Alison Holst on her new book Bread Machine Recipes

Dame Alison Holst and her son Simon.

Dame Alison Holst is a household name - who else would we turn to for Kiwi recipes like Anzac biscuits and lolly cake? With her son Simon, Alison has just released another cookbook, this time on breadmaking. I talk to Alison about working with her son, encouraging kids to cook and, of course, their new book Everyday Easy Bread Machine Recipes.

How fabulous sharing a passion for food with your son. How many years have you been working together and how many cookbooks have you produced with Simon?

We started about 25 years ago and it's over 30 books together now.

Who's the boss in the kitchen?

We are a team, we discuss what might work and then test it out - there have never been any harsh words!

Have you each got different strengths?

Sometimes we think along frighteningly similar lines, but also coming from different generations/being at different life stages does give us different perspectives - this has added to the range of recipes in our books.

As a youngster what was the first thing you learned to cook? And the first thing Simon learned to cook?

Mousetraps! Marmite on bread with cheese, baked in the oven. Simon says the first thing he can really remember making on his own, for himself, was an omelette.

What's an easy way to encourage kids to cook?

Start early - get them involved in the kitchen. There are all sorts of "hands on" activities in the kitchen (shaping dough is a good example) that will keep them entertained and may well get them interested in cooking. Baking generally is good - the ingredients simple and cheap mix up together - things like pikelets.

Who do you most like to cook for?

My family. I think this comes from my mother who really did regard cooking for someone as an expression of love.

What is your favourite meal?

Oysters - on buttered brown bread with a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of salt and a grind of pepper. I love them - yum.

Your latest book Bread Machine Recipes is perfect for who?

Anyone. But particularly someone who has a bread machine that is just sitting on the bench (or in a cupboard) gathering dust. Using a machine takes out all the hard work and means you just get to do the fun bits - either just eating the finished product or having fun with the shaping and baking part of the process. Interestingly men often seem to be the ones with affinity.

What is your favourite recipe in the book?

"Our Favourite White Bread" is a really lovely loaf, but if you want something a bit different, bagels are great - it doesn't take too many batches to pay for a bread machine either.

Give us three top tips to perfect bread

Measure, measure and measure. If you want repeatable results it really is important to use standard measures consistently.

The other good pointer is to check the dough after it has mixed for about 5-10 minutes, it should be a smooth-looking slightly sticky ball. If it's too dry add a tablespoon or so of water, or if it's too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour.

Remember too, a dough is a living system, with many variables - variations from day to day aren't unusual.

And what are the three biggest mistakes generally made when breadmaking?

Not measuring.

Don't rush, it takes as long as it takes, especially when it comes to rising a dough.

If your loaf doesn't work, check your yeast, it is (hopefully) a living organism - when it is past its expiry date it may not work.

Tell us three things about yourself that would surprise

I don't like mint sauce, I'm very tall (but I like it), I love painting - I spend a long time painting watercolours now. I dabbled as a child, and now I have a bit more time, I've come back to it.