Book review: The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook

The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook
by Beth Hensperger

Publisher’s Weekly writes:

The 300-plus recipes are so far-ranging it’s hard to believe a bread exists that isn’t included here. There are white breads and sourdoughs, all manner of whole wheat and grain breads and breads featuring nuts and dried fruits, cheese and savory flavorings. There are crusty ciabattas, a sturdy Irish Potato Brown Bread and a variety of challahs. Hensperger also includes dozens of sweet breads, including croissants, coffee cakes and traditional holiday confections. There are recipes for pizza and flatbreads, as well as selections from a variety of traditions, from Alsatian kugelhopf to Zuni Indian bread. She even offers instructions for using bread machines to make pasta, jams and chutneys. By the end, Hensperger will have convinced readers that it’s time to overcome any qualms and get to work. The bread machine is here to stay.

The sheer breadth (ha ha) and depth of the book is overwhelming. Critics note that there are no recipes for whole grain breads that do not also include white flour, while fans rave about the amazing variety included. Critics note that there are a lot of recipes that call for manual intervention during the baking process, while fans say so what? Don’t make those loaves if you don’t want to. Fans far outnumber critics, which doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be taken seriously. It’s up to you and your style.

I have been very pleased with each recipe I’ve tried so far. The brioche turned out to be amazing! I never would have expected to get the same fine texture that I get from hand kneading. One thing that put me off at first is that Beth calls for gluten to be added to practically every recipe. I’ve never used added gluten, and decided I didn’t really want to go hunting for it and start now. The recipes turned out fine without it (so far!). Maybe they’d be even better with it, but we just don’t seem to care in my household!