Do you fancy being wakened by the smell of fresh bread rather than the alarm clock? Perhaps it’s time to invest in a breadmaker, says expert Karen Saunder. 

If you love homemade bread, particularly speciality breads, but don’t have much time to spare, owning a breadmaking machine will give you the opportunity to indulge your passion. There are so many possibilities, both savoury and sweet, from a classic white loaf, simple wholemeal or rustic rye to breads from all round the world. Try focaccia, pitta, naan, brioches, muffins, bagels, tea breads, even pannetone and pizza. And a breadmaker really comes into its own if you are catering for family or friends who need to follow a special diet, which excludes wheat, gluten or dairy products.

The secrets of success

There’s no great mystique to using a breadmaker, says Karen, and if you’ve bought one (or been given one as a gift) and had problems using it, don’t be put off and just leave it sitting on the kitchen shelf. There are a few golden rules that should never be broken and sticking to these is the secret of success.
1. Choose the right yeast
2. Measure your ingredients properly using the measuring spoon supplied (never household cutlery)
3. Add ingredients in the right order
4. Have a look! Although some instruction books advise against it,
I’d advise you to look at the dough while it’s mixing and kneading – even have a quick feel of it

Get to know your breadmaker

In her recently published paperback, Tips for your Breadmaker, Karen describes how to get started. First of all, she says, you must get to know your breadmaker and its parts. Understanding how it fits together and what each part is for will increase your confidence. Practise removing the metal bucket a few times when it is cold so that when you have to remove a hot loaf, you are familiar with the mechanism. Always remove the bucket to add ingredients to prevent spillage into the inner cavity and stop ingredients burning on to the elements.  

If the kneading blade is removable, practise fitting it on to the shaft a few times before making your first loaf. Check the position of the vents on your machine. During the baking cycle they may puff out steam so check that there is adequate room around and above your machine for the steam to escape safely.

Keep your machine in a dry, draught-proof place at a comfortable room temperature. Never keep it outside or in the garage and never place it in direct sunlight or next to the hob or oven.

Even though breadmakers control the environment in which your bread is made, the external environment can still affect them. So bear in mind that if a trusted recipe suddenly fails, it could simply be due to turning on the central heating or the fact that the weather is very hot.

You’ll find lots more information on using your breadmaker, plus recipes, step-by-step troubleshooting and answers to frequently asked questions in Karen’ s book (see the special WI member offer below).

Please visit our recipe index for bread recipes to try in your new breadmaker.

Buying a breadmaker

These days there’s a good selection of breadmakers to choose from, ranging in price from £39.99 to £99.99, depending on the features you require. They make white, brown and speciality loaves, cakes and even jam. Some are programmable for overnight baking. The most recent survey by Which? magazine (July 2006) confirms that breadmakers are half the price they were a decade ago and far more versatile.

In addition to making white, brown and speciality loaves, they can be used to make cakes, jam and even pasta. Some are programmable for overnight baking. Their three Best Buys – the Panasonic SD252, Panasonic SD253 and the Russell Hobbs Breadman Junior – cost less than £100, make really tasty bread and are easy to use and clean. For the full report, you should find back issues of Which? at your local library.

Morphy Richards Compact Coolwall Breadmaker, £39.99
If price and space are key factors, this model is ideal. Compact and oval in shape, It bakes a 1lb or 1.5lb loaf, has a choice of ten baking programmes (including cake and jam settings) and offers light, medium or dark crust settings. The kneading blade folds down to prevent a large blade hole at the bottom of the loaf.

Morphy Richards Stainless Steel Fastbake Breadmaker £69.99
This model bakes a 2lb or 5lb loaf and has an overnight programmable timer so that you can wake up to fresh bread. There’s a 60-minute keep-warm facility and also a fastbake option for cooking a 2lb loaf in less than an hour.

Morphy Richards Fastbake Cooltouch (£59.99) includes the same features as the Stainless Steel Fastbake but has Cooltouch sides – safer when there are children around. For stockists tel: 0870 060 2614 or visit www.morphyrichards.com

Kenwood BM250 Breadmaker, £49.99
This latest model from Kenwood has a one-hour fast bake setting13-hour delay timer and a choice of 12 programmes. It makes a 500g, 750g or 1kg loaf. You can choose from light, medium or dark crust and the LCD display will take you through the breadmaking process. The one-hour keep-warm setting will keep your bread warm if you decide to have a lie-in. Available from Curry's and Comet.

Russell Hobbs Breadman Compact,  Model 11775, £79.99
This model has 12 programmes and will bake three sizes of loaf – 500g, 750g and 1kg, with a choice of light, medium or dark crust. A programmable timer allows you to set the finishing time up to 13 hours ahead so that you can wake up to fresh bread, and there’s an additional one-hour keep-warm function.

There are a number of pre-set programmes or you can use the Super Rapid function to bake a white loaf in 59 minutes. A bake-only cycle with variable temperature control allows you to bake dough you have made earlier. If the power fails for up to 30 minutes during baking, a power failure back-up will resume the programme once power is restored. The machine comes in a brushed stainless steel finish. For stockists tel: 0845 658 9700.

Panasonic SD253 Breadmaker, £99.99
This popular machine produces small, medium and large loaves using a maximum of 600g of flour. A gluten-free programme has been added due to the increasing number of consumers who cannot tolerate the gluten in wheat flour. Panasonic’s home economists have developed a full range of recipes for basic and flavoured gluten-free loaves using commercially prepared mixes. And extra bread pans can be purchased to prevent cross-contamination.

The machine has a rapid programme and a 13-hour timer, a dispenser for seeds, nuts, raisins, olives, dried fruits and other ingredients. There are also French and Italian bread and pizza dough options. A customer advice line answered by qualified home economists operates from Monday to Friday, 9.30am–5.30pm. For stockists tel: 08705 357357.

Antony Worrall Thompson BR11 Professional Breadmaker by Breville, £99.99
This latest collaboration from the TV chef in conjunction with Breville has produced a top-of-the-range model with 68 baking and dough options plus a jam-making option. Fully programmable, it will make loaves from 750g up to 1.25kg and has a15 hour pre-set timer. The latest technology allows you to see exactly what stage your machine is at. It will allow you to save your eight favourite recipes, either from scratch or from pre-set recipes. And there’s a turbo/fast cycle for any of the white, wholewheat, sweet or French breads. A handy fruit and nut dispenser will automatically add ingredients at the correct time. With a host of other features, this breadmaker is for the real enthusiast who is keen to experiment. Available from Argos.

Learn how to use a bread machine  at Denman College
From 11–14 September 2006, WI member and former NFWI Home Economics Adviser, Jill Brand, will be tutoring the course Introduction to Cooking – Bread Machines at Denman College. For more information, contact the College on tel: 01865 391991, quoting Course 1026.

WI member special offer
The recipes above are taken from Karen’s previous book, The Breadmaker Bible, published by Ebury Press in hardback, £16.99. However, Woman’s World readers can order it for £14.99 plus free postage and packing.

Tips for your Breadmaker, published by Ebury Press in paperback, normally costs £5.99 but is available to readers at the special price of £4.99 plus free postage and packing.

To order either or both of these books, please call 08700 11 33 69 or write to EFC Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ, quoting the reference “Woman’s World”.