Panasonic SD-255 breadmaker. Help please!

oxanika

Hi everybody!

after reading many reviews and opinions I bought a Panasonic SD-255, but sadly I can't get it right with it. My bread just doesn't rise and after the end of cycle one can still smell raw dough. I changed the flour a couple of times (now I'm using M&S Organic Bread Flour - strong White), bought new yeast, played with the amount of water, salt and sugar and still no positive result

If anyone here can share her/his experience with this breadmaker (e.g. what brand of flour you use, yeast, water variation and so on) I will be more than grateful.

I bought mine in Argos last week. If nothing helps I'll call the support center

Thanks!

Alun

I use Odlum's white and wholemeal strong bread flours, and McDougall's Fast Action Bread Yeast and have no problems at all in my Panasonic SD-253.

I try and stick as meticulously as possible to the recipes in the book, and not fiddle around with quantities as I've found that this mostly makes things worse rather than better. Adding more yeast, for example, in an attempt to make a loaf rise more, often results in an even worse loaf, as the added yeast causes bigger gas bubbles in the dough and the loaf then collapses.

oxanika

Thanks, Alun! This is what I did first - meticulously followed up the recipe, and when I got a very bad result I tried to follow the troubleshooting advices from the recipe book. I didn't try Odlum's - I think I'll buy a batch today to try. And I use the same brand of yeast.

Alun

If that fails, then maybe there is something wrong with the machine, especially if as you say you can still smell raw dough at the end of the cooking cycle.

One thing that I've found helpful as well, especially if the weather's a bit cold and the temperature in the kitchen (and therefore that of the ingredients) is a bit low, is to warm up the container before putting the ingredients in by filling it with hot water and leaving for a few minutes. Also using tepid (not warm or hot) water seems to help in those circumstances.

oxanika

A very silly question, but I was just researching the subj on panasonic support center... for flour quantity, do you use the measuring cup or the scale? because I was using the cup all the times and (of course) I was measuring the volume of the flour and not the weight...

Ponster

I have the 253 and I *always use a scales to measure and pretty much always follow the recipes supplied with the machine.

xxdilemmaxx

My bread didn't turn out properly the first two times until I realised I was using three to four teaspoons of yeast instead of three quarters of a teaspoon (3/4).

Embarassingly stupid on my part, worked like a dream after I realised though

Planet X

I use the 255. No problems. Odlums flour, yeast etc.

It states on the instructions that you should adhere precisely to the measurements. Use the measuring cups and a good digital scales and you should be fine. We make rolls and bread most days and never had a problem.

Alun

I use the scales. You're probably measuring 400ml of flour instead of 400g of flour which will be too little by a long way.

What I do is to put the pan itself on the scales, zero it, and add the ingredients one by one straight into the pan, zeroing it after every one. I do this for the water too, as 300ml of water is exactly 300g. It's easier than weighing out everything separately and uses fewer containers, so less washing up.

oxanika

No

the scale and Odlum didn't help. still the same result... In addition to all the bad signs, I had unknealed flour lumps at the sides of my bread. It's a nightmare of experience. How difficult can it be and how stupid I am ?!

Wrote a long letter to "Dear Panasonic"....

Alun

Hmmm, that sounds like the mixture isn't being mixed / kneaded properly.

Is the paddle in the bottom of the pan rotating properly? Put the pan in the machine, and rotate the paddle by hand a bit. It should offer quite a bit of resistance, since there's a belt connecting it to the motor and you should be able to feel that. If it rotates too freely, maybe the belt has come off or is loose.

Stick it on a rapid program without anything in the pan and look at what it's doing with the lid open. Also observe if the paddle is rotating properly.

Also, and this really is a long shot, is there actually a paddle in there? I know my wife has "baked" a couple of loaves where she forgot to put the paddle back in after cleaning (it's removable), and the results were less than spectacular

oxanika

I got a reply from Panasonic - basically they repeated the advices from their instruction book, no big mysteries revealed. No real help either...

Alun: the paddle was definitely in - actually after baking the paddle always stays in my "bread" - it was the case for all 7 loaves I made so far.

tk123

Are you using the right paddle - one is for normal bread and the other (smaller one) is for rye bread? I have one two and have never had a prob - except for the quick programs which are muck imo!

Alun

tk123 wrote: »

Are you using the right paddle - one is for normal bread and the other (smaller one) is for rye bread? I have one two and have never had a prob - except for the quick programs which are muck imo!

OK, didn't know that, my SD-253 only has one.

OP: I'd repeat the suggestions I made above to make sure the paddle is actually rotating properly. Just put it on a quick program with nothing in it and observe.

xxdilemmaxx

It sounds like your machine is faulty, I'd bring it back. Especially if you can still smell raw dough at the end of the cycle.

oxanika

tk123: I use the plain paddle. as I understood the paddle that looks like a comb is for rye bread. Is this right?

alun: the paddle is rotating allright

tonight is my last try (with yet another batch of flour - Odlums wholegrain)

tk123

Yep thats the right one.

oxanika

So, Odlums Wholegrain worked like magic! In the end the problem was really the flour... Wow! I didn't expect the machine to be so sensitive. I'll buy another batch of Odlums White to try, maybe next time I'll be luckier.

tk123

Well done! I usually use oldlums strong white and never had a prob. I'd recommend the chelsea bun recipe (they're like mock danish) - they only last a few mins in our house!

P. Breathnach

Alun wrote: »

What I do is to put the pan itself on the scales, zero it, and add the ingredients one by one straight into the pan, zeroing it after every one. I do this for the water too, as 300ml of water is exactly 300g. It's easier than weighing out everything separately and uses fewer containers, so less washing up.

I weigh everything as Alun suggests.

I don't know why I did it: I added the ingredients in the order that they are listed in the Panasonic recipe (yeast first, water last); usually I put the water in first, and the yeast last.

My bread rose to about half its usual volume. I suspect that the yeast was not as well mixed through the dough as usual.

Alun

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I don't know why I did it: I added the ingredients in the order that they are listed in the Panasonic recipe (yeast first, water last); usually I put the water in first, and the yeast last.

My bread rose to about half its usual volume. I suspect that the yeast was not as well mixed through the dough as usual.

That's interesting. I have to say that while the results are usually OK, I do get the occasional loaf that doesn't rise as well as others for no apparent reason. I also usually put ingredients in in the same order as the recipe, i.e. yeast first, then flour, then the other dry ingredients and water last.

Planet X

Don't they say that in the booklet..........put the ingredients in in the order they appear?

P. Breathnach

Alun wrote: »

That's interesting. I have to say that while the results are usually OK, I do get the occasional loaf that doesn't rise as well as others for no apparent reason. I also usually put ingredients in in the same order as the recipe, i.e. yeast first, then flour, then the other dry ingredients and water last.

I was conditioned by the instructions I got with a previous machine, which is why I start with the water.

It might be a rogue result, but today's bread is in right now, and I have reverted to my water-first sequence.

Alun

Planet X wrote: »

Don't they say that in the booklet..........put the ingredients in in the order they appear?

Just looked .. yes it does, and they say this is to separate the yeast from the liquid, presumably during the first 60 mins or whatever "resting" period at the start.

P. Breathnach

Alun wrote: »

Just looked .. yes it does, and they say this is to separate the yeast from the liquid, presumably during the first 60 mins or whatever "resting" period at the start.

That seems odd to me. The water is going to get through the flour to the yeast pretty fast. The reason for the water-first yeast-last approach was to keep them apart.

I think the resting period at the start is to bring things up to the temperature at which the yeast can be active.

Today's bread is out, and looking good.

Alun

P. Breathnach wrote: »

That seems odd to me. The water is going to get through the flour to the yeast pretty fast. The reason for the water-first yeast-last approach was to keep them apart.

I think the resting period at the start is to bring things up to the temperature at which the yeast can be active.

Today's bread is out, and looking good.

Yes, I couldn't work it out either I'll give the water first method a bash next time I make some.

Iya

Hi all
My 254 has been working fine since December......
but now, whenever I switch on having loaded the basket, I can't choose any bake option, size, or crust. It "defaults" to basic, XL and medium crust, which is fine as all my bread has used this option, but I would like to try others!

I THINK its something to do with the fact that I aborted a program a while ago after about 5 mins into the cycle (cos I changed my mind about crust I think it was)

So it seems as if its recovering from a power fail. I tried the procedure as per the manual, but it refuses to do it...



Any ideas how to reset it??

(If only there was a "reset" button....!!!!)

boopolo

Reason bread does not rise in non bread making machines:

• The flour
• Non-fresh yeast
• The amount of water. Weigh the water instead of using measure. 1ml = 1G. Much more accurate especially for the machine where you cannot see the results whilst its kneading.
• Do not use hot water. Just warm. Hot water will kill the yeast.
• Do not pour the water directly on the yeast Put yeast in the bowl/mahine first.

As for the reset of the 254. Couldn't see it anywhere online. I presume you unplugged it. Ring Panasonic. Did you try holding a combination of buttons. After that I would remove and replace internal battery (not recommending this)

Where in the Dublin area can I buy a Panasonic SD-255?

boopolo

Ah I see a link from DIZZYBLONDE (thanks) on other thread at €108 + €5 p&p http://www.electricshopping.com/shop...ser/index.html
Argos have it for €140 (or £97 in UK).

Dizzyblonde

Iya, on the SD255 you can reset the programme by pressing and holding the start/stop button for a few seconds. It might be the same for yours?

boopolo

Well the 254 and 255 are the same except for the auto nut/rasion dispenser.
So my guess about holding two buttons down was near the mark.