The jury is in...

This is an update of an earlier, unfavorable review of the Breadman TR875 bread machine. The first loaf I baked using the machine was not a success. I was not sure if it was the machine, the recipe, or both that contributed to the disaster. I am happy to report that the machine, on my 2nd try, performed beautifully, producing a loaf with perfect texture, loft, color, and crust. I would recommend the machine to anyone who enjoys making bread, but who does not have the time to spend dealing with a hand made dough (for those of you who are purists, even bakeries use mixers). Simply add your ingredients, push a couple of large easy to read buttons, and return in a couple of hours with a knife, a plate and a pat of butter.

The machine is simplicity itself, and as indicated earlier, is easy to read - a blessing for those of us whose vision is not what it was when we were 20. The buttons (and information provided on the machine) are large, so there is little chance of making a "finger flub" and selecting a "dark" crust, for example, when you want "medium." The machine is also smaller than others I've owned, with a lower profile. I have it out on my counter, and it is slightly larger (but is significantly lower) than my 12 cup coffee maker.

Note regarding Breadman's Recipes: Don't use them! The original recipe I used for a whole wheat loaf of bread was dreadful. It asked for 4 cups of whole wheat flour and 3 additional tablespoons of gluten. Ugh! The recipe also required one to add the wet ingredients first and then the dry. The yeast was the last thing to be added. The water required in the recipe did not seem sufficient to moisten the mountain of flour and gluten. The yeast, added at the end, did not have an opportunity to interact with the water and sugar, and as a result did not help anything to rise.

To produce my current, perfect little loaf, I went on line and found a bread maker recipe that made sense. I don't pretend to be a master baker, but I know enough to understand that yeast must be proofed in warm water and sugar before it is added to flour. Once it is bubbly and noxious looking (proving that it is alive), it is kneaded into the flour. This is the process I followed using the bread machine. The resulting loaf of bread is puffy, golden, and "french bread" crusty - almost as if it was baked on a stone. Yum!

So there it is. I am happy not only to eat my words, but my bread as well. Good luck to those of you who purchase this machine in the future, I think you will be pleased.