Do I think that bread machine mixes are any good? Yes, some of them are, but the problem with all bread machine mixes is that they place limitations on your choice and do not encourage your creative talents. That may sound a little harsh, but think about it for a while. If you depend on bread machine mixes you can only make the bread for which you can buy a bread machine mix and you can only tip the bread machine mix into the bowl and switch the bread making machine on. You are not likely to alter the bread machine mix for fear that it won't work.

What is the alternative? Well, the old-fashioned cookbook, of course! Not any old cookbook, but a specialized bread making machine recipe book. Bread making is a very simple, but rather tedious process. The ingredients are everyday, household items: water, flour, yeast, salt, sugar and oil. You already have those items in your cupboard with the possible exception of the yeast, which can be bought everywhere at low cost.

And I'm sure you already know what happens when you cook following a recipe, don't you? You have already read the recipe through and you know you have everything in the cupboard, but when the recipe requires, let's say, lemon peel, you open the cupboard door and see that you don't have any lemons – but you do have orangess! Oh, well you think, oranges'll do. You make do. You try things out. And that means that you are developing your talent and creativity. Bread making mixes will not do that for you.

A good bread making machine cookbook will have well over 100 recipes originating from several countries and you will get really enthusiastic about trying the different ones out. Have you eaten Welsh bread – Bara Brith? Or Amish bread? Cajun bread or onion bread? Banana bread is lovely too, but one of my favourites is Brazil Nut Bread – absolutely scrumptious.

The point is that you may not find recipes for all these breads in one place, but if you have a reference point, like a bread recipe cookbook, you can start off by using tried and tested gourmet bread recipes and gradually concoct your own – sometimes out of necessity.

I once made a really great loaf by adding all of the leftover vegetables from my Sunday meal. It was very tasty, but I could never quite reproduce it, because I did not write down the proportions of the vegetables. I could only remember that it had green beans, potatoes and sweet corn in it!

Bread machine mixes will never in a million years give you that, will they? And bread machine mixes are relatively expensive compared to the cost of five kilos of flour. I always vary the ingredients too: honey instead of sugar, milk instead of water, olive oil or butter instead of say, corn oil. Rock salt instead of sea salt or visa versa. You get the picture.

Bread machine mixes are limited and limiting. A bread making machine is a great way to use up leftovers. I have even put meat and fruit in my gourmet bread. My principle is: if it'll go in a sandwich it'll go in the dough – like an Indian stuffed paratha or stuffed naan bread.

Save your money by not buying bread machine mixes and be creative with a bread machine recipes cookbook.

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