frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money: Fix Your Bread Maker Failures

I was heavily into the bread maker culture in the 1990s and early 2000s, and experimented with a number of different bread makers. Around a year ago, I rediscovered several of the machines that I had stored in my basement, this rekindled my interest in the topic. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to work with other machines, including what is considered the top-of-the-line machine, a Zojirushi Virtuoso.

I have read blog posts and watched numerous videos where individuals rate various bread makers. Typically, they use a single simple recipe and then compare which machine produced the best bread. This methodology has flaws. Additionally, I watched videos where influencers do an unboxing and make a simple loaf, often gushing about the wonderful nature of the bread that they made. Sadly, I would consider some of those loaves dismal failures with poor rising or collapsed tops. These videos seem like ads to me. Lastly, there are a number of videos of bakers making wonderful loaves using a variety of machines from ancient 30 year old thrift store relics, to low cost machines, to top-of-the-line Zojirushi bread makers. This last group have unlocked the “code” of using their particular bread maker and illustrate that just about any working breadmaker can make a decent loaf of bread if the end users applies a bit of skill and knowedge.

Top-level bread machines offer durability, excellent construction, and flexibility, making them good choices for bread-making enthusiasts. However, those who just want homemade breads and yeasted products can produce wonderful loaves in most any machine if they use their critical thinking skills.

I have had failures with most of the machines that I have used, but I have also had successes. In this post, I want to share with you solutions to common bread maker failures and explore some options that go beyond those ideas that you may find elsewhere.

A nice loaf of bread that I made with the top-of-the-line Zojirushi Virtuoso.

This loaf was made in a Zojirushi Supreme model. Both the Virtuoso and the Supreme modes make similar loaves, but the Virtuoso offers a bit more flexibility if you are a bread-making enthusiast.

This is a loaf from a Breadman Ultimate purchased in the late 1990s. Looks good!

Another wonderful loaf, this one from a reconditioned $59 Cuisinart.

The beautiful loaves continue; this one was made in a sub-$100 KBS machine.

I placed the above photos to illustrate a point, and no, it is not to demonstrate my compulsive love of comparing things, although I suppose that trait is revealed. Be grateful that you are not my wife, as you don’t have to put up with my comparison hobby! I posted the photos to show that you can make a decent loaf of bread with just about any working bread machine. You just need to figure out its “secret” code. Why do I say this? Because bread machines are fairly simple devices that work very similarly. With that said, you may prefer one machine over another based on features, controls, or aesthetics. Whether you have a $10 thrifter or an uber-expensive top-of-the-line machine you should be able to get a decent loaf of bread out of it. Let’s take a look at their components.

Computer/Control System

All bread machines have a control panel that allows you to select a course or program for different types of bread, such as white bread or whole wheat. Some appear more complicated than others, but they all serve the same purpose and are generally easy to use once you become familiar with your particular gadget.

Motor/Kneading System

All bread makers have a motor that turns one or two paddles in the bread pan. This action kneads the dough.

Baking/Heating System

All bread makers have some type of heating element (s) that bakes the bread. Some may also be used to pre-warm the ingredients and/or keep the bread warm after baking.

As you can see, this is not a very complicated system, and after Panasonic released the first bread maker in 1986, many other manufacturers copied the design and added their own twists.

So far, I have told you that all bread makers can make a nice loaf, and that they are more similar than different. So, why is your loaf not picture-perfect? Dear reader, I can relate as I have had my share of disasters too. Despite being similar, every machine has its own quirks that need to be addressed. What works with one machine, or one recipe, may not work with another machine, or another recipe. Think of each machine as having its own personality. Once you figure it out your ability to communicate with the machine is dramatically improved.

The first discovery step is to make a standard loaf using the machine’s supplied recipe for white bread. Do your best, and then check the results. If you baked an excellent loaf, great! You are doing everything right. If not, let’s delve into a bit of chemistry.

A bit of chemistry

Breads are made with flour that has a high gluten content. Gluten is a protein that is created from other proteins when water is combined with the mechanical action of kneading the flour into bread. It is a stretchy, elastic compound that gives bread its chewy, yet airy quality. It allows the carbon dioxide made from yeast to remain trapped within the structure of the bread which causes the bread to rise.

Not enough gluten can be present if the flour has a low gluten content or if the bread was inadequately kneaded. This can result in a bread that is dense and flat. Conversely, over kneading can break down gluten and result in similar issues. This is one reason why bread machines have different programs for different types of bread as some flours, like whole wheat, need different kneading times.

Most bread makers suggest using bread flour, which has a higher gluten content. However, many will make an acceptable loaf with standard AP flour. If you want the best quality of bread, but you can’t get bread flour, you can use AP flour and add a couple of tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, which adds some additional gluten to the flour.

Bread flour has a higher gluten content compared to regular all-purpose (AP) flour.

Yeast is a living organism that grows and multiplies when making bread. It utilizes sugars in the mixture to produce alcohol, carbon dioxide, and other compounds, which contribute to the lift and flavor of the bread. The alcohol is burned off, and the yeast is killed in the baking process.

Yeast comes in two dried forms, active and instant. Rapid and bread machine yeast is just rebranded instant yeast. Over the years, active and instant have become more similar; however, it is recommended to use the type specified by your machine’s manufacturer until you are very familiar with the machine.

Too much yeast will result in a rapid rise followed by a collapse of the bread. Too little will result in a poor rise and dense bread. Yeast goes bad, and sometimes this can happen even before you buy it. You can test yeast by adding some to warm water and a little sugar. It should start to foam after a few minutes. No foam? Then the yeast is bad. Yeast can also be on its way out, causing an inadequate rise. I always keep my yeast in the freezer and use it right out of the freeze when making bread.

Dried yeast comes in two forms, active and instant. Rapid and bread machine designations are just rebranded instant yeast. Although active and instant yeast have become similar over the years, you may find that a recipe works best with the type of yeast that your machine recommends.

Sugar is added for flavor and to provide food for the yeast. Not all bread recipes add extra sugar, as the yeast in the bread dough can break down the starch in the flour into simple sugars. Too much sugar leads to overproduction of yeast, while too little results in the opposite effect. Refer to the section above for the impact of over- and underproduction of yeast.

Salt is typically included in most bread recipes, as it adds flavor and helps control the yeast. Too little, and the yeast overgrows; too much, and it kills the yeast. All cooking salt is sodium chloride. However, salt substitutes are different and should not be substituted for traditional salt in a recipe.

Water is needed to obtain the right consistency of the bread dough and to help form the bread’s gluten. Too much, and the dough becomes slack, unable to contain the carbon dioxide bubbles, causing the bread to expand but then collapse during baking. Too little and the dough will be too solid and won’t expand adequately.

Other ingredients are often added to impact the flavor or texture of a loaf of bread. However, these can have a negative impact if used improperly. The bottom line is to follow an established recipe and only alter that recipe when you are wholly familiar with it. For instance, a recipe may use roasted garlic, but you might add fresh garlic instead and get a poor result. That is because fresh garlic can inhibit yeast growth, while roasted garlic won’t.

I like using recipes from proven and established sources, like the recipes that came with the bread maker, or well researched cookbooks from sources like Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens. Once you are having success using these recipes you can venture out to other sources as you will have the skills to decipher bread problems. Remember, a random internet recipe may work well with one machine but not another. However, standardized recipes from known cookbook creators, like Betty Crocker, have been tested on a variety of machines.

The good news is that your bread machine has been carefully programmed to knead and bake your bread. If you combine your machine’s capabilities with a suitable recipe, you should achieve success. If you don’t, the problem may lie in one of your ingredients or perhaps your methodology.

Here are some issues

Ingredient issues

You now know how different ingredients impact your bread, so let’s start here. If you measured everything correctly, consider that one of your ingredients may be bad. The most likely culprit will be the yeast. If it is too old or you used the wrong type (active or instant) for your machine, then correct it.

Water issues

We have city water, which is chlorinated. That partially inhibited my yeast. I solved the problem simply by using the filtered water from my fridge. I could have also used bottled water, or left some water out for a few days, as the chlorine would evaporate away.

Measuring issues

This is a significant issue that can be easily resolved. It is imperative to measure properly. A little too much or too little salt or yeast can have disastrous consequences. Likewise, it is very easy to mis-measure flour. Scooping can result in 25% more flour than spooning it into a measuring cup. Not leveling the cup can also be a significant issue. Even if you measure properly, your flour amounts can be off due to the humidity in the air, as this can impact flour’s volume.

I avoid the above by weighing most of my ingredients. I have tested a variety of kitchen scales and most are “good enough” accurate. In other words, they are not perfect, but they good enough for baking needs. However, many have problems when measuring tiny amounts that are less than 10 grams. Therefore, I use a standardized set of measuring spoons and level them when adding small ingredients like salt and yeast.

I have tested a variety of scales, and none are “laboratory” accurate. This Oxo scale should read 500 grams using a standard weight, but it reads 498 grams instead. This is not an problem with larger quantity items, like flour and water, as the percent error is small. However, it can be a concern with low-volume ingredients like salt and yeast which is why I use standardized measuring spoons for items under 10 grams.

Many recipes in US cookbooks use volume measurements, but it is easy to convert these measurements to a metric weight system. For instance, a cup (8 ounces) of water is equal to 236 ml, and 236 ml of water weighs 236 grams. If I need a cup of water, I just need to place my baking pan on a food scale, tare the scale to zero, and then pour in 236 grams of water. If the amount is different, I’ll do some simple math. For instance, one and one half cups of water would be 236 x 1.5 = 354 grams of water.

Many ingredient packages list a volume to weight conversion for their item. I just made a loaf of oatmeal bread that had 1/2 cup of oatmeal as an ingredient. The oatmeal box notes that 1/2 cup of oatmeal is 40 grams by weight, so it is easy to tare the scale to zero and then add 40 grams. One fourth of a cup of oatmeal would be 40/2 =20 grams, and 1 cup of oatmeal would be 40 x 2= 80 grams.

Here is the nutritional label for Amazon Basics Bread Flour. You can see that 1/4 cup weighs 30 grams, so a cup will weigh 30 x 4 = 120 grams, and four and a half cups will weigh 120 x 4.5 = 540 grams.

If you can’t find the product’s weight on a package, you can do a simple search on Google. Additionally, baking sources, such as the King Arthur Flour website, offer volume-to-weight conversion tables for most ingredients.

Understand tricky ingredients

We already talked about the difference between active and instant yeast. However, other ingredients can also be tricky. Salt is a crystal that can be chunky (some Kosher salts) or present as a fine powder (table salt). If you use a volume measurement, the actual amount of salt that you add can vary greatly based on the size of the salt crystal, as finer salt packs denser than chunky salt.

Salt is inexpensive and the easiest solution is to buy and use the type of salt that the recipe recommends. If it says “Kosher” use that type, if the recipe just says “salt” the recipe is likely referring to table salt. As I stated above, many scales can be a bit iffy when weighing very small quantities so I prefer using measuring spoons for items like yeast and salt. If you have to substitute one type of salt for another you can google how to do this.

Here is a part of a salt conversion table from the Morton Salt website. You can see that one teaspoon of table salt is equivalent to 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of coarse Kosher salt, as table salt packs denser.

Salt can be hidden in other ingredients, which is why most recipes advise using unsalted butter. However, if you are only adding a couple of tablespoons of salted butter to a recipe, the amount of salt is fairly negligible.

Understand temperature

For yeast to thrive, the temperature has to be warm, but not too hot. Try to use room-temperature ingredients and warm liquids to “baby bottle” temperatures. Some bread machines have an ingredient warming feature, but many don’t. If your ingredients are too cold, the yeast won’t grow fast enough, and you will have a dense loaf. If it’s too warm, your yeast may over-grown, which can result in a collapsed loaf. If your ingredients are very hot, you will kill the yeast and bake a dense rock.

Check on your machine’s progress

Check your dough ball after 5-10 minutes of kneading for the best results. If needed, scrape down any unincorporated flour using a soft spatula (to avoid damaging the non-stick coating on the pan). Even if you measured properly, you may need to make minor adjustments to your dough ball. Add small amounts (one tablespoon at a time) of flour or water to correct dough ball issues. If the ball looks dry and ragged add a little water. If it is too slack, add a little flour. Wait at least 30 seconds before adding more of either to allow the dough to absorb the addition. The goal is to have a fairly smooth and slightly tacky ball that completely incorporates all of the dough.

It is OK to open the lid and check on the formation of the dough ball during most of the bread-making process. However, once baking has started, don’t open the lid, as doing so will alter your bake due to the temperature drop.

This dough looks slightly slack, as there is residual dough on the bottom of the pan. Add one tablespoon of flour and wait at least 30 seconds for the flour to incorporate. Repeat until you get a nice, smooth dough ball. If you measured everything correctly, the dough will need no correction or only minor adjustments to the flour or water.

This dough looks right. The dough ball is smooth, and it has cleared all the flour from the pan.

Room issues

If your room is very hot, very cold, or very humid your results may be poor. As much as possible, try to use your bread machine in a controlled environment. This isn’t a big issue in the US where many homes have sophisticated environmental controls, but it could be a problem if your baking environment doesn’t have these capabilities or if you are using your bread maker next to something like a HVAC vent that can make the micro-environment too hot or cold.

Once you are confident in your bread-making, try adjusting a recipe to suit your conditions. For instance, in a hot environment, you could consider using slightly less yeast, or in a very dry environment, you may want to slightly increase the amount of liquids.

Elevation issues

If you live in a high-elevation location, such as Denver, you may need to adjust your ingredients, as the lower air pressure can cause over-rising and a resultant collapse of your bread. Your bread machine manual will help you, but the typical suggestion is to make a slight reduction in the amount of yeast.

Magical additions

If you have done all of the above and are still experiencing problems, try some of these additional steps.

Please try using only one agent at a time; use multiple agents only when you have experience, as combining many additions can have a negative, rather than a positive, impact on your loaves.

Diastatic Malt

This name sounds a bit scary, but it isn’t. Diastatic malt is barley that has been sprouted, then slowly dried and ground into a flour. It is high in enzymes that break down the starch in flour into simple sugars that the yeast can use. This can result in a better rise, nicer crumb, and better flavor. Just use a little, less than 1 teaspoon, as too much can lead to gummy bread. I use around 1/2 teaspoon for a single loaf recipe when I use it.

Ascorbic Acid

Another scary-sounding “chemical?” Nah, this is just Vitamin C powder. You only need a tiny pinch of this stuff. Too much is not good. Vitamin C can help with gluten development, loaf volume, loaf color, speed up fermentation, and improve shelf life. You can also use a little lemon juice (one to two tablespoons), as part of your liquid volume, to accomplish a similar result. I only add the tip of a 1/8 teaspoon measure when I use this stuff.

Sodium Alginate

Derived from algae, a tiny amount of this ingredient can help gluten development, improve crumb, and extend the freshness of your bread. The amount to add is only one to two grams, which is around 1/2 teaspoon per loaf.

Dough Conditioners

These are combination products that combine some of the above agents with other ingredients to improve gluten, rise, color, and freshness. Their actual ingredients vary from brand to brand. I have been using a product called “Scratch,” which I picked randomly. However, it does a great job. I use around one teaspoon per loaf. I use this stuff fairly regularly.

Vital Wheat Gluten

This is a concentrated form of gluten that can be added to increase the gluten content of flours. Adding a couple of tablespoons can turn AP flour into bread flour or make whole wheat flour rise better.

If you follow the above suggestions, you will produce beautiful loaves of bread in the bread maker of your choice. As we face inflation and the Trump tariff taxes, we all need to be more aware of the cost of living. Making simple bread is cheap. Making a more elaborate bread is more cost-effective than buying a comparable store-bought bread. By the way, what could be better than adding a few ingredients into a pan, pressing a button, and being rewarded with delicious homemade bread?

Happy Baking!

Mike

Images are my own or downloaded from Amazon product pages for educational purposes only.

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money: Make Beans and Rice for Dinner Tonight.

In the 1980s Popeye’s Chicken came to Chicago and I was introduced to their wonderful fried chicken and sides.  Up to that point a “side” meant only one thing, french fries.  However, Popeye’s gave that term a tantalizing new meaning to me.

I loved their now discontinued dirty rice, but I have to say that I went crazy for their red beans and rice.

Red beans and rice is traditionally a Louisiana dish made on Mondays which were wash days. Before the advent of the washing machine washdays were back breaking labor days.  Busy moms needed something easy for dinner, and they borrowed from their African, Spanish, and French cultures and came up with red beans and rice.  This dish was simple, cheap, filling, and delicious.  It could be parked on the stove, or in the oven and cooked for hours unattended.  When dinner time rolled around it was waiting to fill hungry bellies. 

For years I searched for the most traditional red beans and rice recipe.  I discovered that there are dozens of “traditional” recipes.”  However, they often have a few elements in common. Red beans typically simmer along with aromatic vegetables and some spices for hours until they become a delectable dish.  Let’s take a look at the basics.

The beans

These are typically small, red kidney beans traditionally of the Camellia brand.  However, any kidney beans can be used.  Most often used, and most economical are dried beans.  However, you can find quick recipes that use canned beans. 

Dried beans are usually soaked overnight, but can also be softened by boiling them in water and then letting them sit for several hours.  Additionally, you can cook them “dry” if you use a pressure cooker.

The fat

Naturally, you saute your vegetables in fat, if you have some bacon grease, great!  However, you can use cooking oil, olive oil, butter, margarine, lard; whatever you have around.

The meat

Traditionally, a ham bone leftover from Sunday dinner was used.  However, the choices are endless and many recipes use combinations of meats.  Some common meats include Andouille sausage, smoked turkey wings, ham chunks, salt port, and ham hocks. You can also find recipes that use smoked sausage and smoked Polish sausage. Stick type sausages are usually sliced and sometimes the slices are browned for added flavor.

The liquid

You need to cook the beans in something and water is often used.  However, chicken broth adds flavor.

The spices

The spice combination varies from recipe to recipe.  Some sort of heat is added in the form of red pepper, pepper flakes, or hot sauce. Thyme and oregano are popular herbs, and they are sometimes used separately and in other recipes together.  Garlic seems to be in most recipes, as is a bay leaf or two.  Some recipes use a combination spice, such as Cajun seasoning, while others may add smoked paprika, dried parsley, and even a hint of sage.  Different combinations produce slightly different, yet still delicious, red beans and rice. Some recipes even used dehydrated onions and powdered garlic for ease; it is all up to you. 

The holy trinity

Many Louisiana dishes incorporate a vegetable combination known as the holy trinity.  This consists of a green bell pepper, a yellow onion, and several celery stalks, all chopped up. This combo is a must for red beans and rice.  

Cooking methods

Traditionally, the mixture is made on the top of the stove. The vegetables are sauteed, and the soaked beans, spices, meat, and liquid are added.  The mixture is brought to a boil and then simmered slowly for hours in a covered, heavy pot.  A Dutch oven is ideal, but any heavy pot can be used as an alternative.  

If you prefer your red beans and rice thicker, you can mash some of the beans after everything is cooked, or you can uncover your pot towards the end and use evaporation to thicken it. Some cooks add a little flour and water to thicken the sauce.  Lastly, you can opt for a simple approach and not thicken at all.

There are versions of this dish that also can be made in the oven, a pressure cooker, or even a slow cooker. There are many possibilities.

The rice

The rice is prepared separately and added to either the serving bowl or the diner’s plate.

As you can see, red beans and rice is a flexible recipe.  Each family has its own version, and it can vary based on what you have on hand.  Don’t have chicken broth?  Use water.  Don’t have thyme?  Use some oregano or Italian seasoning.  There are also vegetarian versions of this dish.

However, red beans and rice always have some form of the holy trinity and, of course, red beans.

Today’s beans and rice

I’m cleaning out my pantry today and making beans and rice.  I’m borrowing from red beans and rice recipes, but making several substitutions.  I’m using dried pinto beans instead of red beans, a red pepper instead of a green pepper, red onions instead of yellow onions, and Italian sausage instead of a more traditional meat.  I’m not trying to challenge the original recipe; I’m using it as a springboard to use what I already have on hand.  

This recipe is an excellent example for beginner cooks to see how to substitute similar ingredients and still achieve a good result.  My end product was comparable to red beans and rice, but clearly not the same.  However, it was delicious.  Three of us ate our fill, and there is quite a bit left over for lunches. 

Pick out any bad or split beans and soak the beans in water overnight. You can use other methods to soften the beans if you prefer. Before using them in the dish drain and rinse them.

The holy trinity consists of celery, yellow onion, and a green pepper. However, I’m using a red pepper and red onion. Why? Because that is what I had on hand. It is all good.

I had some Italian sausage in the freezer that I wanted to use up. Certainly, not traditional but it worked out in the end. In this situation I removed the sausage from its casing and browned it along with the softened vegetables.

My spice combo consisted of a quarter teaspoon of sage and red pepper (I can’t tolerate super hot foods), two bay leafs, 1 teaspoon of thyme, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, one-half teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Why do I have such a large jug of Cajun seasoning? I must have gotten it on a closeout. Note, you don’t have to use all of these spices. Garlic and some heat are a must. Instead of thyme you can use oregano or some Italian seasoning. You can forgo the Cajun seasoning, parsley, and black pepper. You do you. Remember to taste and adjust seasoning at the end of cooking. I had to add some salt at the end.

I heated some bacon grease in a Dutch oven, but you could use any fat or oil.

I sauteed the “holy trinity” of vegetables and when they were soft I added some jar garlic. Fresh garlic would be better, but this is what I had. Heck, you can even used powdered garlic if that was all that you had.

I added the spices and “cooked” them for around 30 seconds to bloom their flavor. I added the sausage meat and browned it. If I had slices of stick sausage I would have also browned those.

I added 6 cups of liquid and the soaked beans. I used water with some “Better then Bullion.” However, chicken broth or just water works too.

I brought the mixture to a boil and then reduced the heat to a low simmer. The pot was covered to complete cooking. Cook until the beans are soft or longer if you wish. It should take around 90 minutes to cook the beans. In my case I cooked the dish around 3 hours as I started the recipe early. When cooking was complete I used a wooden spoon and smashed some of the beans to thicken the dish. However, that is totally optional.

Served up with some rice and my homemade freshly baked multi-grain bread. This was not a traditional red beans and rice, but it was close enough to still be delicious!

I hope that some of these cooking posts encourage you to cook from scratch. With inflation and the Trump tariff taxes making all forms of food more and more expensive it is important to return back to the basics of cooking to survive these difficult economic times.

I used ingredients that I had on hand and inexpensively fed three hungry adults with quite a bit of leftovers for future lunches.

Happy cooking!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money: Make Your Own Yogurt, It Is Super Simple.

In today’s world of inflation and the Trump tariff taxes times are rough. This is another in my series on how you can save money on groceries by simple actions.

I not exactly sure when I first had yogurt; possibly when I was in late grade school.  I do remember it was the Dannon brand and that it had some syrupy fruit on the bottom that you mixed into the yogurt.  I liked it.

In the 1970s I was doing research on Multiple Sclerosis at the University of Chicago. A fellow researcher made her own yogurt and that intrigued me. I bought a Salton yogurt maker which made 5 cups of yogurt. I used that machine for quite some time, but I lost it in a divorce.

This looks exactly like my original yogurt maker. It was simple to operate and made enough yogurt for five workday lunches.

Yogurt is one of those foods that is better than the sum of its ingredients.  It was likely discovered by accident and can be traced back to Middle Eastern civilizations as long as 10,000 years ago.  That is way before the pyramids. 

Yogurt can stay fresher longer than regular milk, is thicker and creamier, and is loaded with good bacteria that enhance gut health.  Many people who are lactose intolerant can still eat yogurt.  

Yogurt is extremely versatile and can be used in countless savory dishes.  It can also serve as a substitute for other dairy products, such as sour cream.  

The opposite end of savory is sweet, and yogurt shines there, too.  Who doesn’t love frozen yogurt, and most yogurts sold in the store are flavored and sweetened, making them perfect for a snack or for a quick breakfast. 

Yogurt consists of milk that has been inoculated with a specific bacterial culture, usually containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The milk is placed in a warm environment, and 6-8 hours later, you have yogurt.

I like both regular yogurt and Greek-style yogurt.  What is the difference?  Greek-style yogurt is regular yogurt that is strained through a sieve, allowing some of the whey (the liquid) to drain away.  This makes the yogurt thicker and increases its protein content because it is more concentrated. 

You can use a bit of unflavored active culture yogurt from the store as a starter or buy freeze dried starter. You can use any type of milk, but whole milk is preferred for the best results.

Making your own yogurt is not only simple, it will save you money. A four-pack of Oikos yogurt costs $5.79 as off this writing, which yields only 21 ounces total (4 x 5.3 oz).

A gallon of whole milk can be had for as little as $2.65. This will make 128 ounces of regular yogurt or 64-96 ounces of Greek yogurt (depending on the thickness).

It is likely that you have all of the tools needed to make yogurt, but you can certainly up your yogurt making game with dedicated equipment if you wish.

These costs are for unflavored yogurt. There are dozens if not hundreds of ways to flavor yogurt, and none are terribly expensive. I’ll discuss some sweet options later in this post.

Here are the simple steps to make yogurt.  

Ingredients:

Whole Milk

Starter Yogurt culture.

Starter yogurt can be a few spoonfuls of unflavored active culture yogurt from the store, a bit of your last batch of yogurt, or a dedicated commercial yogurt starter powder. Once you are making yogurt regularly you can simply reserve a few tablespoons of your current batch in the fridge to seed your next bath. In that case, the only cost, beyond a few pennies of electricity, is the cost of your milk.

You can inoculate a new yogurt batch with a few spoonfuls of unflavored yogurt (active cultures) from the store, some reserved yogurt from your last batch, or, as in the photo above, some commercial freeze-dried yogurt culture.
Using a clean pot, heat whole milk on medium to medium-low heat until it steams and is 180°F (82°C). Remove from the heat and let cool. I use a kitchen thermometer. Pro tip: Swish and pour out a little water in your pot before adding the milk. This will prevent burning. Also, don’t crank up the heat; go slow. Heating too quickly will burn the milk on the bottom of the pot, and that is a mess to clean up. Heating to 180°F is necessary to kill competing bacteria. In addition, the heat will have a positive effect on the texture of the yogurt.
The milk will form a skin. Remove the skin using a spoon and discard.
Wait until the milk temperature is reduced to approximately 110°F (43°C). If it’s too hot, you will kill the bacteria; if it’s too cold, the culture won’t grow. Add your yogurt culture. In this case, I’m using a commercial culture. If I were using actual yogurt, I would use around two tablespoons per 2 cups. However, this is very flexible. Some recipes use more, while others use less. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, you can use the “baby bottle” test. Spoon some milk onto your wrist. It should be very warm but not burning. If that is the case, you are at the right temperature to inoculate.
Thoroughly stir the culture into the warm milk. Now transfer your milk into the vessel(s) that you will use for the yogurt.

Now it is time to incubate the milk to turn it into yogurt. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can placed your your container in a warm draft free spot and cover it with blanket or heavy towel. You can place it in a cooler in a bath of warm water, Both of these methods will require longer incubation times as the heat is not regulated.

Another common method is to use a slow cooker. Heat the milk to boiling then turn off the slow cooker. Wait until the milk is 110F and inoculate with around 1/4 cup of yogurt culture for a gallon of milk. Wrap the slow cooker in a heavy towel and let the mixture incubate for 8-12 hours. Give it a peak at 8 hours to see if it looks like yogurt. Too liquidy? Give it more time.

In general, the longer you incubate the thicker the yogurt. However, it will also be tangier (more sour) the longer you incubate.

There are many appliances that allow the proper temperature for a controlled yogurt environment. Using one of these appliances will give you consistent results.

Many electric pressure cookers have a low-temperature yogurt setting. Additionally, some multi-cookers and sous vide machines also allow for a controlled low setting that can be used to make yogurt. In these cases, try to incubate between 6 and 8 hours. You can always add a bit more time if your milk has not turned to yogurt.
I like using a dedicated yogurt incubator. This little guy makes 1 quart of yogurt and isn’t much bigger than a coffee cup. It was less than $20 on Amazon.
This yogurt incubator can make eight jars of yogurt at a time. You can switch out the jars for 2, 1-quart containers if you prefer. Like the incubator above, it will make yogurt in 6-8 hours. I usually wait 8 hours for the consistency that I like.

After your yogurt has incubated it is important to refrigerate it for at least several hours, preferably overnight. This enhances its favor and thickens the yogurt.

This gives you an idea of what the yogurt will look like after it has been incubated. Remember, you still need to refrigerate the yogurt for maximum flavor.
Greek yogurt is just yogurt with some of the liquid (whey) removed. You can use a sieve over a bowl with a coffee filter in the sieve. Add the yogurt and refrigerate the contraption. When the yogurt is thick enough, remove it to a covered container. I like regular yogurt, but if I want it thicker, I reduce the volume by 25%, which takes a few hours in the fridge. You can use the whey for all sorts of things, from drinks to soup. It is high in protein.
Here is a dedicated gadget to make Greek-style yogurt. It is a bit more convenient than the sieve method. It was very inexpensive and recommended if you always want to turn your regular yogurt into Greek-style yogurt.
Here is some Greek-style yogurt that I made by draining out some of the whey. You can tell that it is thicker.

You can eat your cold yogurt as is, but I prefer adding sweeteners and other add-ons.

Sweeten with honey, or maple syrup, or brown sugar or whatever you like.

Adjust the flavor with a little vanilla or add fruit or granola. The options are limitless. I know of some who actually flavors their yogurt with Crystal Light.

Here I’m flavoring some plain yogurt with leftover cherry pie filling and some nutty trail mix.
Here I added a little vanilla, honey, granola, and some fresh berries.
Last Mother’s Day, we brought my wife breakfast in bed, featuring homemade yogurt. This was plain yogurt with Maple Syrup, strawberries, and granola. The options are limitless.

Making yogurt is super easy and very satisfying. You know exactly what is in it, and you add exactly what you want. To use the example above, the Oikos yogurt is $0.26 an ounce vs. my standard yogurt make from milk at $0.02 an ounce. MY Greek-style homemade yogurt would be $0.03-$0.04 an ounce. The electricity is negligible.

Of course you will incur more cost with your add ons, but home much does a spoon of strawberry jelly or a drizzle of honey cost?

Making yogurt is very easy, inexpensive, and satisfying. The end result is chemical free and tastes fresher than store bought. Making your own yogurt vs. buying it is a no brainer.

Peace,

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money: Bake Delicious Oatmeal Sunflower Seed Bread

My bread-making adventures continue as I learn the ins and outs of yeasted products.

Making bread in a bread maker is simple, and it allows me to create special treats for my family. As I continue my bread making journey I’m starting to gain an understanding of the cause and effect of my actions. I’m also obtaining knowledge on simple things that I can do to make my efforts successful.

Today I’m making oatmeal/sunflower seed bread. I enjoy making oatmeal bread, and I’ve purchased sunflower seed bread from a local specialty market. To combine the two breads sounds perfect to me.

This recipe is from Betty Crocker’s Best Bread Machine Cookbook. I find that recipes from established sources like Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens are often very forgiving and simple to make.

The bread is delicious and perfect as a supper add-on, for sandwiches, and toast. It’s an all-arounder!

Here is the recipe. I converted some of the measurements to grams, allowing me to weigh those items instead of using a measuring cup. I’m making the 2-pound loaf.

I added one and one-quarter cups water to the pan. We have treated water where I live, and the chlorine seems to have a negative impact on yeast. Lately, I have been using filtered water from the fridge that I warm in the microwave. Other options could include bottled water or simply leaving out some regular tap water for a day or two so the chlorine can evaporate.

I’m adding the honey, 85 grams. It is much easier to weigh the honey as there are no sticky measuring cups to deal with. You can use Google to find the weight equivalents of most ingredients.

Now, 2 tablespoons of butter. The bread maker that I’m using has a preheat cycle. If it didn’t, I would have softened the butter in the microwave.

Now 4 cups of bread flour. In a pinch, you could use regular AP flour and get a slightly altered end product. Four cups should be approximately 480 grams, but I’m finding that this batch of flour requires a bit more to achieve the right consistency in the bread machine. I’m using 500 grams of flour.

Then two tablespoons of powdered milk.

Followed by 55 grams of oats. Here again, I’m weighing and not measuring.

In goes one and a quarter teaspoon of salt. When it comes to small quantities, using traditional measuring spoons is the easiest method. Also, it is easy to overshoot a small weight when using a scale. In the case of salt, an overshoot could be disastrous.

Then two and one-half teaspoons of instant yeast. Use the yeast type recommended by your bread maker. Keep the yeast away from the salt and ensure it is fresh.

Use the basic white bread course on your machine. I went for a medium crust. You will also need to add the sunflower seeds towards the end of kneading. This machine will automatically beep when it is time to do that. On other machines you may need to use a “fruit and nut” setting to get it to beep. On still other machines, an automatic compartment will open at the right time. The instructions that came with your machine will let you know what option to use. You add the seeds towards the end of kneading to prevent them from being chopped up into bits.

Here, I’m adding the sunflower seeds at the beep. These were snacking seeds, so they were heavily salted. I rinsed them off before adding them, as an incorrect amount of salt can have a dramatic impact on yeast growth. Too little salt, and you get an overgrowth; too much salt, and you kill the yeast.

Out of the oven, and it is looking good!

The texture is perfect. The bread is soft and spongy. I would suggest slicing the bread as needed. However, I slice the entire loaf as that is the only way that my family will use it. I keep my bread as fresh as possible by using a standard breadbox.

Happy bread making!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Clara’s Great Depression Dinner

I like history. I wouldn’t say that I’m a history buff, but I find it fascinating to learn about other times and other people. I have a special fascination for the first half of the last century. For whatever reason, that time feels familiar to me.

A few years back, the YouTube algorithm brought me to the “Great Depression Cooking With Clara” channel. The channel was started by Clara’s grandson, who was documenting her life during that tough time. In her videos, she shares budget-saving recipes that her family relied on during the 1930s. The channel became a surprise hit with over one million subscribers, likely due to Clara’s clarity and charm. Sadly, she has passed, but her legacy lives on.

One of her simple recipes was dubbed “Poor Man’s Dinner,” but I have renamed it “Clara’s Great Depression Dinner,” as I believe that captures the dish’s intent. It is straightforward to make and, of course, very inexpensive. I made it for my family as a weekday meal, so I’ll give you their taste impressions at the end of this post. 

With runaway inflation and the Trump tariff taxes, people are genuinely suffering, so this recipe is more than a trip down memory lane; it could be a cost-saving option when both bellies and wallets are empty. But first, let’s get into the recipe.

Oh, by the way. I believe that these types of recipes are based on whatever you have on hand, so I did make some modifications. I’ll let you know both her version and my slightly altered one in the photos below.

Cut up some potatoes. I was making dinner for 3 and used 4 medium to large spuds.

Chop up an onion, and slice some sausage. In Clara’s recipe she uses hot dogs, but I had some Polish sausage in the fridge, so I used that. I also had one-half of a pepper left over from a salad that I added, just because.

I believe that Clara only used salt and pepper. I added some garlic powder and a tiny bit of rosemary (around 1/2 teaspoon).

I like crispy sausages, so I browned the Polish sausages in a little oil and then removed them from the pan.

In the same pan I softened the onions and peppers.

I then added the potatoes on medium heat.

In went a tiny bit of rosemary. I probably could have used about twice as much.

Then some pepper.

And some salt. I under salt as I’ll adjust the salt when the dish is complete.

Then a sprinkle of garlic powder. Also, I added cooking oil here and there as needed. I cooked the mixture for a bit, turning the potatoes every once in a while.

I added around 1/3 cup of water.

And covered the pan to completely cook the potatoes. I continued to turn the potatoes several times to prevent them from burning. I think it took around 15 minutes to completely cook the potatoes.

I returned the sausage to the pan to reheat it. I adjusted the seasonings and tossed in some green onions. The green onions were added to give some contrast to the dish and are unnecessary.

Here it served up with a little fruit and my homemade oatmeal/sunflower seed bread.

The dish fed three adults, and two additional hefty portions were packed away by my son that he will use as two days of lunch.

So what did the family think about Clara’s Great Depression Dinner?

My son really liked it. He said it was filling and delicious.

My wife had concerns over the fact that it used smoked sausage as she had heard somewhere that smoked sausage was bad. However, she felt that it tasted pretty good.

I liked it. To me it tasted like amped up home-style hash browns. When I make it again I’ll top it with a friend egg. I think that would make the dish perfect.

Happy cooking!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Know The Accuracy Of Your Kitchen Scale For Baking

Before becoming a physician, I was a lab rat researcher, and one of the tasks I performed on a daily basis was weighing out small amounts of powders to create various reagents. To do this, I used several different scales. Most were electronic, but one was a balance beam system so sensitive that the scale was enclosed in its own plexiglass chamber, as the random movement of air could impact its accuracy. These lab-grade scales cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, so how is it possible to buy a kitchen scale with a one-gram sensitivity for around ten bucks?

Should a cook or baker even bother to use a scale? My grandmother was a fantastic cook, and I don’t think she even owned a measuring cup. Fanny Farmer introduced the concept of correct measuring of ingredients at the turn of the last century, but before then, chefs created great dishes.

The bottom line is that you don’t need to bother with any type of measuring device if you possess one thing: tons of experience. If you have been cooking the same recipes all of your life, you know how much basil to add or how much sugar to spoon in. My mom never used a cookbook for our daily meals, and her dishes were fabulous. However, she did use a recipe with measurements when she made less frequent foods, such as holiday kolacky. She knew her limitations. I follow my mother’s advice: if I’m not wholly certain, I hit the books and follow a plan.

If you have read some of my recent posts, you know that I’m once again enamored with baking bread in a bread maker, and I’m trying to perfect my craft. For a novice like myself, each step presents a challenge as I attempt to achieve consistent results.

In the US, we still use the very archaic imperial system of pounds and ounces. The rest of the world has long moved to the significantly superior metric system. A US recipe will say, “Add 1 cup of flour,” where a European cookbook will note, “Add 120 grams of flour.” Measurement by weight is not only more accurate, but it is also easier. Recently, I was following a recipe that required 1/4 cup of honey. I hate measuring honey as it is a pain to use due to its thick viscosity. However, instead of dirtying a measuring cup, I put my dish on a kitchen scale, tared the scale to zero, and squeezed the honey bottle until the screen read 85 grams. That was easy!

However, my measurements are only as good as my scale. Could I trust it? The main scale I have used for nearly 20 years is a 2.3 kg (5-pound) scale from Oxo, which I purchased from the now-defunct Kmart. However, I have a couple of other scales around the house that I either received for free or purchased on Amazon Prime Days. You may be asking why I have more than one scale. In the past, I would come up with a logical reason, but as a retired guy, I have the privilege of not having to justify my purchases. I have them, because I have them. Let’s leave it at that.

Is your kitchen scale accurate enough for baking? I suggest that everyone follow my example. Simply use your calibrated weight sets to verify the accuracy of your kitchen scales and adjust accordingly. What, you don’t have a set of calibrated weights? You think it is a bit odd that I do? Well, you are probably right. Let’s utilize my oddness to your benefit and verify the accuracy of the Oxo scale. I did this test with my other scale, and they all showed various inaccuracies (each a bit different). However, their errors were similar enough for me to offer the same bottom-line advice. When do inaccuracies matter? Let’s look at some photos to find out.

Here I’m using a one-gram weight, and my scale reads it as zero.

However, the scale is able to read 2 grams accurately.

How about adding that 1 gram back? Will the scale be able to read it? Nope!

Here I’m weighing 100 grams, and the scale is spot on.

Now, I add 1 gram and the scale gets it right. However, sometimes it was able to read the additional 1 gram, and at other times it couldn’t.

This illustrates the above. On this attempt, starting with 50 grams, the scale could not recognize the additional 1-gram weight.

Here, it was accurate when I added two more grams for a total of 53 grams.

Let’s move on to a 500-gram standard weight. The scale is only showing 498 grams. That is an error, but it is only a 0.4% error. That’s not very significant for our baking purposes.

Here, the measurement should be 901 grams, but the scale says 898 grams. That is a 0.3% error. Not a big deal.

Additionally, the kitchen scales I have tested all exhibit a slight lag when measuring. If I’m adding something and reaching my desired weight, I have to sprinkle and pause as it takes a fraction of a second for the scale to catch up.

The Bottom Line

The kitchen scales that I tested were accurate enough when weighing larger quantities. An error of less than 1% is insignificant when cooking or baking.

However, they all seemed to struggle with very small weights. Out of the three scales I tested, only one could register the 1-gram weight, but all three were accurate when using a 2-gram weight. However, when I added an additional gram to the 2-grams, it was a bit hit or miss. Additionally, the slight lag in registering made it very easy to overshoot a small amount, even when the scale was weighing accurately.

Some of the most critical measurements in bread making are for ingredients like salt and yeast, which are measured in the smallest amounts. So, what do I recommend?

When measuring anything over 10 grams, your kitchen scale will likely do an adequate job. If possible, measure your flour, water, butter, and sweeteners by weight. You will have better results and less cleanup. When it comes to items that are often under 10 grams, like yeast, I recommend using an accurate measuring spoon. All bread makers come with a measuring spoon that is ideal for this purpose.

Happy baking!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living

Save Money, Make Cheesy Onion Yeast Bread

My journey using a bread maker has escalated due to inflation and the Trump tariff taxes. However, along the way I have found it to be a fun and creative outlet. I like the idea that this simple machine can produce so many different types of breads, all unique and interesting.

I was recently on a walk with a friend who reads my blog. He and his wife are coming over for dinner and he said, “Why don’t you make some homemade bread as an accompaniment?’ Hmm, what should I make? I baked this cheesy onion bread from the “Bread Dad” website and I think that it could be a candidate. I tried it on my family for a spaghetti dinner and it got positive reviews, so I thought I would share the recipe with you.

This recipe gives both volume and weight measurements. I mostly went with weight as it is more accurate, easier, and has less cleanup.

From the “Bread Dad.”

Add 259 grams of warm (not hot) milk to your pan. I heated the milk for around 20 seconds in the microwave and tested it with my finger to make sure it wasn’t too hot.

I then softened 57 grams of butter and added it to the pan. Once again making sure that it was not too hot, as that can kill the yeast.

I added the flour until I had 360 grams of bread flour. Weighing flour is always the best option even if you use volume measurement for your other ingredients. Remember to tare between measurements and the scale will zero out.

In went the cheese. I’m using a strong cheddar. You want to use a strongly flavored cheese. Weight? 112 grams.

Now, 13 grams of brown sugar.

Then 9 grams of salt. You need to be careful with the salt and it may make more sense to use a measuring spoon (1 and 1/2 teaspoons) as too much salt can really mess up the bread. A spill could have ruined my recipe. I was being brave today and weighed it directly in my pan.

Finally, 4.5 grams of bread machine yeast. I volume measured this out. I’m not sure if my scales are that accurate when weighing small amounts of ingredients. In general, I probably should measure out small ingredients like salt and yeast. Remember, I’m just a dad baking, so I experiment a bit. This time I weighed my salt, but measured my yeast.

Lastly, I added a couple of thinly sliced green onions. I did three stalks. The kneading process will chop the onions up into tiny pieces. I used the basic (white) setting on the bread maker.

Here is the bread. The golden color is from the cheddar cheese. I think it turned out pretty well.

Ready to be served to accompany our spaghetti dinner. The family approved and said it would be fine to serve to company. Is this the one? Well, it certainly is a contender.

Happy bread making!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Navy Bean Soup!

Have you ever heard the term, “Don’t let opportunity kick you in the butt?” A while back an opportunity presented itself to me in the form of a gift. What was the gift? A bone! Now, dear reader, you are probably thinking that I have fallen off my rocker, but I can assure you that I’m sitting steady. Let me explain further.

My sister was hosting a party and had a large ham as the main course. She asked me, “Do you want the ham bone for soup?” “Sure,” I replied. She also threw in a bag of scrap ham meat as my brother-in-law is pescatarian, and she knew that she wouldn’t be using it to make another meal. They went into my freezer.

I decided that yesterday was the day that I would use the ham bone to make a delicious Navy Bean Soup. Inflation and the Trump Tariff Taxes are making grocery prices go through the roof and I’m on a money saving mission.

Bean dishes are cheap and offer so many benefits. They are an excellent source of protein and fiber, contain all sorts of minerals, plus they are good for gut health.

You can buy canned beans inexpensively, and I certainly do that. However, dried beans are a better bargain. This soup uses dried beans that have been soaked overnight. I’ll talk more about that later.

There are as many ways to prepare a bean soup as there are beans in a pot. The recipe that I chose was from a website called “BudgetBites.com.” The website was recommended by my daughter who is trying to save money by cooking her own food. She is a chip off the old block. I have tried a few of the site’s recipes with good results.

Oh, and that ham bone? It went missing from our freezer. Both my wife and I tore the compartment apart, but the bone was not to be found. We did find the ham scraps, so we substituted them with good results. The great thing about home cooking is there are no rules. If the end result tastes good, then all is good.

Let’s get into the recipe!

Here is the recipe. The author is Marsha McDougal.

Instead of a ham hock I used the ham scraps that my sister generously gave me.

Here are the spices that we used. In addition to the ones listed in the recipe I added a very small amount of chili pepper flakes and a sad broken bay leaf. Spices can add a lot of depth to a dish. You can buy spices for less if you shop the house brands at Walmart, Aldi, and Dollar Stores. If you know that you are going to use a lot of a particular spice you can buy a large container cheaply at Sam’s Club, Costco, or on Amazon. Ethnic stores and the ethnic aisles in standard grocery stores often have spices for less than at the typical spice section in the store. Lastly, you don’t have to use all of the spices if you choose. You can just use salt and pepper. If I had to add just more more spice to this soup (beyond salt and pepper), it would probably be oregano. A little of this spice adds so much to so many dishes.

This recipe uses a classic mirepoix (celery, onions, and carrots). We almost always have those vegetables on hand and they store well. Additionally, this plate has some jar garlic. Is jar garlic as good as fresh? No, but it still is good and I always have it on hand.

The recipe calls for chicken broth, but I used Better than Bouillon chicken base. Sadly, this jar was almost empty. Luckily, I had some ham base so I added some of that to make up for the reduced amount of chicken base. It is OK to substitute as long as you don’t go too-far-afield.

I sauteed the ham in a little oil. I wanted it to get a bit crisp to intensify the flavor since I didn’t have a ham bone. I then added the mirepoix and softened the vegetables for a few minutes, stirring the mixture now and then. Finally, I added the garlic and stirred that around for a minute or two. You can see that I’m using a big pot. I like cooking in a Dutch oven, but you can use any large pot that you have. You will also need a lid for the pot.

Here you can see the garlic being added. I’m a bit excessive when it comes to garlic. You don’t have to be.

Now 6 cups of chicken broth. I used 6 cups of water and whatever chicken Better than Bouillon that I could scrape out of the jar. I added a spoonful of the ham Better than Bouillon to make up the difference. In went the Navy beans. I had soaked the beans overnight and dumped out that water before adding the beans to the pot. When it comes to dry beans, pick out any damaged beans before soaking. You may find a little rock or two; get rid of those too.

I added a few drops of liquid smoke (totally optional) to add a smoky flavor. Never add too much of this stuff or your food will taste like burnt wood.

In went the spices. Remember, if you don’t have all of them, use what you have. However, these are spices that you can use in so many dishes. If you eventually build up your spice rack, consider these as essentials.

That’s it! So easy. Now bring the pot to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Place the pot’s cover. It will take about ninety minutes for the beans to completely cook, so you may want to stir the pot on occasion. I actually left mine cooking for around two and a half hours as I made it early. To thicken the soup I smashed some of the beans using my wooden spoon. When the soup is done adjust the salt level. It is always better to use less salt at the start of a recipe and add what’s needed at the end. This soup didn’t need any extra salt because the ham was salty as was the soup base.

Here it is, all served up. We had some sour cream, so I added a dollop of that plus some croutons that I made earlier. As an accompaniment I served some of my homemade rye bread, but you do you. This was a delicious weekday dinner. You could make it in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot with a little modification of the liquids. Three of us ate our fill and there is plenty left over for lunches or whatever.

You don’t have to eat garbage to save money. This soup was absolutely delicious and tasted so much better than something out of a can.

Bon appetite!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Zojirushi Bread Makers: What Model To Buy? An In-Depth Review.

As I mentioned in previous blogs, three things excite me: I love to learn, I love to create, and I love to teach.  That’s my jam.

I enjoy delving beyond the superficial and exploring various topics in depth.  Some of my interests are mainstream, while others are not.

 As a child, I was fascinated by watching my mom knead yeasted bread dough on the kitchen table. However, kneading dough by hand is not my thing. 

One of the few items that I got from my divorce in the 1980s was a large food processor, as my ex was not a cook and didn’t want it.  I studied that gadget and prepared many foods using it, including kneading bread dough. When you are a dirt-poor resident physician living on generic food, the prospect of bakery-quality bread is compelling. 

My love of machines, along with my love of food, got me interested in bread makers, and I did a deep dive to understand them in the 1990s and early 2000s.  I explored many machines in my study, from expensive to bargain, most of which I gave away when my interest waned. 

For many years after that, I continued to bake bread, making many loaves at a time, first with a Kitchenaid, and then with a Bosch Universal mixer.  Now, my kids are out of the house, and I no longer need such productivity.

For many years I made six loaves at a time of 100% Whole Wheat Bread using my Bosch Universal Mixer.

I’m not a professional chef, and I’m sure that many know a lot more about bread-making than I do.  However, I do know more than some, and I would like to offer that knowledge in this post. Remember, this is my opinion; you may have a different one.

About a year ago, I rediscovered my remaining bread makers on a basement shelf and was once again fascinated by these simple gadgets that could do something extraordinary: make delicious bread at the touch of a button.  I got hooked again.

I have used many different brands of bread machines. After baking hundreds of loaves in various machines, I’m here to state that all bread makers have the potential to produce an excellent loaf of bread if their instructions are followed precisely.  If you don’t believe me, just check out the many YouTube videos showing folks getting great results with every brand under the sun.

If I believe that all bread makers can make a great loaf of bread, why would I ever buy a premium machine, like a Zojirushi?  Let me use a car example.  Both a Yugo and a Lexus will get you to the same place in the same amount of time.  However, the Lexus will get you there in style, and it will likely be more reliable as well.

I thrifted a vintage Japanese-manufactured Regal bread maker for $14. Although not as well-built as my Zojirushi machines, it was still built like a tank. I recently tested an inexpensive and newer Briskind bread maker.  It makes a perfectly nice loaf of bread, but it is light as a feather and feels a bit cheap. How long will it last with regular use?  You can watch teardown videos for cheaper brands where the low-quality drive belt has shredded or some other part has failed. This usually means that it is time to send the bread maker to a landfill. 

This thrifted Regal machine was made in Japan and is built like a tank. It was likely manufactured in the mid-1990s.
This recent Briskind model made a decent loaf of bread, but it is light as a feather, and I wonder about the quality of its components.

I have Zojirushi machines from the early 2000s that still work perfectly. Additionally, Zojirushi sells replacement pans and paddles and also has a bread maker repair service. If you have the cash and know that you’re committed to bread machine bread making, it is reasonable to consider a Zojirushi machine.  

Currently, Zojirushi offers four models of bread makers. Two of them make 1-pound loaves, and the other two make 2-pound loaves.  I’ll only be discussing the 2-pound machines, as those are the ones with which I have experience. Specifically, I’ll be talking about the Zojirushi Supreme and the Zojirushi Virtuoso (Plus).

I did some research before this post to get some others’ answers on the benefits of one model over the other. YouTube comparison videos were primarily based on repeating the manufacturer’s listed feature sets; therefore, they were of no use to me, as they provided zero actual usage information.  Contributors on sites like Quora, Reddit, and Amazon Reviews commented when someone asked if they should buy the Supreme or the Virtuoso, stating, “Get the Virtuoso, there is no comparison,” and “Get the Virtuoso, you won’t regret it.” But why?  Clearly, those commenters had a Virtuoso and were happy with it.  But would they have been just as pleased with a Supreme? Commercial review sites often list the Virtuoso Plus as the number one bread machine, but they don’t examine the two models side by side.  I could find only one review that examined both; America’s Test Kitchen preferred the Zojirushi Supreme over the Virtuoso Plus due to its more straightforward user interface.  

Please do not use AI to explore the differences or capabilities of any of these machines.  I found multiple serious errors in the information provided by AI search engines during my research for this post.

I have owned and tested all four versions of these Zojirushi machines, so I feel that I can offer a fair opinion.  

I have used both the X20 (discontinued in 2010) and CEC20 (current model) versions of the Supreme machines, as well as the PAC20 (discontinued in 2018)  and PDC20 (current model) versions of the Virtuoso (Plus). All make an excellent loaf of bread.

Zojirushi bread makers have unique features.  However, some of these features have drifted down to less expensive bread machines. Innovations tend to do that. Beyond the classic features that all bread makers have, here are a few more unique ones that both the Supreme and the Virtuoso/Virtuoso Plus share:

-Preheat.  Zojirushi bread makers will heat up and warm ingredients before they start the kneading cycle.  A few other machines that feature this option include models from Panasonic, Breadman, and Brevelle.

-Custom courses (baking programs).  These machines have three custom courses, allowing the end-user to program all aspects of a baking program in lieu of using the factory-programmed courses. Most will never need this function, but if you are serious about bread-making or need to adapt a recipe to your bread machine, this option could be invaluable. Several models from other manufacturers can also do this, including some machines from Breadman, Panasonic, Brevelle, Vevor, and others. 

-Sourdough starter course.  You use the machine to quickly incubate a yeast-based sourdough starter, allowing you to make a sourdough-like bread the same day. I believe that some Cuisinart machines also have this feature.

-Twin kneading paddles.  All Zojirushi 2-pound machines feature bread pans with two kneading paddles, which produce a loaf more similar in shape to bakery bread.  This makes the machines slightly more mechanically complicated and sometimes leads to an uneven loaf top.  However, the loaf shape is a definite aesthetic plus over other bread makers. Several other brands have models that use a similar double paddle system, including Vevor, West Bend, and Saki. 

Zojirushi machines omit some of the cycles, like “sweet dough,” that you can find on many other machines.  However, their Basic white bread course, combined with their crust color control, does a good job with many types of bread. 

In addition to bread-making programs, Zojirushi 2-pound bread makers also have a Jam course and a Cake/Quick Bread course.  These programs are also available on many other bread makers.

Other brands may have programs for everything from stir-frying to making rice.  Most of us will not use all of these extras, as it is usually better to do these tasks more traditionally. 

What is the difference between the X20 Supreme (discontinued) and the CEC20 Supreme (current) models?

The X20 was the earlier version of the CEC20, and for the life of me, I can’t see a difference between the two.  They appear identical, offer the same options, and perform similarly in my tests.  I’m guessing (and this is a guess) that some internals have been changed.  

Should you buy a used X20  instead of a CEC20, as a used X20 will be cheaper?  You would have to decide if the cost savings are worth having an older machine.  In my limited sample, the X20 remains an excellent performer.

The Zojirushi X20 has a control panel that is identical to the CEC20 and performs similarly to the newer model, in my opinion.
Here is the control panel from the CEC20. It is the same as the X20.

What is the difference between the Supreme models and the Virtuoso models? 

The Virtuoso bread makers add the following features:

Making a loaf using the Virtuoso Plus.
The Virtuoso looks very similar to the Virtuoso Plus, but the user interface is a bit different.

Top Heater

Both the older Virtuoso and the newer Virtuoso Plus have a top heating element to more evenly brown the top of a loaf of bread.  All breadmakers must have the ability to brown the tops of their bread adequately, and they all incorporate passive or active systems to achieve this.

In the case of the less expensive Zojirushi Supreme, a passive convection system is utilized, where heat rises from the baking chamber and the outer wall space. It is then vented through the bread maker’s cover.  

The dedicated top heating element in the Virtuoso machines does a slightly better top-browning job, but the system used in the Supreme also works well. The top heating element is not a deal breaker, in my opinion. 

Gluten Free Course (program)

Kneading bread dough helps gluten form from glutenin and gliadin, yielding a delightful chewy yet tender slice of bread. However, gluten-free bread doesn’t have gluten, so the kneading cycle is really just a mixing cycle when making this type of loaf.  Additionally, long multiple rises are not helpful, so this course focuses on the final rise. You could program a Supreme machine to do the same thing, but it is more convenient to have a dedicated button for this purpose. Other bloggers on the internet report that using this cycle gives a better finished product than using the Basic course (white bread) when making gluten-free bread. 

Baking Pan With Handles

Both the Supreme and the Virtuoso have top-notch baking pans.  They are heavyweight and have an excellent system to mate with the bread maker.  However, the Virtuoso Machines took a step further by providing exceptionally high-quality handles on the bread pan. The non-handle pans on the Supreme work fine, but the handles on the Virtuoso are a nice addition.

Real Time Clock

Most breadmakers only provide the time to completion when you select a course (program).  For instance, a display may show 3:25 when you choose a white bread (Basic) course. If you start your machine at 10:00 AM, you need to mentally add three hours and twenty-five minutes to determine the finish time (1:25 PM).  Honestly, this is no big deal.  However, the Virtuoso Machines will give you the actual time of completion.  If you start the bread at 10:00 AM, and the bake is three and twenty-five minutes, the completion time will read “1:25 PM” on the display of Virtuoso machines.  

Pause On Cover Lifting

Kneading will pause when you lift the cover to “take a peek” on Virtuoso machines. On the Supreme, the kneading keeps on going.  

Shape Cycle

The homemade option allows you to create a custom course where you can program the timing of each step of the baking process.  Both the Supreme and the Virtuoso machines allow you to do this.  However, the Virtuoso adds the ability to add a step called Shape after kneading.  This will enable you to remove the dough and reshape it if you wish. I don’t believe that there is a way to replicate this Shape function on the Supreme models.

The Virtuoso Plus offers the following features in addition to the older Virtuoso machine.

The user interface on the Virtuoso Plus is cleaner than that of the older Virtuoso.

Cleaner-looking button interface

The buttons on the Virtuoso Plus have a cleaner look compared to the slightly more cluttered look of the buttons on the Virtuoso. 

Multiple New Courses on the Virtuoso Plus

Many less expensive bread makers have long offered a dozen or more programs, catering to a wide range of options, ranging from sweet breads to pasta dough.  However, traditional courses like Basic, Whole Wheat, and Dough do everything that most of us need.  The one exception is the Gluten-Free course mentioned above, as gluten-free bread is a hybrid between a dough and a batter.   

Zojirushi didn’t just copy a bunch of programs from other companies; they tried to be different with “healthy options’ like Vegan Bread course, as well as specialty courses like Multigrain and European Loaf. However, another blogger tested these courses against the standard Basic course and generally found little difference in the breads made with the dedicated courses vs. the Basic one.  

It is possible that, under some conditions, a dedicated course may yield a better loaf, but that is unclear. Most of us just want regular bread.  Using the standard Basic bread course, I have made a variety of white breads, herb breads, cheese breads, and raisin breads.  Using the Whole Wheat course, I have created multiple types of whole wheat bread, 7-grain bread, oatmeal bread, and rye bread. I have made many different doughs using the dough cycle, too.  If you are a typical baker, you may not need all those additional courses, and it isn’t clear (except for the Gluten-Free course) that they are significantly better than using the standard courses on the Supreme model. In some ways, all of the extra courses feel more like gimmicks rather than essential additions.  But that is just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Ending thoughts

Zojirushi machines are pricey, and if you are just testing the bread machine waters, you may be better served by a less expensive brand, either new or thrifted.  However, if you are in for the long haul, then the additional quality of a Zojirushi machine may be for you. 

I have used all four models, and the one additional Virtuoso/Virtuoso Plus feature that may be useful for some is the Gluten-Free course.  If you don’t need that feature, you might consider the Supreme model, which is considerably less expensive and offers most of the abilities of the Virtuoso machines. 

In my opinion, I don’t believe that the bread coming out of a Virtuoso machine is significantly better than the bread coming out of a Supreme machine. Let me once again use a car analogy.  Let’s say you knew what model of car you wanted, but you had to decide what trim level you were going to buy. You could choose between the base model, which had all of the basics covered, or you could buy the platinum version, with many little refinements that made it just a bit nicer. Some would say, “I will save thousands as the basic car has everything that I need.”  Others will say, “I want all of those little extras, and I’m willing to spend the extra cash to get them.”  If you are in the first category, get the Supreme.  If you are in the latter category, go with the Virtuoso Plus. 

Should you consider the used market? I would say yes, but there are risks. Check sites like ebay, and Facebook Marketplace. If you keep searching over time you can find machines for significantly less than others of the same model on the same site. Just make sure that you read the description carefully and that the paddle and kneading blade are included, and in good shape.

All bread makers are devices that make our lives better by allowing us to bake delicious, homemade bread with the touch of a button. I accept their imperfections, like the paddle holes in the bottom of the bread.   If you want artisan loaves, then bake by hand. And, yes, I know that you can remove the dough from a machine and hand-form it.  I’m just trying to make a point that most of us use bread machines to provide home-made bread for our families, not to enter into contests. Additionally, most just want bread, and decent basic machines accomplish that function well.

How about a slice of warm bread with a little butter and jam?

Happy bread machine decision-making!

Mike

frugal cooking, frugal living, Uncategorized

Save Money, Make Grandma’s Light Rye Bread

My grandparents didn’t speak English. Well, I guess they did speak English but they chose to only use their native tongue at home. Sadly, this meant that I knew little about them or their former lives in Eastern Europe.

The one connection to my heritage was through the wonderful foods that my grandmother made.

My grandparents saved and bought a two flat on the west side of Chicago where they raised their family of seven children in a tiny upstairs apartment. Three minuscule bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen big enough for a large table and a built in china cabinet. There was a old fashioned farmer’s sink, a white refrigerator with a rounded top, and a stove. My early memories were of a stove that possibly used wood or coal, but later on I remember a gas stove that had some sort of a heater built into it. I don’t think their apartment had any sort of central heat, and they relied on space heaters to keep warm in the winter.

My grandmother was a short woman, and to me, appeared to be a bit stout. She was always in motion getting this or that. My grandparents were elderly by the time I was around, and my grandfather spent most of his time in bed. I remember him as a frail man. However, he was quite strong in his younger days.

The kitchen, was the heart of the house. When my parents would visit we would all sit around the kitchen table. Coffee was served along with some sort of homemade strudel, a rolled coffee cake called a kolache, or jam filled cookies called kolachky. I was offered coffee, even at a young age. Mine was usually equal parts coffee and milk with an overdose of sugar. The adults drank theirs black.

I was probably six in this photo, and even then, I would drink coffee when I visited my grandparents.

My grandmother wore her hair pulled back in a bun, and unless she was going out, she wore one of her house dresses that had tiny patterns on them. Some were pink, others yellow, but all in the exact same style. Over her house dress would be some sort of an apron. Hair bun, house dress, and apron, I thought of them as the required uniform for grandmothers.

A birthday party for my grandmother, likely in the late 1940s.
My grandparents, circa 1950s?
My grandfather is standing, and seated directly below him is my grandmother. By the style of the outfits, I’m guessing the 1920s.

When she would see me she would smile and say, “Good boy,” at which point she would give me a hug. She smelled vaguely of yeast and garlic. It was a pleasant smell.

Many years later I learned that both my grandmother and my grandfather spoke fluent English. In fact, my sister told me that my grandfather didn’t even have an accent. I believe that he wanted the grand kids to learn their native tongue so he never spoke English around us. None of us took the hint.

My parents lived in my grandparent’s downstairs apartment until my oldest sister was nine. She has fond memories of going upstairs and being pampered by our aunts, who were teens at that time. This was during the war years and she recalls sitting on the front porch with my aunts and soldiers who were on leave, “I have a photograph of that somewhere,” she told me.

My aunts had cleaning duties on Saturday and my sister would go upstairs and watch them as they meticulously washed and dusted the entire apartment. When all was done my Aunt Susie would play on the piano “Lilli Marlene, ” “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.” and a few other tunes, a recollection that my sister cherishes to this day. Apparently, an unnamed soldier had sent my Aunt Lil the “Lilli Marlene” piano music, since her name will Lillian. I’m guessing that this was from a hopeful but unsuccessful suitor, as she eventually married my Uncle Steve.

My sister remembers my grandmother making bakery every Saturday. She would set up a folding table and place it in the kitchen next to the china cabinet. My grandmother would heap flour on the table and make a crater in the center of the flour mountain. There she would add her liquids, which varied depending if she was making a sweet bread, or her luscious light rye. She did this all from memory; no recipe or measuring cups or spoons were required. She knew how much liquids to add, and when the knead was done by the touch of her hand. I had dozens, possibly hundreds of slices of her rye bread over the years and I never remember a single one being less than perfect.

Here, my Uncle Jim is holding one of my grandmother’s rounds of light rye bread.

I’m 15 years younger than my oldest sister, and my aunts were long married by the time that I came around. However, my grandmother’s habits continued. She was always busy, always making things from scratch. She would still can vegetables from her Victory Garden, grind her own hamburger meat, make her own noodles, and bake her own bakery.

Her bread is my fondest memory of her. I remember that the light rye bread was often dotted with caraway seeds that added their own distinct flavor. She would bake it into a giant round, so large that it had to cut into reasonable chunks before slicing. The bread had a hard crust and a solid, yet soft interior. It was heaven in a slice and was delicious with cold butter, or served up in a ham, hard boiled egg, and horseradish sandwich.

In memory of my grandmother I decided to make a light rye in the bread maker. My goal was to make a bread similar to her’s as a homage, rather than trying to duplicate her recipe. Let’s be honest, there were no bread makers when she was making bread, and if one did exist it is unlikely that she would have used it.

This bread tastes very similar to hers, but the crumb is a bit lighter and more spongy. The crust, however, is dead on. Here is the recipe that I used from the Zojirushi bread maker manual:

The ingredients are very simple. Use the the Active Dry Yeast amount listed. The Rapid Rise Amount is for when you are using the “Quick Wheat” setting on the bread maker.
Since all of the ingredients were listed in grams, I was able to weigh everything, including the water. No mess, and so easy!
Here is everything in the bread maker. Remember, liquids on the bottom, then dry ingredients, finally yeast in a little well made in the flour.
I set the course to “Basic Wheat” and pressed start. That was it!
The finished loaf. Not the beautiful round that my grandma made, but a lot easier!
You can see that the crumb is soft and airy. Childhood memories restored!

Peace,

Mike

Random thoughts and my philosophy of life.