Bread is really very easy to put together, but I think that it seems unapproachable. My sister and I had the good fortune of a mom who had learned to make her own, so we never took to store-bought bread. I make my own now, too, and I promise, it's not hard. I do own a bread machine, but that's really so I can make bread during the school year when my workday starts at 7:15am.
You don't need a bread machine, you don't need a mixer with a dough hook, none of it. Try this one for a start: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/no-knead-crusty-white-bread-recipe
You can even leave that one in the fridge for several days (!) before baking. Love it.
Here's my weekly loaf:
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1.5 c warm water
1 heaping tb sugar or honey
2 tb oil or melted butter
1.5 tsp yeast (I love SAF brand)
0.3 c powdered buttermilk (you could sub nonfat dry milk)
2 c white whole wheat
1.5 c white flour
0.5 cup rolled oats
2 tsp salt
It's modified from King Arthur flour
basic bread, and I cannot recommend that site enough if you want to play around with baking,
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