[mumofstig]

Indeed! 

[Ice]

Might have to buy myself another one after reading this thread.  My cheesy loaf was nectar of the gods.  Being a small loaf meant it never had the chance to go stale and making a fresh loaf was a doddle.  

So it had a hole in it's bottom.....don't we all.

[wighty]

Ours is consigned to the back of the cupboard, might get it out again and give it another chance though.  We can only let it mix the dough, if we let it cook it it trips the switch on the board.  Was one from Morrissons (or was it Safeways then).

[grendel]

Well working from the recipe in the pamphlet that came with the machine, it produced an acceptable loaf, though the top sank slightly telling me that either there was a tad too much yeast or too much water, I'll let you know how it tastes later.
Grendel

[grendel]

and that ubiquitous hole?
Grndel

[jrko]

can certainly see the benefit,s of taste and conveinience for someone with a busy life style...........still staying with the purists on this one

tried all 3 versions, shop, machine & by hand.  By hand wins by a mile and the difference between hand made and machine made is bigger than the one between bought & machine made.  I think its the proving time and the turning/folding by hand that make the difference.

My wife loves baking and we are fortunate that one of her friends Father is a retired master baker. The loaves & roles he turns out are unbelievable and he is kindly giving her lessons - I REALLY enjoy eating her homework  

[grendel]

my mum still makes bread by hand every other day, has done all my life. thats over 50 years now.
for me its down to the timings between, I could put the bread on when I left for work, and by the time the rest of the house wanted breakfast there wasa nice hot fresh loaf waiting.

Grendel

[A. Fallowfield]

I've had a Morphy Richards, which as far as I know is still going, then a Breville £85 which was c**p. I now have a top of the range Panasonic which gives superb results every time. The paddle just leaves a paddle shaped slot in the bread.

[Springlands]

Might have to buy myself another one after reading this thread.  My cheesy loaf was nectar of the gods.  Being a small loaf meant it never had the chance to go stale and making a fresh loaf was a doddle.  

So it had a hole in it's bottom.....don't we all.

I have just spluttered diet coke all over my computer. 

[Mrs Bee]

can certainly see the benefit,s of taste and conveinience for someone with a busy life style -- didnt realise that is all you had to do with them ---- but hey guy,s and gal,s not being swayed --- still staying with the purists on this one hee hee 

OK Jay, I have been making my own bread both by hand and in the Kenwood since I married in the seventies. I started off with the Sunday times book of real bread and would consider myself a purist when it comes to the taste of real breads.

I always said I didn't need a bread maker. I know how to make bread. But I was tempted to get one to try after a colleague showed me her loaf and breadmaker and I am converted. Even if I don't use the breadmaker to cook the bread it is brilliant for making bread doughs. Just stick  in the ingredients and leave it till it beeps. Dough is  all nicely risen in the bucket and I don't have to go looking for warm places to let the dough rise.

And if I am in  a hurry the machine bakes a really good whole meal loaf while I do other stuff. I find using oil on the paddle helps  it come out of the loaf.

I bake even more since I have had the bread machines. ANd to stop the loaf going stale before we can eat it I make a small loaf, cut it in half and freeze it. ANy stale is made into breadcrumbs or B&B pud.

I have to admit to having 3 bread makers but there in lies another story. But that is great 'cos I can have three different types of bread dough going at once and then fill up the oven to use the electrickery.

At the moment I am waiting for some to be ready to make into 3 very large pizza sized bread rolls for son's sarnies. Instead of making a loaf and slicing it into sarnies I make a giant foccacia cut it horizontally, fill it and cut it into wedges and freeze them. Sooooo much quicker and crustier than ordinary sarnies.

[Aidy]

I miss my breadmaker big time, still trying to source a drive belt before I give up and buy a new one.
As regards to baking by hand or using the BM, for me to wake uo with fresh bread waiting to be taken out the BM wins hands down, no way am I getting up at stupid O clock to make a fresh loaf. Put your stuff in, set the timer and wake up to the smell of fresh bread.
grendal, long shot here, do you still have the drive bellt from the old machine? mine an MR too. might just fit.

[grendel]

I certainly do, I will have to strip it down again to get it, but thats no problem, mine was a fastbake, pm me an address and I'll stick it in the post.
Grendel

[grendel]

the drivebelt is off now so just let me know if you want it.
Grendel

[grendel]

todays wholemeal offering.
Grendel

[joyfull]

looks lovely