Breadmakers again! One or two questions...

[anorak]

I've looked at the archived breadmaker threads but I can't find the following answers...

Which models have pans that can be washed in the dishwasher? And which have large pans that are the traditional shape?

My old breadmaker has died and I need a new one.

I thank you x

I use 1 tbsp of olive oil instead of the 28g (which is metric equiv of 1oz)of butter listed in my usual recipe and it works fine.

My bread's coming out of my Panasonic very solid. I've lost the original book I had with the breadmaker though (made lovely bread with that) and am relying on yeast packet recipes, which I think have too much sugar/salt in. Does anyone have a foolproof (HunkerMunker-proof) bread recipe for a large loaf (not X large - they're scarily huge) in a Panasonic SD253 they can post?

hunker - if you haven't got a book with bread maker recipes (I've discovered that most will work just occasionaly need a little tweaking for individual breadmakers)

Try this website

www.cooking-corner.co.uk/cc/pages/breadmaker_recipes.asp

They're based on Panasonics :-)

Fantastic! Thanks Gwen. I fear I may be a bread bore soon. But it's SO lovely! And so disappointing when it comes out like a big fat brick!

hunkermunker
Basic large white recipe for SD253

1tsp yeast
500g strong white flour
1 tbsp sugar
25g butter
1 1/2 tbsp milk powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
350ml water

If you want to do a seeded loaf, use the basic recipe then fill the seed tray and put on bake raisin programme rather than just bake. Basic brown, substitute white for brown flour but still use basic programme (4 hours). Wholemeal use wholemeal flour, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp vitamin C powder and 360ml water, use whole wheat bake programme for this one (5 hours).

HTH

Ks - I use Flora Buttery (Sunflower marg). Just a small knob- about a teaspoonful. Think you could probably do without any fat- as you will know, the fat is to improve keeping quality. I leave out the milk powder too. Just use the same ingredients I used to do handmade bread really (smaller quantities of course)

Clayhead that's the recipe I wanted! Thank you so much!

Can you use milk instead of milk powder? How much? I'm sure I did used to? Oh, who can remember anything since having a baby?!

Hi everyone and thanks for your tips. I have not been around as I have a computer problem. Just sneaked on for a few minutes but it is heavy going with pop-ups coming thick and fast. Should have it sorted in a couple of days I hope and be back properly.

We decided on the Morphy Richards fastbake in the end, I can't wash the pan in the dishwasher though. I didn't want to spend £98 on a panasonic when the MR is under £40. I have used a breadmaker for the last 4 years, my old one cost £80 and it still wasn't what I call fantastic. I found the quality of the bread improved when I jiggled the recipes and got used to using it. The first loaf I made in my new MR yesterday was lovely, I am quite happy.

I have found that leaving out the skimmed milk powder doesn't make much difference. I also substitute lo-salt for salt in the recipes and if anything the bread is lighter. But you can't simply leave out the salt as the bread just won't rise if you do. I have always used olive oil as the fat ingredient, and you can reduce the quantity without ill effect.

The shape of this pan is more traditional than my old one, which was an upright loaf, so I am happier with that too.

By the way I didn't use the fastbake programme for my trial loaf yesterday, used the 3 1/2 hour programme since the instructions state that the fastbake loaf is not going to be as light. So I will try that out when I am in a hurry sometime.

Yorkiegirl - I've got the Breville one and its fab. Much smaller than the Panasonic and the bread is lovely. Only gripe is that it makes "upright" loaves, but I wouldn't part with it for anything. You just wipe the pan out at the end - I've had mine for nearly 3 yrs now and nothing's ever stuck.
Does cakes and small amount of jam too, and takes up hardly any space - somewhere between a microwave and a big toaster.