Our bread machine sits out on the bench. I don't make as much bread these days since I don't eat it at all at the moment, but when I had more kids at home I was baking an average of a loaf a day (or equivalent).
Pizza bases - I used my pasta machine to roll out the dough nice and flat. It's good to give the kids their own pizza base to add stuff to themselves. Great for a sleepover party.
Another recipe option - I used the pasta machine again to roll the dough out, but into a long strip. I put grated cheese and chopped olives (you could do cheese and ham instead) and rolled it up longways then cut the long snake into short pieces, like a tray full of mini savoury chelsea buns. You can spread the bread with tomato paste then add chopped salami and grated cheese for pizza scrolls.
Or you can do sweet versions - spread with choc hazelnut spread, sprinkle on chopped nuts and choc bits then when baked, drizzle on some choc icing. I bake those all pushed close together on a flat tray, to make one large circle of small rolls which pull apart.
I've also made a brioche dough which you can then pull out and bake separately in the oven (like Witz does) either in a ring pan (I use silicone bakeware) or rolled and layered with butter to make croissants. The brioche - I glaze it with beaten egg then when it's done I unmould it, turn it over, glaze it with egg again and continue baking until it's golden and glossy on both sides.
Served warm (you can bake ahead, freeze it then get it out and thaw in the microwave for unexpected visitors). I find one batch of brioche dough makes two fluted ring loaves. We serve it with a bowl of whipped cream and some home-made strawberry jam. You slice small pieces (along the fluting from the mould) and spread them with jam and cream, like scones. mother in law has relatives that occasionally drop in and we could give them brioche every time. They will eat anything she serves them and in the past she's often run out of food and spent a lot of money to keep them fed. Now one brioche to finish off a sensible lunch, and they enjoy it AND are satisfied. If they've brought friends with them - then we simply serve them the second brioche as well instead of freezing it.
The brioche is a slightly different recipe - it has butter and eggs in it, as well as more sugar. It tastes almost like cake.
One thing husband & I found - the kneading flap doesn't always lie down when it should because it gets stiff. The trick is, you put a drop of cooking oil on the hinge and work it back and forth. It will soon be lubricated enough to lie down.
It also wears out sometimes, and the gasket can get old and perished especially if you leave the bread tin to soak regularly. So first, we don't soak the tin (inside only) for more than a couple of minutes. Second, we rang the company and asked for the supplier of the gasket and kneading flap thingie as parts. It was cheaper than replacing the whole tin.
Baking your own bread does need a bit of planning ahead, but it is worth the trouble. It can save a lot of money, even if you use a gourmet bread mix.
We slice the loaf and leave it in a plastic bag in the freezer. When we're down to a few slices I bake the next loaf. You need to allow the time it will take to bake, as well as the time it will take to be firm enough to slice without mangling it.
Marg