I bought a bread machine - a Zojirushi - and I finally found a basic bread recipe that works for a really easy to make bread: (optional items in parenthesis)
1 1/4 cup warm water
3 1/4 cups (bread) flour
(1 or 2 tbls sugar)
1 tsp table salt (don't use Kosher unless you add about 30% more)
1 (or 2) tbls dry yeast
(pat of butter)
Add all ingredients, and mix with stand mixer w/dough hook, or in a food processor - or by hand, knead until smooth as a baby's butt, place in oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled. KEY POINT - if your house isn't 75 derees or more, put the bowl on a heating pad set to medium. Lack of a warm environment will slow rising. When doubled, empty onto pastry board or whatever and gently knead and form into a loaf or two or rolls. Let rise on baking sheet (again set on the heating pad covered with a clean dish or tea towel).
Bake: If you want crusty bread, use 350 convection, or 400 for softer crust. Slow makes crusty, hot makes brown. Rolls I bake for 15 minutes and then maybe brown at 400 for a couple of minutes. Important: The bread must reach 185-190 internally to set the starch (you can stick an instant read thermometer in the side of loaf or roll). Let the bread cool before cutting - it need to cool the starch - it won't cut well hot.
By the way, I don't particularly like the baking action of the bread machine, but I do like being able to program the machine to prepare dough already through the first rise, ready to make into pizza crust or rolls and loaves. The machine does take a lot of counter space, though.
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By the way, When you are making the dough, you can adjust the water to your particular environment - more will make the dough softer and sticky, less will be too stiff. Always feel free to add a spoonful of flour or two if the dough is too sticky, or spray a little water from a spray bottle if the dough is too still. It's easiest to adjust while still in the mixer.
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