Zojirushi Breadmaker - Page 5

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@CLEM wrote:
@SoonerIt's great to hear that these machines are such work horses. I hope to make a lot of bread and other things in mine. The one loaf I made is very basic and the book states the loaf makes 8 slices. But this bread is so satisfying that I will definitely make at least 10 slices out of it.

Your having had this mini for so long, can you tell me if the machine warms up the water/milk during that first half hour before it starts actually working?

@CLEM I don't know but the instruction book you got with it will tell you. I think it does. The big one has a peheat cycle that is optional. If the machine is cold, I will fill the pan with hot water and let it sit in the bread baker for 10 minutes or so to warm the inside. But I don't usually have to do that.

One thing I can say is read the instructions cover to cover and try their recipes. Start there then branch out. Try a little cake; try some strawberry jam! Make pizza dough. It does a lot more than bake bread.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@SharkE Sometimes that big ZO makes lumpy bread like this. I have found that using a tablespoon or two LESS flour, if using King Arthur especially bread flour, may help it not be so lopsided. It doesn't affect the taste, just looks funny!

Also, sometimes I take it out and gently reshape it before the last rise, and you can take out the paddles then if you like. It just seems to be a function of some of the big Zo machines because of the two paddles.

I have tried changing how the paddles face, aligned or facing one another or this way or that, doesn't seem to matter. My model is the first big one they made, the cheaper one. They have three now. Unfortunatey none are red . . .

SharkE · ‎08-19-2010

I'm not that picky on how it looks. Not gonna get it perfect anyway.

It'll get ate. LOL

HerRoyaLioness · ‎03-13-2010

I see I'm not the only one to get such lopsided results with the larger Zo!

I guess I expect when I pay over $200 for a bread machine, it will give me better results. That's why I got rid of mine. The bread was pretty good, but the end result was always this lopsided goofy looking loaf. I have seen other cheaper ones turn out decent looking larger loaves, shouldn't be a big deal to do that. That's what these machines are made for. There must be a design error somewhere.

Do I expect perfection - kind of, yes. Does it affect the taste, well one side is obviously rising differently than the other, so the texture may be different. And I'm not going to take it out and deal with reshaping it - my $200 should cover that! Otherwide I'll go back to making my own!

My old West Bend does make better bread, I have to say. But I am still on the lookout for a 2 lb loaf one. That way I can freeze half and eat half. I see they are making some a little more elongated and have just one paddle in them, maybe that's the way I'll go.

Regardless, everyone enjoy their homemade bread, there's nothing like it!

SharkE · ‎08-19-2010

I don't understand why they have the machine to knead the dough for so long? When I make homemade bread by hand i barely knead it and always turns out perfect. Machines want to knead the P out of it for some reasons and everybody knows the more you knead the tougher the bread will be.

They should fix that element. I paid 250 for mine. It does all the work I just make sure before it bakes I reshape it better. Doesn't affect the taste at all.

I got some bread at the bakery just for a lark and it wasn't fit to eat.

Dry and flat. Pretty though. LOL

tiny 2 · ‎03-10-2010

@CLEM, My Panasonic heats everything before going to work. It is about 6 years old and has a little cup that you put the yeast in on the lid. It has never made anything but a perfect loaf. They are tall even if you do a smaller size. I am longing for the mini Zo. Sometimes I just have the machine do the dough and bake it in the oven to get the height I want but I would like not to have to do that.

CLEM · ‎03-09-2010

@tiny 2 Getting 6 years out of a bread machine is pretty good I think. If it still works, why mess with another brand. But the little mini Zo sure makes an even loaf which is very high, but that is okay with me. I still have a lot to learn and have to read the manual more carefully. But so far so good.

tiny 2 · ‎03-10-2010

@CLEM, It is still working great. I made 2 loaves of a herb cheese bread before I came up to the mountains and they were wonderful. I also made a semolina bread that is the best toasting bread I have tasted.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@SharkE wrote:
I don't understand why they have the machine to knead the dough for so long? When I make homemade bread by hand i barely knead it and always turns out perfect. Machines want to knead the P out of it for some reasons and everybody knows the more you knead the tougher the bread will be.

They should fix that element. I paid 250 for mine. It does all the work I just make sure before it bakes I reshape it better. Doesn't affect the taste at all.

I got some bread at the bakery just for a lark and it wasn't fit to eat.
Dry and flat. Pretty though. LOL

@SharkE You can use the custom settings (3 I think?) and have it knead any amount of time you want! It's not that hard (get out the book! LOL!) and let us know how it works out!

Id love to know!