Customer Reviews

Bread Machine Baking

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Although I generally liked the format of this book, including the fact that it is bound in a ring-binder, allowing the pages to lie flat, it has too many flaws to recommend warmly. First, since its publication 2-3 years ago, bread machine technology has marched on. The bread machines tested for the recipes in the book were apparently capable of only one type of loaf, whereas most newer models can make 1, 1 1/2 and 2 lb. loaves. Thus, it is not always clear where newer bread machines fit into the descriptions in the book, such as "large Welbilt", "small Welbilt", etc. A further flaw, and one which makes the book very difficult to use, is that the table of contents is quite brief, listing only the major divisions of the book, such as whole wheat breads. Within these major divisions, there is no other guide to what lies within that division than to page through it, recipe by recipe. This is particularly irksome because the authors provide multiple receipes for each type of bread machine which they tested. Thus, the recipe for any one type of bread runs on for several pages of variations. Finally, although I've only made three of the recipes in the whole wheat section, one of those recipes, that for light wheat bread, appears to be incomplete in that it provides for no shortening or oil, an omission which made the resulting loaf burn to the bottom of the cooking vessel, making it nearly impossible to remove whole. On the plus side, the book has a very good introduction on general bread machine baking, and many of the recipes look good. Generally, however, the faults of the book, including its stale research, make it one which is hard to recommend.

Despite all of the other bread machine books I've perused and used, this remains my favorite. Unlike most of the other machine books, which seem to present an endless litany of "whole wheat bread, white bread, cinnamon bread..." this book strays from that narrow path to offer treats such as Toblerone Chocolate Bread and machine versions of some of the traditional ethnic breads from the writer's childhood. If you're looking for recipes that are definitely not "run of the mill" - you'll find them here. In addition, the general information on machine baking, and how it differs from "traditional" baking, is extremely helpful. The writer clearly is a BREAD baker who enjoys using a bread machine, not a "newbie" bread machine baker, and her love for her subject, as well as her wide-ranging knowledge, shines through.

I live in Thailand, and it's hard to get decent bread here. I thought I'd solved the problem when I bought a bread machine, but it turned out that I'd swapped one frustration for another. While I'd occasionally get a decent loaf, most of the time I'd end up with an inedible hockey puck. I was about to put my bread machine up for sale on e-bay when I found this book while on vacation in Hawaii. I gave the machine one last chance and I made the best bread I've ever had. Since then I've been getting more adventurous with ingredients and I also bought Brody's book on how to make pizza dough in the bread machine. I highly recommend this book - the recipes have worked nearly every single time for me, and it really got me excited about the possibilities of home baking.

I am an avid bread machine baker (my family hasn't purchased a loaf of bread in almost a year). I read many outstanding reviews of Lora Brody's book, but I must say that I have been very disappointed with the results from the recipes in this book. The book opens with one fabulous recipe (buttermilk maple white bread). The other very good recipe is the one for honey whole wheat bread. But the others that I have tried have all fizzled. The balance of ingredients has not been right. Even after hovering over the machine during the mixing and kneading cycles, I still end up with loaves that are dense or dry or uneven. Since I have not experienced these things with recipes from other sources, I believe that the recipes are at fault.

This was the first bread machine book I ever bought. The problem with it is that it is outdated, and the recipes did not work in any of the three machines I tried them in.

The fact is, this format of *small Welbilt*, *Large Zoji* is completely unnecessary. Other books just give ingredients for small (1 pound), medium (1 1/2 pound) and large (2 pound), and these are designed to work in ALL machines. I have since bought some of these other books, and have had NO problems with their recipes.

I suggest that you skip this book, and go for "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Book" by Beth Hensperger and/or the "Bread Machine Magic" books by Linda Rehberg & Lois Conway. The recipes in these books worked great in the same machines that Brody's recipes did NOT work in.

When I upgraded to a fancier machine, I gave the old one away to a friend. With it, I gave a copy of "Bread Machine Magic". Although Brody's book is collecting dust on my shelf, I can't in all good faith even give it away to anyone who I call a friend. Maybe I should jsut sell it to a used book store, just to get rid of it!

This is NOT a book for readers who just want to add a variety of recipes to their repertoire. In order to enjoy this book you need to have a passion for baking unusual bread(and a degree in chemistry is helpful, too). Many of the ingredients are not the garden variety-type found in most supermarkets. In fact, the book seems to be one long ad for a particular mail order house. I was going to try to order some of my supplies from them until I saw their shipping costs--GEEEE! I FINALLY located some Creme de Cacao (what the heck is THAT anyway)and decided to make a loaf of chocolate bread. I found it oozing out of my bread machine some two hours later. I am a chocolate lover and all I can say is "EWWWW! ". So, I put the book back on the shelf, went to my usual grocery store, bought some quick-rise yeast (which the authors DO NOT recommmend), and made a perfect loaf using an inexpensive soft cover generic bread machine book I picked up at the book store. Save your bucks. You can get much better results using far less expensive books and ingredients.

Okay -- like everyone else, I got a bread machine, and the recipes in the book turned out like hockey pucks. So, rather than have a yard sale, I decided to check Amazon for 'THE BOOK' for those with bread machines. Two were highly recommended -- this one and the BHG book: both said, ONLY book you need -- so I got 'em both. Guess what -- Lora Brody's book IS IT!!! Not only do you get recipes that are specifically designed for particular machines, and are imaginitive and tasty, but you get information that enables you to boldly SUBSTITUTE ingredients, modify your own recipes and create miraculous loaves of bread! Every loaf I've tried from this book turns out PERFECT. Brody RULES.

With no previous bread machine baking experience, I tried many of the recipes and they all turned out very well. The book also has excellent tips for beginners. The only bread machine book I'll ever buy -- or need.

I've always wanted to bake my own bread, but was intimidated by the process, not to mention the bread machine I received a few years ago for a wedding present was beginning to amount to nothing with that layer of dust. When I finally put it to use, I'm so glad that I had BREAD MACHINE BAKING with me. I went straight to the "Focaccia Bread With Sun-Dried Tomatoes" and will never have to spend tons of money at the gourmet grocery store again. I'm hooked! It was delicious. I can't wait to try "Pesto Bread" and the "Rosemary Pepper Bread." Many thanks to Lora Brody and her mother, Millie Apter for the gift of BREAD MACHINE BAKING and for making it "foolproof" too!

Like most folks, everything I've made from the book has been excellent. My machine (2001 Williams-Sonoma) is included in this book. The large variety of recipes and spiral-bound format are pluses. On the down side, in their attempt to provide for a wide range of bread machines, they've made it difficult to locate recipes in the book. Each featured bread will cover several pages to provide recipes for all machines they cover. It's hard to find things doing a quick flip through the book. A tabbed format separating the various sections and a table of contents on each tab would make the book easier to use. It would also be nice if they would include some guidelines on how to adjust recipes if your machine is not listed or your bread just doesn't come out right. A good book explaining ingredients and adjustments is Better Homes and Gardens - Best Bread Machine Recipes.