A bread maker is great if you want to explore a lot of different breads without having to invest a lot of time into learning a lot of techniques or following wildly different recipes. But once you've figured out a staple bread that you want to make week after week, a bread maker might not be the best answer. I have one, and I found that I was constantly making bread. I also found myself forgetting to get the paddle out of the bread once it cooled. After slicing into the paddle one time too many, I figured there had to be a better, more fool-proof way to make bread.

This whole wheat bread is simple even though it has three rises. Once you've made it a few times, it'll be second nature. I weigh everything, even the milk, so everything is in grams. I find putting a bowl or pan on a scale and adding everything is a lot easier than getting out an array of measuring cups and spoons. There's a lot less mess to clean up, too.