I was so excited when I got my first bread machine, and I was equally disappointed when I used it to make my first loaves of bread. The bread didn’t rise very high, it was dense, and also had a very dark crust. My goal was to have a home made bread to use for sandwiches. I began tweaking the recipe that I had previously used from the little recipe booklet that came with the bread machine. I eventually found a combination that worked for me and works every time. My family and I love this bread, I make it weekly and sometimes more often. It is a simple recipe that can be put in the machine in the morning with the timer set and go about your day. Just make sure you schedule in time for the bread to cool about an hour before you plan to serve it; otherwise it will be difficult to slice without pretty much destroying the beautiful loaf.