My New Toy! (Morphy Richards 48221 Breadmaker)

Member Name: queenofsheba

Product:	Morphy Richards 48221 Breadmaker
Date:	23/10/01 (1259 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see op

Disadvantages: none

I finally got my bread maker and I love it, it's absolutely fabulous.

So what does it do?

Well there are eleven different settings on this you may or may not be surprised to know. I'll just quickly go through them.

Setting 1

Small and medium sized loaves (1lb to1½ lb). This takes three hours from start to finish and is a good one to use if you are adding ingredients that burn easily like cheese.

Setting 2.

This is for the large size loaf,which is 2lb and takes three hours and fifteen minutes

Setting 3

This one takes three hours and twenty-five minutes, use it for the largest size loaf, which is 2-½ lb as it bakes longer and gives a loaf with a darker crust.


Setting 4

This is called the basic rapid bread. It can be used for any size loaf and has the short cycle of two hours and forty minutes.

Setting 5& 6 are for wholemeal or whole-wheat bread. These take a fair bit longer than the white bread settings. Setting five (small and medium loaves) is four hours and forty-five minutes long and setting 6(large and extra large loaves) is for hours and fifty minutes.

Setting 7

For French bread, three hours and forty minutes from start to finish.

Setting 8

Sweet, for recipes that uses sweet ingredients like raisins and dried fruit etc.


Setting 9

This is for making dough only and doesn't bake the dough. It can be used for doughnuts, pizzas, rolls and bagels. It only takes one hour and forty minutes to make the dough but you will have to shape and bake it yourself in a normal oven.

Setting 10

Cake and quick bread takes one hour and fifty minutes.

Setting 11

Jam. Takes just 1 hour.


Well now we've got that little lot out of the way what do we get when we open the box?

Inside your oven you get a lift out non-stick baking pan which is really eas
y to clean; you just wash it out with warm soapy water, but most of the time the bread pops out so cleanly it just needs a quick wipe out with a clean piece of kitchen towel. To fit inside this you have a kneading blade. This is also non-stick and clips into place in the middle of the baking pan. You get a plastic measuring cup and spoon to measure you ingredients with and a twenty-seven page instruction booklet containing baking tips and showing you how to use all the settings in detail that I have briefly outline above.



It is so easy to use its unbelievable so I'll tell you what I mean by outlining the method. Let's say I wanted to make French Bread (It's the one I use the most of) this is the recipe and method for a 1lb loaf


Ingredients:

Water: ¾ cup
Butter: 1 teaspoon
Sugar: 2 teaspoons
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Flour: 2 cups
Fast acting Dry yeast: 1-¾ teaspoons

Use Setting 7.


Lift out the baking pan and measure the ingredients into it, using the cup and spoon provided, in the order they are set out in the recipe. Put the baking pan securely into the unit and close the lid. Select the right setting Press start and then wait three hours and forty minutes for this particular one, you obviously don't wait around for it, you go and do something else, but you know what I mean, it's so simple.


You can also set the timer for up to twelve hours later so that you can put you ingredients in at night and wake up to fresh bread in the morning. This makes mornings much more appealing I can tell you!


So far my favourite bread has been the French one I've even baked this on the Rapid Bread setting and it turns out fine except that the top of the crust is a bit on the pale side. So to rectify this I just brush it with beaten egg just before it starts to bake, which is when there is only an hour left on the timer. This makes it a lovely golden br
own. I know French bread is paler in colour, but the kids don't like the look of it and neither does Hamish. They do love the taste however and this has been the most successful and most requested loaf so far. I've also made the basic white bread, but only a couple of times as it's very sweet and none of us really liked it, but it does look really good though and cuts very nicely.

The dough for the bread rolls turned out beautifully and now I don't buy any from the shops anymore either.

The instruction booklet has lots of information to help you along with how to your your machine, recipes and suggestions on what to do if things go wrong with your bread etc. It's also got a useful section with alterations to make if your bread is too dark/light, doesn't rise, rises too much etc. You might need to add more sugar or use less flour or something like that.

I've tried using strong bread flour as suggested in the booklet, but even though I've tried a couple of different brands I just don't like the taste.So I use plain flour and it turns out just fine and tastes a lot nicer. I even use Safeway plain flour now which only costs 9p for a 1- 1/2 kg bag!Other things I've tried are using olive oil or margarine in place of butter and both experiments turned out fine,so don't be afraid to play around with the ingredients a little bit,you may save a little money.


I'm really impressed with this machine; it's so easy to use and clean. My model has the 48210 number attached to it and in case you were wondering and is black and chrome.

I've still got quite a few things to try out on this little beauty, but I don't think I'll bother with the jam. I will be trying out the doughnuts next though, anybody want one?

Update 26/10/01

I made the doughnuts yesterday they are the ring ones in this recipe but I did leave some without holes in to see if they would tu
rn out as good and they did.so they will just need filling with jam,mmmmm.. Anyway they are delicious and I'll definitely make them again they are so easy.

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