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possibly is a dud
The first thing to happen - within seconds of turning it on - should be the loud sound of the machine mixing the ingrediants together - this goes on for ages...
then it should get warm - ours then knocked back the loaf for a bit then proved it again then cooked it
Also - are you absolutely SURE you're using STRONG flour ? I know it sounds obvious but for 3 weeks we had flat bricks because MrSS didn't read the packet and used plain flour - not Strong
The correct volume of fluid is essential - if using fresh milk (I never use any milk - dry or fresh) - or if using oil instead of butter - the total fluid content must not exceed that given for eg water in the recipe
Do they have a trouble shooting guide with the machine ?
Is there a way to check that your yeast is alive?
(Maybe putting some in warm water with a little sugar and seeing if it bubbles after a while?)
I use dried easy bake yeast (even though its not recommended for bread making machines) and that works fine for me.
As another option - try buying a bread mix - if that works you know your bread maker is fine - which at least narrows things down.
This time it sat motionless for one hour 45 then sprang into life mixing the dough. We'll see what it comes out with at midnight.
Try it on the rapid bake - it should start mixing straight away, you should see the paddle moving if you peek.
BR: I think the delay before springing into life may be because you've set it on a granuary/wholemeal bread - something to do with letting the flour soak to soften it. (It's a long time since I read the manual for mine :-)
1 lb of flour
1 tsp of bicard of soda
1 450ml carton of low-fat natural yoghurt
handful of dried rosemary and basil
handful of sunflower / pumpkin seeds if required.
Heat oven to about 200 degrees (sorry - don't do Gas!).
Sift flour and bicard of soda into large mixing bowl. Throw in herbs. Can also throw in sunflower/pumpkin seeds if desired. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the yoghurt.
Now this is the tricky bit. You sort of make a claw with your hand and dip it in the middle of the yoghurt and sort of swirl it around until all the flour and stuff is amalgamated. You might need to add a small amount of water but to give you an idea, it should be about Scone consistency.
Flour a board and wop the mixture onto the board and just fold over in a similar fashion to making scones.
Put onto a baking tray (preferably floured as well to stop loaf sticking!) and make into a round. Use a knife to mark a cross in the top (to let the fairies out!) and then wop in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Test after thirty mins by tapping bottom of bread - if it sounds hollow, it's done!
What could be simpler - and without a machine!
I can't stand it now tho!
BR - could be its automatically setting itself for a delayed start ?
Quite like the sound of pizzas with it though - haven't tried that!
<<Scuttles off to check contents of fridge to see if he could make some as a late night feast>>
The machine will be quiet for a while after you set it in motion. It has a temperature regulator inside, so if you keep lifting the lid you might be hampering that.
This may sound daft, but are you using strong flour? And the proper yeast - easy bake, quick action NOT the normal yeast.
I'm as cack-handed with modern technology as they come. But I'm on my second Panasonic (first one lasted about 10 years I think) and if you follow the instructions, make sure everything's the right type of ingredient, in the correct order and quantity, you can't really go wrong.
Don't expect the bread to taste like home-made bread tho...it tastes more like "shop bought" bread..I think it's cos of the type of yeast you have to use
The flour is Organic Strong Unbleached White Bread Flour `Ideal for Bread Machines' and the yeast is Allinson Easy Bake Yeast `Ideal Yeast for Bread Makers and Hand Baking'.
Not read all the thread but think you ae having problems?
I use same ingredients and found I was having problems with loaves after around 15 attempts it worked and is working still....touches wood very quickly I think it is been very acurate with ingredients I tend to use a bit more yeast than suggested and I do use Olive oil instead of butter.Mine is a Morphy richards had it about 4 years or so.
Miles makes smiles.
Progression
Make sure you are adding the ingredients to the pan in the order stated in the recipe. This is normally yeast followed by flour, followed by the other bits, salt butter, water etc. This ensures that the salt doesn't come into contact with yeast, which would kill it. Also make sure the quantities are correct and that you have selected the right program for the bread you are trying to make.
Good Luck
Vital that the yeast doesn't come in to direct contact with the salt OR the water.
Exact quantity of salt is also vital - not sure I remember exactly why, but it is (bitter experience......)
My last loaf was a bread mix one - sunflower seed loaf - just add water. Came out perfectly.
I use Wright's Srong White which I buy in 18Kg bags from Botley Flour Mill in Botley, Hants. Cheaper than buying flour in the supermarket. Check out flour mills on the net... a lot of them do mail order.
I use Dove's Farm Quick yeast (Waitrose)which comes in a single packet which you store in the fridge. I find the 2g little sachets in most packet yeasts a bit too fiddly to measure out. The dove packet makes it easy to measure the tsps.
Occasionally I make a dud loaf but on the whole the Prima's a good model.
A colleague of mine had terrible trouble with his machine.... turned out he was using Lo-salt and not table salt. Soon as he changed all was well.
Our bread doesn't last long as we eat it while it still warm. I bought an electric slicing machine so we can have thin slices and not doormats.
Sorry, another bread machine bore!
BL
Managed to keep the yeast away from the water and added a touch extra and we have a loaf of bread:-)
A bit spongy, but I'll add a bit less water next time to get a better texture. Didn't realise it's all so precise - a bit like running intervals to HR really....
(becoming a bread and running bore...)
welcome to the bread machine bores club then Barnsley!
Bread making is a science rather than an art. The trick is to follow recipes carefully. I use a digital scale to measure the water, ie 1 fl oz weighs 1 actual ounce and 100 ml weighs 100g.It is goo for weighing the flour as well as I just put the bread machine on the scale and add the ingrients pressing zero after each one. I have a Morphy Richards that make 'proper' sized loaves and it is brilliant.
A good breadmaker book is The Ultimate Bread machine cookbook by Jennie Shapter
‹a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0754805999/qid=1097861956/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-8208343-4890254
"› Amazon site‹/a›
If you have the book club people round your way they usually do it a lot cheaper
Enjoy
What Josie says is right, BR. EXACT measurements are essential. Especially of the liquid content. You have read the manual all the way through, haven't you? :-)
Some things I've discovered through trial and error: use warm water rather than cold; use caster sugar rather than regular granulated; salt can be severely reduced without really affecting the result; the rapid-bake programs give surprisingly good results.
The reason I got mine was that it make proper looking loaves and the slices make normal sized sandwiches. I've never used it to make anything other than bread.
And another thing - does anyone have any tips or recipes for a decent rye loaf? My machine's recipe book only has one for about one third rye content and I'd like something closer to the stuff I used to love in Russia (with caraway seeds, yum!) I use the Panasonic, btw.
Let's keep this thread going as a bread recipe swap zone!
Granary loaf on the go as I type :-)