Breadmaker Recomendations

[kingrollo]

I've been making my own bread for around 2 years now. My motivation isn't to create the perfect loaf. It's the fact that I can control the way ingredients - as a cardiac patient I only use minimal salt and use wholemeal flour.

I'm thinking of getting a bread maker - but from what little I have read the breadmaker you buy comes with its own set of recipies - this may steer me away from my wholemeal/low salt preference.

So any recommendations for a breadmaker that will allow me to make wholemeal bread ?

 

[VinSumRox]

As far as I am aware most of them will have wholemeal recipes. The salt is only there for flavour, I just use half a teaspoon of LoSalt in my loaves and they are fine.
Ours is a Panasonic - the most basic model.

 

[mikeIow]

Ours is also Panasonic, & yes, it comes with a load of different recipes. Also put minimal salt in our loaves 👍

 

[Mike_P]

Also have a Panasonic, an emergency purchase just before Christmas the other year as my previous died. All that I could get was one with a yeast feeder and an added ingredients feeder both of which I have never used as the whole lot goes in the bowl. Has 31 different settings including 3 different whoke wheat ones.
Bread is bread and the supplied recipe book is only a suggestion. I use recipe sourced fron a BBC Good Food magazine.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Any machine will (usually) come with a recipe book for various breads.

However, this is just to show the user the versatility of the machine. It’s only a guide and you can make whatever recipe you choose. If you’re already making your own bread by hand, then all you need to do is follow the same hydration level, chuck it in the machine and see how it handles it. It might need a wee tweak but it really should work.

 

[geordie458]

Look for models with manual/custom program slots (like 5+). Panasonic or Lakeland let you tweak salt/flour ratios easy. Check reviews for wholemeal rise quality?

 

[stephec]

Another vote for Panasonic.

I got a bit fed up of the tall, square shape though and ended up using it to mix and prove before putting the dough into a traditional shaped bread tin and baking it in the oven.

 

[kingrollo]

Also have a Panasonic, an emergency purchase just before Christmas the other year as my previous died. All that I could get was one with a yeast feeder and an added ingredients feeder both of which I have never used as the whole lot goes in the bowl. Has 31 different settings including 3 different whoke wheat ones.
Bread is bread and the supplied recipe book is only a suggestion. I use recipe sourced fron a BBC Good Food magazine.

Yeah I make seeded sourdough from the BBC good food guide.

 

[kingrollo]

Any machine will (usually) come with a recipe book for various breads.

However, this is just to show the user the versatility of the machine. It’s only a guide and you can make whatever recipe you choose. If you’re already making your own bread by hand, then all you need to do is follow the same hydration level, chuck it in the machine and see how it handles it. It might need a wee tweak but it really should work.

I currently bake my bread for 35 minutes in the oven - how would I know how long to bake it in the breadmaker ?

 

[figbat]

The salt is only there for flavour…

Salt plays a more complex role than just flavour. It is involved in the building of gluten and helps control yeast activity, both of which have an impact on the structure and crumb, as well as flavour.

 

[Reynard]

^^^ this

Salt is effectively a "handbrake" on the yeast, allowing it to work without letting it go doolally. So ideally, if you're using less salt, you should use less yeast too. That will mean a much longer proof time, but then the advantage of that, is that you get a much more flavourful bread.

When using 100% wholemeal, you will have a denser loaf in general, as the bits of bran act like scissors on the strands of gluten.

 

[mikeIow]

Another vote for Panasonic.

I got a bit fed up of the tall, square shape though and ended up using it to mix and prove before putting the dough into a traditional shaped bread tin and baking it in the oven.

I like the idea of that….but invariably I’m making it for the morning, & the bread maker has such a nice delay start that our oven doesn’t. Or maybe I haven’t figured out how to do it with the oven 🫣🤣

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I currently bake my bread for 35 minutes in the oven - how would I know how long to bake it in the breadmaker ?

The recipe book that came with any machine I've had also listed the duration of each stage in the various program settings. Pick one that has a baking time nearest to your 35 minute target and test with that.

Out of interest, what's your ingredient list/quantities for your standard wholemeal loaf?

 

[Mike_P]

I currently bake my bread for 35 minutes in the oven - how would I know how long to bake it in the breadmaker ?

My Panasonic depending on the setting chosen bakes breads for 35 min to 1 hour. Before that it has knead and rise times of 10 min to 1 hr 20 and 1 hr to 4 hr 10m. Some have an initial rest period of 5 min to 1 hr 40.

 

[VinSumRox]

Salt plays a more complex role than just flavour. It is involved in the building of gluten and helps control yeast activity, both of which have an impact on the structure and crumb, as well as flavour.

Allegedly, I've made bread with no salt and it seems to work the same.