Bread Machine Cookbook

When I purchased this book a few years ago, I had no knowledge of bread machine baking. The most important item in the book for me was on page 6 showing photos of three different bread doughs after their first 3 to 5 minutes of kneading.. The first showed a photo of what the correct consistency of the dough should look like(a smooth ball.) The second showed what the dough looks like if at an incorrect consistency(dry & crumbly)and how to correct this. The third photo showed a dough that is incorrect as it does not form a ball and advises how to fix it. All the corrections that are needed are made by opening the cover of your machine during the first 3 to 5 minutes of kneading. There are just too many variables that come into play with flour, humidity for example, that may alter the behavior of a recipe from one day to the next. By following those three photos along with their recomendations I have enjoyed all the recipes I've tried. This is a reliable and honest book. Honest, because it delivers! P.S. it urges you to follow the order of your breadmaking machine instructions when adding ingredients.

I've owned this book for several years and I love it. ALL of the recipes I've tried have turned out great, and I've followed the directions exactly. It gives the recipes for both 1 1/2 pound and 2 pound loaves. It even gives you guidance for creating your own breads ("build a bread" sections on savory bread and sweet bread), and those have turned out wonderful as well. Most recipes also include tips on how to use/serve the bread. Most breads can be made entirely in your machine- some are for baking in your oven.

I love hot, freshly baked bread, but I seldom have the time for kneading, proofing, and all the rest, so several years ago I acquired a bread machine. Last Christmas, someone decided I needed to expand my baking repertoire and gave me this book. It starts with the real basics -- white bread, egg bread, whole wheat, rye -- and works up to more complex recipes like "Maple-Pecan Cornmeal Bread" and "Roasted Garlic and Stout Bread" (made with dark beer). Many of them use the machine for only part of the process and still require you to punch down, etc -- and, frankly, I got a machine so I wouldn't have to do that stuff! Nevertheless, there are some really good machine-only recipes, especially "Pepper-Parmesan Sourdough," "Poppy Seed-Cranberry Bread," which is great for brakfast, and "Garlic and Dried Tomato Bread," which is perfect with homemade minestrone. The instructions are easy and assorted helpful tips are scattered throughout.

If your bread machine has been gathering dust, buy this book and plug in your machine. Jan Miller and Better Homes and Gardens have produced an excellent cookbook. It is easy to follow and has recipies for different quantities. A trip to the Health Food store is needed for some of the loaves, but in general you can make and bake immediately!