Back in January I picked up a small bread machine from Amazon.com as something of an impulse buy.  I’d been contemplating getting one for a while, and this one was on sale at the time and had the advantage of being really small. 

It makes a small loaf that’s about right for two people (three if you stretch it) at one meal, or that’s about right for making three sandwiches (i.e. about 6 slices, depending on how thick you like them).  It’s also really fast, easy to clean, and easy to use.  And unlike many appliances you buy these days, the instructions are well-written and informative.  In addition to listing quite a few bread recipes it includes a section that explains the purpose of each type of ingredient and explains some common problems and how to fix them.  The manual also explains how to use pre-made bread mixes that you find in the store (the usual size of mix, such as you get from Krusteaz, is good for two loaves in this machine).

So far I’ve made basic white, wheat, rye, and oatmeal-honey white from the recipe book as well as “country white,” sourdough, and wheat berry from Krusteaz.  Interestingly, there’s something about the wheat berry that drives my dog nuts.  She practically attacks me in the kitchen when I start slicing a loaf of the wheat berry.  It’s an odd response, as she seems more interested in this bread than anything besides raw meat.