Whole Grain Breads By Machine Or Hand: 200 Delicious, Healthful, Simple Recipes Paperback – December 19, 2003

Wow I love this book. Not only does it offer an outrageous number of whole grain (not a white bread among them!) recipes, but for each and every recipe you are offered three loaf sizes and four ways to make them: by hand, mixer, food processor, and bread machine. This is just amazing. My bread has turned out from A to B- (my fault - I didn't follow directions and my cranberries fell to the bottom). There's a 1-lb sampler loaf option for trying out a recipe. Thanks to recent injuries, it's hard for me to make bread by hand now, so I've been experimenting with a bread machine. I refuse to buy store bread: Have you ever read the list of ingredients of a 1-lb artisan loaf at Kroger, or the price at a bakery? I can make a basic 1-lb loaf for under a dollar--a couple cups of flour, water, salt and a couple teaspoons of yeast, plus a few enhancers. I've also experimented with my favorite recipes by making the dough in the bread machine and forming the loaf by hand, doing the second rise outside the machine and baking in the oven. Especially in winter, the loaf rises fairly fast, the dough having been warmed up in the bread machine. Make bread people! It's really easy and really good for you! (I got my bread machine for $3 at a thrift store!)

I really like this book. Like other reviews have stated though, if you are looking solely for recipes that use absolutely no white flour - this is not the book for you. If, however, you just want to incorporate more whole grains, this is a great book to have. Each recipe has separate sections to be used by machine or hand (I use the by hand one). All you have to do is find the correct header and you're good to go - it doesn't try to mash it all together. Everything is also very clearly explained. I like the variety and uniqueness of recipes (I never would have thought of chocolate walnut wheat bread, but it's really good!), and the fact that many have recipes for using the leftovers as well, or for something to accompany it. They also have 3 different size options, which is especially nice with the sweet rolls. Sometimes it's nice to only make 8, and not more. All the recipes I've tried taste great, and only once have I had to adjust the recipe - it was due to moisture content. However, that occasionally happens when you make bread by hand - there are variables that may affect the dough that are by no means the fault of the recipe. All the recipes use rapid-rise yeast. I use active dry, and just increase the amount by about half. Overall I think it's a great book, and one I turn to often when I'm in the mood to make bread.

Just about every recipe I've tried from this cookbook has been excellent. However, only a very small portion of the book contains recipes for whole grain breads, and an even smaller number of recipes calling for whole grains only.That said, the book is helpful in that its recipes include directions for kneading and baking by hand and/or machine, with all combinations. Helpful for the purists among its readers. One relatively minor point is that the recipes don't show clearly the size loaf the recipe is for; maybe this info is in the intro. In any case, you can't go wrong with medium. Also, I'd probably add an oz or two to the water called for in the recipes; otherwise the machine can strain more than a bit in the kneading process.

Well, I admit I haven't used *every* bread cookbook out there, but let me tell you why I love this one. I love to make bread. I especially love kneading it. I don't eat much bread myself because I'm diabetic but I love making it for my family, friends and neighbors. Unfortunately I have five ruptured discs in my neck, and the action of kneading--and mixing--aggravates my neck. What I think is wonderful about this book is 1) the yummy recipes, 2) the four different sets of directions for making bread by hand, with a heavy duty mixer, with a food processor, and with a bread machine. And if that weren't enough, the author also gives us directions for making three different sized loaves! How much better could it get? I've tried about half a dozen recipes so far and they've all been tasty, which is the bottom line. A food can be good for you, but if it doesn't taste good, the recipe is worthless. Bless Beatrice Ojakangas for giving us such a good bread book.

Even though the recipies aren't 100% whole grain recipies, I still maintain that any bread made from this book would be healthier, cheaper and tastier than anything you would buy at the store. I like that you have 3 options on sizing your loaves and options for preparing the bread. Most of the ingredients called for in the recipies are easy to find, if not already in your cupboard.The other neat thing about this book is that there are recipies like soups, sandwiches and pate to use with the bread.Overall, I am a happy camper.

Love this book! I also bought a copy for one of my daughters. One of many things I like about this book is that each recipe has a sampler size. Each recipe has the directions on how to make by hand, food processor, bread machine and mixer. No more digging instruction manuals for adapting a recipe. So far when I have made a recipe it has turned out.

I've been baking my own bread for years, and this is my favorite bread book. It gives you 3 sizes of loaves for each recipe and the instructions to make it by hand, in a bread maker and with a stand mixer. I've made many of the recipes and they have always turned out well. A particular favorite is the cranberry oatmeal nut loaf. Had several requests for this one.

The recipes are very good, but I wish there had been some pictures of the finished loaves.