Bread Machines for Dummies

There's nothing like the smell and taste of fresh homemade bread. But who has the time to make it anymore? You do--with a little help from your automatic bread machine. All bread machines can make good bread; they just need a little help from you to turn out a good loaf. With a little practice and a lot of fun, you too can make freshly baked bread in your kitchen with the touch of a button.

Bread Machines For Dummies is for anyone who has ever been frustrated by a bread machine and wants to know if it's really possible to turn out great bread with a minimum of time and effort (it is ). This fun and easy guide shares simple techniques and more than 85 tested, foolproof recipes for making aromatic and flavorful breads--either for your bread machine or from dough that you shape yourself and bake in the oven. You'll see how to make:

• Soft white bread
• Cracked wheat bread
• Basic danish dough
• Babka and C hallah
• Bread bowls
• Bread sticks, pizza, and focaccia
• And so much more

This handy resource guide provides everything you "knead" to know about making bread, including the best ingredients to use, how to work with dough, and how to get the best results out of your machine. Along with plenty of cooking, measuring, and shopping tips, you get expert advice on how to:

• Shape simple doughs into beautiful breads
• Mix flours and liquids for perfect bread texture
• Adapt machine recipes for two loaf sizes
• Understand the different wheat flours
• Fit bread into a gluten-free diet
• Avoid moisture mistakes
• Make breads with alternative ingredients such as rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour

Featuring a cheat sheet with standard measuring equivalents and temperature conversions, tips for troubleshooting your machine, and delicious recipes for such tasty delights as Cheddar Cheese Corn Bread, Pecan Sticky Rolls, Cranberry Nut Bread, and Banana Lemon Loaf, Bread Machines For Dummies reveals the best ways to bake, store, and enjoy your bread

Glenna Vance (Milwaukee, WI) is director of consumer affairs for a major ingredient manufacturer in the Midwest. A published author, Glenna has been involved in developing consumer recipe programs with major appliance manufacturers and ingredient companies. As a board member of the Milwaukee chapter of the American Institute of Wine & Food, Glenna is instrumental in bringing nationally renowned culinary professionals to Milwaukee for culinary programs and events.

Tom Lacalamita (Long Island, NY) is a bestselling author of five apppliance-related cookbooks. Nominated for a James Beard cookbook award, Lacalamita is considered to be a national authority on housewares and has appeared on hundreds of television and radio shows across the country. With a passion for food, cooking, and all sorts of kitchen gadgets, Tom is also a spokesperson for various food and housewares manufacturers.