For years I had a DAK bread machine and loved it. The DAK was round and squat so naturally the kids named it the R2D2 bread maker. Unfortunately the loaves came out round, too - not quite like loaves we're used to from the store, but still quite tasty. The kids, though, just didn't want to take sandwiches to school made with round slices, so had to buy traditional bread just for them.

Eventually the Dak died, as all good appliances must do. I miss it, but have never replaced it, largely because I no longer have space in my kitchen to put a breadmaker. But for those who do have a breadmaker, half the fun is experimenting with non-traditional ingredients. I had my share of real disasters that way, but also some real winners.