My daily sandwich loaf recipe, which I use most days of the week, has one thing I do not like. It has sugar, and it’s not a small amount at ¼ cup per loaf. Yes, I know that isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but it adds up with each slice consumed.

I started poking around, trying to see if I could make life easier for myself and find a Zojirushi recipe I could use. Well, it was shocking there wasn’t one for the standard bread machines they make. I did find a recipe for what would have been a 1-pound loaf for their miniature bread machine. Looking at the recipe, I decided to try it and double the ingredients. It seemed solid, and the ingredients were cheap, so there was no loss if it failed.

It turned out great, as I figured it would since the ingredient ratio was close enough to my standard recipe. The only change is that I’d set the crust slightly darker next time. That had me wondering how much the sugar plays into the browning.

Without sugar, the bread has a nice tang from the yeast. It reminds me of simple peasant bread but with the softness of a sandwich bread.

Bread Machine No Sugar Sandwich Loaf

Ingredients:

1½ cups water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (or avocado oil)
530 grams of all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp dry milk
2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp dry yeast

Directions:

This bread recipe requires a bread machine that can make a 2-pound loaf. Some smaller machines don’t go this big, so be sure to check. Zojirushi bread machines warm the ingredients for you. Other brands use warm water instead, at the manual’s desired temperature, and stack the ingredients as called for the machine.

Add ingredients in the order listed.

Set a loaf on for standard white bread with a medium crust.

Check during the first kneading cycle to ensure everything is mixing and to see if you need to add a bit more flour (if the dough appears too sticky).

Once baked, remove it promptly and let it cool on a wire rack.

Once fully cooled, store in a sealed bread bag and use within two days for best results.

This slices well for freezing. We take out slices at night, put them in a sandwich box, and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight for sandwiches.

Makes one 2-pound loaf.

~Sarah

Recipes

Zojirushi Bread Machine: Chocolate Bread

July 14, 2024 Sarah

It’s not a sweet bread but a fun take on the traditional sandwich loaf. Spread butter, peanut butter, and such on top for a lovely breakfast bread. Or get out of your rut and have a savory sandwich on it.

Chocolate Bread

Ingredients:

1¼ cups milk*
1 large egg, beaten*
2½ Tbsp unsalted butter
520 grams of all-purpose or bread flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Add to a Zojirushi bread machine in the order listed, starting with water and ending with the flour. Sprinkle the yeast on top, ensuring it doesn’t touch the liquid.

Set a loaf for standard white bread with a medium crust and, if needed, a 2-pound size.

Check during the first kneading cycle to ensure everything is mixing so the dough is slightly tacky to the touch.

Near the end of the kneading cycle, a set of beeps will alert you to add the chocolate chips. (Most bread machines have a setting to alert you for adding in items like dried fruit, nuts, and such,)

Remove after baking, and let cool on a rack before slicing.

Once fully cooled, store in a sealed bread bag and use within two days for best results.

Makes one loaf.

Notes:

Zojirushi bread machines warm the ingredients for you, while other brands use warm water instead, at the temperature called for, usually around 110*, and stack the ingredients as called for in the manual. Follow your machine’s manual. Items with * should be warmed up if using a standard machine. Let the egg come to room temperature before using.

~Sarah

Recipes

Bread Machine Slider Buns

June 10, 2024 Sarah

The boys love having handcrafted rolls, be it for hamburgers, sliders, or even just snacking on. I have been working on this recipe, which has my Zojirushi bread machine doing most of the work for me. It frees up a lot of time, so I can be down in the garden instead of kneading bread. All I have to do is take it out, shape it into buns, and let it do the second rise, then a quick bake in the oven.

I only tested this recipe in a Zojorushi bread machine. The Zoji preheats the ingredients, whereas most bread machines do not. To use a different machine, you will need to heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan to about 120° and then proceed.

Slider Buns

Ingredients:

½ cup whole milk
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cu unsalted butter, diced
303 grams of all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp active dry yeast

Egg Wash:

1 large egg
4 tsp water

Directions:

Add the ingredients in the order listed into a Zojirushi bread machine. Set for dough cycle (on our machine, it takes 1 hour and 50 minutes) and turn it on. During the first kneading cycle, check on it in case it needs a tiny bit more flour. The butter takes a few minutes to knead in smoothly.

When the cycle is done, knock out on a lightly floured work surface and divide into 8 sections.

Shape gently into a ball and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Whisk the egg and water together and brush it over the buns.

Let rise, uncovered, in a warm area for 40 to 60 minutes, until doubled. I use a heating pad set on medium, that I prewarm the baking sheet on for 10 minutes before the dough is ready.

Preheat the oven to 375° in the last 10 minutes of the rise.

Bake for about 15 minutes, and the rolls are golden brown on top.

Use a thin spatula to transfer to a cooling rack.

If storing for the next day, store in a sealed plastic bag. Buns can be double-wrapped and frozen for up to a couple of months. Let thaw and use.

Makes 8 buns.

Notes:

If you want full-sized hamburger buns, divide them into 6 sections.

~Sarah

Recipes

Mozzarella Herb Bread

May 31, 2024 Sarah

I came across this recipe and adapted it for my Zojirushi bread machine. The Zoji heats your ingredients, whereas most bread machines do not. I find this step is why it produces much better bread, especially using 3 forms of dairy, as in this recipe.

The original recipe was created for 3 sizes of breach machines: 1-pound, 1½-pound, and 2-pounds, which led to some very odd measurements for the 2-pound loaf (how many people have a measuring spoon for a 1/3 of a teaspoon after all).

Mozzarella Herb Bread

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups whole milk
4 tsp unsalted butter ( 1 1/3 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp + ¾tsp granulated sugar
1¼ tsp fine sea salt
2¾ tsp dried basil
1¼ tsp dried oregano
500 grams of all-purpose flour
6-0ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2½ tsp bread machine/quick-rise yeast

Directions:

Following the directions for a Zojirushi bread machine –

Add the milk, butter, sugar, salt, basil, and oregano to the pan. Add the flour on top, then the cheese. Add the yeast on top, in a small well.

Set for a basic loaf, medium crust.

Check the machine during the first kneading cycle; sprinkle in more flour if it looks too sticky.

Once the bread is baked, remove it from the pan and let it cool for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.

Once cooled, store in a bread bag.

For the best taste, eat within 24 hours.

Makes a 2-pound loaf.

Notes:

If you are using a bread machine that doesn’t heat the ingredients, the butter should be melted and slightly cooled, and the milk warmed to at least 90°. I would suggest weighing the cheese and letting it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Don not use a delayed cycle, as this bread contains milk.

~Sarah

Recipes

From Scratch Hamburger Buns

May 30, 2024 Sarah

One of the biggest issues of making your food from scratch is that once you go all in, you often find that commercial-made food doesn’t taste good anymore. Or smell great. Or sit in your stomach right.

Bread is the biggest issue for me. When all I do is buy premade bread for months, I get used to the lower quality way too fast. And I get it. Making bread 6-7 days a week isn’t always sustainable or doable for many people. I usually have the time to do it, and I can also do double or triple baking on a free day and stock the freezer. But there are times I get lazy and fall off the baking wagon. That is when I walk into the store and I can smell the baking aisle. It doesn’t smell like bread anymore to me. Rather, I smell the dough additives and preservatives (often, you will see great companies claiming “no preservatives added,” but they have natural ways to keep it from molding, such as vinegar. Bread shouldn’t last for two weeks!

My weakness is when we grill. I will buy hamburger buns. No matter the brand, they always end up stale-tasting, dry, and gummy. The other night, I tossed my bun to the chickens as I sat on the porch eating dinner. It wasn’t worth the calories. And I knew I needed to learn to make my buns. And to quit being lazy. Because that really is what happens to me. It’s easier to drive to town, even though that is a pain in the butt in itself.

The buns I bought last weekend were Sara Lee® Artesano® Bakery Buns. Which my lazy self grabbed in a moment of weakness. Did I mention they are GE (so yes, GMO ingredients, which is most like the soy used in it)? I didn’t scan the label as I should have.

Ingredients:

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, REDUCED IRON, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID], WATER, SUGAR, WHEAT GLUTEN, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN), YEAST, SEA SALT, CONTAINS 0.5% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, SOY LECITHIN, CITRIC ACID, GRAIN VINEGAR, SESAME SEEDS.

So, of that list, homemade doesn’t contain:

Wheat gluten, soybean oil, cultured wheat flour, soy lecithin, citric acid, vinegar, or sesame seeds. Nor does mine have any GMO ingredients or cheap seed oils.

Scratch Hamburger Buns

Ingredients:

1¾ cups whole milk
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp instant yeast (quick-rise)
750 grams of all-purpose flour
1½ tsp fine sea salt
Olive oil for bowl

For wash

1 large egg
2 Tbsp cool water

Directions:

Turn a heating pad to medium setting.

In a saucepan, add the milk and butter, and heat over medium till the milk is 120°.

In a stand mixer bowl add the eggs, sugar and salt. Beat with the wire whisk attachment. Slowly add in the warm milk and butter, with the mixer on low. Add in the yeast.

Put the bread hook on, add in the flour, and let work in. Set the timer for 10 minutes, and turn the mixer up to medium once the flour is worked in. Let it knead the dough for you.

Sprinkle a bit of flour on a work surface. Knock the dough out. It will be pretty sticky. Start kneading by hand, and that bit of flour will leave it tack to touch, but not wet. Knead for a couple of minutes.

In a large mixing bowl drizzle in a bit of oil, add dough and flip. Cover with plastic wrap (I spritz with a tiny bit of oil to avoid sticking.

Place the bowl on the heating pad and let rise for 60 minutes.

Remove the bowl, place a large baking sheet on the heating pad.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Knock the dough out, roll into a long log. It was around 16″ long for me. Cut in half, then cut each section into 4 pieces for large buns, or into 10-12 pieces for smaller buns.

Roll into balls with your hands, tuck the dough under to make a smooth ball. Place on the baking sheet.

Cover with the plastic wrap again, and let rise for 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg and water together. Gently brush it over the rolls.

Bake for 20 minutes if doing 10 to 12 buns or 22 to 24 minutes for 8 buns.

Let cool for 5 minutes, loosen with a spatula, and place on a cooling rack.

To store it in the long term, double bag it when cool and freeze.

~Sarah