April 8, 2010 - 12:22pm
Up the creek with the paddle
Since getting a bread machine for Christmas I have been gripped by the bread making bug. Although I now make most of my bread by hand, I do sometimes use the machine to make the odd sandwhich loaf if time is short. My biggest gripe however, is getting the paddle out of the bottom of the loaf aftter it's cooled without making a total pigs ear of it. Any hints or tips on getting the paddle out of the loaf without to much fuss would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Martyn
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Machines differ, but with some it is possible to remove the paddle BEFORE baking.
Ford
I made another machine loaf tonight. It's difficult to know when the kneading has finished and the baking starts, there is no warning apart from a dot that moves on the display. I stayed with the machine for just over one and a half hours, it did another pulse of kneading with 1:58 still to go.
I've tried using the dough only cycle, then remove the dough from the machine and remove the paddle, then use the bake program; but this really defeats the object of having a macine. Also the shape of the loaf is spoilt by doing this unless I give it time for another rise which again defeats the object of having a machine.
This evenings machine made loaf has now cooled. I have used a small knife to try and cut around the paddle and pulled it out carefuly using a wire hook. This has resulted in a large hole in the loaf; when sliced there are six slices that are not affected by the hole.
I guess the answer is to not give away as much bread (or maybe just bake more) and keep the freezer stocked up to cover the days when I'm too busy to bake.
My bread maker's book has a breakdown of the timing for each part of the cycle. It takes a little figuring out, but you can determine when the baking cycle is going to start. Usually there is a quick little knead just before the baking cycle begins. Make sure you wait until AFTER that last little knead. I set a timer.
When the last knead has finished and the baking cycle has just begun is when you take the dough out, remove the paddle, reshape the dough (usually into a ball) and put it back in the machine to bake. Handle the dough gently so as not to knock all the air out--it will continute to proof a bit as the breadmaker is warming up to baking temperature.
Those few minutes don't hurt anything. Unfortunately, the timing has to be pretty precise--if you miss this moment of opportunity you're stuck with the paddle.
Wouldn't it be great if bread making manufacturers programmed a cycle that would pause and beep to let you take the paddle out???
Sadly, the instruction booklet with my machine is about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike. I was reading about the dough only programs last night and discovered that "Dough 1" kneads and rises the dough for one and a half hours. "Dough 2" is the same as "Dough 1" but is 30 seconds longer :-/
I wonder how many different languages the translation went through before they finally got to English? :-D
I don't know if you have tried this, or if it would help (depending on the paddle shape) but, You could try a grease type lubrication on the paddle, something like Baker's Joy.
Rick
This has always worked for my bread machine. I spray the pan and paddle fairly liberally with Pam for baking (same idea as Baker's Joy) before adding any ingredients. When I turn the loaf out of the pan when it's done, the paddle stays right in the pan.
I usually have to peel the bottom of the bread around the paddle, but I'm lucky because my Wolfgang Puck bread machine comes with a special stick thing that can pull out the paddle w/o much fuss.
If I'm paying attention I try to pull the paddle out after the final knead. But most of the time I miss out. Personally I find it a lot easier to slip it out when the bread first comes out of the machine when the bread is still hot and a bit damp.