I use my bread machines almost daily.

Most machines want you to put the wet ingredients in first. Just make sure the water is tepid, not cold. Keep that in mind when adding eggs from the refrigerator. When it blends with the yeast, warm water will make the yeast grow. Yeast and water are the key to how your bread rises.

I like the yeast that comes in a jar, not the packages. Packages seem to have crushed the yeast to death.

After about 3 minutes, look inside and if there is flour on the sides, use a rubber scraper. Your bread should be forming a ball. If the dough looks dry, add a teaspoon or so of water. If it is wet and sticky, add flour. The ball should be churning with the paddle.

If you use too much water, your bread will rise and stick to the top of the machine. It will taste fine, it is just a pain to clean the top. If you use too little water, your bread will be more dense.

Start with a basic bread - white to start. Not good for you but it will give you a good idea of how dough works.

The key is really the water, it temperature and how much it form a good looking dough ball in the first stage. That is a trial and error.

DH got me a bread cookbook Best Little Bread Book Ever. Ironically, I have made very few breads from it! But the white, wheat, cinnamon raisin and Challah are good.

Good luck!