I have made tons of bread in my life. Haven't done much since I have moved to Mexico though. If you are new at this, an excellent site is Breadtopia. Make the no knead bread. If you like european type bread, this is for you.
I do want to add that I have NEVER used a bread machine. To me, it is a useless piece of equipment. If you plan to do this with any regularity, then an excellent mixer (with a break hook) is a worthy expenditure. That is, IF, you want the help of a machine.