Magic Mushrooms, No; Flour, Yeast, Sugar and Water, Yes: Bread Machine Magic

Bread Machine Magic - Lois Conway and Linda Rehberg

Foodies may look down their noses at the bread machine, but even diehard fans of attitudinal knife- and tantrum-throwers have to admit that bread-machine loaves are an improvement over grocery-store bread. We’re on our third machine now, having made homemade bread more than two decades. We have several tried-and-true recipes, but that doesn’t mean we’re averse to widening our repertoire, so our copy of Bread Machine Magic has been well-received.

Bread Machine Magic: Contents

Authors Lois Conway and Linda Rehberg revised the original 1992 edition in 2003, cutting the original 139 recipes by one in the process.  We've tried several of the remaining 138, to near-universal success. All recipes are written for bread-machine mixing, although a few are supposed to be removed from the pan and baked in an oven. Versions of several favorite recipes, e.g. Anadama, pumpernickel and seven-grain, can be found in the trade-paperback-sized volume, and we also tried out a number of new varieties.

The layout’s typical of bread-machine cookbooks: first comes an introduction and use tips, followed by a set of seven recipe chapters: (white, whole grain, fruit, vegetable, etc.) and an index. The final chapter seems interesting: besides recipes for pizza dough, focaccia, pretzels, bread sticks, English muffins and lavosh; "Specialty Breads" includes a number of out-of-the-ordinary recipes like Sausage and Pepper Bread.

Bread Machine Magic: The Recipes Each recipe includes measurements for loafs sized at 1, 1½ and 2 pounds; though specialty breads follow a different format. Ingredients are listed the most common order of addition: liquids first, then dry ingredients with yeast last. Every recipe includes instructions and rudimentary nutritional information per half-inch slice. Unlike most bread machine recipe compendiums, liquid measure is given as a range. This is followed by instructions to add the minimum and watch the dough as it kneads, adding liquid if it seems too stiff. Some recipes work fine with the minimum, but we've needed to add a bit to others. We've been happy with the recipes we've, including a tasty English Toasting Bread, orange-infused Whole Wheat Sunflower Bread , and even a recipe for hamburger buns (we made them in our muffin-top pan). The bun recipe is pretty high-calorie, though. We’re looking forward to trying other recipes we've already dog-eared, such as Swedish Limpa Rye, Zucchini Wheat Bread and maybe even I Yam What I Yam, a sweet potato recipe.

Since this edition pre-dates the gluten-free craze there aren't any such recipes, although there are egg-, dairy- and sugar-free recipes. Many whole-grain recipes even call for the optional addition of vital wheat gluten.

If you're bread-machine maniacs like our family, Bread Machine Magic definitely belongs on your shelf of cookbooks.

Summary:

Plus: wide array of recipes, new and old favorites as well
Minus: nutrition info for half-inch slices?
What They’re Saying: If you keep a bread machine on your counter, a copy of Bread Machine Magic should rest on your cookbook shelf.