Sorry you had a less than positive experience with making bread. Sometimes it takes folks a while to jump the learning curve. I wish you hadn't sold your bread machine because it could have served you in a way you might not have considered.
I've been making ALL our bread products for most of my housekeeping life but since I've been visited by Arthur(itis), hand-kneading all but kills my hands. That's when I first considered getting a bread machine.
I was a dipped-and-dyed "do it all the old-fashioned way" bread maker up to that point and viewed bread machines as an unnecessary and stupid appliance only wimps would use. Ha! Ha! Joke's on me. That was 1999 and I still have, and use, my trusty bread machine. But...
The way I use the machine is the key. In all the years I have owned it, it has only been used twice to make bread as the booklet directed. Instead, I add all the necessary ingredients for my target recipe, set the machine to DOUGH cycle, which (for me) does all the heavy lifting, uh kneading, and puts the dough through the first rise.
At that point, I can play with my dough any way I please. My hands are thankful that they aren't abused and I get the bread product I want.
Two years ago, as a favor for a professor friend of ours for a trip fundraiser, I made over 100 loaves of French bread in less than three weeks. My record was 12 loaves in one day, but that was getting up early and pushing it.
As I already mentioned, I still have my first machine and bought a second one, just like it, at a thrift store a few years ago for $3.00 and, especially during the holidays, have both of them going at once.
What I'm trying to say is don't get discouraged. Rome wasn't built in a day and, given time, you'll enjoy your own freshly-baked bread.