Breadmaker question - how to get a crustier crust.

[LilRedWG]

I've just made my first loaf with my lovely new Morphy Richards Accent breadmaker and our only complaint is that the crust is more cake-like than crusty bread crust.

Any tips would be gratefully received?

Thanks.

Get an aga.

Gee thanks!

Ditch the bread maker and try this for the best bread

Anyone else?

Right - DH has described the bread perfectly - it is like American bread. Any ideas for English bread?

I have a panasonic [disclaimer] but read through the recipe book and see if there are any recipes/settings for crusty bread. Mine has 'italian' and 'french' both of which make crustier bread.

Oo - good idea - it does have a setting for French brea. Thanks.

You won't get a shop-bought crust.

I find my bog standard loaf (panasonic) has a thinnish crust which stays crispy if you don't put it in a breadbin but leave it out by the toaster

Not sure what a cake like crust is.

Can I steal your recipe please? There's something not quite right with mine and I can't put my finger on it.

Do you put yours in a bag?

No, I just leave it out, cut side down. It doesn't stay there more than a day anyway so doesn't have chance to get stale. I only use the recipe from the book

1/2 teaspoon Doves fast yeast (a generous half)
200g white bread flour
200g wholemeal bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar (I've reduced this amount drastically
15-20g butter (I just use a knob of butter and accept anything in this range )
300g water (yes, grams. I weigh the water)

Basic 4 hour bake.

Sometimes I chuck in around 4 tablespoons of wheatgerm and 15g or so extra water.

My dad doesn't like breadmaker bread - he thinks it's the different yeast. He makes all his by hand.

Thanks for the recipe - I'll give it a bash.

We have a panasonic and we get a crustier crust if we add less water than is says - not much less..say 20 ml or so. I think the manual suggested it......good luck

I thought that the more sugar you put in the crustier the loaf. I put in half the amount in my recipe, cos I like mine soft

than it says.....sorry, it's been a long day!

Thanks both.

Try taking it out as soon as it has finished and put on a cooling rack- mine is very crusty when I do that, much softer when left in.

Oh, and shoving it in a proper oven for 5-10 minutes works wonders.

I've been leaving it in for the recommended 15 minutes before putting on a rack. Will try immediate removal and staight in the oven.

IME the crust is crusty when it is first baked and then softens over time. But that would seem to be the exact opposite of what Soupdragon is saying....

The French mode, if you have it, or putting it in the oven for 10 minutes works too.

Oh and shouldn't 300g of water be 300ml since a kilo of water is one litre?

Mine does go soft if I put it (unwrapped) in the bread bin (my nice poncetastic Nigella Lawson one) or wrapped out on the side but stays crusty if I leave it out, unwrapped. I don't use my vastly expensive bread bin any more [weep]

300g of water is 300ml
1litre = 1000ml = 1000g = 1kg

Oh interesting Soupdragon. I keep my bread (unwrapped) in a bread bin which is a proper wooden box but not air tight. So if I kept it out (by the toaster? ) it would stay crisp? Or was that a euphemism for "it is by the toaster and therefore gets toasted all the time"?

No, it's a euphemism for "I'm so slovenly I don't move it from where I cut it"