Clare makes a lot of my bread in a 2 pound breadmaker. For some basics, she lets it do the entire process of mixing, rising and baking, but more complicated breads she uses it for mixing and doing the initial rise.

Below are the steps for a standard 1.5 lb. loaf of white bread using the machine.

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of hot water (115-125 degrees F)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups bread flour
• 5 teaspoons fast-rising yeast

Recipe

1. Make sure mixing paddle is inserted into the bottom of the bread machine pan
2. Add hot water, oil, salt and sugar
3. Add flour on top
4. Create a well in the center, then add the yeast to it
5. Add any additional spices on top (I often add a bit of garlic, thyme and rosemary)
6. Close the breadmaker and set it to the 1.5LB setting using menu select
7. Press the start/stop option
8. The breadmaker will then mix the ingredients, rise the dough and bake it