Abstract: Cooking machine and method include a mould with first and second similarly shaped end walls and a generally surrounding, continuous side wall, the three walls together defining an internal moulding volume, with the three walls being reciprocally movable relative to one another. Heating elements are provided in at least one wall or in thermal contact therewith, and a control mechanism controls at least relative movement of the walls so that at the end of a predetermined cooking cycle the end walls and the sidewall are relatively separated to retract both end walls from the moulding volume simultaneously.