How to program the Zojirushi Virtuoso

Posted by Sarah Gelvin · August 10, 2022

The Zojirushi Virtuoso bread machine is an excellent way to make Unsifted baking part of your every day life, without your life revolving around rise times! We love the Zojirushi because it has custom settings that allow you to set programs that are perfect for fresh flour yeasted breads. The “factory settings” are for AP/Commercial flour, so we recommend using the custom settings to optimize your machine for Unsifted fresh flour. In this blog, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step instructions for programming Memory 1, Memory 2, and Memory 3.

Note: This blog will focus on programming the Zojirushi Virtuoso. The Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme uses the same durations for each CYCLE, but the cycle names and programming process is slightly different. Both the Virtuoso and Home Bakery Supreme are excellent bread machines and will work very well for Unsifted baking!

Zojirushi Memories and Cycles

The Zojirushi Virtuoso can be programmed with up to three “Memories.” These “Memories” allow you to set the durations for each of the following CYCLES:

REST
KNEAD
SHAPING
RISE 1
RISE 2
RISE 3
BAKE
KEEP WARM

Since fresh flour behaves a little differently than AP/Commercial flour, we like to use the custom settings to ensure our fresh flour yeasted breads are properly prepared.

I recommend programming the following custom Memories:

Memory 1: Knead only
Memory 2: Knead + first rise (great for hand shaping bread, rolls, pizza, pretzels, pitas, bagels, and other yeasted breads)
Memory 3: Bake all the way through (this will give you a Texas toast sized sandwich loaf)

The duration for each CYCLE within these memories is really dependent on your kitchen (temp/humidity varies by home). Once you “hone in” on the times, you won’t need to really worry about it again. However, it is important to recognize that it may take a couple tries before you get it just right. I’ve included step-by-step instructions for the durations I recommend starting with, as well as instructions for how to determine the optimum durations of each cycle based on your specific kitchen.

If you already know how to program the Zojirushi, use the Summary below as a point of reference. If you don’t know how to program the Zojirushi, you’ll find step-by-step programming instructions are further down in “How to program your Zojirushi Virtuoso” section of this blog.

Summary: Recommended Memories + Cycle Durations

Memory 1: Knead only

This memory is great for tortillas, and can stop about 10 min into cycle if you’re in a hurry!

REST: Off
KNEAD: 22
RISE 1: Off
RISE 2: Off
RISE 3: Off
BAKE: Off
KEEP WARM: Off

Pro Tip: For tortillas, once the dough is kneaded, it needs to rest a few minutes to let the gluten relax and then it's ready to shape, press, and cook into tortillas.

Memory 2: Knead + Rise 1

This memory is great for hand shaping bread, dinner rolls, hamburger/hot dog buns, pretzels, and bagels, and other yeasted breads.

REST: 10 (optional, may also set to 0)
KNEAD: 22
RISE 1: 45-55 Note: The RISE 1 time may vary depending on temperature/humidity of kitchen. You want this duration to be long enough for the dough to double in size, but not so long that the dough touches the top of the Zojirushi lid.

RISE 2: Off
RISE 3: Off
BAKE: Off
KEEP WARM: Off

Pro Tip: Once the dough has been kneaded + first rise, it's ready to hand shape. Punch the air out, hand shape, put into a pan, cover and rise until doubled, then bake as directed in the oven. If the dough is too sticky, lightly coat your hands in olive oil, or lightly dust the counter with flour before shaping.

Program 3: Bake all the way through

I rarely use this program because I prefer hand shaping my breads, but it's a great option when I'm in a hurry or want to wake up to freshly baked bread! Makes a large “Texas toast” sized loaf.

REST: 10 (optional, may also set to 0)
KNEAD: 22
RISE 1: 45-55 Note: The RISE 1 time may vary depending on temperature/humidity of kitchen. You want this duration to be long enough for the dough to double in size, but not so long that the dough touches the top of the Zojirushi lid.

RISE 2: 25-40 Note: The RISE 2 duration may take some experimenting and is very kitchen dependent. You want it to be just long enough for the top of the dough arc to be approximately 1" above the top of the bread pan. If it rises too long, the loaf will fall during baking. It will still be delicious and nutritious, but will have a caved-in top. Watch the dough at the 25-, 30-, 35-, and 40-min marks during the first rise and gage the second rise time off of that.

RISE 3: Off
BAKE: 45-55
KEEP WARM: Off

How to program your Zojirushi Virtuoso (detailed instructions):

First of all, unbox and unpack your Zojirushi. Plug your Zojirushi Virtuoso into the outlet and then follow these steps to program (it's a lot of words, but it's really easy, you'll see!):

Memory 1: Knead Only

This memory is great for tortillas especially!

Push the up arrow for "COURSE" until it says "15" (Memory 1) (the 15 will be blinking)
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "REST"
For memory 1, we are keeping rest at 0 so push the up arrow for "CYCLE" again (now it should say "KNEAD")
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "22"
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" to make sure the remaining settings are OFF or 0
When you get to the end of all the cycles, the 15 will be blinking again
Push "START" to save the settings (this will turn the machine on and it will start kneading, don't be alarmed)
Push and hold "CANCEL" to stop the machine.
Now you're ready to move to the next program!

Memory 2: Knead + First Rise

This memory is great for hand shaping bread, dinner rolls, hamburger/hot dog buns, pretzels, and bagels, and other yeasted breads.

Push the up arrow once for "COURSE". It should say "15" (Memory 2) (the 15 will be blinking)
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "REST"
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "10"
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "KNEAD"
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "22"
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "SHAPE" (be sure it says "OFF")
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "RISE 1"
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "50" (Note: this duration may vary, you will want to check the dough at the 40, 45, and 50 minute marks the first time you use this cycle to make sure it rises to at least double without touching the top of the Zojirushi.)
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" to make sure the remaining settings are OFF or 0
When you get to the end of all the cycles, the 15 will be blinking again
Push "START" to save the settings (nothing will happen b/c it's "resting")
Push and hold "CANCEL"
Now you're ready to move to the next program!

Memory 3: Bake all the way through

Makes a large “Texas toast” sized loaf.

Push the up arrow once for "COURSE". It should say "15" (Memory 3) (the 15 will be blinking)
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "REST"
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "10"
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "KNEAD"
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "22"
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "SHAPE" (be sure it says "OFF")
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "RISE 1"
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "50"
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "RISE 2"
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "40" (this time can vary A LOT depending on the temp/humidity of your kitchen. Watch the first rise at the 25, 30, 35, and 40 min marks to see how long it takes your bread to rise to the desired shape. The second rise shape should be an arch of dough, with the top of the arch about 1" above the bread pan edge)
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "RISE 3"; make sure this is OFF
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "BAKE"
Push the up arrow for "TIME SETTING" until it says "55" (again this time can vary, check with your bread thermometer at 45, 50 and 55 if it hasn't reached 185-190F yet.)
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" one time to get to "KEEP WARM" - up to you if you want this or not, it's either set at an hour or it's set at 0
Push the up arrow for "CYCLE" and the 15 should be blinking again
Push "START" to save the settings (nothing will happen b/c it's "resting") 17. Push and hold "CANCEL"
Now you're ready to move to bake!

A few other notes on the Zojirushi:

When baking bread all the way through in the Zojirushi, you are able to use less grain than the Simple Sandwich Recipe calls for. You only need 3 ⅓ cups Basic Blend and will pour all the flour into the bread pan. This helps save on grain and will make a lighter, fluffier bread. However, we recommend using 3.5 cups of Basic Blend when hand shaping (otherwise the dough can be too sticky).
In general, you want to add ingredients in the following order: liquids first, then seasonings, then Unsifted fresh flour, then yeast. For Simple Sandwich Bread (if you're not soaking), add ingredients in the following order:

Oil + honey
Warm water
Salt
Sunflower lecithin powder (optional for softer bread + added nutrients)
egg (optional for softer bread + added nutrients)
Unsifted fresh flour
Yeast on top

The "Soaking" step for the Simple Sandwich bread is optional, but you are able to do it with the Zojirushi. There are several ways to complete this step and it's truly personal preference. My mom likes to mix the soaking ingredients together in a separate bowl, then pour that into the Zojirushi and add the remaining ingredients (in the order I described, but starting with the soaked portion). Keira likes to mix the soaking ingredients (minus the yeast) in the bottom of the Zojirushi pan and then add the oil, honey, salt, lecithin, etc. The last two ingredients are always the remaining flour plus the yeast.
Don't be afraid to open the Zojirushi during any cycle (except bake). You won't hurt anything and it will pause when you open it. It is best to keep the lid closed during the rises to keep the heat in, but again don't be scared to open it if you need to. Similarly, you can cancel a program at any time. Dough is pretty forgiving.
If you bake the loaf all the way through, you will get a big Texas Toast loaf. I use this for making stuffing at Thanksgiving and Christmas in particular, or when I want to wake up to freshly baked bread, or come home to freshly baked bread.
At any time during a CYCLE, you can cancel/stop by pushing and holding CANCEL. If the dough is rising too high, just cancel it. Adjust the programs accordingly, to get the right durations.

I hope this is encouraging and helpful! Let us know if you have questions or run into any issues. You can totally do this!

Happy Unsifted baking!

Sarah

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Zojirushi