I was gonna say the same thing. I have that book "The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook" and many good recipes and techniques in it. Something for everyone. It does have it's limitations though. Beth seems overly enamored with baking the bread in the machine, which I am not, so very little in there on preparing dough for oven baking, particularly instructions for baking temps and times. The section on artisan breads is pretty good, but again, leaves a little to be desired as far as shaping and baking the dough for free-form loaves. I also wish the book had more illustrations. But it is very comprehensive, wonderful recipes and a lot of suggestions on how to serve the bread and what to serve with it. Good organization too. You'll never get bored with it, that's for sure.

Although I really liked Beth Hensperger's bread machine book, and she also included some good bread machine recipes in her book, "The Pleasure of Whole-Grain Breads", the book I give to everyone who attends my Bread Machine Classes is "Bread Machines For Dummies" by Glenna Vance and Tom Lacalamita (sorry name for a great book). As a second choice, also by Tom Lacalamita - "The All-New Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook". All these books are often easy to find at used book stores.

BTW - I never had a failed recipe using "Bread Machines For Dummies", and it is one of the best books for general bread instruction with a very wide variety of recipes.

-Grainlady

"The Bread Lovers Bread Machine Cookbook" has a lot of good recipes, and I've liked everything I've made from it. I found the Dummies book very annoying, probably because I am not a dummy and should have considered that before I bought it. I personally would be insulted if anyone gave me a dummy book. It's okay to buy it for yourself, but I think it may send the wrong message if given as a gift.

I also got rid of my bread machine and now make most of my bread dough in my Kitchenaid mixer. Actually, the machine died and I decided not to replace it. I mixed most of the dough before I put it in the machine anyway, and I found that it did not save me much time. I did like it for making pizza dough, but I'm fine making that with my mixer as well. I still use the Bread Lovers recipes when making bread in my mixer.

Other stocking stuffer ideas: raisins, cardamom (spice), pure vanilla extract, poppy seeds, a
microplane
zester grater.

My daughter would probably take no offense on a Dummy book. The stocking stuffer ideas are also great, particularly the cardamom. My husband was shopping and bought the electric knife that he would like to have (he is the meat and bread carver at home), only to find out it is the one we have stashed in the garage "in case" the old one dies (and it's probably on its last legs). It was funny, though I don't think he thought it was.

Thanks for all the ideas! If you have any more, great!

Donna

A nice bread knife. I got one after my bread machine. Never needed one before that.

Another non book idea. I love my Danish dough whisk, Amazon, for mixing bread doughs for no knead breads.