Rating: 
Summary: Every recipe is a hit!
Review: I bought this book because I read the reviews written by other customers and they were overall very good. So far I've made 3 recipes from the book - a flax seed bread, beer bread and a whole wheat bread - and they've all turned out amazingly well. I was resigned to the "fact" that bread machine bread was more dense than grocery store bread - until I tried these recipes. The bread is light and moist and the crust is crispy and delicious. I haven't bought the SAF yeast, I'm using regular bread machine yeast but it doesn't seem to matter. I admit - because I'm from Canada, apparently our flour is different from US flour - that I modify the recipes a bit - reducing the flour by 1/8 to 1/4 cup. I've also found that I can reduce the amount of sugar and fat called for in the recipes and still have excellent results.This book is wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone with a bit of knowledge of baking and a desire to spend some time with their bread machines.
Rating: 
Summary: Good ideas, bad execution
Review: I bought this book because it had the largest and most creative selection of recipes, but that's just not good enough. After two failures today I referred back to some "old standards" and discovered that the proportion of flour to liquid is different by almost 3 ounces in some cases. The result was a sticky mess that could barely be corrected by adding more and more flour. In one case, adding flour never did compensate for the combinations of other ingredients (chocolate and orange segments). When I read the book more closely, I discovered that the author recommends standing by during mixing to make this adjustment on all the recipes. So much for having fresh bread ready when you wake up in the morning. The author's credentials seem good, but she doesn't understand the breadmaker's approach. I suppose I'll use the ideas in this book and adjust the liquid as needed, but it certainly won't replace the recipes that I've used for the past ten years. Too bad.
Rating:
Summary: Can't live without it!
Review: I bought this book last Christmas after receiving a machine for a gift. I made a few recipes from the owner's manual and experienced quite a few flops. I refused to be defeated and knew there must be a book out there that would help me make good bread (with the machine that I had begged for). THIS is the book! I read all the reviews that precede 2002 and got the book right away. I love the way Hensperger explains ingredients, the science of bread and how the machine works. We use our machine at least 3-4 times a week. Some of my favorites from the book include the Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns (I will never buy storebought again!), the Garlic Foccacia, the Orange Bread with White Chocolate, Apricots and Walnuts, and for sandwiches my family loves the Instant Potato Bread and the Maple Buttermilk Bread, both of which turn out light and fluffly. I remember reading a review that discussed the different ways to measure flour. For some reason, if I do it Hensperger's way, I always have to add more flour. So, I just scoop it without aerating the flour first. Another review mentioned that you "have to" use SAF yeast. I haven't found this to be true. I have used the SAF, but have also used fast-acting and bread machine yeast. Both have turned out fine. All of the ingredients have been at a local supermarket (I live in a small town - 23,000, on the Central Coast of CA) except the specialty flours like barley, spelt, semolina, etc. Those I have found at a health-food store. I can't say enough good things about this book! My copy is tattered and stained and I am enjoying working my way through all the recipes. It is a book I definitely can't live without
Rating:
Summary: It's Great
Review: I don't know what the previous reviewers problems are with this book. I have so far tried 10 of the recipies and each one has been terrific. I really believe the author did test each and every bread recipe she gives. I have been getting rave reviews from real bread people who have tasted the loaves of bread I've been making. The only disappointment so far has been the Anadama Bread which doesn't resemble the real yeast version I've made before without the aid of the bread machine. Buy the book, follow the recipes exactly. You really do need the Wheat Gluton.
Rating:
Summary: The best bread machine cookbook -- look no further!
Review: I got this book for Christmas 2000 and have made over 75 recipes from it; all the bread has turned out beautiful and delicious. The author knows her stuff, and has included many helpful hints on baking ingredients and techniques to ensure that you get a perfect loaf every time. You will never buy another loaf of bread from the store again!
Rating:
Summary: I have to buy this book.
Review: I had this book from our local library. Started marking pages to copy but there were too many. Tried the sour cream bread; it's great. Kept the book overdue at 0.25per day! Best bread machine book I've seen. I have to have it on my shelf.
Rating: 
Summary: For Bread Machine Use Only
Review: I have had this book for over a year and tried most of the recipes included in this book. Most work...but not all. I have 3 different machines that I use and the results seem to be consistent from machine to machine.
However...as long as you only want to mix and bake in your machine, this is the book for you. Very few recipes include kneading times, shaping, oven temp or baking times for those of us wanting to bake "outside the box".
I'm also a firm believer in a picture is worth a 1000 words and this book has no pictures.
It's an OK book but not on my list of favorites.
Rating:
Summary: For Bread Machine Use Only
Review: I have had this book for over a year and tried most of the recipes included in this book. Most work...but not all. I have 3 different machines that I use and the results seem to be consistent from machine to machine.
However...as long as you only want to mix and bake in your machine, this is the book for you. Very few recipes include kneading times, shaping, oven temp or baking times for those of us wanting to bake "outside the box".
I'm also a firm believer in a picture is worth a 1000 words and this book has no pictures.
It's an OK book but not on my list of favorites.
Rating: 
Summary: Extensive Resource, Great Recipes
Review: I have made over 10 different breads from this book. All have turned out to be perfect! I have read over 10 other bread machine cookbooks and find this to be one of the best. Great tips throughout the book. This will work well for bread machine beginners or advanced bakers. I cannot understand why some other reviewers have been so negative towards this resource. The instructions are clear. Her section for beginners literally takes you step-by-step to make a perfect loaf. The troubleshooting section is somewhat slim, but it did solve a problem I was having. I wish the book had a glossary and nutritional listings for each recipe. I think this is money very well spent. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Great for everyday use
Review: I have owned this cookbook for almost a year and made many of its recipes. I use my bread machine several times a week to provide my family with a variety of fresh breads. As a working mother, I don't have time for elaborate recipes that involve making the dough in my bread maker and then putting together a special presentation for baking in a conventional oven. I need to put the ingredients in the bread maker and go on to the next job and forget it. This cookbook fills the bill admirably. I have the variety and ease of preparation that my family wants. My mother and mother-in-law both have breadmaking machines that they have put away and don't use because the final product was not worth the effort. When they have come to visit and eaten bread that I prepared using Beth Hensperger's book, they were surprised. They complained that their bread machines do not put out such good bread, and went to look at the cookbook, convinced that I had better recipes (which this book does!). Both women asked for this cookbook as a Christmas gift so that they could enjoy their bread machines again too. I recommend this book to any bread machine beginner or to anyone with a life too full to spend all day making bread.
| 
