I am a beginning bread baker. I recently got an old sourdough starter.

I am trying to decide to use a mixer and thus mainly by hand or use a bread
machine to do the bread. I would like your thoughts on the two different
methods. Are there pluses to doing everything by hand and using a mixer or
using a bread machine? What about using the bread machine to mix the bread
and then shape and bake the traditional way.

Do you recommend a particular mixer or bread machine? What do you think of
the Sunbeam Mixmaster heritage series?

Thanks for your help,