Disappointed in new Panasonic bread machine. What are we doing wrong?

[NorbertDentressangle]

Everyone raves about the Panasonic bread machines and says how thye are the best available so I'm presuming we're doing something wrong here.

Our last machine was given to us via friends/freecycle so was already a few years old. It was a Morphy Richards one and did us proud for nearly 2 years, in fact it converted us!

So when that broke we bought the Panasonic SD-255 (with the raisin/nut dispenser) but have not had a decent loaf from it .

We've made about 6-8 so far, all different variations (ie. using different flours) but all have turned out small, heavy and with an uneven top and uneven colour.

The final straw is that the dispenser full of seeds for the last loaf only partially opened leaving seeds everywhere but in the bread.

Please tell me theres something obvious that we're doing wrong? before I chuck the sodding thing out of the window

Are you using the right yeast (and is it fresh)?
What's your recipe?
Are you using the rapid bake mode or the ordinary bake mode?

Using ordinary bake, medium sized loaf.

Recipes from the booklet that came with it.

Allinsons yeast (never used that brand before but its a new tub so not old)

Uh-oh! or rather it should be DP thats ing.

I've just read the (very) small print on the tin of yeast that DP bought and it says not suitable for use in bread machines.

He is feeling suitably embarrassed now.

Thanks for replying though Lilymaid

Oh dear!
I have found the Dove's Farm Quick acting yeast to be very good. It come in a packet rather than in individual sachets so you can just use what you need rather than having fiddly half-full sachets everywhere.
And once you get the yeast right (and remember to put the mixer paddle in ) the Panasonic does make excellent bread.

I think its the Doves Farm one we usually use (orange packet?) but for some reason DP bought a completely different one last time.

Aaah yes, I can imagine forgetting the mixer paddle especially as it never came out in our old machine.

Agree on the Doves Farm yeast - available in most supermarkets. It lasts for ages if sealed up and kept in the fridge.
Hope that is all is well when you try again with the correct yeast!
Don't know about the partially opened dispenser as I've only got the basic (non-dispenser) model. Did you use the right programme?

I bought a loaf once at a church fete, which still had the paddle in. I managed to find the owner though! She was VERY embarrassed!

I have to admit I use the bread mixes in my breadmaker, as I prefer them .

Lily -it was DP who made the loaf with the seeds in (say no more ) and he swears blind he used the correct programme. It seemed to have partially opened as there were seeds everywhere.

Mary -we use the mixes sometimes, in fact we've found some nice ones in Lidl (Sunflower Seed bread and a Countrygrain one IIRC)