Many people are intimidated about making bread and other yeast dough products. We've been conditioned to buy our bread ready made at grocery stores. If we want "artisan" breads, we pay more and buy from in house bakeries at the grocery store, or visit a bakery, like Panera or buy from local bakeries in our community. While commercially prepared breads are convenient, they differ from homemade. The ingredient list can be extensive, including preservatives, dough conditioners and other additives. Homemade bread has a shorter shelf life, but the ingredient list is short and recognizable. Basic ingredients needed are flour, liquid, fat, salt, sweetener, and yeast and occasionally eggs. Additional items that can be added depending on the recipe include, seasonings, herbs, and fruit (ie raisins or dried cranberries). I like making my own bread because I know exactly what is in it. Personally, I like to use organic ingredients whenever possible.
There's nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread. Many of us enjoy the freshly baked rolls and breads served at restaurants. Yet many of us never consider making our own. It is incredibly simple and easy with the right tools, can be healthier and can even save you money. Using a counter top bread maker or more powerful stand mixer with dough hook takes the elbow grease out of making bread. I own both, but prefer using my bread maker vs. the stand mixer to make yeast products.
Bread makers have been around for a long time and were very popular for awhile. They were primarily marketed as all in one "make and bake" appliances, where you made the dough, let it rise and then baked it in the bread maker. While very convenient, the product quality was not comparable to traditional homemade bread. The loaves were shaped differently (usually tall and square) and the beater paddle remained in the pan during the baking process, producing an unsightly hole in the bottom of the loaf. There is also a noticeable difference in bread texture and appearance in bread machine baked bread that some people did not care for. I have included a link below that details the differences and includes pictures.
I use my bread maker on a regular basis earning it the right to occupy valuable real estate on my counter. It's so easy to use. I use the maker to process the dough and then bake it in the oven. I simply dump all the ingredients in the mixing pan, put the pan in the bread maker and run it on dough cycle. That's it. The bread maker will mix and knead the dough and put it through the first rise automatically. When it beeps, I remove the dough from the pan, give it a few quick kneads to finish it off and then shape the loaf (or rolls). I bake my loaves free form on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan. I then put the unbaked loaf in a warm place to rise till doubled. At that point, I put the bread in a preheated oven and bake (usually 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes). Bake times can vary depending in the type of bread or if baking rolls.
Bread makers vary in price starting at about 45.00 for new budget priced models. You can also get second hand bread makers at local thrift stores, on Craigs List or at estate and garage sales for much less. Sometimes they appear on Craigs List for FREE! There is no reason to spend alot of money on a fancy machine with features you won't use if you are just going to prep your dough in the machine using the dough cycle.
I use my bread maker to prepare dough for whole grain bread, traditional bread, rolls, foccacia, and pizza dough. I find amazing recipes online, but I also have a few well used bread maker cookbooks. My favorite book is Bread Machine Magic 1st ed. by Linda Rehberg and Lois Conway. A revised version has been published with updates and includes recipes for larger 2 lb loaves. Links to both are provided below.
I have also provided a few links below about the health benefits and advantages of baking home made bread.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/344384-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-baking-your-own-bread/
http://www.ehow.com/list_5789802_advantages-baking-own-bread.html
http://www.blogher.com/5-surprising-reasons-i-don-t-bake-bread-my-bread-machine-0
http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Machine-Magic-Exciting-Especially/dp/0312069146/ref=pd_sim_b_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1PN1H9YANNX4ZSX4BHY8
http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Machine-Magic-Revised-Edition/dp/031230496X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405337331&sr=8-1&keywords=bread+machine+magic