Bread Machine

A bread machine, or bread maker, is a countertop appliance that automates bread-making: mixing and kneading ingredients with an internal paddle, letting the dough rise, and baking it, all in one pan. Bread machines became widely available for home kitchens starting in the 1980s.

Most machines offer settings for different bread types, such as white, whole wheat, French, and gluten-free, and many can also mix dough for pizza, rolls, or jams without baking it.

The main tradeoffs are a loaf size limited by the pan, a kneading-paddle indentation left in the bottom of the loaf, and a narrower range of textures than hand-shaped, oven-baked bread; in exchange, the machine handles mixing, kneading, rising, and baking with minimal hands-on effort.