The Gift of Dough

So what does an "old married couple" get each other for birthdays and holidays? It may sound boring at first glance, but the answer for us is: a bread machine. Anyone reading probably has the same reaction that a friend of ours had, saying in his most sarcastic voice, "A bread machine? How romantic..."

But the nice thing about being old and married is that you know the person really well, and I knew that J would love making and eating fresh bread (as would I). However, her love affair with "zojirushi" is far more intense than I could have even imagined.

Almost every household eats bread and almost everyone loves fresh bread. So why don't more people make it at home? Most would respond by saying it is too hard or that the bread goes bad too fast. Both valid concerns and both alleviated by the Zojirushi Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker. Easy is an understatement and as far as quality, we've loved every loaf. But the big selling point is the size. The entire device is about as big as a bread box and produces a mini, 1 lb. loaf which is perfect for two people. That's 4-5 sandwiches worth for you scoring at home.

And speaking of bread boxes, we'd highly recommend getting an OXO Pop container for your bread. The loaf may be small and go fast, but it still doesn't have any preservatives. We've found that you can store a loaf in there for over a week without it going bad ... but it is usually gone a lot faster than that.

J Says

I have a new best friend and his name is Zojirushi. When Zojirushi first came into my life, I was somewhat worried that he'd be a loner among the kitchen appliances and might not see the light of day very often. However, after making one loaf, I was hooked. There is something both relaxing and awesome about dumping ingredients into a pan, pressing a button, and having a perfect loaf of bread magically appear a few hours later. It really is that easy. I also like that you are in complete control over what goes in your bread: no preservatives and no chemicals you can't pronounce.

As you can see from the photo above, Zojirushi is good for more than just loaves of bread. You can use the "dough setting" course to make brioche (pictured), pretzels, pizza dough, and even cookie dough. If you tire of bread, the machine can be used to make jam and cakes. The possibilities are endless.

A word of warning: baking bread (and enjoying the amazing smell that fills your house) can be addicting. Before you go online to order your Zojirushi, you might want to stop into your local gym and get a membership!