| I will always remember the day I bought my bread | | | | teaspoon of sugar, but we decided we did not like the |
| machine. I was at a garage sale and found it marked | | | | taste so we omitted it. We also add a teaspoon of |
| at $30. After examining it, I insisted on plugging it in to | | | | powdered flax seed to the mix to at least make me |
| make it work. Once the light sensors came on, I had | | | | feel like we were doing something healthy for dinner. |
| no idea what to do next. So I paid for it. | | | | Next, add 3 ½ cups of flour. Then, make a little |
| I took it home and made five loaves of bread. Four of | | | | hole for the yeast and add two teaspoons. |
| them fell. I read everything I could find on the Internet | | | | I always check on my dough after about five minutes. |
| about bread machines and made sure to diligently | | | | Sometimes the whole mixture sloshes; I add a little |
| manage the measurements. I finally decreased the | | | | more flour to firm it up. Sometimes there is flour caked |
| falling of my loaves to about two in five - but | | | | to the side of the machine; I add more water and oil, |
| somehow, those two always fell when I had no other | | | | little by little. Unlike bread, we very rarely have |
| bread in the house and was counting on the loaf to | | | | problems with our dough, and the addition of the |
| feed us our lunch. Finally, like I suspect so many | | | | frozen crust to our repertoire has made my nights |
| women do, I left it on the counter as a beautiful | | | | even easier. We use regular spaghetti sauce rather |
| appliance. Store-bought bread was just less hassle. | | | | than expensive 'pizza' sauce and add our own |
| Several months passed, and I came across an article | | | | ingredients. |
| about making your own pizza, my husband's all-time | | | | Lest you wonder about the cost savings, we purchase |
| favorite meal. Quick research revealed that I could | | | | our yeast (by far the most expensive part) from a |
| actually make the pizza in my bread machine! I happily | | | | warehouse club. We pay less than $4 for what would |
| dumped the products in and we began saving about | | | | cost us over $30 when bought in individual packets. |
| $60 a month (that is $720/year) by making our own | | | | We also purchase our cheese and pepperoni (our |
| pizza dough. | | | | topping of choice) from the warehouse store. These |
| Pizza dough is very quick and easy to make, and, for | | | | are the most costly items that are least likely to go on |
| me at least, much less likely to fall. If your bread maker | | | | sale. |
| has a timer, you can even set it to mix while you are | | | | Our recipe feeds two adults and two toddlers; once |
| at work. Or, you can make the dough on the weekend | | | | our third child started eating and our other two began |
| and freeze the crust, ready to be cooked as your | | | | growing we increased the ingredients a little and used |
| very own frozen pizza - for significantly less money. | | | | 4 lbs of flour. When the dough finished mixing, we |
| There are a million dough recipes out there, and I | | | | allow our older children to make their own 'pan' pizza, |
| encourage you to experiment. We use the most basic | | | | which they enjoy. Talk about getting the family |
| recipe. Remember in your bread machine you want to | | | | involved. |
| add the wet ingredients first, followed by the dry, with | | | | Homemade pizza is a win-win situation. Your children |
| the yeast going in last. | | | | get the taste they love, your husband gets to write |
| Start with 1 3/8 cup of water and pour it in the bottom | | | | smaller checks (and you don't have to worry about |
| of the machine bowl. Add two tablespoons of oil. Next, | | | | delivery charges or tips), and, most importantly, you get |
| add two teaspoons of salt. Most recipes call for a | | | | to use your bread machine for more than decoration. |