The Bread Machine Cookbook (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks) (Nitty Gritty Cookbooks)

I've been a fan of bread machines for about a decade now. I've owned The Bread Machine Cookbooks 1-4 plus the Worldwide Sourdough by Donna German. What I found is that there are SO MANY good recipes in #1 that I almost never use #2-4, unless I'm searching for something specific (like a DIFFERENT recipe to use up pumpkin, apple or onion). I've owned other bread cookbooks but have since given them all away. I have great success converting her regular breads to whole wheat (Ex: if it calls for 3 cups flour I'll put in 2.5 cup whole wheat flour plus .5 cup white flour). I like things seasoned strongly, too, so I tend to triple her spices or poppy seeds or citrus peel amounts. Onion / apple can only be doubled, though, and it does change the consistency a bit. I usually rate the recipes in my cookbooks (so I remember whether or not to make them again) but I stopped bothering with this book, since they're almost always excellent. I use #1 often, and the others almost never because #1 meets my needs almost every time. (Sourdough requires maintaining "starter," which I'm just not up to.) In fact, I'm purchasing another book, new, just to have a shiny unmarked copy (and to let the person I lent my old one to keep it). My recommendation: Buy this one. Later, IF you make so much bread that you actually want more variety, THEN spend your money on different varieties.

Ever since I received a bread machine as my birthday gift this year, I had been looking for a good bread machine cookbook. I checked many book stores, but none they had turned me on. Then, a neighbor friend let me borrow hers (this title) and I fell in love with it! While many other cookbooks cover rather unusual bread recipes (i.e. Sage Raisin Bread, Curry Rice Dinner Rolls), this book contains the recipes for many good old wonderful breads we already know ... only better! I was desperately looking for a great white bread recipe, and my search was over when I found "Sally Lunn" in this cookbook. Its texture and flavor are incredible! My whole family love it! I strongly recommend this cookbook to anyone who has a bread machine.

Oh, I just wanted to wholeheartedly DISAGREE with the two negative reviews on this book! This was the first book I bought after I got my bread machine five years ago, and I've never had anything but beautiful results from every recipe I've tried, and I RARELY have to adjust anything. I will say it's important to read all the advice in the first chapters before diving into the recipes, particularly regarding checking the machine after the first few minutes of kneading. I have all six of the books in this series now (the sixth just arrived today, and I can't wait to try it!), and I find German to be thorough and very easy to understand. I think this book would be invaluable to anyone owning a bread machine.