Last Updated on May 21, 2026 – Originally published in Nov 2016

A few years ago my oven died. So I thought it would be a perfect time to try out a recipe that I’d been eyeing warily ever since I bought my first Zojirushi bread machine.

I decided I’d try to make meatloaf in my bread machine.

Here’s a photo of the meatloaf from the bread machine manual.

Yes, the Zojirushi bread machine manual says you can make meatloaf in the bread machine.

How Can a Bread Machine Make Meatloaf?

Most Zojirushi machines have a “home made” setting that allows you to program the machine.

If the machine is programmed just to bake and all the other cycles (rise, knead and the rest) are turned off, then the bread machine will act like an oven and cook the meatloaf.

Making the Meatloaf

I’m a fan of meatloaf and the recipe looked fine in general. However, I noticed it called for two pounds of ground meat. That seemed like a lot, but I followed the instructions.

I took the kneading blades out of the bread pan, added the mixed ingredients and programmed the machine. (Programming the machine is really easy.) I set the machine to cook for one hour and ten minutes.

The meatloaf smelled great while it cooked.

When the timer rang, I tested the meatloaf with the meat thermometer to make sure it was thoroughly cooked.

Nope. 

The area near the side of the pan (the part getting the most heat) was done. However, the area in the middle of the pan was not even close to being cooked.

Why I Don’t Recommend Making Bread Machine Meatloaf

It was clear that the meatloaf needed to cook more and my bread machine couldn’t do it.

Why?  My machine needs to cool off after each use. It’s programmed to not start if the internal temperature is more than 104°.

So there I was with a half-cooked meatloaf and a bread maker that needed to cool off before I used it again.

The inability to cook the meatloaf for a longer time if needed is a deal-breaker. It’s imperative that meat dishes be tested for doneness and it’s critical that there be a way to cook the item longer if needed.

While I adore my bread machine, it is not designed to cook meat recipes.

How I Ended Up Cooking the Meatloaf

I transferred the undercooked meatloaf to my slow cooker. After an hour and a half at the “high” setting, it was done.

In the end, the meatloaf turned out great. I may use the recipe in the future, but I will NOT make meatloaf in my bread machine ever again.

Meatloaf Recipe

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Pounds ground sirloin (I used very low-fat burger)
• 1 Cup sliced mushrooms (we had red peppers on hand so I used those instead)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 Cup bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten

Meatloaf Glaze

• ½ Cup ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mustard

When I use this recipe again, I plan to mound the meatloaf mixture in the middle of a large casserole dish. This will make sure that the juices don’t leak out of the pan.

I’ll cook it at 350° for one hour, adding the glaze on top of the meatloaf for the last 15 minutes. AND I’ll be sure to check the meatloaf with my meat thermometer to make sure it’s done.

The post Can You Really Make Bread Machine Meatloaf? first appeared on Bread Machine Recipes.

The Kook company sent me their Dutch oven to review.  I told them I’d be happy to try their product and give my honest opinion.  However, I was concerned because the pan is marketed for “sourdough bread making.”  I love sourdough bread, but I don’t make it in the bread machine.  The folks at Kook said they thought their pan would work for any type of bread.  So I agreed to give it a try.

I am so glad I did!!  Here’s a loaf of bread that I baked in the Kook Dutch Oven.

Using the Kook Dutch Oven with Bread Machine Dough

I recently wrote an article on how to bake dough from the bread machine in the oven.  I thought it would be interesting not only to test the Dutch oven, but to compare it with bread baked in the oven in a regular bread pan.

I made a batch of sour milk bread in the bread machine.  Then I separated the dough in half.  I made one loaf the traditional way.  I used the other half in the Dutch oven.

The Kook Dutch Oven is enameled cast iron.  It’s 3.4 quarts and heavyweight. 

As you can see, it comes with a removable handle to help get the lid on and off.  I read in the reviews that potholders are much easier to use.  Also, some people say that the handle can damage the enamel on the pan.  So I just used potholders and didn’t have any issues.

To use this Dutch oven, you heat it in the oven before the dough is added.  The instructions say to preheat your oven to 450º.  Then put the Dutch oven (with the lid on) into the oven for at least 30 minutes.

While the Dutch oven was preheating,  I let the dough rise in another pan that was generously lined with parchment paper.  

When the dough was ready, I used the parchment paper to lift the dough out of the regular bread pan and into the hot Dutch oven.  

To bake the bread, I put the pan in the oven (with the lid on) and lowered the temperature to 350º.  Here’s the regular loaf of bread and the Kook Dutch Oven side by side.

Be sure that the parchment paper is far away from the oven burners!

After half an hour I removed the regular loaf of bread.  At that point, I took the lid off the Dutch oven and let it cook for another 10 minutes to brown the bread a little more.

Bottom Line for the Kook Dutch Oven Review

Both loaves of bread were good.  However, the crust on the Dutch oven bread was amazing. It seemed to be chewier. Delicious!  Also, the loaf baked in the Dutch oven was a little larger and had a more rustic appearance.

The loaf on the left was baked in a bread pan. The loaf on the right (nearer the camera) was baked in the Kook Dutch oven.

Here’s how the loaves looked sliced.

This was a total success!  The only thing I’d do differently next time is not to brown the bread for the full 10 minutes.  I’d try it for 5 minutes.  The reason is that the crust on the bottom was a little too thick.

If this sounds interesting, check out the Kook Dutch Oven on Amazon.

The post Kook Dutch Oven Review first appeared on Bread Machine Recipes.

Last Updated May 22, 2026  – Originally Published May 31 2009

This orange bread recipe is one of the first bread machine recipes I ever made.  It’s fun to look back on those early days. When I first got my bread machine, I was fascinated watching the dough mix and knead through the little window on top.

This bread machine orange bread recipe makes a lovely, aromatic bread that’s perfect for your breakfast toast.  The orange flavor isn’t overpowering.  The crust on the top of the loaf is flaky and the bread is soft, but firm.  It’s delicious!

Orange Zest

This recipe calls for orange zest.  

In talking with people I’m always surprised at how many people don’t have zesters.  They’ll use a potato peeler or a cheese grater and it’s not an easy process. 

I found it’s well worth it to get a proper zester.  It saves you tons of time and trouble instead of trying to zest with a potato peeler.

The only problem is that once you’ve used one of these, there’s no going back.  Potato peelers are fine for potatoes.  Cheese graters are great for cheese.  But for orange and lemon rinds, you need a zester.

Updated Recipe

I first added this recipe to the site in 2009.  In 2026 I made two changes:

• Doubled the amount of orange zest from 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons.
• Changed the milk amount to 1 1/3 cups plus 1 Tablespoon of milk.  

Making Orange Bread

This makes a two-pound loaf of bread. Use the basic setting with medium crust.

Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of which ingredients to put in the machine first. With my machine, I add the liquids first.

Bread Machine Diva Tip:  The recipe calls for a beaten egg. I like to measure the milk into a measuring cup first, then add the egg and beat it right in the cup. That helps distribute the egg evenly throughout the dough.

Check the dough after five or ten minutes of kneading. By that I mean, pop the top of the bread machine and see how the dough is doing. It should be a smooth, round ball. 

If it’s too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks right.  If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks right.

Orange Bread Recipe – Two Pound Loaf

Again, this makes a two-pound loaf of bread. Use the basic setting with medium crust.

1 1/3 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon
1 Egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
4 1/4 C. Bread Flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

See below for metric measurements, as well as nutrition information, for this orange bread recipe for the bread machine.

Print

Orange Bread Recipe

This orange bread recipe is one of the first bread machine recipes I ever made. It's great toasted and topped with cream cheese. The secret ingredient is zest!

Course Bread Machine Recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword orange

Servings 14 slices per two-pound loaf of bread

Calories 185kcal

Equipment

• Bread Knife
• Bread Machine
• Zester

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 Cups Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Milk (Listed separately because the recipe software requires two lines.)
• 1 Egg beaten
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoon Orange Zest add more zest for a stronger orange flavor
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 4 1/4 Cups Bread Flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• This makes a two-pound loaf of bread. Use the basic setting.
• Follow the instructions that came with your bread machine in terms of which ingredients to put in the machine first. With my machine, I add the liquids first.
• Bread Machine Diva Tip:  The recipe calls for a beaten egg. I like to measure the milk into a measuring cup first, then add the egg and beat it right in the cup. That helps distribute the egg evenly throughout the dough.
• Check the dough after five or ten minutes of kneading. By that I mean, pop the top of the bread machine and see how the dough is doing. It should be a smooth, round ball.
• If it’s too dry add liquid a teaspoon at a time until it looks right. If it looks too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it looks right.

Notes

Use the basic setting with medium crust.

This recipe was developed and tested using US customary measurements. Metric measurements are calculated automatically.

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Orange Bread Recipe for the Bread Machine first appeared on Bread Machine Recipes.

Updated January 10, 2026 – Originally published January 6, 2010

Here’s a list of the most popular bread machine recipes and troubleshooting articles on the Bread Machine Diva website.

Periodically, I like to look back and see which bread machine recipes and troubleshooting articles were the most popular with you. What you baked, what helped you, and what you loved the most.

So here are the most popular bread machine recipes and tips for the second half of 2025.

Most Popular Bread Machine Recipes

This site is all about bread machine recipes!  It features over 55 traditional bread machine recipes.  We don’t stop there though!  You’ll find 20 recipes for the dough setting of your machine, 3 incredible recipes for the cake setting and we’ve even got a few recipes for the home made (programmable) bread machine course.  We don’t leave the jam setting out either!

For a list of ALL the recipes on the site, see the bread machine recipes index page.  In the meantime, here are the most popular recipes for the second half of 2025…

#1 – Hawaiian Bread Recipe

I think this recipe has been at the top spot ever since I started the website.  You’ll love this bread! We found the crust to be extra flaky and the bread had a cake-like texture. Yum!!

Featured Comment

O-M-G this bread is soooo good, especially warm. I followed the recipe exactly, didn’t make any changes and it was gorgeous to look at and scrumptious to eat – YUM! Thanks for this recipe! ~ Sharon

#2 – Bread Machine Pound Cake

We love this bread machine pound cake recipe. It’s so easy to make and so delicious! It’s made with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now.

Featured Comment

Turned out perfectly and is such a blessing to be able to have this on hand to use in shortcakes and quick desserts all summer long without having to heat up the kitchen with the oven! ~ Rebekah

#3 – Bread Machine Challah

Check out this bread machine challah bread recipe. Talk about a crowd-pleaser!  This beautiful braided bread makes a statement.  As an extra bonus, using your bread machine makes it easy to make this classic recipe.

Featured Comment

Unbelievable! I’m actually shocked at how good it came out. I’m a total baking amateur and got tagged to bring the challah to a Hanukkah party tomorrow. I tried a similar recipe with the mixer, total fail. Then, I remembered I had a bread maker! I dusted it off and used the similar recipe. It was better, but not great. So, I found your bread machine recipe, and it came out amazing. My family actually can’t believe I made it, and it was really easy. Thank you so much! ~ Hannah

#4 – Homemade Egg Bread Recipe

I had a few extra eggs in the refrigerator so I decided to give this recipe a try. I’m glad I did. The bread is a winner! The crust is soft and had a lovely flakiness on the top. The bread texture is soft, but has a solidity that makes it a natural for sandwiches. Your sandwich will not fall apart with this bread!

Featured Comment

OK, Diva, so I made this bread, question, when are you going to post a recipe that doesn’t make me want to eat the whole loaf in one sitting? This is some fantastic bread. ~ John

#5 – Bread Machine Bagel Recipe

I’d wanted to make bagels for a long time.  However, I was reluctant to try it.  Why?  One of the steps of making bagels is to boil them.  

But, like a lot of other things, once I’d done it I thought, “Well, that wasn’t such a big deal!”

The bagels are chewy and delicious.  They’re so much better than store-bought bagels.  

Featured Comment

I have never rated a recipe before but I HAD to rate this after trying it! By far the best bagels I’ve ever had, and I was so sure I’d mess it up having 0 experience, but the instructions were so easy to follow I don’t think it’s possible to mess it up! Never buying bagels again. ~ Chelsea

Most Popular Bread Machine Tips

Most bread machine problems really can be solved and you don’t have to figure them out alone. My site has articles to help with the most common challenges. Here are the top five topics that readers turned to most in the last six months . . .

#1 – What Yeast to Use in Your Bread Machine

In 2020 I spent a couple of days making a dozen loaves of bread with different types of yeast.  I experimented with active dry yeast, instant yeast, bread machine yeast and quick dry yeast.

The article talks about the difference between different types of yeast, based on my experiments. I’ll also tell you what kind of yeast I use in the bread machine.

#2 – Bread Troubleshooting – Bread That Rises and Then Falls

This happens to everyone from time to time.

The bread is in the machine and smells great. You looked at it earlier and the dough looked fine. However, when the final beep goes off, you open the lid and discover that the bread has fallen or collapsed.

Talk about disappointing!

I call this The Big Valley, because of the sunken area in the middle of the loaf.

This article has tips that will help with bread that collapses during baking.

#3 – The Missing Bread Machine Manual

I’m a big believer in instruction manuals.  In fact, one piece of advice that I give to people who just got their first bread machine is to read the documentation that came with their machine. 

But what if you don’t have one? Here’s a list of links to some online bread machine manuals.

#4 – Bread Flour Versus All-Purpose Flour

What’s the difference between these types of flour? Gluten! Wondering about cake flour, self-rising flour, and pastry flour? I’ve got information about those too.

#5 – Bread Troubleshooting – Bread That Doesn’t Rise

Check out the above photo.  That’s what happens when you forget to add the yeast.  The bread doesn’t rise at all.  So yes, we’ve all been there.

However, forgetting the yeast isn’t the only thing that can cause your bread not to rise.  This article has a bunch of hints and tips to help you when your bread doesn’t rise.  

The post Popular Bread Machine Recipes and Tips first appeared on Bread Machine Recipes.

Updated December 21, 2025 – Originally posted on September 21, 2009

When I started making bread, I read the instruction manual of the machine.  It advised using bread flour.  But what is bread flour?  How does it differ from all purpose flour?  I investigated and it turns out that the difference is gluten.

Gluten is a type of protein found in flour.

More gluten in the flour makes the bread slightly heavier, but more importantly, it makes it stronger. That means that as the yeast ferments, the bread will hold the carbon dioxide and rise.

If the dough isn’t strong, then the carbon dioxide will escape and the bread won’t rise as high.

Bread flour has more gluten than all-purpose flour.  However, the amount of gluten in particular brands of flour varies. 

In general, all-purpose flour has a gluten content of 9% to 12%. Bread flour typically has a gluten range of 10% to 13%. Note the overlapping areas.

If you’re using all-purpose flour in your bread machine and it works for you, that’s great. Your brand of flour must be in the upper range of the gluten levels.

Buying and Storing Flour in Bulk

Storing a lot of flour is SO much easier with Gamma Lids!

I make ALL the bread for our household with my bread machine. (Really!!) As you might guess, we go through a lot of bread flour. Learn where we buy flour in bulk and how we store it.

What if You Only Have All-Purpose Flour? 

Look at the packaging to see if the gluten content is high enough for use in the bread machine.  

Check out the website of the manufacturer of the all-purpose flour.  It may have the gluten percentage of the flour there.

If the gluten percentage isn’t listed or it gives a range, then make an experimental loaf of bread.  The worst that will happen is that the bread won’t rise as high as normal.

Even if your all-purpose flour doesn’t have enough gluten, it’s okay to use it in the bread machine.  Again, the worst that will happen is that your bread won’t rise as much as it would have with bread flour.    

Vital Wheat Gluten to the Rescue! 

If your all-purpose flour doesn’t have enough gluten, don’t worry.  You can fix that by using vital wheat gluten. 

At my grocery store vital wheat gluten is in the Bob’s Red Mill area.  If you order it online, check out King Arthur Flour’s vital wheat gluten.  (You can never go wrong with their products!)

While vital wheat gluten looks like flour, it’s not. It’s basically powdered gluten.

Add one teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of flour.  For example, if the recipe calls for 4 cups of bread flour, then add 4 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten.

Note that you may need to experiment with the amount of vital wheat gluten needed.  

If you add vital wheat gluten, be sure to take a look at your dough a few minutes after it starts kneading.  You may need to add a little liquid.  Also, if the bread doesn’t rise enough, you may need to add a little more vital wheat gluten on your next loaf of bread.

Wondering about other types of flour?

Cake Flour has the lowest gluten content of all.  Its gluten content is in the 5% to 8% range.  Cake flour is generally bleached.  The bleaching slightly damages the flour’s starches as well as weakening the gluten.  This enables the flour to absorb more liquid and rise higher.  

Cake flour is used for cakes and other baked goods that are soft and tender.  Cake flour is not recommended for making bread.

Pastry Flour is sometimes called cookie flour. It has a gluten content of 8% to 9%.  It’s frequently used for pies, tarts and many cookies.   

Like cake flour, pastry flour is not recommended for making bread.

You can make your own pastry flour by mixing together 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup cake flour.  

Self-Rising Flour contains baking powder and salt.  This staple of Southern cooking is used for biscuits, muffins, and pancakes. 

You can make your own self-rising flour by combining 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  

Whole-Wheat Flour is called wholemeal flour in the UK.  It’s made from the whole kernel of wheat.

Whole-wheat flours are high in protein but have problems forming gluten. That’s why many recipes for whole-wheat bread call for the addition of vital wheat gluten.

Gluten-Free Flour isn’t made from wheat.  There are many types of gluten-free flour.  Some of the most popular types are almond flour, buckwheat flour, and sorghum flour. 

Since bread depends on gluten, making bread with gluten-free flours is a challenge.  It’s a whole different type of baked good.

The post Bread Flour Versus All-Purpose Flour first appeared on Bread Machine Recipes.

Last updated April 23, 2026 – Originally posted in 2017

Going through this list of items is like visiting with me in my kitchen. You can see what tools I use as I’m making bread.

Let’s get started!

Wet Measuring Cup – For measuring liquids like milk or water you need a see-through measuring cup. I have a collection of sizes to accommodate various recipes.

This kind of measuring cup comes in handy for making apricot bread.

16.5 by 11.75 inch baking and cooling rack – In 2019, I needed a new cooling rack.  

As I was reading the reviews for different cooling racks, I noticed that the big complaint was rust.  People bought a cooling rack, only to discover that it quickly became rusty.  This seemed to happen on every cooling rack I read about.  

It made it difficult to choose a rack.  I crossed my fingers and ordered this one.

I’m happy to report that my new cooling rack hasn’t rusted at all!  It’s as bright and shiny as the day I got it.

Here’s the cooling rack in action under a loaf of eggnog bread.

Zester  – Some of my bread recipes, like the one for easy orange bread, call for zest.  When I first started making bread, I didn’t own a zester.  I tried to use a carrot peeler instead.  What a pain!  Zesters don’t cost that much and make zesting a breeze.

The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook – I received this as a gift a few years ago.  It’s a great cookbook with 300 recipes! The recipes are for two pound machines as well as for one and a half pound machines.  There’s an orientation section that covers topics like bread ingredients and troubleshooting.

Bread Knife – If you’re going to make homemade bread, you need a good bread knife.   Just like my bread machine, I use our bread knife all the time.

 

Bench Scraper Set– I’ve started using a bench scraper when working with dough.  It helps me move sticky dough around and I love it when I’m dividing dough for rolls or buns. This nested set of bench scrapers includes a stainless steel scraper, a plastic scraper and a plastic bowl scraper.

Challah dough is SO sticky. The bench scraper helped a lot!

I recently reviewed the Kook Dutch Oven. It’s made of enameled cast iron and built to last. In my review, I show that this pan is for more than sourdough bread. I made dough in the bread machine and then baked it in the oven using the Dutch oven. Fantastic!!

Gamma Lids – We bought this set of eight 2-gallon buckets with Gamma Seal lids to store flour and other food products.  I love them!!  (If you’d like to buy them one at a time, here’s another link for single two-gallon buckets with Gamma Lids.)

See more about how we store flour in bulk with our Gamma Lids

If you’re not familiar with Gamma Seal lids, you’ll want to check them out.  It makes opening buckets of flour a breeze!   Note the top of the buckets.  I can easily grab the top of the bucket and twirl.

And moving from 5-gallon buckets to 2-gallon buckets makes my life much easier!  I could lift the 5-gallon buckets . . . barely.  Here’s more information about how we store flour in bulk.

Pizza Stone – The Man of the House, TMOTH, has always made great pizza.  It’s even better now that we own a pizza stone!

We wondered if a pizza stone would really make that much of a difference.  It totally did! We’re thrilled that we bought it.  

This pizza recipe has a few shots of the pizza stone in action.

Wondering what bread machine to buy?  I’d buy a Zojirushi machine. 

Zojirushi bread machines are well built and make great bread.

I make all the bread, hamburger buns, dinner rolls, pepperoni rolls and hot dog buns for our household.  That means that I use my bread machine two to three times every week.  In my experience, Zojirushi bread machines will last four to six years under those conditions.  

Zojirushi currently offers two models of two-pound bread machines.  Those are the the BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme and the BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus.  

Both are good machines.  I’m giving you the highlights here, but if you want to know more I’ve got an article devoted to picking out a bread machine.  

The post Recommended Products for Cooks and Bakers first appeared on Bread Machine Recipes.

Last Updated on May 30, 2026 – Originally Published February 1, 2015

This bread mix was tested with a Zojirushi bread machine at sea level.  Learn more about  the bread machines I own and recommend.

Do you ever want the smell of fresh bread filling the kitchen — but without hauling out all the ingredients and measuring cups. That’s when a good bread mix comes in handy.

I tried a package of Prepared Pantry’s Buttermilk White bread mix.  It turned out beautifully!

Before we get into the review, here’s a quick reminder — even if you’re using a mix, be sure to look at the bread dough a few minutes after it starts kneading.  It should be a smooth, round ball of dough.  If it looks too dry, add water a teaspoon at a time until it comes together. If it looks too wet, sprinkle in flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough reaches that nice, balanced texture.

Now, on to the finished loaf! It had a lovely, flaky crust.  It was soft but held together nicely for sandwiches. The texture had just a touch of chew — the good kind that makes every bite satisfying.

I call this a great co-star bread. It doesn’t steal the spotlight, instead it’s the perfect supporting player. Whether you’re layering on turkey and Swiss or spreading a bit of homemade jam, this buttermilk white bread makes the main flavors shine. 

My Favorite Bread Mixes

Check out these two mixes. They're my favorites and I buy several of these every year.

The post Prepared Pantry Buttermilk White Bread Mix Review first appeared on Bread Machine Recipes.