Rediscovering the Simple Joy of Homemade Bread: A Tale of Bread Machines and Rye Loaves

 

We often chase “better” and end up over complicating the simplest pleasures. Take my bread-making journey: about 20 years ago, I snagged a no-frills $42 Sunbeam bread machine from Walmart. It became a kitchen hero, reliably baking loaf after loaf and filling my home with that irresistible fresh-bread aroma. For nearly two decades, it was my go-to for cozy, homemade goodness—until it finally gave out, leaving me heartbroken.

Hoping to level up, I splurged on a fancy upgrade that cost four times as much. It boasted all the bells and whistles, but the complexity overwhelmed me. I never quite got the hang of it, so it ended up boxed in the basement, gathering dust. On the plus side, number two son is excited to inherit it once their home rebuild from the devastating October 18 fire wraps up—it'll get a fresh start in a new kitchen.

Lately, I've craved that effortless joy of experimenting with recipes and waking up to the smell of baking bread. I searched for a replacement like my trusty old Sunbeam but struck out. Instead, I found a similar basic model on Amazon for just $70 and pulled the trigger. What a game-changer! Its straightforward design lets me dive right into the fun of baking, without fiddling with endless settings. Trust me when I tell you that the older I get, the simpler I like.

To kick things off, I whipped up this delightful ABM Rye Bread just in time for one of my son's marathon visits. As it baked, the heavenly scent wafted through the house, turning the wait into sweet torture—I had to hold off for an hour and a half to let it cool before slicing in.

I can't share the recipe here (rules are rules), but you can grab it from Bread Dad’s site here, complete with a helpful video to guide you. As Bread Dad describes it: “This bread is used for classic sandwiches such as the Reuben Sandwich, Ham & Cheese on Rye, etc. Rye bread is a modestly dark bread made with ingredients such as rye flour, molasses and cocoa powder. It has a unique flavor (which can be described as ‘earthy’) and is a nice change from the white bread used for many sandwiches.”

  What hooked me? The texture was spot-on—not the dense, heavy brick some rye breads turn into. It stayed moist, sliced like a dream (Just LOOK at those thin slices, thanks to my favorite bread knife.), and elevated every sandwich to perfection. Sometimes, going back to basics is the real upgrade. 

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