Zojirushi’s Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker takes the hassle out of baking at residence

My TikTok feed is generally cooking ideas and recipes, so I’ve seen bread makers a number of instances on my For You web page. This was my first time utilizing one — I had beforehand been experimenting with baking focaccia in my kitchen. It’s a course of that entails lots of small steps with lengthy ready durations in an effort to get the right bake. I’ve been eager to attempt making my very own sourdough for thus lengthy, however the time it takes to create a sourdough starter sounds daunting…and that’s solely step one. Baking is an artwork type and it requires expertise and approach to get the right loaf, in addition to the suitable tools. With the Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker(opens in a brand new tab), the comfort issue is certainly there. For essentially the most half, all you need to do is add the elements and press begin. 

Let’s get this bread 

The machine itself is fairly big, akin to the dimensions of a giant toaster oven or air fryer. It comes with a set of measuring cups, together with a separate liquid measuring cup and a tablespoon/teaspoon measuring spoon. The liquid measuring cup is good as a result of the water measurement in every recipe is written in milliliters. It additionally comes with a recipe guide that features recipes for every type of bread: white, wheat, gluten-free, vegan, French, rye, 12-grain, and even cake. There are two small metallic kneading arms that I positioned within the backside of the bread pan, after which twisted to safe them and ensure they wouldn’t come free in motion. The nonstick bread pan itself is nestled throughout the bigger machine and could be very straightforward to take away and clear. 

First run

I needed to maintain it easy and begin with the traditional white bread recipe. All you need to do is measure the elements and add them to the bread pan within the order that they’re listed within the recipe guide. The directions clarify that it’s best to nestle the yeast in slightly pocket of flour, in order that it isn’t touching any of the liquids within the pan. It’s all so easy a 10-year-old might undoubtedly do it. After including the elements, you shut the lid, choose “course 1 – white”, and press “begin”. I ended up including some dried rosemary and thyme as a result of I’ve been on an herb kick these days. 

On the face of the machine, you’ll be able to choose the course quantity, and likewise the crust shade you prefer to: mild, medium, or darkish. Adjusting the crust shade will change the baking time. I selected a medium crust shade and had a ravishing, heat loaf of bread…three and a half hours later. Bread takes time! 

The machine goes by means of a resting part, kneads the dough, lets it rise for over an hour, after which bakes it. When the baking time is completed, the machine retains it heat for the subsequent hour. I took it out as quickly because it was completed although, as a result of I used to be very excited. I used oven mitts to flip the pan over and dump the nice and cozy bread on my slicing board. It was so crispy on prime and gentle within the center. Really, the convenience of the method had me blown away.

In case you’ve seen any cooking movies the place they slide a knife throughout a freshly baked crust, that was the sound I heard slicing into my first loaf of bread. I sliced it up and made a bread dip with olive oil, parmesan, and spices. So scrumptious and attractive, particularly with the herbs. I’ll say the bread is a bit denser than what you anticipate with a white bread loaf you purchase on the retailer, however I feel that’s as a result of it has much less sugar and preservatives. The style is extraordinarily recent and offers you that rustic home-baked expertise. 

Experimenting was enjoyable 

I obtained to attempt making numerous various things utilizing the machine. Sourdough was tremendous yummy and simple. I started by making the sourdough starter, which takes slightly over an hour to make. Usually, a sourdough starter takes at the least every week to ferment when making it from scratch, so I’m undecided how the bread machine pulled this off, but it surely works. After that, I added the remainder of the elements and selected the white bread course. It took about 4 hours to make a recent sourdough loaf. From the movies I’ve seen on-line, making the sort of bread could be a very arduous and particular course of, and residential cooks take actual pleasure in having the ability to make it. The Virtuoso Breadmaker Plus makes it so easy. 

On Thanksgiving, I advised myself I used to be going to make Japanese milk buns from scratch because the dinner rolls. Why do I overcommit like this? I used the dough setting of the bread maker, which kneads the elements and lets them rise however doesn’t bake them. I added half the quantity of yeast I used to be alleged to when making the dough. So, they had been dense and never fluffy like I imagined, but it surely was my fault so we gained’t blame it on the bread maker. 

I made a stunning rooster and rice soup that I assumed would pair nicely with some French bread made utilizing the machine. There’s a “European” course setting, which makes the bread denser and extra crisp on the skin. The French bread turned out improbable and was so scrumptious dipped in my soup. My solely qualm with this was that I missed the traditional French bread form. I needed extra crust, which might have been the case if I might lay out the dough after which bake it. The loaf was completely baked, although, which I couldn’t assure would have occurred in my oven. 

I even used the bread machine to make strawberry jam. Minimize up some strawberries, add slightly lemon juice and sugar, and the machine heats the combination up simply sufficient to create an exquisite home made jam, extra on the liquidy facet. It stored in my fridge in a Mason jar and is ideal on crackers or toast. 

Lastly, I used to be curious to see if the machine might make different traditional recipes, like banana bread (I added chocolate chips after all), although there isn’t a recipe for it within the recipe guide. I appeared on-line and located a “bread maker banana bread” recipe. It advised me to make use of the “cake” course possibility on the machine.

I added the elements as I discovered them within the recipe, and let the machine do its factor, however the machine was nonetheless set on the medium crust shade possibility, so it undoubtedly ended up slightly dry. I really like a moist banana bread, and this didn’t give me that in any respect, however it might have been as a result of I ought to have chosen the lighter crust shade possibility. Recipes like these will in all probability take some experimenting when utilizing the bread maker, however there are lots of recipes on-line to assist. 

Let’s verify the numbers 

This bread maker retails for $399.99, which appears fairly dear for the typical particular person. I actually don’t know lots of twenty-somethings who would be capable of drop that form of dough (see what I did there?). Nonetheless, for those who’re utilizing this machine to make your entire loaves as a substitute of shopping for them on the grocery retailer, it might prevent cash.

*Cracks knuckles* Assuming you’re shopping for a loaf that’s comparable in high quality to freshly baked white bread, it might in all probability price round $4 a loaf. To make white bread within the bread machine, you want bread flour, sugar, dry milk, salt, unsalted butter, and on the spot yeast. Primarily based on present grocery pricing (yikes – $4.99 for butter), it would price about $2.44 per loaf of white bread. This implies you’re saving $1.66 per loaf, so it would take 241 loaves of bread earlier than you save sufficient to cowl the price of the bread maker. This price of utilizing the machine would differ relying on what you’re making. Gluten-free bread is dear on the retailer, so I’m positive the Breadmaker Plus would assist with the price. 

In case you’re an avid baker and revel in it as a interest, you in all probability aren’t seeking to purchase a bread maker simply to save cash on bread, which brings us to….

There are different perks, although  

OK, so clearly there are different elements that have to be taken under consideration. You might not be saving a ton of cash on bread purchases, however the number of bread varieties you can also make with the Virtuoso Plus is huge. So many issues could be baked utilizing this machine, starting from breads to bagels to pizza dough. It takes lots of the grunt work out of baking at residence, and the ultimate product will likely be a recent, heat loaf of bread versus the processed loaf you’d usually purchase.

One other perk to utilizing the bread maker is that you already know precisely what elements are going into it, and there gained’t be every other preservatives or sugars added to protect shelf life. It does take some experimenting when attempting to make a recipe that isn’t included within the recipe guide. Nonetheless, there’s a “home made” possibility on the machine that means that you can create your personal customized baking course of. When deciding on “home made”, you’ll enter how a lot time you need your dough to relaxation, knead, rise, and bake. You may set the machine to knead and rise a number of instances earlier than baking. And this is able to be useful for just about any dough. 

Is the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker price it? 

This merchandise could be nice for residence cooks who need recent bread with out the effort. I really feel like I’m a type of individuals who doesn’t have the endurance to knead the bread, let it rise, knead it, let it rise, and many others. The Virtuoso Plus(opens in a brand new tab) helped me give attention to the opposite recipes I needed to make for dinner in order that the recent bread may very well be a stunning addition. In case you’re somebody who already has residence bakery expertise, this machine could not depart you with the identical satisfaction. Preserve honing your craft. I feel lots of massive households would get pleasure from having this as a result of it might undoubtedly find yourself saving you cash and it’s really easy that youngsters may very well be included within the course of. All in all, I’ve had an exquisite time making recipes utilizing the Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker and I feel it’s a pleasant equipment so as to add to your kitchen.