My beloved new Zojirushi bread maker
I’ve long thought about buying a bread machine, but held off, thinking that the small appliance would become a short-lived fad, only to take up the limited space in my cabinets.
But, I am happy to say that now that I have purchased my bread maker, the Zojirushi 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Mini Breadmaker from Amazon.com, the appliance has a permanent place on my kitchen counter.
I like the appliance’s mini profile, that the machine is so easy to program (most times, I just press “start”) and that its parts – like the baking pan and the kneading blade – are so easy to clean.
Easy to Use
I bought the “mini zo,” as some folks call it, partly because it is made by the same manufacturer as my trusty rice machine, the Zojirushi 10-Cup Rice Cooker and Warmer,
which I use nearly every night to cook rice for my family’s dinners. (With the rice machine, all I do is enter the number of cups of rice I want, fill in the water to match that number of cups, choose the “quick cooking” method and press the red “cooking/reheat” button to start. Easy!) I also purchased the Zojrushi bread machine because of its great reviews.
I also got the Zojrushi bread maker because it is less expensive than the larger 2-lb bread machines, and because the 1-lb Zojrushi makes a smaller 1-lb loaf that my family can eat in one day – so nothing goes stale.
So far, my mini Zo, which I’ve had for two months, use frequently and lovingly display on my kitchen counter, works perfectly. I am happy because the mini appliance doesn’t eat up a lot of space. (But my family does eat up a lot of bread!)
It takes about 15 minutes to put the ingredients together when I want to bake a loaf of bread, and just under 4 hours of worry-free kneading and baking time for a soft and yummy loaf of bread.
Best 1Lb Bread Machine Cookbooks
I like that I can use fresh, wholesome and organic ingredients. My favorite cookbooks for my bread machine are “Bread Machine Magic” and Betty Crocker’s “Best Bread Machine Cookbook.” Both have simple, easy to follow 1-lb-loaf bread recipes that work perfectly in my machine! I will post one of my favorite recipes shortly.
You’re so right to pick something small…counter space can so easily be eaten up by small appliances!I am waiting for someone to create the All-Appliance that is everything one would ever need in a compact package–fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher, coffeemaker, coffee grinder,bread-baker and blender!
Hey, our once-giant stereo systems with turntable, cassette and CD player have been shrunk to an MP3. So why not shrink our kitchen appliances, too?
Sounds great, June! An all-in-one appliance would certainly make all of our lives easier!
Potato Coffee Cake INGREDIENTS3/4 cup dry potato flakes. 1 cup boiling water. 1 cup warm milk. 3 tablespoons butter, softened. 2 eggs. 1 cup white sugar. 4 1/2 cups bread flour. 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast. 3 tablespoons white sugar. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 3 tablespoons butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, dissolve potato flekas in boiling water. Let stand until lukewarm, about 15 minutes.Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Manual cycle; press Start. The mixing and first rise of the dough will be completed in the bread machine. When Dough/Manual cycle is finished, remove dough and briefly knead on a floured board. Divide dough into 3 round loaves and place in three lightly greased 8 inch pie pans. Cover and let raise until doubled in size, about 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Brush risen loaves with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi! The pan I am using came with my bread machine.
Butter CrescentsPrep Time:30 MinCook Time:15 MinReady In:2 Hrs 15 MinServings (Help) USMetric Calculate Original Recipe Yield 1 dozen rolls Ingredients1/2 cup milk1/2 cup butter, sotnefed1/3 cup white sugar1/2 teaspoon salt1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)1 egg3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 egg, beatenDirections1.Warm the milk in a small saucepan until bubbles form at the edges; remove from heat. Mix in the butter, sugar, and salt. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.2.In a large bowl, combine milk and yeast mixtures. Stir in 1 egg. Beat in flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.3.Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and form into rounds. Cover, and let rest 10 minutes.4.Using a floured rolling pin, roll each dough half into a 12 inch circle. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Roll each wedge up towards the point. Bend ends inward to form crescents, and place point side down on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover, and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).5.Brush rolls with beaten egg, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. good luck an have fun!
If this article is true, it’s another reason why to try to baking one’s own bread, like I do with my bread machine: http://health.yahoo.net/?experts/eatthis/?5-grossest-foods-supermarke?t