What yeast do you use in your bread machine when baking?

[Ivykaty44]

As the title asks, just curious as I use

this

Even though it says for hand baking - works well in the machine.

If you use the Doves Farm yeast or other fast acting yeasts you don't need to add sugar. The other type of yeast that needs activating does need sugar.

I don't really know why bread machines all say use sugar. When I baked by hand I never added sugar. I stick in a teaspoon because it tells me too but I might give it a miss soon, see if I notice a difference. I've only had ther bread machine a week so still getting used to it.

heres a bread machine recipe using fresh yeast

Why to breadmachine recipes call for milk powder?? I've never put it in because the instructions couldn't give me a good reason and the bread is perfect.

I always thought the sugar was to feed the yeast but that's probably because I remember making bread with fresh yeast with my dad when I was little.

I don't use milk powder either

I used to make bread alot with fresh yeast and didn't use sugar. I used to make a lovely milk loaf which used golden syrup though....Yum But that was for flavour and colour not to help the yeast work.

The breadmachine recipe book says the sugar adds flavour and helps colour the crust I think. And no milk powder required in the panasonic bread machine I've got.

Mine is a Panasonic too and the recipes call for milk powder. I didn't put it in because I didn't have any and wasn't prepared to buy any

I vaguely remember mixing the fresh yeast with a teaspoon of sugar and stirring til it all went liquid. Then it was left to froth up. It was my job as part of the bread making

you can use ordinary milk instead of milk powder, just replace some of the water.

The milk powder is to give the bread a softer texture.

Butter added gives a crustier crust.

A little more water gives a loser texture

An egg added to the water gives a suttle change in flavour and different much more open texure (more french like) to the bread when made into rolls.

Ivy - I make only about two loaves per week - and I never finish the yeast packet before I replace it. The Doves Farm yeast is much cheaper than the sachets and lasts a long time (months not years).

Re milk powder - I don't use it and I don't use sugar either and reduce the salt. I just use yeast, flour, water, a small amount of salt (1/4 to 1/2 tsp) and some oil or butter for ordinary loaves.

Interesting, Ivykate. Might try the egg one day.

Not sure my bread could be any softer though

Has anyone else noticed that the bread doesn't seem to go mouldy? Or at least not as quickly judging by the stray crust I found in my breadbin.

Soup I did dough to make dinner rolls and put the egg in - it wasn't a loaf in the machine.

I mostly do this:

8oz warm water
13 oz flour (any mix available)
1 teaspoon measure of yeast
1 teaspoon measure of salt - not quite to the top of the measure
1 and 3/4 teaspoon of sugar (any that is lying araoun, brown/white/molasses)

stick on the french bread program regardless of what flour I am using.

Oh my bread does go mouldie - but it last well I was given one of these as my dad had it lying around unsed this

My panasonics only a week old Soupdragon, defninitely no milk powder in the recipes. Good job too because I'd never know where to find it.

The basic recipes all call for yeast, flour, sugar, salt, butter and water.

do you have a panasonic 255????????? we have one thtas about a month old and i love it....can't keep up with the demand for bread!

first few days i was a bit overwhelmed every time i looked at the recipe book but its now really easy....i use veg. oil as i.m too lazy to measure the butter (dh did it with butter once and i couldn't tell any difference)

its really straight forward

Yes thats the one wideratthehips, 'tis fantastic.

I'm very impressed with the quality of the loaves, I wasn't expecting quite such good bread TBH.

And the same quality everytime, thats what I love. When I was baking by hand, for no apparent reason some would be lovely light loaves, others would be bricks

IvyKaty do you need to adjust the quantities when you add an egg? I quite fancy trying the rolls you mentioned please

Rolls

8floz water
1 egg
then ontop put 1ILB bread flour
2x teas[poon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 oz butter
1 and 1/2 teaspoon yeast

put on dough cycle and then take out of pan at end and flour the dough and break into18-20 rolls and leave for an hour to rise some more in a draft free warm place under cling film.

Then bake in the oven for 20-30 mins on 350 degrees

i have a morphy richrds one, is ok but am a bit meh about it - any tips?

In what way are you "meh" about it?

bread is ok, but not mouth wateringly delicious. is a bit dry despite following recipes to the letter. if it was nicer i would make it much more than i do.

(oops is me NilD, got bored of that name)

we have hens and I would like to try using eggs in my bread machine bread.... does anyone else just reduce the amount of liquid? - put eggs in the container that you measure the water into, then add water up to the amount needed for recipe?

Mayor - I do not follow the recipe in the book that came with the machine, I altered the quantities as I found the bread to sweet or came out a little heavy.

So I reduced the salt, sugar and added a little more water (see the adjustments above) and it makes a lovely loaf and I generally stick to that as it works and I make bread every other day for packups. I never buy bread anymore and havn't since August 2007.

This man has made his own recipe for a white loaf using a Morphy Richards

here

cheers- will give that one a try

Thanks for the recipe IvyKaty I will try it

MayorNaze - I have a Morphy Richards stainless steel Fastbake machine and I've only once followed a recipe from the book. The thought of skimmed milk powder in my bread makes me cringe, plus there is way too much salt and sugar IMO. If I wanted all that stuff I would be buying my bread, so I basically make the same bread as I would if I was doing it properly and it comes out very well.

The white loaf I make is particularly scrummy. Basically:

360mm water,
approx 1tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsps sugar
1 tsp salt
4 cups of flour (the cup MR supplies)
whatever quantity of yeast they recommend for a 2lb white loaf, can't remember.

And it's gorgeous I promise you.