A few people here swear by their breadmaker -- Alicia (HanSolo) in particular, so maybe she'll offer you some advice about that. I asked for one as a wedding gift but once I got it I hated it.
I make homemade bread all the time -- I also use the same recipe for pizza crust, pizza pockets, and breadsticks -- it's this recipe.
I was scared to try making my own bread at first, but it really isn't too bad. The main thing is that you really can't take any shortcuts or the end result will suffer.
For the recipe I posted, this means warming the flour, making sure you knead it for the full 10 minutes (it turns out better if I do it by hand, but I don't have enough energy these days for that), and not letting it rise too much. There are a variety of other things that can go wrong, of course, but those are the three most common mistakes I always make. I can tell when I've screwed up because the texture is too coarse, or there are little holes from air pockets, or it tastes a little off.
It really isn't too time-consuming -- I can have the loaf of bread ready to rise in 20 minutes, and after that the work is fairly minimal (keep an eye on it while it's rising and then when it's in the oven). But, if you're not crazy about the work, you might want to try a breadmaker. Ask around before you buy one -- a lot of people have a breadmaker they never use stashed away in a cupboard, and you might be able to borrow one and test it out before making a purchase.
Oh, and if you do go the homemade bread route, make sure you buy yeast in bulk. The little packets cost a fortune in comparison.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Re: Thinking of making my own bread
