I won my breadmaker in a competition. Actually I won a coffee maker, but as neither my husband nor I drinks coffee, I swapped it (a good tip – always negotiate). So, I love using it but have found it’s best to use the “dough” setting and then take the mix out and shape it and bake it in a separate tin, or make it into rolls. There’s nothing wrong with baking it in the machine but it produces rather a tall, thin loaf and the stirrer is embedded in the bread. You break your nails trying to get it out!

Basic bread is cheap – but fancy bread isn’t. So I can make lovely olive/cheese/chocolate/raisin loaves and different styles – foccaccia, ciabatta etc cheaper than the specialist shops. I also love granary – nutty kibbles of wheat in white flour. My kids prefer it toasted with honey in the mornings – which is good, as one child isn’t a big breakfast-eater and I struggle to get her to eat anything first thing - not good on a school day when she needs sustenance.

Recipe: Breadmaker Granary Bread 

Ingredients: makes 1 x 400g loaf

300ml lukewarm water

750g granary strong bread flour (not plain flour)

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp skimmed milk powder

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 sachet dried yeast (makes sure it’s before its sell-by date as it loses its power)

Method: Follow your breadmaker instructions or tip in all the ingredients (water first) and mix on the “dough” setting. If you’re doing it by hand, mix it well, knead and leave to prove in a warm place covered by a clean teatowel or clingfilm for at least 30 minutes. Grease a 400g loaf tin and dust with oatmeal or flour, or breadcrumbs. Oil your hands and lift the dough out. Form it into a nice sausage shape, then place in the tin. You can brush the top with milk and sprinkle with oats/sesame seeds at this stage too, but I don’t usually. While it’s rising a bit more in the tin, preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius – it needs to be hot for bread. Put the bread in the oven and turn down the heat to 180 degrees after 10 minutes. Set your timer for 25 minutes in total, then test it by tapping on the top and hearing if it sounds hollow. Then it’s done – so turn it onto a wire rack to cool. Don’t eat while it’s piping hot, as the yeast is still working, apparently, and it’ll give you gut rot. But later on, eating it while it’s still warm is lovely.

Variations:  add a handful of mixed dried fruit and a teaspoon of cinnamon OR 100g grated cheese and a briefly sauteed, chopped onion OR chocolate chips.