Also, any great bread recipes for a beginner bread maker, or suggested cookbooks?

Thanks!

The Electrolux has been favorably discussed over in the Cookware forum. Click on the link below and search on "Electrolux" to pull up the threads.

Ann T's Italian Bread (her words within quotes)

"Italian Bread
=============
This recipe is also perfect for both Focaccia and Pizza.

Sometimes I make a Biga the night before using 1 1/2 cups of the flour used in this recipe with one cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon yeast. If you don't have time to make the biga then this the recipe works just fine as follows. This is a very wet dough and needs to be mixed in a machine for a long time before you can finish kneading by hand. I use a Magic Mill Machine. If you are using something like a kitchenaide you have to watch it carefully as it climbs up the beater or hook.

8 Cups Bread flour
1 Tablespoon Yeast
1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt
about 4 cups of water
2 Tablespoons olive oil. (optional)
. Mix flour yeast water and oil( Optional) (not salt) together for a
minute and leave for 20 minutes for the water to be partially absorbed.
Add salt and mix for about 30 minutes until the dough comes together
enough to be worked by hand. Continue kneading until smooth. Place in
an large oiled bowl and rub olive oil on top, cover and let rise until
more than doubled. Pour out on to surface and divide into the number of
loafs you require. Do not punch out the air. Shape into loafs, sprinkle
tops with flour and leave to rise on a flour/cornmeal dusted surface.
Heat tile/stones in oven to 500 degrees while bread is rising. Slide
loafs on to hot stone and spray with cold water, three times, three
minutes apart. Lower heat to 450° and bake for about 30 minutes. (I can
do two loafs at a time in the oven on a large stone).

Focaccia:

To make Focaccia use some of the dough and place in a oil rubbed pan
(I use a rectangle shaped cake pan) Cover with plastic wrap and let
rise. Using you fingers indend the focaccia and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with whatever toppings you prefer. Salt, Rosemary, Sauted or
thinly sliced onions, black olives, etc....

Focaccia can be baked directly on heated pizza stone as well.

I also use this recipe to make a number of large pizzas."

I posted to you on the IKEA Fansite as well. I'll go hunt down that video I mentioned, and we can chat about the mixer some more. How fun!

Susan

So I've changed course and ordered the Bosch Universal. I had already payed for the Magic Mill/Electrolux, so rather than take a discount from my dealer for the difference in price between the Bosch and Electrolux (about $160), I got the Bosch with the blender, the thicker wire whisks for cake batters, the cookie paddles, and the slicer/dicer thing with an extra whisk attachment for smaller jobs. She gave me all of that for the same price as the Electrolux with no attachments! I think I saved about $80. All because she felt bad about taking my order for the Electrolux when it was backordered. She offered a straight out refund, but I was glad to work with her on an alternative. I'll put in a plug for her - - Dixie at nutritionlifestyles.com. She's an authorized Bosch mixer dealer, and she's very knowledgeable and gives great service. Highly recommended. If you have any questions about your order or the products, just call her - - she answers the phone herself.

It should ship in the next day or two - - Susan, we will have to compare notes on these different-but-similar mixers!