I just bought a bread machine (actually from a charity shop--an Oster, which interestingly has the exact same bread pan as the Cuisinart) for the first time in this past year, having baked bread, including sourdough, for years. I am glad that I started learning by hand and worked my way through the KA stand mixer before trying a bread machine. Experience with the process informs your use of the machine. These are great tips--I can't imagine the results of not watching the dough form! Too dry or too wet would bake into an incredible mess. I have had great success with the machine whether I am just using it for making dough or using the entire baking process. Also, wiping the pan before the bread bakes in the machine is a great tip! Lately my preference is for a pan de mie loaf, but when it's too hot to turn on the oven the machine does a great job, albeit with a different loaf shape. This machine is a new best friend!

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