Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
My bread machine is my BFF, which is probably not a surprise given that one of my website slogans is, “Come to the carb side … we have cookies.”
Since my mom gave me my first bread machine and cookbook (long before I began my cookbook collection) in the early aughts, I’ve been hooked. I’m on machine #4 (the first two were used and began with a shorter shelf life).
My most recent bread machine purchase is great, dare I say fantastic, even? It’s the Cuisinart Convection Bread Machine. I bought it two years ago, and I’m still amazed by the loaves it turns out. It’s so easy to clean.
Bread Machine Cookbooks
But what isn’t great is the multitude of websites with wimpy cookbook lists, shouting, “These are the best bread machine cookbooks!” Really? The best according to whom? Did someone really go through all of them? I think not.
So, as I’ve done with cookie cookbooks and pie cookbooks (and plenty of others), I’ve made THE big list of cookbooks for the bread machine. It is the largest and most comprehensive list there is.
You decide which one is best for you. I simply provide the chapters, a little detail, and a random selection of items from the book.
There were far more than I thought there would be when I began this list several years ago. I am happy I picked it back up and forged ahead. I have a huge list of “must-try” recipes now. I’m guessing you will, too.
250 Best American Bread Machine Baking Recipes (2004) by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
Choose from one-and-a-half pound or two-pound loaves and dough recipes. There is recipe crossover with the other bread machine titles by this author duo, so if you own other titles, you may have a portion of the content already.
Images don’t appear on every page, but there are 32 pages of them tucked inside the 381-page, 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25-inch cookbook.
Chapters inside “250 Best American Bread Machine Baking Recipes” include:
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Introduction
- By Request
- Lower-Fat and Flavorful
- Healthy and Hearty Grains, Seeds, and Nuts
- Savory Wraps, Flatbreads, and Filled Breads
- Bagels and Sourdough
- Rolls by the Basketful
- From the Hearth
- Holiday Celebration Breads
- Dessert, Anyone?
- Beyond Breads
- Equipment Glossary
- Ingredient Glossary
- Technique Glossary
- Index
How will you choose among Amish Seed Bread, Dutch Apple Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping, Apricot Pecan Twists, Prairie Bread, and Moroccan Anise Bread?
300 Best Bread Machine Recipes (2010) by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
The first chapter of the 448-page, 7 x 1.06 x 10-inch book offers four sizes: 1.5 lb., 2 lb., 2.5 lb., and 3 lb.
The rest of the bread loaf recipes provide two sizes (1.5 lb. and 2 lb. loaves).
Just ask us — are we tired of baking bread?
The fragrance of baked bread is still warming to our hearts.
We hope you have as many enjoyable hours baking the recipes from our cookbook as we have had developing them for you.
Donna Washburn and Heather Butts, 300 Best Bread Machine REcipes (2010), Acknowledgments, Page 8.
Chapters inside “300 Best Bread Machine Recipes” (2010) by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt” include:
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- About the Recipes
- The Bread Machine Pantry
- Bread Machine Features
- Hints for Successful Bread Machine Baking
- Troubleshooting
- The Basics in Four Sizes
- New Era Breads
- By Request
- Lower-Fat and Flavorful
- Healthy and Hearty Grains, Seeds, and Nuts
- Savory Wraps, Flatbreads, and Filled Breads
- Bagels and Sourdough
- Rolls by the Basketful
- From the Hearth
- Holiday Celebration Breads
- Dessert, Anyone?
- Beyond Breads
- Equipment Glossary
- Ingredient Glossary
- Techniques Glossary
- Index
Cheesy Potato Loaf, Cinnamon-Raisin Bagels, California Garlic Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Green Peppercorn Mustard Rye Bread, and Honey Dijon Loaf with Bits of Bacon give you a nice peek into the assortment.
Artisan Bread Machine: 250 Recipes for Breads, Rolls, Flatbreads, and Pizzas (2011) by Judith Fertig
Dream through this 317-page, 7 x 0.63 x 10-inch Robert Rose, Inc. cookbook. As typical with the publisher, expect clear direction, a readable font, and an assortment of images, but not with every recipe.
The bottom line? As with any tool for any purpose, you have to work with what you have and try to maximize its performance.
And that means getting to know your bread machine and how it works.
Judith M. Fertig, Using Your Bread Machine, Page 9.
Chapters inside “Artisan Bread Machine” include:
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Using Your Bread Machine
- Classic White Breads
- Whole Grain Breads
- Flavored Breads
- Sweet Breads
- Sourdough and Slow-Rise Breads
- Flatbreads and Pizzas
- Savory Rolls
- Sweet Rolls
- Festive Breads
- Gluten-Free Breads
- The Artisan Bread Pantry
- Bread Machine Ingredients, A to Z
- Resources
- Index
High-Protein White Bread (8.5 grams of protein per slice!), Pullman Loaf (or pain de mie), Seeds Galore Durum Wheat Bread, Lime and Coconut Swirl Loaf, and Sugar and Spice Monkey Bread put your bread machine to good use.
The All New Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook: 101 Brand New Irresistible Foolproof Recipes For Family And Friends (1999) by Tom Lacalamita
Flip through the 7.38 x 0.7 x 9.25-inch, 208-page book published by Simon and Schuster. The index lists every recipe. It’s a handy feature. No images, but scant illustrations demonstrate technique.
The first bread machines reached North America in time for Christmas 1988.
Originally retailing for more than $400, they have since dropped in price dramatically, while the demand has risen steadily, affording millions of people the opportunity to make delicious, wholesome bread with the push of a button.
Tom Lacalamita, The All-New Ultimate Bread Machine Book (1999), Page 16.
Chapters inside “The All New Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook” include:
- Part One
- Introduction
- Bread Machines: East Meets West
- Getting the Best Results from Your Bread Machine
- Part Two
- Recipes
- White Bread Crowd Pleasers
- Golden Egg Breads
- Whole Grain Goodness
- Spanning the Globe with Rye Bread
- Breads with a Flair
- Just Like from the Pastry Shop
- Pizza and Flat Breads
- Pushcart Breads
- Great Things to Make with Leftover Bread
- Troubleshooting
- Bread Machine and Ingredient Manufacturers
- Mail-Order Sources
- Index
Bake Chewy Country Bread with Seeds, Real Farmhouse Potato Bread, Good Old New York Deli Rye (best eaten on the front stoop of an NYC brownstone, right?), Chocolatey Walnut Bread, and Sweet Almond and Cherry Bread brighten any day.
America’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes (1999) by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
There are two versions of this 192-page, 7.25 x 0.5 x 10.25-inch book: the one I’m about to dive into, the American version, and Canada’s Best Bread Machine Recipes (1999) (link takes you to the listing further down this page).
From what I can tell by comparing the contents, they are the same book of over 125 recipes, but with minor variations (really minor) in format and occasional recipe name changes, such as Boston Brown Bread (Page 17) in the American version compared to Maritime Brown Bread (Page 17) in the Canadian version.
Scant images, as is typical with Robert Rose, Inc., but the format is clear and easy to read. Recipes are for dough (and indicate the number of servings) or for a one and a half pound or two pound loaf.
Chapters in “America’s Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes” include:
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- About the Recipes
- The Bread Machine Pantry
- Beyond the Basics
- Low-Fat and Flavorful
- Wraps and Flatbreads
- Tangy Sourdoughs
- Montreal-Style Bagels
- Rolls by the Basketful
- Hearth Breads
- Grains, Seeds, and Nuts
- Coffee Cakes
- Dessert, Anyone?
- Holiday Celebrations
- Glossary
- Index
Cheddar Beer Bread, Indian Style Naan, Greek Style Pita, Raspberry Almond Streusel Coffee Cake, Submarine Buns, and Roasted Garlic Bread hint at the rest of the variety waiting for you.
The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever (1992) by Madge Rosenberg
Skim over 150 recipes in the 6.75 x 1 x 7.25-inch, 224-page cookbook from William Morrow. Recipes are formulated for one pound and one-and-a-half-pound loaves.
This passion for bread was so strong that twenty years, several careers, and three children later, I started my own bakery, Bakery Soutine, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Since the bakery opened in 1983, we have baked bread for some of the best restaurants and take-out food shops in New York City.
And perhaps as a reflection of my taste, I find my customers want interesting breads, bolstered with bran and whole grains, flavored with cheese and vegetables, fragrant with fresh herbs like rosemary and dill.
Madge Rosenberg, The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever (1992), Introduction, Page 1-2.
Chapters inside “The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever” include:
- Introduction
- Welcome to Your Kitchen Bakery
- About the Bread Machines
- About the Ingredients
- Measuring
- Freezing
- Helpful Hints
- Common Problems and Their Solutions
- Chapter One: Deli and Basic Sandwich Breads
- Chapter Two: A Bread for Every Season
- Other Chapters Unknown (if you know the chapters, please let me know, and I’ll fill it in. Thanks)
Bread selections include Artichoke and Cracked Wheat Bread, American Garlic and Parsley Bread, Brownie Bread, and Onion Rye Bread.
The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever Ethnic Breads (1994) by Madge Rosenberg
Bake up breads from around the world in your bread machine in this 7 x 1 x 7.25-inch, 218-page cookbook from HarperCollins.
Madge Rosenberg wrote “The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever” (1992) and followed up with other bread machine books after the success of her first (Amazon | eBay). I couldn’t find details and don’t own it, so I had to leave it off the list. *sad panda*
Chapters inside “The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever Ethnics Breads” include:
- Introduction
- Welcome to the Breads of the World
- About the Bread Machines
- About the Ingredients
- Source of Supplies
- Measuring
- Freezing
- Helpful Hints
- Common Problems and Their Solutions
- Chapter One: Breads of Eastern Europe
- Chapter Two: Breads of the Mediterranean
- Chapter Three: Breads of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Europe
- Chapter Four: Breads of Scandinavia
- Chapter Five: Breads of Africa
- Chapter Six: Breads of the Caribbean and Latin America
- Chapter Seven: Breads of the Middle East
- Chapter Eight: Breads of India and Asia
- Index
Polish Jelly Doughnuts, Romanian Cheese and Herb Bread, Chocolate Brioche Loaf, East African Chickpea and Green Olive Bread, and Scandinavian Pumpernickel are but a handful of the stunning assortment of breads in this book.
Betty Crocker’s Best Bread Machine Cookbook (1999) by Betty Crocker
It’s a spiral-bound, 240-page book from Macmillan. The beginning of each chapters lists each recipe and page number for your convenience.
Chapters inside “Betty Crocker’s Best Bread Machine Cookbook” include:
- Baking Bread with Love
- Chapter One: Good and Savory Loaves
- Chapter Two: Wholesome Grain Loaves
- Chapter Three: Fruit and Veggie Harvest Loaves
- Chapter Four: Smaller Can Be Just Right
- Chapter Five: Rustic Loaves and Flatbreads
- Chapter Six: Satisfying Rolls and Breadsticks
- Chapter Seven: Sweet Breads and Coffee Cakes
- Bread Baking Glossary
- Helpful Nutrition and Baking Information
- Metric Conversion Guide
- Index
Pumpkin Seed Bread or Roasted Garlic Bread? Toffee Chip Bread or Chocolate Mint Bread? Vanilla Sour Cream Bread or Peach Maple Bread? You’ll find plenty of options in this book.
Bread Machine Baking for All Seasons (1997) by Connie Merydith
This book offers 180 pages in a 6 x 0.5 x 8.5-inch package from Prima Publishing. Every recipe is listed in the Table of Contents so you can easily find what you want.
I enjoy the introduction Connie writes before each recipe. She shares a tip or description of the bread in a paragraph on a standalone page. Recipes occupy two pages, while some venture into three-page territory (such as her Tomato and Herb Focaccia recipe).
The word “seasons” brings different pictures to our mind … there are seasons in our lives, seasons in our moods, seasons in the weather … and for each of these seasons there is change.
In our lives we change from child to teenager to adult. Our moods can shift from sadness to joy to relief. So too, the weather changes during the year.
We have memories of past seasons, enjoy the uniqueness of each, and look forward to winter, spring, summer, and autumn coming again.
This book of bread machine recipes reflects the yearly seasons by using ingredients and garden produce that provoke seasonal joys.
Connie Merydith, Bread Machine Baking for All Seasons (1997), Introduction, Page vii.
Chapters inside “Bread Machine Baking for All Seasons” include:
- Introduction
- A Few Hints for Baking with Bread Machines
- Winter
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Creating Sourdough
- Index
Cinnamon-Walnut Bread, Citrus Celebration Bread, Prosciutto Bread, Black Olive Bread, and Irish Oatmeal Bread highlight a nice range of recipes.
The Bread Machine Cookbook: Delicious Recipes for Quick and Easy Breads (1993) by Melissa Clark
Melissa’s introduction shares what to do when you have extra homemade bread, and I love it: share it with the hungry people in your neighborhood. I have long been a fan of sharing with the neighbors. It’s a great ice breaker.
This long-time baker found a handy kitchen helper in her bread machine:
Now I can whip out several impressive, uniform loaves while I do other things. This is the beauty of it.
No babysitting, punching down, shaping, and tapping — just pressing a button.
And savoring the aroma of hot bread, which is strong enough to make my neighbors unconsciously smile in the corridors.
Ripping apart that warm loaf with my bare hands to watch the steam rise from the crumb.
Controlling what goes into my bread. Setting the marmalade bread on the timer, and waking up to a feast.
Melissa Clark, Introduction, Page 2.
Don’t expect lengthy intros or images (but it’s bread! Do you really need images?) in the 198-page book. Her intros are short and concise, like the recipes themselves.
Melissa’s recipes are typically a list of ingredients for a one-pound or one-and-a-half-pound loaf and to bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
This book is a total win.
Chapters inside “The Bread Machine Cookbook” include:
- Introduction
- White Breads
- Mixed-Grain Breads
- Fruit Breads
- Vegetable Breads
- Savory Breads
- Sweet Breads
- Dough Cycle
- Pizza Dough
- Stuffed Breads
- Sourdough Breads
- Sources List
Recipes include Sour Cream Bread (this one doesn’t use butter or oil), Luscious White Bread, Sour Cherry Rye Bread, Aromatic Seed Bread, Pecan Pumpkin Bread, and Cinnamon Banana Oat Bread provide a nice sampling of her bread recipes.
Okay, there are a lot of nice varieties here. I keep flipping through and finding more, such as Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread — and it doesn’t require handling. Her sourdough starter and sourdough recipes intrigue me, too.
Better Homes and Gardens Bread Machine Bounty: More Than 100 Recipes for 1- and 1 1/2-Pound Loaves (1992) by BH&G
Over 100 recipes await in this 143-page, 8.5 x 0.5 x 8.5-inch book from Meredith Books.
Chapters inside “Bread Machine Bounty” include:
- Bread Basics
- White Breads
- Wheat Breads
- Sourdough Breads
- Rye Breads
- Egg Breads
- Shaped Breads, Rolls, and Coffee Cakes
Sourdough Wheat Bread or Eggplant Bread? With so many recipes, you’ll keep busy. Don’t skip the section on butters, not with recipes including Breakfast Butter, Citrus Butter, and White Tarragon Butter.
Better Homes and Gardens More Bread Machine Bounty (1994) by BH&G
Here’s a sequel to the book above. It’s an 8.75 x 0.75 x 8.5-inch, 144-page cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens Books.
For many of us, the subtle aroma of baking bread stirs childhood memories of our grandma’s kitchen.
And, for the true bread-lover, nothing is more satisfying than catching a whiff of warm bread and enjoying that first fresh, hot slice.
Whether it’s old-fashioned white or your favorite whole grain, the smell and taste of freshly baked bread are irresistible.
More Bread Machine Bounty, Introduction, Page 4.
Chapters inside “More Bread Machine Bounty” include:
- Classic Breads
- Sourdough Breads
- Whole Grain Breads
- Herb Breads
- Vegetable Breads
- Fruit, Nut, and Spice Breads
- Dessert Breads
- Rolls and Shaped Breads
- International Breads
- Index
Oregano and Mozzarella Cheese Bread, Turkey Stuffing Bread, Creamy Caramel Rolls, Scottish Baps, Cuban Bread, and Lithuanian Coffee Braid are ready to tempt.
Better Homes and Gardens Bread Machine Cookbook (2001) by BH & G
This 96-page, 8.4 x 1.7 x 10.3-inch book published by Better Homes & Gardens Books offers recipes for one-and-a-half and two pound loaves, rolls, and other bread products. As is typical with bread machine cookbooks, images are few and far between.
The one-page recipes provide clear instructions and occasional extra tips, such as defining a term or discussing an ingredient more in-depth. Some basic recipes include High-Gluten Flour in addition to bread flour.
A generous portion of recipes require a bit of fiddling, such as using the dough setting.
Chapters inside “Better Homes and Gardens Bread Machine Cookbook” include:
- Welcome to Our Kitchen
- Secrets to Success
- Classic Breads
- Whole Grains
- Savory Loaves
- Breadsticks, Rolls, and Flatbread
- Sweet Breads
- Holiday Fare
- Index
- Metric Cooking Hints
- Know Your Machine (inside front cover)
- Troubleshooting Chart (inside back cover)
Buttermilk-Walnut Wheat Bread, Honey Spice Loaf (this sounds wonderful), Blueberry Granola Wheat Bread, Roasted Garlic and Stout Bread, and Scandinavian Lemon-Dill Rye Bread would fill the kitchen with such delicious scents.
Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes (2003) by BH&G
Choose between one-and-a-half or two-pound in this 416-page, 9.04 x 8.52 x 1.09-inch book from Meredith Publishing Group. Each recipe may not include an image but it does include nutritional information.
This collection of recipes helps you make the most of your bread machine — and allows you to have fun doing it.
With more than 400 tempting recipes to choose from, you’ll enjoy limitless possibilities — classic, sourdough, whole grain, sweet, holiday, and savory breads.
The tips and a thorough primer (see pages 5 to 10) guarantee success.
Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes (2003), Bread Machine Baking Basics, Page 4.
Chapters inside the BH&G “Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes include:
- Introduction: Bread Machine Baking Basics
- Savory Loaves
- Sourdough Favorites
- Whole Grain Goodness
- Sweet Bread Treasures
- Flavored Butters and Spreads
- Holiday Fare
- Rolls, Pizzas, and Breadsticks
- Soups and Stews
- Sandwiches
- Index
- Metric Information
Bread selections include Fougasses, Italian Cheese Bread, Zucchini Wheat Bread, Triple Mustard Bread, and Russian Kulich.
The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook: A Master Baker’s 300 Favorite Recipes for Perfect-Every-Time Bread-From Every Kind of Machine (2000) by Beth Hensperger
The original “The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook,” from Harvard Common Press, was a 7.83 x 1.8 x 9-inch book — and a whopping 643 pages.
But, in 2024, Beth Hensperger’s classic bread machine book received an update as an 8 x 0.7 x 8.9-inch, 304-page book offering over 325 recipes. My 2000 copy contains 300 recipes.
Cookbook readers: this one is for you. Beth wrote meaty paragraphs above each bread recipe, sharing tips and tricks for success, the backstory of a recipe, or another great read for one-and-a-half-pound or two-pound loaves.
Chapters may vary slightly from one edition to the next. I compared the proposed chapters (no page numbers in the 2024 version at the time of this writing), and they look close to identical.
If you don’t have Beth’s books, go with the 2024 version for the update. Bread machines have changed plenty in 20 years (and there are new recipes in it, too).
Chapters in the 2000 edition include:
- Acknowledgments
- America’s Bread Box
- Orientation
- Batterie de Cuisine: Know Your Bread Machine
- Making Bread
- Daily Breads: White Breads and Egg Breads
- White Breads
- Egg Breads
- One-Pound Loaves
- Pasta Doughs from Your Bread Machine
- Earth’s Bounty: Whole Wheat, Whole-Grain, and Specialty Flour Breads
- Whole Wheat Breads
- Rye Breads
- Specialty Flour Breads
- Multigrain Breads
- Gluten-Free Breads
- Traditional Loaves: Country Breads and Sourdough Breads
- Country Breads
- Sourdough Breads
- All Kinds of Flavors: Breads Made with the Produce of the Garden, Orchard, and Creamery
- Herb, Nut, Seed, and Spice Breads
- Savory Vegetable and Fruit Breads
- Cheese Breads
- Mixes and Some Special Breads Created from Them
- Stuffing Breads
- Circle, Squares, and Crescents: Pizzas and Other Flatbreads
- Sweet Loaves: Chocolate, Fruit, and Other Sweet Breads
- Breakfast Breads
- Coffee Cakes and Sweet Rolls
- Chocolate Breads
- Holiday Breads
- Express Lane Bread: No-Yeast Quick Breads
- Jams, Preserves, and Chutneys in Your Bread Machine
- Appendix 1 Bits and Pieces: Crumbs, Croutons, Crostini, and Toasted Appetizers
- Appendix 2 To Eat with Your Bread: Spreads, Butters, Cheeses, and Vegetables
- Appendix 3 Resources
- General Index
- Recipe Index
I’d try her Swedish Limpa Bread (my Aunt Jane used to bring it for Christmas), Polish Beer Rye Bread, and Amaretto Bread.
Beth shares Chuck William’s of Williams-Sonoma Country French Bread (originally created for baking in a La Cloche baker, but then developed by Beth for use in a bread machine or oven. Note that Chuck’s bread requires
Leave a Reply