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To get the best from your bread machine start with bread mixes. Get used to using them just as they are. All you have to do with those is pour those into the container, add hot water (it must be hot as this causes the yeast to ferment and work) and turn the machine on. A few hours later you have a delicious loaf of bread. Once you have mastered this, which will not take long, start adding flavours that you think will improve it for you. This may be the best time to move on to making bread without a bread mix if you wish. Where you yourself measure out the yeast, flour etc. This takes a bit longer and means more washing up, but works out cheaper.

Your bread machine is a wonderful machine. It is easy to use and easy to clean afterwards. By making your own bread you will be able to monitor what ingredients go into your bread... which is essential if you have allergies. You will also be sure that only the very best ingredients are in your bread and it is very fresh. The aroma a freshly baked loaf of bread makes is gorgeous. Many breadmakers will also knead pizza dough ready to roll out and put in the oven, or make pasta or jam. Take advantage of the timer which you can set so that the loaf of bread is ready when it suits you. Maybe you want to have a good night's sleep while the bread machine works away and prepares a loaf that is delicious and hot and ready to be eaten when you get up in the morning. The amount of time a bread maker saves you is well worth the expense of buying the machine and it soon pays for itself.

But the main reason for using a bread machine is probably that it gives you a huge variety of different breads to bake. Hundreds of variations and flavours that you cannot get in most shops. You can fiddle about with the recipes until you have got it exactly as you want. Even if you use a bread mix there is no reason not to add extra bits and pieces to it before it is baked. For example, I live the Wrights cheese and onion bread mix, but I also add some extra cheese, extra onion and a touch of mustard to it. The number of variations you can produce will only depend on the limits there are to your taste buds and imagination. The bread you make can be frozen for eating another time, but it will be so delicious I doubt if it will last that long. There are thousands of recipes for bread on the internet and lots of cook books, so you will never run out of ideas.

Learn more about this author, Carmel Brulez.
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