’s not turned into a lovely dough ball.

Have you a manual, if not google one. Usually it mixes and kneads the flour/yeast etc first, should be a nice dough ball, then it rests and rises, then it mixes again to knock back dough and rises again for last time before it starts to bake it.

Some have a delay at the beginning while they heat up the ingredients but it doesn't sound like that.

If it's too wet add more flour, you need to get the smooth dough ball, you could chance adding it when it starts the second mix or just restart the whole things again using that mix and adding flour by the tablespoon until it becomes a ball. Many many recipes are very poor and add to that weighing ingredients is better than cup measures. I have certain ones now that I know will work perfectly but it took quite a bit of trial and error.

PS I hope the yeast he gave you wasn't years old too!

Did you use a recipe? As for sitting doing nothing, it’ll be proving.

It’s probably in the proving stage?
Just let it do its thing. Mine has a countdown timer so you know how long is left, does it have that?

Also the years old yeast might not work

I would have bought some fresh yeast just to be on the safe side as, if it's old and hasn't been kept in the freezer, it's probably not going to be active if it's as old as the breadmaker.

Is there a manual with it - if not you can probably find a pdf on line and that should outline the various stages for each program. My Panasonic always rests for about 15-30 minutes before it does anything, then the paddle starts mixing the dry ingredients, then it generally waits for the dough to start rising and then it starts the bake but different program settings are different in terms of how long each stage is and some have rests between mixing and between rides - it should explain the phases in the manual.

You really need the manual to have the exact recipes to follow for that particular breadmaker and with mine, it's vital to put the ingredients in in the order they tell you to - mine needs the yeast scattering in the bottom of the tin before shutting else is added - it doesn't work if you just sprinkle the yeast in last for example. So.. there's always a bit of a learning curve.

The yeast I buy is Fermipan and I get it from sellers on Amazon or eBay usually.

This one:
https://amzn.eu/d/292lF1u

Yes, long periods of apparently doing nothing are normal. Rising/resting time. Best to use the recipes that came with the breadmaker,you can usually find manuals online. If it doesnt come out well, yeast may be expired, you can buy it from anywhere though even Aldi. Hopefully though you will have a lovely loaf by bedtime.

I would endorse previous poster about putting ingredients in the pan in the order (and quantity) from the manual. I'd also check yeast date.
I have a Panasonic, ancient (about 20+ years I think). When son moved out he wanted a breadmaker and got one from freecycle....apparently 'used once, doesn't work', but the owner hadn't clicked the bread pan in properly. I think that was a Russel Hobbs. Make sure pan clucked in and blade mechanism engaged.

I discovered the problem; dear bro was reading quantities out to me and I was weighing and chucking it in. The Recipe in the accompanying booklet for a straightforward white sandwich loaf give qts for 1kg and 750g loaves. He had also handwritten in qts for 500g loaf. He was giving me qts for 750g and sometimes 500g. So I know for sure that the liquid was for 750g and the flour was for 500g so I opened the thing up, weighed out 150g of flour and stirred it in bit by bit until it reached what I thought was a sensible consistency. Then I reset the machine to start again, and it has mixed, I got a nice dough all, and it is now proving.

phew. Thank you all. I have no idea how much of whichever other ingredients went in, but I’ll find out what comes out at the end! Fingers crossed.

The yeast was an unopened packet of red fermipan, and is in date.

The yeast is now in air proof pot, should I keep that in freezer?

I keep mine (the main pack) in the freezer and just decant small amounts out into a small tin. Sometimes when my white bread goes a bit crumbly in texture and sinking - it's down to the yeast not being as active as it needs to be, i.e. it's past it's best so time to get some fresh out of the freezer. I put my yeast inside a sandwich box inside the freezer. It doesn't freeze into a solid block at all - it's always free flowing when I want to get some out.

Thank you, that’s pretty much what I’ve done with mine.

Bread is proving nicely, or maybe it’s actually cooking? It would be nice if the instructions which came with it were just a tad more detailed.

I use (in a Morphy Richards Fast Bake)
400g flour usually a mix of strong white bread flour and whole grain.
285ml water . it's easier to weigh 285g
1 level tsp salt
0.75 tsp sugar
15ml/1tbsp veg oil
1 tsp Allinson fast action yeast. I keep the yeast in the fridge after opening.

I cook on the basic program - 1.5lb dark crust, and use the timer so it's cooked a bit after getting up, so ready for lunch.

Most of the recipes that come with the machine have far to much sugar, eggs and other crap that is not needed.

I agree if you look in the machine an hour in you think wtf, but most of the time it comes out ok, when it doesn't it's operator error - normally pressing the buttons in the wrong order

I’ve made 3 loaves altogether now, third is cooling downstairs and dd’ll put it in bread bin when it’s cool.

I have made a decent stab at granary bread using a brown flour with some specific branned cereal and strong white flour. I can’t remember the flour I’ve used but if anyone’s interested I’ll put it here tomorrow.

The bread has been really nice. I am halving the quantities for the kg loaf, choosing the light crust, then chucking the loaf in the oven with some ice cubes for an extra 5-10mins. The crusts are particularly nice being really crispy and crunchy. The whole family are really happy with it.

Thank you everyone for help and tips and suggestions.