Thanks Judy. Good idea.
Mab, the thing I hate most about machine bread is the hole in the bottom. My old machine often ended up with the blade stuck in the bottom. My new machine has a collapsible blade. It lays flat when baking.
The odd shape of the loaf can happen for several reasons. Usually , wrong recipe for your machine . See if you can find a basic recipe for your machine. Do you have the book? I always check the mixture after it starts kneading. Sometimes add a little more water or flour. I also weigh all ingredients.
You can’t use a basic bread recipe, like my No Fuss recipe. The balance of ingredients isn’t right for the machine. Too much yeast. But you can use any recipe if you just make dough and finish it by hand. Making rolls, bread sticks or plaited loaf.