Here are some basic recipes for you to use in your breadmaker. They have been designed to work with most standard bread machines, but please see your user guide for details on its capacity and settings.

I am giving the amounts to make either one small, medium or large white loaf. 1 lb, 1-and-a-half lb or 2 lb.

All spoon and cup measures are level:

  • One standard measuring cup holds 4 oz flour.
  • One tbsp holds 15 ml.
  • one tsp holds 5 ml.

Most bread machines come with a measuring cup and spoon for ease of use, please use these if available. Alternatively, weigh out and measure accurately.

The caster sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar and the sun flower oil for butter or margarine, but please lessen the amount of fat by half a tbsp if you do this. Using oil and caster sugar means that the ingredients are combined more easily.

Using other sugars and oils gives variations in texture and flavour.

Traditional dried yeast is available from supermarkets and will keep for several months if kept in an airtight container.

To make one small loaf you will need:

  • a quarter of a pint, 150 ml, or 2-thirds of a measuring cup of tepid or lukewarm water.
  • 1 tbsp, 15 ml, of dried milk.
  • 1 tbsp, 15 ml, of caster sugar.
  • half a tsp, 2.5 ml, of salt.
  • 2 tbsp, 30 ml, of sunflower oil.
  • 8 oz, 225 g, or 2 cups, of strong, white, bread flour.
  • 1 tsp, 5 ml, of traditional active dried yeast.

For a medium sized loaf you will need:

  • a fraction over half a pint, 275 ml, 9 fl.oz, that’s a generous 1 measuring cup of tepid or lukewarm water.
  • 2 tbsp, 30 ml, of dried milk.
  • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp, 20 ml, of caster sugar.
  • 1 tsp, 5 ml, salt.
  • 2 and a half tbsps, 40 ml, of sunflower oil.
  • 12 oz, 350 g, 3 cups of strong, white, bread flour.
  • 1 and a half tsps, 7.5 ml, of traditional, active dried yeast.

To make a large loaf you will need:

  • between half and 3-quarters of a pint, 375 ml, 13 fl.oz, or 1 and a half cups, of tepid or lukewarm water.
  • 4 tbsps, 60 ml, of dried milk.
  • 3 tbsps, 45 ml, of caster sugar.
  • 1 and a half tsps, 7.5 ml, of salt.
  • 4 tbsps, 60 ml, of sunflower oil.
  • 1 lb, 450 g, or 4 cups of strong, white, bread flour.
  • 2 tsps, 10 ml, of traditional, active dried yeast.
    1. Remove the bread pan from your bread maker on to a worktop, and add the ingredients in the order given above for the correct sized loaf.
    2. Position the pan in the machine, pressing it down firmly until you hear it click in to place.
    3. Close the lid.
    4. Set your machine according to the instructions for basic bread, selecting preferred crust type, either dark or light, and press the start button.
    5. Your breadmaker might bleep part-way through the cycle to alert you to the fact that it’s time for you to add other ingredients, i.e. herbs, fruit, cheese etc, but don’t be confused by this and think that your loaf has finished baking. Of course, it will be obvious if you gently touch the side of the breadmaker and find that it hasn’t got hot yet!
    6. All you have to do now is be patient and wait, the machine will do all the hard work of kneading and proving for you, simply look forward to experiencing the wonderful aroma and taste of freshly baked bread.
    7. When the bread is cooked, (most machines will bleep again to let you know that the cycle is complete.
    8. Use oven gloves to remove the pan and turn out the loaf onto a cooling rack.

    I have to admit, I like to eat the bread while it is still warm and crusty!

    Breadmakers are renowned for giving very good, even light and airy results. It may be necessary to adjust the ingredients, particularly the water, if the bread isn’t quite right.

    Please persevere though, and take a look at the glossary of preparation techniques, for more detailed information on how to bake and store home-made bread, or for handy hints on how to adjust recipes when things go wrong.

    With the help of your breadmaker’s recipe book, you can experiment and go on to create your own favourite flavoured breads.