Beradmaker(freddie the breaddie) cannot make good bread

[ayabrea38]

Poor old freddie,something must be wrong.Same flour,yeast,sugar,salt and water temp but the bread is a brick.Long gone are the soft,full loaves of winter,all I get now are half sized bricks!Tried changing water temp-no change.The seal at the bottom of the mixer had broke and I put some glue on it(Outside the bread bit by the way!)I am wondering if I should just get another while it is under guarentee or is it because its near the window sill and getting warmer.Help PLEASE!!!
Thanks for your time
Aya

[woofgang]

what's the date on your yeast and how do you store it? brick type loaves can mean that the yeast hasn't worked, usually because it has died because the package has expired or got damp and this has killed the yeast. Do a loaf and have a peep during the proving stage to see if it rises...alternately if the breadmaker thermostat has failed then too much heat will kill the yeast...having it in sunlight shouldn't cause it to overheat unless you are in Australia lol.

[ayabrea38]

My powdered quick use for breadmakers yeast is stored in the dark cool recess of a kitchen draw.The bread does appear to rise during baking and then sink.According to the book that came with the machine this means bad flour or yeast,but I tried both.It also helpfuly says water measurement may be wrong,so I tried a bit more and a bit less-still the same.
Funnily enough though,I moved freddie this evening and used a packet bread mix-hey a useable loaf!
Guess I just need to experiment but at least I know freddie still works!

[237SJ]

Sounds like what Woof said - dead yeast. I have a bread maker that I have used a lot since i bought it about 5 years ago and the element in the bottom is starting to wear out now. The bread rises more on one side than the other but i would think if the bread ends up like a brick it`s something to do with the ingredients ie. yeast

[ayabrea38]

The packet is in date and a new sachet used every time.
Maybe there is something to bakers baking at night,my kitchen is a hell hole as soon as the sun comes out and the breadmaker was right by the window.
Testing this theory out tomorrow,and will post back.
Thanks
Aya

[ayabrea38]

Well.tried making bread this evening and freddie worked better than ever!The kitchen was not that much cooler,but you would not believe a smma hot hot my south facing kitchen gets,sun but not much ventilation(not a good mix at the best of times for humans),but it looks like the temp that is right in front of the window has an effect on appliances too.I always said that kitchen was too bloomin hot to work properly in.

[ayabrea38]

OK so I have now re arranged by kitchen so freddie is not in direct sunlight.
He is working much better.
Thats glass in the window(the one that wont keep out the cold in the winter)must magnify the heat something chronic!