66 Best Bread Machine Recipes To Make You Look Like a Pro
Sneak Preview: This is a collection of 66 of the best bread machine recipes you can mix up in your bread machine or bread maker. Bread makers are fabulous kneading machines, so I only use the DOUGH cycle. That’s what makes these the best bread machine recipes. Every yeast bread recipe listed here will include shaping directions, pan size, oven temperature for baking, and how long it should bake. Now you can produce bread you will be anxious to eat and excited to share with your family and friends.
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Since bread machines are my thing, I gathered all of my best bread maker recipes into one place to make it easy for you. No more scouring the web for mind-numbing hours looking for a recipe that may or may not be good.
When using one of my recipes, you won’t need the user’s manual that came with your bread machine. Instead, I’ll guide you step-by-step as you use a bread machine to do what it does best.
If you are having any specific issues with your bread, be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for a list of posts you may find helpful.
If you want inspiration and exclusive tips, add your email and press the button. (Don't worry. I won't sell your email.)
No worries if you don’t have a bread machine or bread maker. Nearly all of my recipes have alternate directions for stand mixers or making bread by hand.
Why these will be your favorite recipes:
When I bake bread, I want it to be worth the money, calories, and time! But that’s not all:
- It must taste fabulous, of course. Every recipe has been tested repeatedly.
- It must have a well-organized texture. (Stuffing the dough into a pan won’t do. Stuffing equals crumbs.)
- It must have a tender crust that is appropriately soft, tender, chewy, or crusty. Cardboard crusts are not worth the convenience of baking bread in a bread machine.
- It must be as beautiful as the bread you buy from the best bakery in town. My goal is to make bread I love and am excited to share with others. That’s what I want for you, too.
What am I doing wrong?
If you have made much bread in your machine, you might have noticed it’s often too dense, too tough, too short, flat on top, lopsided, crumbly, ugly, etc.
When the ingredients are dumped into a machine, mixed, and then baked right there in the machine, it’s not always the best. Most of the time, it’s not good at all.
Don’t blame your bread machine or bread maker. After all, it doesn’t have a brain. Instead, human intervention is required to make the very best bread machine bread.
“Bread machines don’t have a brain.”
That’s right. (I hope I haven’t burst your bread machine dream.) Great yeast bread cannot be made from scratch from start to finish with the touch of a “START” button.
Does it matter what kind of bread machine I have?
In my book, bread makers are the best kneading machine in town. So I use them to mix and knead the dough.
You need a machine with a DOUGH cycle because that’s all you’ll need with my recipes. Whether old or new isn’t a big deal as long as the motor is strong.
You don’t need a preheat cycle, multiple rest periods interspersed throughout the DOUGH cycle, or multiple options for recipes made with different flours.
Are you thinking, “Why do I even need a bread maker?”
Don’t return your bread machine just yet.
Bread makers are worth the money. Although you can use a stand mixer with all of my yeast bread recipes, stand mixers have no timers and no way of controlling the heat while your bread is rising.
With a stand mixer, you must be able to recognize when the dough has been properly kneaded, and you must provide the proper environment for the dough to rise. However, if you are planning to make many large batches of dough (more than 4 cups per recipe), a stand mixer with be the preferred choice.
So what’s the secret to making an incredible loaf of bread with a bread machine?
The instructions are in every one of my bread recipes or take a look at this tutorial for making bread in a bread machine my way.
Meanwhile, here’s a birds-eye view:
First: Select a good recipe. I don’t even bother with the recipes in the manual. Choose one below, or use a favorite recipe-most yeast bread recipes can be converted to use in a bread machine with this method.
Second: No matter what the recipe says, choose the DOUGH cycle. When the DOUGH cycle completes, remove the dough from the bread machine to a lightly floured work surface in your kitchen.
Third: Shape the dough as directed. (Please don’t drop the dough in a bread pan and stick it into the oven. The results won’t be pretty.)
Fourth: Let the dough rise again after shaping (important if you don’t want a dense loaf!).
Fifth: Bake the loaf in your preheated conventional oven. Don’t take it out until it’s perfectly baked throughout (use a quick-read thermometer if needed) and golden brown all over.
Yes, you can make good bread with a bread machine.
You’ll be amazed at how simple most of these recipes are. Even beginners will likely succeed, especially if you read and follow all of my tips.
You’ll also find advanced recipes like the Ciabatta above, Bread Machine Brioche, or Bread Machine Sourdough with No Commercial Yeast. There is truly something for everybody.
Can I recommend the free bread machine course? It’s the perfect place to start for anybody who wants to make really good bread with a bread maker.
What readers are saying:
“Thank you for helping making bread so easy!”
Ana
“I’ve made the Ciabatta bread, the french bread and today the buttermilk sandwich bread. They have all come out PERFECT! The recipes are easy to follow and I love that I can weigh the ingredients. My husband couldn’t get enough of the french bread. He told me not to lose the recipe since it was the best I’ve made since I have tried several different recipes and this was by far the best! Thank you!! Can’t wait to try some other of your recipes.”
Patty
“I have had to make all my bread, pizza, and roll doughs in my bread machines all the time now due to time constraints and your recipes have helped me make full use of my machines with good results. It was very helpful to realize I could do the dough in the machines and finish up in my oven, no holes in the bottom of the loaf, yay!!”
Diana R
Browse here for your next bread machine recipe:
Please email me if you are looking for a specific recipe but don’t see it here (address below). I’ll add it to my list. Many of the recipes you see here were created and tested in response to a reader request.
Looking for some advice for using your bread maker?
- 6 Bread-Machine Secrets You Need To Know To Make Marvelous Bread: Beginners should start here.
- How To Use a Bread Machine to Make Fabulous Bread: Learn about my philosophy of using a bread machine for what it does best.
- How to Choose a Bread Maker: This is a buyer’s guide to purchasing a bread machine. Find out how to match your needs with the right bread machine.
- 5 Surprising Reasons I Don’t Bake Bread in My Bread Machine: Read about the unconventional way I use my bread machine.
- How to Convert a Yeast Bread Recipe for Use in a Bread Machine: Do you have a favorite recipe you want to make in your bread machine? Now you can.
- How To Rescue Bread Dough When You Forgot To Add the Yeast: All may not be lost. If you have time, try this solution to save your bread.
- Overproofed Dough in a Bread Machine: What, Why, and How To Fix It: These answers to your questions about over-proofed dough will help you make a better loaf.
- Why is My Bread so Dense? (Plus a Special Bread Machine Section): If you are turning out dense loaves, be sure to read this post.
- 5 Keys To Using Yeast with Confidence in Your Bread Machine: With these 5 keys to using yeast in your bread machine, you will be able to make better-informed decisions about what type of yeast to use and how to handle it in bread machine recipes.
- What You Should Know About the Preheat Phase on a Bread Machine: The preheat phase on a bread machine comes on automatically for most yeast bread settings. Here’s why it’s there and why you may not need it.
- Bread Maker vs. Oven: How to Get the Best Crust: Many people are unhappy with bread made in a bread machine because they don’t like the crust. Here’s my solution.
- Can You Double a Bread Machine Recipe? Find out why it’s not a good idea and what you can do instead when you need lots of bread.
- What Does a Bread Machine Do and Why Do You Need One? I list all the reasons why I can’t do without a bread machine.
- How To Use a Bread Machine to Make Fabulous Bread: Learn about my philosophy of using a bread machine for what it does best.
- Should Liquids Be Warm When Using a Bread Machine? Do all liquids need to be at room temperature when using a bread machine as most bread recipes specify? Here is my answer.
- 5 Things You Should Not Do When Measuring Flour for Bread + Video: Find out if you measure flour wrong, why it matters, and how to measure it correctly, especially when making bread with a bread machine.
Faq about Bread Machine Recipes:
A bread maker is one of the best dough-kneading machines in town. I love mine. But if you want bread as good or better than what you can buy from a bakery, you will need to bake your bread in a conventional oven that gets hotter than a bread machine. The texture and crust will be greatly improved when you use the machine to mix and knead the dough, then shape the dough by hand, let it rise on your counter and bake it in a preheated conventional oven.
The reasons for dense bread are many but some of the more common ones include inaccurate measuring, unwise substitutions (too much whole wheat flour for white flour), or omission of important ingredients such as salt. If the ambient temperature is too warm or too cool, the timing of your bread machine may not work out right. Checking the dough as it kneads to see if you need more moisture or flour is very helpful. Remember, your bread machine does not have a brain.
It depends. If you want excellent bread every time with the touch of one button (from start to finish in a bread machine while you sleep), you will most likely be disappointed. But if you are willing to combine your brain with the touch of your fingers and the kneading power of a bread machine, you can make almost any bread recipe out there with a bread maker.
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately for a quick answer: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.