PURPOSE: To achieve sufficient leavening to prevent the height of bread baked from decreasing by controlling a bread leavening period prior to the baking process.

CONSTITUTION: In this bread maker, the operation of a leavening-period control key 38 can be accepted during the period from the start of a bread making process with the press of a starting button 37 to the time at which a normally 50-minute baking period starts; when the operation of the leavening-period control key 38 is accepted, the normally 50-minute baking period is prolonged by 30 minutes. The prolonged baking period can be canceled before the extended baking period ends. The operation of the leavening-period control key 38 and the canceling of the baking period are accepted by a microcomputer in the bread maker, so the length of the leavening period can be adjusted. A display 39 digitally displays the prolonged baking period. Also, insufficient bread making due to insufficient leavening can be prevented.