conversions of bread recipes

Many of the bread machine cookbooks (I get a lot out of the library) and also some of the manuals that come with your machine give a lot of info. Sometimes you have to do some 'tweakin' -- and it might take a time or 2 to get them right.

Many 'conventional' recipes will have to be 'halved' ... as I think about 3 cups of flour is correct for a 1-1/2 or 2 lb loaf in the bread machine. If you're using bread machine yeast - you can often get by with 1 teaspoon. Also, go a little 'low' on your liquid ... and add it if needed.

Other than that --just take your conventional recipe for 6 or 7 cups flour and half it ... and then put the ingredients in your machine in the order suggested for your machine. If using a bit more flour than 3 cups ... I often hold it out ... and add it later -- or it scatters all over. Check the dough after about 5 - 10 minutes and adjust as necesary. If you're making the bread completely in the bread machine -- look for a 'similar' type recipe in your brea machine manual - and put it at the setting for that type of bread. I make 98% of my bread on dough/manual setting - so its sort of hard to give particulars. But I would think (from talking to friends and from what I've made) that about 85 90% should turn out well.... tho some will need a bit of adjusting. Happy baking.