What can be more tempting than fresh, hot bread, straight from your oven! Spread it with your favorite jelly or jam, or a pat of butter, and everyone will be asking for more.

In the Neolithic times, which was about 12,000 years back, grain, crushed coarsely, was mixed with water and put on heated stones, and baked in the hot ashes, thus creating the flat breads that are still made in Asia, the Middle East, and in Africa. The discovery of wheat dough’s natural fermentation properties by the Egyptians resulted in the airy, light loaf of bread that is baked today. The Egyptians, in fact, are said to have developed the first ovens used for baking bread.

Homemade bread has something extra special about it. The wholesome aroma of bread cooking that spreads into every nook and cranny of the house is wonderful. Plus, when you make homemade bread, you know what exactly has gone into it – no harmful additives, just fresh and pure ingredients.

Ah, the pure joy of homemade bread! And a bread machine makes it easier than ever to make and enjoy freshly baked bread. All you need to do is put in the ingredients according to the measurements, set the bread machine, and a couple of hours or so later, you will get fresh, homemade bread. The timer of the bread maker can be pre-set to be turned on in the night, and you can wake up to the heavenly smell of cooked bread.

Here are a few bread machine recipes that are sure to be a hit with family and friends. Do ensure to first read your bread machine’s instructions, because each machine varies:

Basic Bread Machine Loaf

500 g bread flour
7 g yeast, fast acting
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
300 ml water

All you need to do is put the water and oil at the bottom of the basket of your bread maker. Then, add the salt and flour on top, and add the yeast last, on top of all the ingredients.

Then set the bread machine, either to the basic setting, or if you use whole meal flour, to the whole meal flour setting.

If you want, you can even add various types of seeds, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

Carrot & Apple Bread Maker Loaf

3 cups of whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup carrots, grated
1 1/8 cups of apple juice
1½ eggs
1 ½ tbsp gluten
2 1/3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of wheat flakes or oats
2 tsp yeast
1/3 cup of dried apples
1/3 cup of nuts, chopped (optional)

Put in all the ingredients into the bread machine, according to the directions of the manufacturer, making sure to add the yeast last. Set the bread maker to medium color, and add the apples and nuts when the machine beeps. You will get a 11/2 lb loaf with this recipe.

Bread Machine Wheat Bread With Cranberry

2 cups of bread flour
1 1/4 cups of whole-wheat flour
1 1/4 cups of water
1/3 cup of honey
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup of dried cranberries, sweetened

Put all the ingredients, excepting the cranberries, into the bread maker’s pan according to the order given by the manufacturer. Selecting the sweet bread cycle, press the start button. If there is a fruit setting in the bread machine, put in the cranberries when you hear the signal, or else around 5 minutes before the end of the kneading cycle.

Cardamom Flavored Bread Machine Bread

3 cups of bread flour
1 egg
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup of applesauce, unsweetened
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom, ground
2 tsp active dry yeast

Put all the ingredients into the bread machine’s pan according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Then, selecting the dough cycle, press on the Start. When the indication is given that the cycle has been completed, take out the dough and knead it a little. Then forming the dough into a loaf shape, put it on a 9 by 5-inch greased bread pan, and cover and place it in a warm place, allowing it to rise until it doubles in size, which will take about 45 minutes. Next, preheat the oven to 175 degrees C or 350 degrees F. Then, uncovering the dough, brush it with water on top, and bake it for about 40-45 minutes, or until it browns nicely. When tapped at the bottom, the loaf should make a hollow sound. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, and then remove from the pan. Allow it to cool for around one hour, and then slice it.