Soggy top loaf with new Pansonic breadmaker

All about bread

Soggy top loaf with new Pansonic breadmaker

Postby poppikin » Wed May 06, 2009 10:30 am

I have just made my first loaf with a new Panasonic SD 254 bread maker and am very disappointed. I made the medium size, white in the rapid bake. I bought the Waitrose Canadian flour recommended, Doves quick yeast and followed the instructions that came with the machine precisely (and him who has to be obeyed supervised).

The loaf came out soggy on top.

Any ideas please anyone?

poppikin
poppikin
Registered Member
 
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 10:26 am

Postby BakuBanger » Wed May 06, 2009 10:50 am

No idea yet! I just bought an SD255 today and am keen to sample the results. I'll let you know how mine turns out!

I don't have access to the recommended ingredients and will have to make do with Plain White Flour & Yeast.
<a href="http://www.bakubangers.com">Sausages from Baku Bangers in Azerbaijan</a>
User avatar
BakuBanger
Registered Member
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:34 pm
Location: Baku,Azerbaijan

Postby poppikin » Wed May 06, 2009 12:31 pm

Thanks for your reply.

The instruction book is the same for SD255 and SD254 (the only difference is that SD255 makes Rye bread which I don't need) and I followed the instructions for the medium size soft crust rapid bake white loaf.

But, you cannot use Plain White Flour you mention it has to be Strong White Bread Flour and I saw it on a Forum that the Canadian recipe flour makes the best tasting bread. You cannot use just Yeast it has to be Fast Action or Easy Bake (etc) Yeast.

Be interested how you get on

poppikin
poppikin
Registered Member
 
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 10:26 am

Postby jenny_haddow » Wed May 06, 2009 12:52 pm

I use a Panasonic with spot on results all the time, even if I use fresh yeast on the rapid setting.

Did you take the loaf out of the machine as soon as it was cooked or was it left. If left the loaf can sweat and go soggy, so I take mine out straight away. When I make a loaf in any bread machine I control the initial mixing by adding more flour or water to achieve a good dough, not too stiff or not too sticky. I never put in the ingredients and leave it to its own devices until I'm happy with the dough. It could be that you mix was too wet.

Also if the loaf rose to the top of the machine and touched the lid you can get a soggy top.

Strong bread flour is the only way to go though, and I like Waitrose Canadian, although I grind my own now.

HTH

Jen
User avatar
jenny_haddow
Registered Member
 
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:54 am
Location: Cambridgeshire and France

Soggy top loaf with new Pansonic breadmaker

Postby poppikin » Wed May 06, 2009 1:41 pm

Thanks Jenny

As it was my first attempt with this new breadmaker I followed the instructions and quantities exactly.

They were 400g Strong Bread Flour (I used Waitrose Canadian), 1 tsp Fast Action Yeast (I used Dove Farm), 1 tsp sugar, 15g butter, 1 tsp salt and 280ml water.

Yes, I took it out straightaway it was done and was so excited I was waiting for the last minutes to count down.

I selected the light crust, there was only light crust and dark crust labelled and it wasn't clear if you could select a point in between for medium which was not labelled. The bread is well cooked and perfectly edible with a crust on the sides and bottom but no crust on the top which is almost white and pappy. It did not hit the top.

Any ideas please?

Which Panasonic do you have?

Thanks again

poppikin
poppikin
Registered Member
 
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 10:26 am

Postby jenny_haddow » Wed May 06, 2009 8:39 pm

I have an SD-206, quite ancient and no frills. My recipe is 1 tsp dried yeast, 500gr flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp milk powder, 1tsp salt, 300ml water. Dark crust and basic bake mode (4hrs).

These days I add 20gr of bread improver and bake on rapid, but the above recipe worked for me for years before I discovered the improver.

I think the most important thing is to watch it do the initial mixing and tweak it into a good dough.

Cheers

Jen
User avatar
jenny_haddow
Registered Member
 
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:54 am
Location: Cambridgeshire and France

Soggy top loaf with new Pansonic breadmaker

Postby poppikin » Thu May 07, 2009 2:34 am

Hello Jenny

Thanks for your reply but I still do not know what caused the loaf to have no crust on top although it did taste very nice and made super toast.

I even measured all of the ingredients into small pots first so that I wouldn't get them in the wrong order.

I'll bet my original Panasonic is older than yours - I had it in 1989 and then one day inexplicably it stopped making bread and just left a flat mess and I have seen that on quite a lot of Panasonic reviews. The old recipes used to contain milk powder - Marvel wasn't it - but this new one doesn't. I think originally it was to improve the taste if using cheaper flour but the Canadian flour gives a superb taste.

Could you please explain about tweaking the dough and how you do that? I've never liked to open the door once the breadmaker has started.

Thanks again
poppikin
poppikin
Registered Member
 
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 10:26 am

Postby BakuBanger » Thu May 07, 2009 4:24 am

Since you only made the medium loaf I find it unlikely that it rose enough to touch the top of the machine. Jenny may be correct though about the excess of water as on checking the troubleshooting tips it states that a soggy crust can be caused by excess steam from a dough which is too wet and recommends reducing the water content by 10-20ml.

I make various pies semi commercially and have noticed that just changing the brand of flour changes the amount of water required to make the dough. For that reason I always stick to the same brand of flour.


poppikin wrote:But, you cannot use Plain White Flour you mention it has to be Strong White Bread Flour and I saw it on a Forum that the Canadian recipe flour makes the best tasting bread. You cannot use just Yeast it has to be Fast Action or Easy Bake (etc) Yeast.

Be interested how you get on

poppikin


Unfortunately the recommended ingredients are just not available here in Azerbaijan. Everyone here makes white bread with 10% protein all purpose plain flour.

I made my first attempt last night at a Basic Large White Loaf with Dark Crust..........and despite forgetting to put the butter in :oops: the results were spectacular :lol:

I'm very impressed and am not sure whether I'll actually bother to put the butter in in future.
<a href="http://www.bakubangers.com">Sausages from Baku Bangers in Azerbaijan</a>
User avatar
BakuBanger
Registered Member
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:34 pm
Location: Baku,Azerbaijan

Postby BakuBanger » Thu May 07, 2009 6:16 am

Here's a photo of what's left of my first loaf made withe the wrong ingredients! :)

Image
<a href="http://www.bakubangers.com">Sausages from Baku Bangers in Azerbaijan</a>
User avatar
BakuBanger
Registered Member
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:34 pm
Location: Baku,Azerbaijan

Postby jenny_haddow » Thu May 07, 2009 7:00 am

There's no problem opening the lid during the initial kneading. Depending on which programme you use, with the rapid you can open it straight away as it starts the kneading immediately, but the longer programme has a half hour warm up before it starts to knead. You have to listen for the paddle turning and then open up.

Basically I stand ready with flour and water and watch the mix. If it looks too wet I add more flour a tblsp at a time until a good dough is achieved, if too stiff add water the same way. You want to a dough that isn't sticky to the touch. Once you have that, shut the lid and forget about it. I've had all types of bread machines and they have all made a good loaf using this method. One of the best was �10 in a Tesco sale and it's still going strong in my house in France.

As to milk powder, I believe it helps keep the bread longer. I read it somewhere a long time ago. If you use improver you don't need to add sugar, milk powder or fats, just flour water and salt.

Great looking loaf there BakuBanger, you must have some good flour available.

Cheers

Jen
User avatar
jenny_haddow
Registered Member
 
Posts: 1331
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 7:54 am
Location: Cambridgeshire and France

Postby BakuBanger » Thu May 07, 2009 7:55 am

Thanks for the advice Jen. Fortunately this one worked out using the set it and forget it mode.

Gerry
<a href="http://www.bakubangers.com">Sausages from Baku Bangers in Azerbaijan</a>
User avatar
BakuBanger
Registered Member
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:34 pm
Location: Baku,Azerbaijan

Soggy top loaf with new Pansonic breadmaker

Postby poppikin » Sun May 10, 2009 7:32 am

Hello Jenny

Thanks for your reply but I am still not having any luck with my bread maker.

I decided to make another similar (smallest size) loaf on the same rapid bake but weighed the flour on different scales and also selected the dark crust instead of the light. It came out more or less the same with a crust on the bottom and sides but no crust on the top, just soft. The loaf was also quite firm and not as "fluffy" as described.

I didn't try your adjustment with the flour and/or water mainly because as Bakubanger says with this machine you're just meant to set it and forget it.

I think it's really rotten that BakuBanger should have made such a superb looking loaf particularly when he said he could not get any special ingredients there and was having to use plain flour and then that he forgot the butter.

I just wonder as Bakubanger is in the baking "trade" if he threw the ingredients in in a special order or if there was anything else he did.

I'd be very grateful for any thoughts on mine as I followed the book exactly.

poppikin
poppikin
Registered Member
 
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 10:26 am

Re: Soggy top loaf with new Pansonic breadmaker

Postby BakuBanger » Sun May 10, 2009 3:49 pm

poppikin wrote:I just wonder as Bakubanger is in the baking "trade" if he threw the ingredients in in a special order or if there was anything else he did.

I'd be very grateful for any thoughts on mine as I followed the book exactly.

poppikin


...as did I. I just chucked everything as per the recipe, yeast at the bottom, dry ingredients next then adding the water carefully to make sure it doesn't immediately contact the yeast.

I've made another two since then better than the first one as I remembered to put the butter in this time. I'm not using the rapid bake though, I'm doing the four hour one.

poppikin wrote:I just wonder as Bakubanger is in the baking "trade"


I have never baked a loaf of bread in my life before!
<a href="http://www.bakubangers.com">Sausages from Baku Bangers in Azerbaijan</a>
User avatar
BakuBanger
Registered Member
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:34 pm
Location: Baku,Azerbaijan

Soggy top loaf with new Pansonic breadmaker

Postby poppikin » Mon May 11, 2009 1:55 am

Hello BakuBanger

I am full of admiration for your loaves and am only fed up that mine aren't the same with the same machine.

I hadn't meant any criticism about the use of your baking skills. Your pies look lovely and that knowledge must help. I did not know, for example, what you said about the yeast and the water and I'm not sure how to avoid that?


BakuBanger wrote:

"I just chucked everything as per the recipe, yeast at the bottom, dry ingredients next then adding the water carefully to make sure it doesn't immediately contact the yeast".

Please would you mind giving me a child's guide to where you put the sugar and the salt (and the butter!).

Thanks for all of the help.

poppikin
poppikin
Registered Member
 
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 10:26 am

Postby beardedwonder5 » Mon May 11, 2009 9:16 am

Stupid question. Does the bread machine have a heating element in the lid?
GOS, yeah!!!
beardedwonder5
Registered Member
 
Posts: 342
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:21 am
Location: Canterbury, Kent, UK

Next

Return to Bread Making

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests

cron