It is time to dust off your bread machine or purchase one for your home and make the most delicious bread you have ever tasted. Homemade Bread is not only healthier than store bought bread but it is so inexpensive to make.There is nothing better than warm, homemade bread! I am sharing my 5 Favorite Easy Healthy Bread Machine Recipes.
Why Use a Bread Machine?
I have owned a bread machine for more years than I can remember–maybe 10? I have gone through phases of making homemade bread and whenever I stop making it for a few weeks, my family notices. When I first got my bread machine, I tried to over complicate the process. I mostly tried whole wheat bread and my family did not love it. Now, I have realized it is better to replace the store bought bread my family loves with the type of homemade breads I know my family will eat. Namely, white bread, pizza dough, breadsticks and cinnamon rolls!
Over the last few weeks, it has been hard to find bread at the stores. Usually, there is a limited offering and it is never the brands we like. So, I ordered a 10 lb bag of white flour during my recent Instacart order and we have been making bread non-stop.
There are so many reasons to consider a bread machine:
- Homemade bread is made with less ingredient and better ingredients than store bought bread. Even if you are making a sweeter homemade bread that has some sugar, it is still a healthier option than what you can find at the store.
- It is less expensive than store bought bread. Read more about the cost comparison here. Most bread machine breads require just a few ingredients including flour, oil, yeast and salt. Even if you buy organic ingredients, your homemade bread will still be a lot cheaper than a loaf of bread from the store.
- You will always have bread available. As we have learned recently, there can be times when bread is in limited supply. But if you have flour and other basic bread ingredients at home, you can always have fresh bread.
- Homemade bread tastes so good! My family will tell you that they love homemade bread better than anything store bought. You can not beat warm, fresh homemade bread right out of the oven.Your house will smell amazing too!
- It is quick and a lot less fool proof than homemade bread from scratch. While it is rewarding to make homemade bread from scratch (without a machine), there is a lot more chance for error. Plus, it is a more time consuming and hands on process.
Have I convinced you yet to dust off your bread machine or to consider purchasing a new one? If not yet, let me tell you about some of our favorite recipes that might help convince you that homemade bread machine bread is worth trying!
How to Use a Bread Machine
One more thing, before I share some favorite bread machine recipes. One reason you might have given up on your bread machine is that you thought it was too complicated to use. Maybe you had a loaf that turned out bad and so you gave up. Trust me, I have made many bad loaves of bread in the past!
First, you want to make sure that you are using your bread machine correctly. Each bread machine has its own set of instructions on the order to add ingredients into the machine.THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. If you do not follow the correct process of adding ingredients to your bread machine, you are sure to end up with a bad loaf of bread.
My machine has me add in the liquid ingredients first and then all of the dry ingredients. Some machine requires the opposite process. So take a few minutes and read through your bread machine instructions.
Incidentally, after a little searching, it seems there are a lot of current good deals on bread machines. Many stores have them on sale and some stores are even sold out of them. Here are a few options that are highly rated and are a good value.
Bread Machine Options
One // Basic Fluffy White Bread
The best bread machine recipe to start with when getting comfortable with your new bread machine is a basic, white bread. This recipe will make you feel so confident in your bread making skills. Your house will smell amazing and your family will thank you. We make this recipe several times a week because it does not last very long.
This bread machine white bread makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches and even holds up great for toasting in your toaster.
White Bread for the Bread Machine
Delicious white bread perfect for sandwiches and toast
- bread machine
- 1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees Fahrenheit )
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp Canola or Vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups white flour (does not need to be bread flour)
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
Add ingredients into your bread machine in the order that is recommended by your bread machine. Some models add wet ingredients before dry and other machines require the opposite.
Set bread machine to Dough Cycle.
When the dough cycle is complete, remove from the machine and shape into a bread loaf.
Cover and let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes (or until the loaf doubles in size). Place in a warm spot in the house if the dough is not rising.
Place in a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.
bread, bread baking
Two// Homemade Pizza Dough
Once you have mastered a basic white bread recipe in your machine, you are ready for another recipe!
We have been making homemade pizza since my thirteen year old was just a toddler. What started as a Friday night tradition between my daughter and husband has turned into a Sunday night family affair. Up until lately, our Fridays have always been a little too hectic for homemade pizza night.
Recently, we moved our homemade pizza night to Sundays and it has become a fun new tradition. I have been making this bread machine pizza dough (Miss Sue Living) for the last few months and it is fool-proof. The pizza dough recipe makes 2-3 medium size pizzas which works out perfectly for our family of five.
Sometimes we use the dough to make bread sticks or soft pretzels.
Depending if you like thinner or thicker crust will dictate how big the pizzas turn out. Homemade pizza is great for families who all have different taste buds. You can make personal pizzas if everyone wants something a little different. This pizza option is SO much cheaper than buying everyone’s favorite type of pizza for takeout. Everyone gets the pizza they want and you save money.
We usually make a meat lovers pizza, a veggie pizza (with all the week’s leftover produce) and a cheese pizza.
This bread machine pizza dough recipe feels guilt free to me because I know exactly what is going in my dough and on my pizza. This recipe is so much healthier than anything you would buy at the store.
Three// The Best Cinnamon Rolls
So, now you have two recipes to add to your weekly bread routine, but I have a third recipe that you might want to add in as a weekend breakfast treat. These bread machine cinnamon rolls from Money Saving Mom are the BEST thing I make out of the bread machine. My kids say they are the best cinnamon rolls they have ever eaten. Normally, when I bake store bought cinnamon rolls from a can, I can resist the temptation to eat any. But, I can not resist these bread machine cinnamon rolls. They are so light and fluffy.
As suggested in the recipe, I double the cinnamon sugar filling. I definitely recommend doubling! This homemade cinnamon roll recipe makes to batches of rolls, so we like to bake up one batch right away and then save the other batch in the refrigerator for a day or two (if we can wait) later!
Four // Homemade Dinner Rolls in the Bread Machine
Is it just my family that wants some type of bread at every dinner, whether it is a roll, garlic bread or toast? These Homemade Dinner Rolls are the solution to your family’s request. These are so easy to make and you end up with a nice big batch so you can save (or even freeze) some for the next meal!
This bread machine dinner rolls recipe requires simple ingredients that you are sure to have on hand!
Five // Homemade French Bread Loaves
Or, if you want to make some french bread, try this French Baguette bread machine recipe! I do not use bread flour as the recipe calls for and just use regular white flour. It turns out perfectly! The recipe makes two loaves. So this is another bread recipe that you can do the work once and have bread for two meals!
Bread Machine Basics for Beginners
These bread machine recipes are great for beginners as well as seasoned bread makers. Once you get the hang of your bread machine, the bread recipe possibilities are endless! You will find that you still fall back on these basic bread machine recipes because your family will love them. But, you will also feel more confident to explore new bread machine recipes.
Keep a few basic bread machine tips in mind to get started:
- Be sure to follow the bread machine manufacture instructions on the order of adding the ingredients
- Consider the temperature of your home when it comes to bread rising. You will notice that it takes longer for your bread to rise when your home is cooler (especially in the summer when the AC is running). You just have to allow a little more time for the bread to rise.
- Do not mix salt and yeast unless the instructions specifically give you that direction. In almost all cases, salt and yeast should not be placed near each other.
How to Store Homemade Bread
Since there are not preservatives in your homemade bread, you might wonder how to keep your bread fresh. Most of our bread gets eaten within a day or two, so I do not have to worry about making it stay fresh for too long.
However, I do use these cloth bread bags and they seem to help keep the bread from getting stale. You could also use plastic bread bags like what you would find at the grocery store.
You do not need to refrigerate your bread unless you won’t be eating it up in 2-3 days.
While you certainly do not need a bread machine to make homemade bread, I can tell you it is so much more convenient and low risk. I have made many bad loaves of bread from scratch. However, I have been a lot more successful with bread machine recipes. You will not be disappointed making your own bread in a bread machine!
Tell me, have you made your own bread?
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