Great Loaves Worth the Bread

For years I had heard from all different people that I should own a bread machine. I figured that it would be like any other fad and I'd bake a few loaves and then it would start collecting dust with every other 'nice to have' in the house. I was wrong! I got this bread maker as a gift from a friend which is probably the only reason I now own one.

First Try
The Panasonic performed admirably right out of the box. Actually it was washed very well before using. Included in the box was my first package of bread flour and yeast. My wife got everything together, read the directions briefly and started our first loaf. I was amazed by the amount of work this machine does for you all because of the easy use multiple function timing on the control panel.

How To Bake
If you follow the directions and prepare your mixture correctly you can't mess up. Be careful as you program the start time and type of bread you'll be making. If you do it correctly the loaf will be ready when you're ready to eat. The yeast is automatically dispensed at the correct time in the process. The machine mixes the dough and lets it rise for a specific amount of time. You can set the machine for quick loaf or regular baking time. The baking process begins and when finished you have a fresh loaf, ready for butter application and then devouring. It's really that simple. A great loaf of bread quick and easy to make.

What to Bake next?
Since our initial endeavor we've tried some different types of bread. Of course we've made wheat, rye, oat bran, French, and Italian. Once we were through with these basic breads we went for the more exotic. One of my favorites was pepperoni and cheese. In with your basic white bread mixture add finely chopped pepperoni and cheddar cheese then bake like normal. This is great for a party or during a great ball game. For dessert there is always chocolate bread. This is good served while hot with a little vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce on top. Other than cocoa we add a little sugar and chocolate chips.

The only problem with these specialty breads is cleanup takes a little longer but it's well worth it. There are many other varieties in the instruction booklet.

Finally
As much as I like and use my Panasonic bread machine there is a disadvantage. We eat too much bread. It's now easy to make a quick fresh loaf to go with pasta. If you eat the bread alone it's not too bad but beware of the butter! All kidding aside, I was very impressed with the ease of instructions that were provided with the unit. I was also very pleased with the non-stick surface of the baking pot that lifts out easily to remove the loaf and for cleaning. The overall construction was very solid and you can tell that it was build to last a lifetime of loaves.