Do I need a breadmaker, or just more organisation?

[Habbibu]

I'm ok at making bread by hand, but am disorganised, and never seem to plan the timing right to get loaf proved, shaped and proved again for when we actually need it. There are no good bakers near us, supermarket bread is not v. good, and also suck you in to buying lots of other stuff.

So - do I buy a breadmaker, or can any hardcore baking people who do it by hand give me some timings for how you manage regular breadmaking? Tips on temps for proving would also be good - just don't say airing cupboard as we don't have one.

If you want to get really into handmade easy bread look up this book on amazon.
'Artisan bread in five minutes a day'

Sorry still can't work out how to do links

I've just looked at the Youtube NY times no-knead bread and it looks FANTASTIC - got to try that one.

Thanks, zanz - will definitely look into that as well.

So is Panasonic the best? I have a 6 year old bread maker, the type that leaves a home in the bottom

I assume you mean "hole" rather than "home"! Anyway, I'm afraid the Panasonic does leave a hole too, but I don't see how you get round that with breadmakers unless you only use them to mix the dough and then bake the bread in a tin in your oven. In a breadmaker, the dough hook has to go somewhere!

That's the only downside but I would imagine it happens to every breadmaker, is that every so often the blade gets left in the loaf so you either have to leave it in there till you get to it, or gouge a big hole in your loaf to rescue it. Mostly it doesn't happen though.

Yes I meant hole whoops! Oh well maybe I don't need to get a Panasonic just yet then

i got a panasonic a couple of weeks ago and it's not a massive hole - my mother's panasonic one leaves a huge great vent in it - they must have started sorting it out a little

i heart my panasonic

I made the NY Times no-knead bread last night / this morning - lovely! Who needs a breadmaker!!!

I was just looking at a Morphy Richards breadmaker the other dad (a new model I think) and one of the features is that the blade drops down during the cooking process.

we've got a panasonic breadmaker & bake all our bread in it. DH usually sets it up the night before & takes it out first thing. I cut it with an electric bread knife, for good thin-ish slices. Yum yum ! (oh we also use 1/2 spelt flour & 1/2 canadian white)