Though I would prefer a square loaf, I'm quite happy with the DAK
machine. DAK doesn't build equipment; they just buy in high enough
volume that sometimes they get their logo stamped on the housing.
In the case of their breadmaker, I'm pretty sure it's the same one sold
by Welbilt.
I'm new to this mailing-list, so please accept my apologies in advance
if the following is redundant in light of prior discussions:
I asked Santa for a bread-machine cookbook, and was rewarded with the
horribly-titled "The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever", by Madge
Rosenberg, founder of one of the nicest bakeries in N.Y. Having
nothing to compare with, I can't say whether it's truly the "best",
but it sure is better than the cookbook that came with the DAK
machine. I've been quite pleased, especially with a Panettone (for
which the round DAK/Welbilt loaf is perfect). She also discusses the
difference between many different models, including the old "yeast on
top or on the bottom" question (though she always says to do what the
manufacturer recommends).
And maybe it is stupid of me to not have realized this before, but she
really stresses the need to measure exactly. I was always somewhat
interpretive in my breadmaking, like my cooking. So possibly I prefer
these recipes to the DAK book just because I'm following them more
closely. But they're also crafted more tightly: not "a packet of yeast",
but "1 3/4 tsp. yeast", the amount varying from recipe to recipe. The
textures have been perfect, and I think this exactitude may explain why.