I noticed our old Panasonic SD-251 is really looking the worse for wear these days. It’s over 16 years old for sure and could be a few years older. I’m not sure which one to buy now as they sell five different models. They’re also still out of stock at some retailers. Which models do you guys have?
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Hi all and welcome to TheWoodHaven2 brought into the 21st Century, kicking and screaming! We all have Alasdair to thank for the vast bulk of the heavy lifting to get us here, no more so than me because he's taken away a huge burden of responsibility from my shoulders and brought us to this new shiny home, with all your previous content (hopefully) still intact! Please peruse and feed back. There is still plenty to do, like changing the colour scheme, adding the banner graphic, tweaking the odd setting here and there so I have added a new thread in the 'Technical Issues, Bugs and Feature Requests' forum for you to add any issues you find, any missing settings or just anything you'd like to see added/removed from the feature set that Xenforo offers. We will get to everything over the coming weeks so please be patient, but add anything at all to the thread I mention above and we promise to get to them over the next few days/weeks/months. In the meantime, please enjoy!
Breadmaking Machine
- Thread starter Woodster
- Start date
I agree. The build quality of kitchen stuff was, almost without exception, much better years ago. We have an old Stellar electric wok. The Teflon layer is one of the best I've had. Sadly it's starting to wear but we will carry on using it because I have yet to find anything as good on the current market.
Mike G
Petrified Pine
Lazy so-and-so's. 
I mix the ingredients in a Kenwood Chef, leave for an hour and a half, then knead the dough by hand, leave to stand for half an hour, and stick it in the oven. I've found this rather simple and satisfying since the invention of the electric timer.....
I mix the ingredients in a Kenwood Chef, leave for an hour and a half, then knead the dough by hand, leave to stand for half an hour, and stick it in the oven. I've found this rather simple and satisfying since the invention of the electric timer.....
Malc2098
Sequoia
Mike G":225twg9w said:Lazy so-and-so's.
Moi aussi!
DaveL
Old Oak
The other advantage of this method, it gets your hands really clean![emoji23]Mike G":12j3qk9l said:Lazy so-and-so's.
Mike G":z5pcdqzv said:Lazy so-and-so's.
Will someone provide me with a refuge for after I tell the missus she should get up at 4.00 to hand make the bread rather than set the machine on a timer.
AJB Temple
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I gave up on breadmaking machines years ago. They never produced really great results. Over the years I have tried sourdough numerous times but never had success until I bought Super Sourdough by Dr James Morton. Idiot proof starters and all very simple. No yeast.
I use a mixer, Kitchen Aid in my case, to do the first mix (5 mins) and after that I just stretch by hand. I follow James’ method and prove overnight in the fridge in cheap Banneton baskets (available cheaper on Amazon that Bakery Bits).
The key thing then, and this really works brilliantly, is to bake in cast iron pots. I heat the cast iron dishes up as the oven is heating up to 240 C, whip them out of the oven and sprinkle some flour in to prevent sticking, dump my proved dough into the dish, score with a razor blade tool, put a lid on, then into the oven asap.
I bake 25 mins with lid on. The steam created by the lid gives a very even rise. I turn temp down to 200ish, remove lids and cook for further 20mins.
Delivers far better bread than I can buy at the supermarket (Waitrose is my local).
I make and feed the starter with Rye flour and tepid water. Strong white flour I buy in 16g or 25kg sacks directly from Doves Farm on-line.
Example:
I use a mixer, Kitchen Aid in my case, to do the first mix (5 mins) and after that I just stretch by hand. I follow James’ method and prove overnight in the fridge in cheap Banneton baskets (available cheaper on Amazon that Bakery Bits).
The key thing then, and this really works brilliantly, is to bake in cast iron pots. I heat the cast iron dishes up as the oven is heating up to 240 C, whip them out of the oven and sprinkle some flour in to prevent sticking, dump my proved dough into the dish, score with a razor blade tool, put a lid on, then into the oven asap.
I bake 25 mins with lid on. The steam created by the lid gives a very even rise. I turn temp down to 200ish, remove lids and cook for further 20mins.
Delivers far better bread than I can buy at the supermarket (Waitrose is my local).
I make and feed the starter with Rye flour and tepid water. Strong white flour I buy in 16g or 25kg sacks directly from Doves Farm on-line.
Example:
sunnybob":3bpycrlh said:
Yes, I used to do it that way but changed to doing it in the Kitchenaid.
I prepare it a couple of days in advance to let the flavour develop in a covered bowl. The dough gets flattened out and coated with tomatoe sauce then popped into the oven on Pizza setting on a stone. Three minutes later I take it out, top off with the other ingredients then back in the oven for a few more minutes.
This method was suggested by an Italian pizzaiolo on YouTube and works very well.
For anyone not able to get a good loaf out of a Panasonic I’d say, “try putting the paddle in it”. If this isn’t the cause then fair play but just stay away from anything more complicated than a screwdriver! :lol:
Edit: This is the way I do it using a stone. I use Caputo Pizzeria Flour Blue and dried Yeast and Napolina peeled plum tomatoes which are delicious.
https://youtu.be/gnMejlcK-0o
I have been known to omit the paddle.
I once made a loaf for a friend who was interested in my home made bread. He bought the paddle back to me
But if you really want a different loaf from your panasonic, try forgetting to put the water in. I did that about 20 years ago and its still brought up occasionally in conversations with my wife. :shock:
I once made a loaf for a friend who was interested in my home made bread. He bought the paddle back to me
But if you really want a different loaf from your panasonic, try forgetting to put the water in. I did that about 20 years ago and its still brought up occasionally in conversations with my wife. :shock:
AJB Temple
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Normally I make two Mike. If we have visitors I make three. I always have one in the freezer. Out at 9am and ready to use by noon. With offspring home from uni until a couple of weeks ago, eating endless bacon and potato sandwiches, we get through a lot of sourdough.
Usually for two I use 300g fermented starter, 900g strong white, 700 gram tepid water, 22g sel de gris (my favourite salt).
Usually for two I use 300g fermented starter, 900g strong white, 700 gram tepid water, 22g sel de gris (my favourite salt).
Mike G
Petrified Pine
The thing with that fermented starter, though, is that its strength varies considerably, doesn't it? During lockdown when I ran out of dried yeast I made a batch of my own (starting with the last teaspoon of dried yeast), and despite assiduous care results varied from excellent to hilariously awful.
AJB Temple
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No. This particular starter I have been feeding since late last year. I use the same rye flour throughout. I feed immediately after splitting off enough to bake, and I keep the starter in the fridge until Wednesday when I feed again and leave it out overnight. On Thursday I make the dough in the morning in the mixer. autolyse for 30 mins, and quick mix again. Two stretches during the day (30 seconds with wet fingers) then chuck it on a board to relax for 30 mins, split into loaf portions. Scoop into the Bannetons and then into fridge overnight. Bake first thing the next day.
Starter is absolutely consistent.
I have had horrendous results in the past, and gave up, but since getting the James Morton book, my results have been consistent, as I have followed a simple routine and used high quality flour. I think it is idiot proof. Consumes little time or effort and delivers high quality professional looking bread.
Adrian
(PS - I very rarely through starter away as some suggest. This is why I keep it in the fridge - no daily feeding.almost no waste)
Starter is absolutely consistent.
I have had horrendous results in the past, and gave up, but since getting the James Morton book, my results have been consistent, as I have followed a simple routine and used high quality flour. I think it is idiot proof. Consumes little time or effort and delivers high quality professional looking bread.
Adrian
(PS - I very rarely through starter away as some suggest. This is why I keep it in the fridge - no daily feeding.almost no waste)
Tesco sell Doves Farm White Rye Flour so I bought some the other day. 100% Rye, even with extra yeast didn’t rise enough in the Panasonic so I tried 30% mixed with normal strong white bread flour and it came out ok. Tastes really nice if you can get it. 
Woodster":3dqdr307 said:Tesco sell Doves Farm White Rye Flour so I bought some the other day. 100% Rye, even with extra yeast didn’t rise enough in the Panasonic so I tried 30% mixed with normal strong white bread flour and it came out ok. Tastes really nice if you can get it.
I bought some of that too. Added some to a sourdough and it virtually killed the rise. Side of the packet recommends it for scones not bread... so may try some scones with it.
Woodbloke
Sequoia
I recently wondered why my Pansonic 'large' loaves had all of a sudden gone 'small' and a bit solid and a bit chewy. It transpires that the yeast I was using had become 'tired' :eusa-whistle: and probably beyond it's sell by date. I made a loaf with some new, fresh yeast straight out the packet and viola...back to 'large' loaves
I now keep all my dry instant yeast in the freezer which doesn't appear to do it any harm - Rob
I now keep all my dry instant yeast in the freezer which doesn't appear to do it any harm - Rob
Robert":20152545 said:
The packet just happens to have a scone recipe on it, it doesn’t say you can’t use it for bread.
In fact they have a recipe for White Rye bread on their website:
https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/recipes/white-rye-loaf
AJB Temple
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My experience with sourdough is that I make the starter out of rye, but make the bread out of strong white only. So for two loaves this will be 300g sourdough active starter (home made supply from just rye flour and water) to 900g of strong white flour, 600g of tepid water (below 35 degrees so the yeast is not killed off) and, after autolyse, 22g of salt (I use sel de gris as I like the flavour, and it is very cheap on-line).
I have experimented with substituting spelt, wholegrain, einkorn and various other things for about 200g from the 900g and it always makes the loaves heavy.
If you are using a mixer as do, I find the limit for a 4.8 litre type such as the Kitchen Aid standard sized one (wish I had bought bigger) is 450g starter, 1350g flour, 900 water and 34g salt. That comes just over the paddle and does not overwhelm the machine. Makes three good loaves. I would expect similar for a Kenwood Chef (used to have - no idea what happened to it).
I have experimented with substituting spelt, wholegrain, einkorn and various other things for about 200g from the 900g and it always makes the loaves heavy.
If you are using a mixer as do, I find the limit for a 4.8 litre type such as the Kitchen Aid standard sized one (wish I had bought bigger) is 450g starter, 1350g flour, 900 water and 34g salt. That comes just over the paddle and does not overwhelm the machine. Makes three good loaves. I would expect similar for a Kenwood Chef (used to have - no idea what happened to it).
John Brown
Sapling
I'm almost the reverse... I've given up on sourdough, as I really like dark, grainy loaves, and although I've had some success with white sourdough, when I try to bake multigrain loaves I end up with bricks.
We now buy Malthouse flour direct from Shipton Mill in Tetbury, 16kg at a time. They deliver, and we split it with our neighbours.
3 cups flour, 1.5 cups warm water, 1tsp salt and 1tsp dried yeast.
Mix it up in a bowl, cover and leave for anywhere between 4 hours and overnight.
Place the big cast-iron Le Creuset in the oven set to 220c.
Tip the dough out, form it roughly into a loaf shape. put in back into the cleaned bowl on a length of parchment.
When the oven reaches temperature, pull out the pot, lower the dough in by means of the parchment, put the lid back on and cook for 30 mins. After 30 mins, remove the lid and cook for another 15.
Best bread I've ever had.
We now buy Malthouse flour direct from Shipton Mill in Tetbury, 16kg at a time. They deliver, and we split it with our neighbours.
3 cups flour, 1.5 cups warm water, 1tsp salt and 1tsp dried yeast.
Mix it up in a bowl, cover and leave for anywhere between 4 hours and overnight.
Place the big cast-iron Le Creuset in the oven set to 220c.
Tip the dough out, form it roughly into a loaf shape. put in back into the cleaned bowl on a length of parchment.
When the oven reaches temperature, pull out the pot, lower the dough in by means of the parchment, put the lid back on and cook for 30 mins. After 30 mins, remove the lid and cook for another 15.
Best bread I've ever had.
John Brown
Sapling
It's true, they are expensive. We tend to use ours as the bread bin, as well as the cooking pot.
AJB Temple
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There is a difference in my experience. I have AGA and LeCresuet (many years old) and have used a few cheap ones. I find the enamel detaches from the cheap ones on Amazon etc and they chip very easily. I didn't buy them but offspring did and they looked rough after only a year of use.
However, you don't need enamelled. An ordinary cast iron dutch oven with lid can be found if you shop around, quite cheaply. Easy to season them for use then they will not stick.
However, you don't need enamelled. An ordinary cast iron dutch oven with lid can be found if you shop around, quite cheaply. Easy to season them for use then they will not stick.
flying haggis
Sapling
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our 20 year old panasonic breadmaker gave up the ghost on us at the weekend. the drive cog in the bottom of the machine snapped in two. so out of the garage came the spare I got for £2 at a car boot sale and it works perfectly. (a new drive cog is about £9 !!)
My panasonic is still working fine, but coincidentally we are trying to get a sourdough starter going, and its not doing much.
Followed all the steps but this is now 10 days and according to the instructions we should not use it till a piece dropped in water floats.
Is this correct?
Followed all the steps but this is now 10 days and according to the instructions we should not use it till a piece dropped in water floats.
Is this correct?
ten days and nothing, chuck it and start again.
or better yet find someone you can get a starter from.
I chucked our sourdough starter last year, it wasn't worth the effort. yes the bread was lovely but it simply was to much effort vs the improvement over a standard yeast loaf. The starter had been on ice for a few months before I chucked it, I knew nobody who would have wanted it anyway and the culture is still out there with friends if I ever want to start it again.
we have a panasonic bread maker for every day loafs and use the dutch oven no knead recipe for when a better loaf is needed. pizza dough is cheated with greek yoghurt and flour and whilst it isn't a sour dough recipe it's good enough that quite a few of my work colleagues now use it too.
ok, the bread maker isn't the best bread, but it's a darn sight better than an overprocessed loaf from the store. the original recipes have all been altered to suit our water and location so we get a fairly admirable loaf these days, I might need to right it down at some point though otherwise when my wife finally kicks me out she won't have a clue how to make a good loaf. :lol:
or better yet find someone you can get a starter from.
I chucked our sourdough starter last year, it wasn't worth the effort. yes the bread was lovely but it simply was to much effort vs the improvement over a standard yeast loaf. The starter had been on ice for a few months before I chucked it, I knew nobody who would have wanted it anyway and the culture is still out there with friends if I ever want to start it again.
we have a panasonic bread maker for every day loafs and use the dutch oven no knead recipe for when a better loaf is needed. pizza dough is cheated with greek yoghurt and flour and whilst it isn't a sour dough recipe it's good enough that quite a few of my work colleagues now use it too.
ok, the bread maker isn't the best bread, but it's a darn sight better than an overprocessed loaf from the store. the original recipes have all been altered to suit our water and location so we get a fairly admirable loaf these days, I might need to right it down at some point though otherwise when my wife finally kicks me out she won't have a clue how to make a good loaf. :lol:
ScaredyCat
Sapling
I do mine manually.
I use a basic 500g flour, 300ml warm water*, 10g salt, sachet of yeast for mine and then cook in a Dutch oven (18 mins with lid on, 25 with it off). Made one yesterday with a slight variation and created a 'poolish' which I left overnight for yesterday morning. Up early and had it ready for mid morning. Wife made chicken soup... was all gone just after lunch :lol:
Top tip: 200ml cold/tap water + 100ml boiling from kettle == perfect temp.
I use a basic 500g flour, 300ml warm water*, 10g salt, sachet of yeast for mine and then cook in a Dutch oven (18 mins with lid on, 25 with it off). Made one yesterday with a slight variation and created a 'poolish' which I left overnight for yesterday morning. Up early and had it ready for mid morning. Wife made chicken soup... was all gone just after lunch :lol:
Top tip: 200ml cold/tap water + 100ml boiling from kettle == perfect temp.
AJB Temple
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Sunny Bob - really you need a whole grain flour to make a foolproof starter. I use Rye flour. I don't bother with seeing if it floats and stuff - if it is bubbling away then it is usable. If you want to give it a little head start, you can add a little orange juice to the water you use to make the starter. Once you get it going it is practically idiot proof. My system has no waste. I can send you the method from James Mortons book if you want to PM me.
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At times ( well most times to be honest) when I can't ar$ed to make pizza dough, I thaw a couple of naan breads and build those up with pizza toppings. Save time and prior planning for dinner.
Bob
Bob
Gill
Nordic Pine
The James Morton book is well worth having . I've recently taken to making the bread dough in my Panasonic and then baking it in a halogen oven. It seems to get a better rise and it doesn't have a blade-sized hole either. I'll be making some bap dough this evening and leaving it in the fridge overnight to prove.
. I've recently taken to making the bread dough in my Panasonic and then baking it in a halogen oven. It seems to get a better rise and it doesn't have a blade-sized hole either. I'll be making some bap dough this evening and leaving it in the fridge overnight to prove.