I have a cheap (Argos) Cookworks breadmaker which has given good service,
but my only quibble is that I can't stand the hole that the paddle leaves in
the bottom of the loaf. So much so that I have recently started using the
machine for mixing the dough only and baking in the normal way. However,
this is tying in terms of time and attention and seems to defeat the purpose
of having the machine. Are there any machines which would obviate all this?

Regards and thanks in advance

P J Macguire

PS I'm not keen on the cube shape of loaf that the machine produces, either!

"Observer" wrote in message
...
I have a cheap (Argos) Cookworks breadmaker which has given good service,
but my only quibble is that I can't stand the hole that the paddle leaves
in
the bottom of the loaf. So much so that I have recently started using the
machine for mixing the dough only and baking in the normal way. However,
this is tying in terms of time and attention and seems to defeat the
purpose
of having the machine. Are there any machines which would obviate all
this?

Regards and thanks in advance

P J Macguire

PS I'm not keen on the cube shape of loaf that the machine produces,
either!

I guess I never found the automatic bread maker more than a novelty. I
think they are fine if you don't know how to make bread, have no interest in
learning, and/or want to have bread made at a specific time - like 7:15 AM,
and you work the night shift.

If you have a food processor, use that to make your dough. It is much
quicker. The food processor can be used for many other chores, while the
bread maker can only do one or two things. The same can be said for a stand
mixer. It can make dough and do many other chores, especially if you have
some attachments.

"Observer" wrote in message
...
I have a cheap (Argos) Cookworks breadmaker which has given good service,
but my only quibble is that I can't stand the hole that the paddle leaves
in the bottom of the loaf. So much so that I have recently started using
the machine for mixing the dough only and baking in the normal way.
However, this is tying in terms of time and attention and seems to defeat
the purpose of having the machine. Are there any machines which would
obviate all this?

Regards and thanks in advance

I have the same machine and also hate the paddle damage. On my machine, the
final knead starts with 1hr 50mins left. It's a fiddle as you need to set
another timer, wet or oil hands and remove paddle.

P J Macguire

PS I'm not keen on the cube shape of loaf that the machine produces,
either!

Agreed, I find it irritating when the slice pokes out of the toaster. To
rectify, I reduce flour from 16 to 14 oz and adjust water.

Bertie

Observer wrote:

I have a cheap (Argos) Cookworks breadmaker which has given good service,
but my only quibble is that I can't stand the hole that the paddle leaves in
the bottom of the loaf. So much so that I have recently started using the
machine for mixing the dough only and baking in the normal way. However,
this is tying in terms of time and attention and seems to defeat the purpose
of having the machine. Are there any machines which would obviate all this?


I have heard that Morphy Richards breadmakers have some sort
of retractable paddle that leaves little or no hole.

Noises Off

On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:06:49 GMT, in uk.food+drink.misc, Vox Humana wrote:


"Observer" wrote in message
...
I have a cheap (Argos) Cookworks breadmaker which has given good service,
but my only quibble is that I can't stand the hole that the paddle leaves
in
the bottom of the loaf. So much so that I have recently started using the
machine for mixing the dough only and baking in the normal way. However,
this is tying in terms of time and attention and seems to defeat the
purpose
of having the machine. Are there any machines which would obviate all
this?

Regards and thanks in advance

P J Macguire

PS I'm not keen on the cube shape of loaf that the machine produces,
either!

I guess I never found the automatic bread maker more than a novelty. I
think they are fine if you don't know how to make bread, have no interest in
learning, and/or want to have bread made at a specific time - like 7:15 AM,
and you work the night shift.

If you have a food processor, use that to make your dough. It is much
quicker. The food processor can be used for many other chores, while the
bread maker can only do one or two things. The same can be said for a stand
mixer. It can make dough and do many other chores, especially if you have
some attachments.

They are fine also if you like homemade bread, like to experiment with
various mixes of flours, flavoured oils, seeds, etc. We often just use
the dough cycle, but I find that for some breads I prefer the texture when
I bake it in the ABM as well.

It's a lot more than a novelty. It's an easier way to make good bread
than the alternatives.

Doug
--
Doug Weller -- exorcise the demon to reply
Doug & Helen's Dogs http://www.dougandhelen.com
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk

"Doug Weller" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:06:49 GMT, in uk.food+drink.misc, Vox Humana wrote:


"Observer" wrote in message
...
I have a cheap (Argos) Cookworks breadmaker which has given good
service,
but my only quibble is that I can't stand the hole that the paddle
leaves
in
the bottom of the loaf. So much so that I have recently started using
the
machine for mixing the dough only and baking in the normal way.
However,
this is tying in terms of time and attention and seems to defeat the
purpose
of having the machine. Are there any machines which would obviate all
this?

Regards and thanks in advance

P J Macguire

PS I'm not keen on the cube shape of loaf that the machine produces,
either!

I guess I never found the automatic bread maker more than a novelty. I
think they are fine if you don't know how to make bread, have no interest
in
learning, and/or want to have bread made at a specific time - like 7:15
AM,
and you work the night shift.

If you have a food processor, use that to make your dough. It is much
quicker. The food processor can be used for many other chores, while the
bread maker can only do one or two things. The same can be said for a
stand
mixer. It can make dough and do many other chores, especially if you
have
some attachments.

They are fine also if you like homemade bread, like to experiment with
various mixes of flours, flavoured oils, seeds, etc. We often just use
the dough cycle, but I find that for some breads I prefer the texture when
I bake it in the ABM as well.

It's a lot more than a novelty. It's an easier way to make good bread
than the alternatives.

I don't agree. I have tried all the alternatives.

On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 22:32:11 GMT, in uk.food+drink.misc, Vox Humana wrote:


"Doug Weller" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:06:49 GMT, in uk.food+drink.misc, Vox Humana wrote:


"Observer" wrote in message
...
I have a cheap (Argos) Cookworks breadmaker which has given good
service,
but my only quibble is that I can't stand the hole that the paddle
leaves
in
the bottom of the loaf. So much so that I have recently started using
the
machine for mixing the dough only and baking in the normal way.
However,
this is tying in terms of time and attention and seems to defeat the
purpose
of having the machine. Are there any machines which would obviate all
this?

Regards and thanks in advance

P J Macguire

PS I'm not keen on the cube shape of loaf that the machine produces,
either!

I guess I never found the automatic bread maker more than a novelty. I
think they are fine if you don't know how to make bread, have no interest
in
learning, and/or want to have bread made at a specific time - like 7:15
AM,
and you work the night shift.

If you have a food processor, use that to make your dough. It is much
quicker. The food processor can be used for many other chores, while the
bread maker can only do one or two things. The same can be said for a
stand
mixer. It can make dough and do many other chores, especially if you
have
some attachments.

They are fine also if you like homemade bread, like to experiment with
various mixes of flours, flavoured oils, seeds, etc. We often just use
the dough cycle, but I find that for some breads I prefer the texture when
I bake it in the ABM as well.

It's a lot more than a novelty. It's an easier way to make good bread
than the alternatives.

I don't agree. I have tried all the alternatives.

Ok, which way gets you to the 2nd proofing stage in 3 minutes?

By the way, there is an ABM - Morphy Richards makes it - where the paddle
drops during baking, so no paddle hole!

Doug
--
Doug Weller -- exorcise the demon to reply
Doug & Helen's Dogs http://www.dougandhelen.com
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk

Doug Weller wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 22:32:11 GMT, in uk.food+drink.misc, Vox Humana wrote:


"Doug Weller" wrote in message
.. .
[ABMs]
It's a lot more than a novelty. It's an easier way to make good bread
than the alternatives.

I don't agree. I have tried all the alternatives.

Ok, which way gets you to the 2nd proofing stage in 3 minutes?

I can't think of one offhand. But (assuming you're using yeast rather
than baking powder) how on this earth or any other do you make *good*
bread after that?

regards
sarah


--
Think of it as evolution in action.

"Doug Weller" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 22:32:11 GMT, in uk.food+drink.misc, Vox Humana wrote:


"Doug Weller" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:06:49 GMT, in uk.food+drink.misc, Vox Humana
wrote:


"Observer" wrote in message
...
I have a cheap (Argos) Cookworks breadmaker which has given good
service,
but my only quibble is that I can't stand the hole that the paddle
leaves
in
the bottom of the loaf. So much so that I have recently started
using
the
machine for mixing the dough only and baking in the normal way.
However,
this is tying in terms of time and attention and seems to defeat the
purpose
of having the machine. Are there any machines which would obviate
all
this?

Regards and thanks in advance

P J Macguire

PS I'm not keen on the cube shape of loaf that the machine produces,
either!

I guess I never found the automatic bread maker more than a novelty.
I
think they are fine if you don't know how to make bread, have no
interest
in
learning, and/or want to have bread made at a specific time - like
7:15
AM,
and you work the night shift.

If you have a food processor, use that to make your dough. It is much
quicker. The food processor can be used for many other chores, while
the
bread maker can only do one or two things. The same can be said for a
stand
mixer. It can make dough and do many other chores, especially if you
have
some attachments.

They are fine also if you like homemade bread, like to experiment with
various mixes of flours, flavoured oils, seeds, etc. We often just use
the dough cycle, but I find that for some breads I prefer the texture
when
I bake it in the ABM as well.

It's a lot more than a novelty. It's an easier way to make good bread
than the alternatives.

I don't agree. I have tried all the alternatives.

Ok, which way gets you to the 2nd proofing stage in 3 minutes?

It depends on your terminology. Unfortunately there is no consistency.
What one person calls proofing (putting the yeast in water to see it is
active) another person may call hydration. Some people call the stage where
the dough rises the first time "proofing" while others call it
"fermentation." I use instant active dry yeast and call the first rise
"fermentation" so I don't have a stage that I call "proofing."

Now, if you are trying to say that the ABM mixes the dough and gets it
ready for the first rise in 3 minutes, then I can assure you that the food
processor can equal or beat that time. I put the bowl of my FP on the scale
and add the dry ingredients. The wet ingredients are added through the feed
tube and you have dough in seconds. I have done it so often that I seldom
weigh or measure anything but the yeast and salt. The dough comes together
in quickly and the kneading takes one minute.

I think it is splitting hairs to insist that the one method is quicker than
the other, or even easier. My point is that it IS splitting hairs and that
the FP has many other functions beyond making bread. The ABM has the
advantage that it will complete the chore unattended. It is great for
people who don't know how to bake and have no interest in learning. It is
fine for people on a tight schedule or how have limited function of the
hands. For the rest of us who also bake other things and who cook every
day, the ABM is a single-tasker that takes up a lot of space. I feel the
same way about other single-tasking kitchen appliances like rice cookers,
egg cookers, hotdog cookers, and so on.