Margaret,
I usually regard the microwave as the enemy of good bread. It might
be worth trying a bread machine, which will produce less heat in the
kitchen than an oven. (A previous post suggested that after the
machine completed its rise, to put it on pause, remove the paddles,
then reform the bread and put it back in the pan, and then let the
machine cook the bread.)
It may not be the very best bread you could possibly make, but it may
still be much better than what you can find at the local
stores. After all, good ingredients are half the result.
Kathy Lipin
bqmuw@yahoo.com