Everything You Need to Know about Rice Flour

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Rice is by far one of the most versatile foods on the planet, feeding over half of the world every day. But did you know that when it’s ground into a fine powder, rice is a gluten-free, silky smooth, and nutrient-rich flour alternative for home bakers? It’s easy to make, easy to use, and easy to incorporate into your favorite Zojirushi breadmaker recipes. Let us show you why.

What is Rice Flour?

Simply put, rice flour is a fine flour made by grinding rice grains of all types. You can buy pre-ground rice flour at the store but grinding rice flour at home gives you more room to experiment with different rice varieties and to find the taste and texture you love most.

Different types of rice flour include:

  • Glutinous rice flour
  • Brown rice flour
  • Black rice flour
  • White rice flour
  • Wet-milled rice flour: You can also differentiate your rice flour by determining how it was milled. Rice flour can be made from dry rice grains, or alternatively, wet rice grains that were soaked in water prior to milling. Wet-milled rice is a traditional Korean milling technique and a more expensive process for making rice flour which is almost always stored frozen. Some people prefer wet-milled rice flour for making moist foods, like Korean tteok or Korean rice cakes.

You can easily make rice flour at home in a grain mill, blender, coffee grinder, or even food processor. If you plan on making your own rice flour, make sure to start with small amounts so that the rice can blend into a finer powder consistency. Adding too much rice at once can result in large chunks or an uneven consistency. The finer your rice flour, the better it will be for baking.

Brown rice vs. white rice: Different types of rice will result in different flavors, which adds to the beauty of baking with rice flours. White rice tends to be the most neutral tasting, but brown rice flour will have a more earthy taste. Brown rice also has a higher source of fiber, so it can be easier to digest.

After you’ve made your homemade rice flour, make sure to label and date it and store in in the fridge or freezer for up to a year.

What are the benefits of Rice Flour?

You might be wondering, is rice flour healthy? The short answer is yes! Rice flour made from white or brown rice is naturally gluten-free and a great alternative for anyone with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. It’s also low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat, and because it is enriched with vitamins and minerals, it gives you more nutritional bang for your buck. Because rice has high amounts of fiber, it’s easy on the stomach as well. Lastly, rice is also affordable and has a long shelf life, so you don’t have to worry about your rice flour going bad anytime soon.

Our Favorite Zojirushi Rice Flour Recipes

Now that you’ve learned all you need to know about rice flour, are you ready to start baking? Here are some of our top rice flour recipe recommendations that you can make in your Zojirushi breadmaker for a sweet or savory snack the whole family will enjoy.

You can make any of these below recipes using the “gluten free course” on your Zojirushi Breadmaker or using the Home Made feature on the Home Bakery Supreme® Breadmaker BB-CEC20. For our friends with the Home Bakery Mini BB-HAC10, find gluten free recipes in the instruction manual or try the Butter Mochi recipe below.

Gluten Free Brown Rice Bread: In this recipe, we mix brown rice flour with eggs to add flavor, protein, and moisture to the bread. Potato starch and xanthan gum are used to replace the gluten. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, or your favorite jams and butters.

 

Butter Mochi: A savory dessert that uses sweet rice flour for a soft and chewy cake. You may see these around Hawaii, where it’s a local gluten-free favorite.

 

Gluten & Guilt Free Donuts: Fluffy and delicious, you won’t notice the difference with regular donuts. These sweet treats are best enjoyed with a cup of coffee and sharing with friends and family.

 

 

For more rice flour or gluten-free bread recipes, visit our breadmaker recipe page on our website.

Do you have any special rice flour recipes or tips to share with us? Let us know on social media by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan

Meet Zojirushi’s Full Breadmaker Lineup: Choosing the Right Breadmaker for You

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As you know, at Zojirushi we draw inspiration from daily life. And with that in mind, there are few items as relevant to everyday life as bread and bread products. We launched our very first breadmaker, the Home Bakery Breadmaker, in 1988 (over 30 years ago!) and haven’t looked back since. Today, we offer four different breadmakers, each with a wide range of capabilities that allow them to bake different types of breads and some even make jam, pizza dough, meatloaf, and bake gluten-free bread. With all these different features, we thought that it would be a good idea to introduce you to each breadmaker to help you choose the right machine for you. Are you ready to meet the breadmaker members of our family?

Zojirushi Breadmaker Models

Our four breadmakers are as follows (pictured left to right):

The “Supreme” and “Virtuoso” are the bigger capacity breadmakers, while the “Mini” and “Maestro” are the smaller breadmakers. An easy way to distinguish between the breadmakers sizes is by looking at the numbers at the end of each product ID. If it ends in a “10,” it’s smaller. If it ends in a “20,” it’s larger.

We make a breadmaker that fits every household, each packed with settings for different types of breads to fit your own preferences and dietary needs. There are two different sizes of bremakers that make two types of bread shapes: vertical and horizontal.

Models Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker BB-SSC10 and Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker BB-HAC10 bake a 1-lb. mini loaf in a vertical shape. This small loaf is large enough to make about 5 sandwiches. If you like baking your own pizza at home, the dough made in the 1-lb. breadmakers is enough to make an 11” pizza.

Models Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus Breadmaker BB-PDC20 and Home Bakery Supreme® Breadmaker BB-CEC20 bake a 1.5-2lb. loaf in a traditional horizontal shape. When the loaf can yield up to 16 slices of bread and if you’re interested in pizza dough you can make enough for two 12” pizzas.

Zojirushi Breadmaker Features and Specifications
After choosing the best size breadmaker that fits your needs, let’s dive into some of the different functions each breadmaker offers. If you’re looking to make specific types of breads, like multi-grain, vegan, or gluten free make sure to take a close look at the preset courses in this chart:

To learn more about Zojirushi breadmaker Course Settings, visit this link.

All Zojirushi breadmakers include:

  • Full color recipe booklet
  • Measuring cup
  • Measuring spoon
  • Instructional video

Closing Thoughts and Tips on How to Make Bread

Though our breadmakers may look different and have different course settings and customization options, it’s essential to follow the same guidelines for all Zojirushi breadmakers to ensure that you bake a perfect loaf every time. Here is a snapshot of the basics about bread you need to know when you start baking!

  1. Use fresh ingredients and measure accurately
  2. Attach blade(s) to the baking pan
  3. Add ingredients in the correct order
  4. Select the course and hit START! Happy baking!

Now that you’ve met all of our breadmakers, which exciting feature are you looking forward to using for your next baking adventure? Did you learn anything new about bread and how to make bread? Be sure to share your dishes with us on social by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan

 

Asian American Month

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Let’s celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month…it feels kinda important these days. It’s a good excuse to eat Asian type foods because eating is universal, all-inclusive, joyous and loved by everyone. If you’ve been to this space before, you’ve probably seen me try to cook the local Hawaiian type favorites, but this month I wanted to try a couple of off-beat Asian-American dishes. 

Sushi Bake
Have you ever tried this? It seems like an oxymoron, I know…who bakes sushi? But believe me, this was so easy (and you know me, I love easy) and so good. It’s basically built in layers like you see above, with prepared sushi rice, furikake (rice sprinkles) and a mixture of fake crab, green onion, mayo and sriracha for some kick. The orange fish roe (masago) is added for crunchy texture.

You then bake it in your toaster oven for a bit (there are gobs of recipes online if you want to learn more) and it’s pretty much done. The point to baking this seems to neutralize the richness of the mayo mixture so that it not only warms it, it makes it more palatable and easier to eat. You could eat this cold, but I have a feeling you’d get tired of it in a few bites.

Then I added chunks of avocado and cucumber as a topping before serving. It’s basically a deconstructed California Roll in a casserole.

To eat this, all you do is get some nori (seaweed) sheets and roll your own. It makes a great communal dish to serve on your dining table. Try it—it’s pretty habit forming.

While I was thinking about AAPI Month, I remembered a story that my mother told me about our family during WWII. No, I’m not that old, but my parents’ generation goes back that far and a lot of Japanese-American history goes back that far. It seems my Aunt (mother’s side) was in Japan when the war broke out. The family lost all contact and did not know her whereabouts until the war ended. During the official surrender ceremonies, my Uncle (my aunt’s brother) who was a Japanese language expert for the U.S. military, met by sheer chance, the English expert for the Japanese Imperial Army. He was also a Japanese-American who served the Japanese when the war started.

It’s important to understand how Japanese-Amercans were living and working on both sides of the Pacific Ocean back then, and how the great War forced everyone to prove their loyalties just to survive. The two men introduced themselves and upon learning the American interpreter’s name, the Japanese officer found out that his wife in Japan and this man had the same last name, and that he was actually married to his sister. They were brothers-in-law who had never met before, and here they saw each other for the first time during Japan’s surrender to America to end World War II. The men shook hands, my Japanese uncle simply said to my American uncle, “Look me up in Japan,” and he drove off. This encounter was briefly mentioned in John Toland’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Rising Sun, and I’ve always found it a fascinating part of not only our family, but of Japanese-American history in general.

OK, history class dismissed—back to the tasty stuff.

Curry Chicken

I really don’t know where this recipe originates, but it’s good with rice! And it’s easy (there’s that word again).

Here’s the recipe I used in case you want to try:

CURRY MUSTARD CHICKEN
1/2 cup warmed honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp curry powder
2 cloves minced garlic
Chicken legs and thighs

Mix first five ingredients and pour over chicken pieces. Bake at 375°F for 1 hour. Baste occasionally to prevent chicken drying out. 


I suggest using a disposable pan or lining yours with foil because this gets sticky.

Baste occasionally to prevent chicken drying out. 

Not bad, huh? I was actually thinking of doing Shoyu Chicken for Asian American Month, but this was a much more interesting alternative.

Earlier this year I did some typical Hawaiian local favorites, so if you’re interested you can check them out here, and celebrate Asian American Month some more!

 

source: Toland, John. The Rising Sun, The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire 1936-1945, Random House 1970

Products used in this post: Micom Toaster Oven ET-ZLC30

Please note that these recipes were not tested by Zojirushi America.

 

 

 

Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker & Warmer NW-JEC10/18

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Are you ready to meet the newest member of our Zojirushi lineup? Our highest quality pressure IH rice cooker to date is here – the Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker & Warmer NW-JEC10/18. With up to 49 different customization settings, superior induction heating (IH) technology, our signature fuzzy logic smart rice cooking technology, and all made in Japan, this rice cooker truly cooks your rice your way. There are many more special features that we are excited to show you on this Zojirushi rice cooker, so let’s get to it!

A Quick Look

NW-JEC10/18 is available in two sizes: 5.5 cups and 10 cups

The Zojirushi Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker & Warmer comes in a sleek “Silky Black” color with a large easy-to-read, orange LCD control panel located right on top. Available in two sizes, 5.5 cups or 10 cups, this versatile rice cooker also features a detachable inner lid with an integrated steam vent that makes the cleaning process simple and hassle-free.

As always, all surfaces that come into contact with food are BPA-free, and the iron coated and platinum infused nonstick inner cooking pan changes the water quality for sweeter-tasting rice and provides even heating.

Don’t forget the accessories! Cook your rice perfectly every time with the dedicated rice measuring cup that comes with the rice cooker and fluff your rice with joy with the included self-standing spatula.

Iron coated and platinum infused nonstick coated inner pan, self-standing spatula, and rice measuring cup.

The Technology

We know that this is a pretty-looking appliance on the outside, but it’s really what’s on the inside that counts. Here’s a look at the technology that truly makes this rice cooker stand apart from the rest:

  • Pressurized Cooking: The simultaneous pressurized cooking and steaming infuses the sweetness back to each grain during the cooking process and produces sticky and plump rice. No need to worry about dry or overcooked rice – ever. The multiple fail-safe measures guarantee safe pressure cooking. And the sensors make sure that all parts are set up properly before starting to cook.

Strong convection brings out the sweetness of the rice.

  • New Premium Convection: Combining high heat with high pressure creates strong convection that stirs the rice while it cooks, enhancing the sweetness and delicious flavor of the rice.
  • Artificial Intelligence: We designed this Zojirushi rice cooker with our signature advanced fuzzy logic technology with AI, which intelligently adjusts the cooking cycle to cook rice to perfection regardless of season or ambient temperature. There is also a self-cleaning function that keeps the rice cooker clean and prevents any unpleasant odors from lingering over time, keeping this rice cooker good as new for years.

Just input how the rice turned out (firmness and stickiness), the rice cooker will make small changes to the cooking flow until it gets to the way you like it

  • Multi-menu Cooking Functions: This appliance comes packed with settings that allow you to cook different types of rice. The new “My Rice (49 Ways)” menu setting makes small changes to the cooking cycle based on your feedback on the firmness and stickiness of white rice. But that’s not all! This appliance includes umami, mixed, sushi, Jasmine, porridge, congee, brown, GABA brown, steel cut oatmeal, quick white, and quick Jasmine menu settings.

 To see this rice cooker in action, make sure to watch the product video for more info. You can find plenty of rice recipes on our website as well, on zojirushi.com.

What is your favorite feature on the new Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker & Warmer NW-JEC10/18? Be sure to share your thoughts with us on social by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan

Tips to Cook Rice Perfectly

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At Zojirushi, we test enormous amounts of rice every year to perfect our rice cooking technology. Cooking rice is a true art, and even a couple of minutes over or under can make a huge difference in your rice’s taste and quality. Today, we’ll be diving into the fundamentals of how to cook rice in your Zojirushi rice cooker. Let’s dive in!

The Basics

Simply put, rice is prepared by boiling or steaming the rice grains in water over an extended period of time. Think of a rice cooker as essentially a precise rice steamer that helps your rice absorb water evenly throughout. Here are a few steps to keep in mind every time you cook your rice:

  1. First, choose what kind of rice you will be cooking. This will help you select the best cooking setting and the water to rice ratio, so your rice is not undercooked or overcooked. Long-grain rice tends to remain separate after cooking, while short and medium-grain rice will tend to stick together more.
  2. Make use of your Zojirushi rice measuring cup. When we are in a hurry, it might seem easier to just eyeball your rice instead of using the rice measuring cup, but this will always make for poorly cooked rice. Measuring the rice is crucial when cooking rice in your Zojirushi rice cooker. Always use the rice measuring cup included since it’s designed to work in conjunction with the water measuring lines in the cooking pan to produce delicious rice. Fill the rice measuring cup to overflow and then level it off.

    Zojirushi’s “How to Rinse Rice” Video

  3. Wash your rice to remove excess starch, which prevents your rice from becoming gummy. Sometimes, open bags of rice can even be exposed to dust as well, so it’s important to take this step to prepare a clean dish. Because dry rice will start to absorb moisture the moment it comes in contact with water, it’s essential to work quickly when washing so it doesn’t absorb too much starchy water. We recommend washing your rice by rinsing it 3 to 4 times while making 30 circular motions in your pot. Or watch our rice rinsing tutorial!
  4. Use the right amount of water. Rice comes in all shapes and sizes that require different amounts of water when cooking. Here at Zojirushi, we want to make sure that every batch of rice is cooked to perfection. The cooking pans come with water measuring lines corresponding to each of the settings included in the rice cookers. We recommend always following the water measuring lines for perfectly cooked rice. If you are cooking other grains like wild rice, check out our “Know your Rice” page that has all the information you need to cook other grains in your Zojirushi rice cooker.

With Zojirushi rice cookers, cooking rice is as easy as pressing a button. Our Micom rice cookers are preprogrammed to soak the rice, cook, and steam it so you can enjoy the tastiest rice every single time.

For our friends who use Zojirushi’s conventional rice cookers, don’t fret. You can also have perfectly cooked rice; just follow these two important steps.

  1. Soak your rice. For the best tasting rice, always soak the rice before cooking. By allowing the rice to absorb some of the water before cooking, the texture of the rice will be improved, and you will enjoy more flavorful rice. Before switching the rice cooker to cook, soak white rice for 15 to 30 minutes and brown rice for 30 to 45 minutes.
  2. Let it steam. Our journey to perfectly cooked rice is not quite over once the switch goes to keep warm. Let the rice steam for about 10 minutes before opening the lid allowing the rice to finish cooking. Once the 10 minutes have elapsed, fluff the rice and enjoy!

Helpful Tips:

• Once your rice is cooked, always fluff your rice to allow excess steam to escape, preventing excess accumulation of moisture inside.
• Get the best out of the automatic keep warm feature in your Zojirushi rice cooker. Don’t keep rice over the recommended time (12 hours on most Micom rice cookers). This will ensure that you always enjoy fresh and tasty rice.
• Refrigerated rice is excellent for making fried rice! Here are some of our fried rice recipes for some inspiration.

Did you learn anything new about how to cook rice today? Let us know on social media by tagging your photos on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram! #Zojirushi #ZoFan