An automatic bread machine that kneads, proofs, and bakes can never rival the quality of bread made the old-fashioned way. But for convenience, especially using the automatic timer that gives you warm, fresh bread ready when you want it, a bread machine cannot be beat. Look for a bread machine with a large capacity (at least 1 1/2 pounds) so you can make good-sized loaves of bread. Although manufacturers label their machines as capable of producing either 1-pound, 1 1/2-pound, or 2-pound loaves, you really need to look at the capacity of the containers. A good 1 1/2-pound machine will have a 12-cup containerΓÇöany smaller and you risk overflowing and sticking. Also, look for a machine with a standard rising and baking cycle of at least 3 1/2 hours total. Machines that are designed only to produce bread more quickly turn out inferior loaves. The best bread machines offer programs for producing several different types of loavesΓÇöwhite; French; a type that has added fruit, nuts, or other ingredients; they also have a cycle that merely mixes the dough for you and beeps to let you know it is ready. The dough can then be shaped however the cook choosesΓÇöbaguettes, boules, focaccia, dinner rolls, pizza crustsΓÇöand baked in a conventional oven. An automatic cooling function to keep baked loaves from becoming soggy is a must.
Breads made in bread machines are almost always straight dough or direct method loaves. Besides being convenient, these machines can produce beautiful, light, airy loaves when desired (or denser loaves if the dough is firmer). The following recipes work in any brand of machine, but it is important to read the instructions for your machine regarding the order of ingredients, as each brand has its own technique programmed into the computer chip that operates it. It is also important to note the temperature at which ingredients should be added to your particular machine. Ingredients in the following recipes are listed for both 1-pound machines and 1 1/2-pound machines; the measurements for the larger machine are in parentheses.
