Breadmaker recommendation request

[Michi]

What ratio of flours are you using, all 100% white baker's flour?

Here is the recipe: Sourdough rye beer bread

 

[KenHash]

Zoujirushi Virtuoso. Only one recomended by King Arthur Flour. Used mine for 6 years never a failure or problem. Put it up for sale just before moving and a buyer wanted it within 48 hours of the ad being put up. And had people asking if it was still available afterwards.

 

[backdoc]

Congratulations! It's fun, isn't it?


I'm far from being an expert at this point. But, from looking at the crumb, I am guessing that there may have been insufficient gluten development. You got some oven spring, but not a all that much, which also suggests that the gluten network may not have been as strong as it could be.

I'd make sure to thoroughly knead the dough and check that, before the bulk rise, the dough passes the window pane test. If not, wait another half hour and do a few more slap-and-folds until you have good gluten.

For baking, I pre-heat a dutch oven to 260 ºC and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. This traps steam and helps to create a nice crispy crust. (Without steam, the crust will be only so-so.) Then take the lid off, reduce temperature to 230 ºC, and bake for 20 more minutes.

Final tip: make sure your starter is really active before mixing it into the dough. It makes a big difference.

Here is one I made last night:
View attachment 84016
View attachment 84017

Looks great! Definitely a different crumb structure.

 

[ExistentialHero]

Zoujirushi Virtuoso. Only one recomended by King Arthur Flour. Used mine for 6 years never a failure or problem. Put it up for sale just before moving and a buyer wanted it within 48 hours of the ad being put up. And had people asking if it was still available afterwards.

I have one of these as well. It's excellent. The two-paddle kneading setup really helps, and it can make real horizonal sandwich loaves which is important for my toast-devouring toddler.

The KA recipes are also uniformly excellent. I was making this one twice a week until local supplies of the White Whole Wheat flour ran out: 100% Whole Wheat Bread for the Bread Machine

Now I have a sourdough starter running and make this one instead: Bread Machine Sourdough Bread
It uses ADY for leavening and the starter is mostly for flavor, but it works really well and delivers consistent results with predictable timing, which, again, is important for my toddler

 

[Barashka]

Here is one I made last night:

That's gorgeous! Excellent job!
I'll try to follow the recipe soon, I don't have half the ingredients : | (including beer, pretty sure port won't do, or chartreuse .. my only two alcohols)

 

[ExistentialHero]

I have one of these as well. It's excellent. The two-paddle kneading setup really helps, and it can make real horizonal sandwich loaves which is important for my toast-devouring toddler.

The KA recipes are also uniformly excellent. I was making this one twice a week until local supplies of the White Whole Wheat flour ran out: 100% Whole Wheat Bread for the Bread Machine

Now I have a sourdough starter running and make this one instead: Bread Machine Sourdough Bread
It uses ADY for leavening and the starter is mostly for flavor, but it works really well and delivers consistent results with predictable timing, which, again, is important for my toddler

Current loaf from that last KA recipe:

 

[BazookaJoe]

I can't thank you guys enough. Made some bread the old fashioned way hand kneading, some in the Kitchenaid mixer, got just ok results. Never knew about the no-knead recipes before reading this thread. Tried the KA recipe No-Knead Crusty White Bread and it was the best!

 

[Barashka]

Very nicely done people!
Here's my latest attempt. Same no kneed recipe, but a new half whole wheat flour.
Quite happy with it! I'll work on the crust and maybe some more steam in the oven to ad some bounce.
I might not need a breadmaker now ...

 

[Michi]

Here's my latest attempt.

Aha!!!

That's a big improvement. Looks like you got much better oven spring and a nicer crumb this time. Looks tasty!

 

[JakeLoveshighCarbon]

It seemed like the no knead recipes were basically as much work as the kneaded variety. People seem to like it for the bubble formation, but doesnt save all that much time.

I reccomend goodwill bread makers. I plug them in at the store to make sure that they start kneading right away. Some brands set for the first couple minutes which I dont like because sometimes I just want it to mix and not bake.

 

[Barashka]

An update!

Tried adding cranberries .. did pretty nice.
Tried adding cherries .. becomes amazing : P

Tried adding milk, but that makes the bread faaar too soft for me.
Tried adding white wine .. and that makes the bread very aromatic and very puffy but not like milk-squishy. I think it somehow diminishes salt effect? seems like taste is more boring, but I may have just added less salt.

I'm going to try adding honey, so far brown sugar isn't making it sweet enough.
I'm going to try baking open lid for last 20 minutes at 450 instead of 400 for more crust ..

 

[VicVox72]

I love making no knead pure rye sour dough breads / or minimal knead rye spelt mix sourdoughs.

1.5 cups water mixed with 1/3 cup very happy rye starter. Mix in (gently!) 2.5 cups rye flour and 7-11g of salt. Pour wet mix into buttered tall baking form. Do this in the evening and in the morning heat oven up to 400F. Bake for at least 20min before checking up on it. Then periodically check internal temperature. Remove from oven at 98Celsius internal temp. Remove from form. Wait at least 1 hour. Dig in!

You can change the flour composition quite a lot from pure rye to rye with spelt (note, you likely need a little bit more total flour, so substitute 1 part rye with perhaps 1.15 parts spelt). And you need to increase the amount of kneading you give it proportionally to the amount of spelt. I'd go up to 1 cup rye plus 2 cups spelt at maximum and a very thorough hand knead after mixing.

You can add seeds, herbs, spices. I often add a liberal amount of caraway. Cumin seeds are also nice. Anise and fennel also give fun results.

 

[mlau]

OP.....best bread maker?

Get a Le Creuset dutch oven!
Add no-knead dough (preferably sourdough). Let rise. Serve with tons of butter.

 

[VicVox72]

OP.....best bread maker?

Get a Le Creuset dutch oven!
Add no-knead dough (preferably sourdough). Let rise. Serve with tons of butter.

Or start with Lodge at 20% of the price to give it a virtually risk free try

 

[mlau]

Or start with Lodge at 20% of the price to give it a virtually risk free try

Fair enough. Did I mention that I bought mine used? I think I paid $100 for my 3.5 qt from an ex-navy ordinance guy who....blew up cast iron for a living.

 

[VicVox72]

That's definitely a great price (conditional it hadn't been used as target practice yet )

 

[Uncle Mike]

Advantage of a bread machine - it’s 108° here today and I don’t want to turn on the oven. Preheat oven with stone at 450° for one hour, bake for 40 min. That’s a no go.