Product Inspirations – Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus Breadmaker (BB-PDC20)-November 2018

Crisp, cold, fall air. Shorter days. Holidays with family. November is such a wonderful time of year for baking! Our new flagship breadmaker—the Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus (BB-PDC20)—brings all of the warm, comforting scents and delicious recipes into your home.

We’ve designed this full-capacity breadmaker to help any baker, from novice to advanced, make delicious breads, doughs, cakes, jams and even sourdough starter with ease and expertise.

The Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus comes with nine pre-programmed course settings to bake breads ranging from classic White and European breads, to healthy options such as Whole Wheat, Multigrain, Gluten Free, Salt Free, Sugar Free and Vegan breads. Each course setting alters the kneading, rising and baking functions based on the type of bread to be made, and select courses allow you to control the crust from Light, Medium to Dark, so you can customize each loaf to your liking. In addition, this machine also comes with four additional courses for Dough, Sourdough Starter, Cake and Jam, making the breadmaker even more versatile.

Along with the pre-programmed course settings, the Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus comes with a special Homemade course that allows you to input up to three of your own custom settings and store your own knead, rise, and bake times. These settings can be stored and used repeatedly, just like the pre-programmed courses, offering an easy way to consistently use your own tried-and-true recipes.

The simplified LCD control panel and convenient key code make it simple to choose the course setting as well as select the crust color and set the optional 13-hour delay timer.

The breadmaker has also been designed with superior features, including an additional heating element in the lid, which promotes even baking and browning and a removable, nonstick coated baking pan to hold all ingredients. The baking pan uses dual kneading blades to thoroughly mix ingredients for the best results. Both the pan and blades are easy to clean, and along with all surfaces that come into contact with food, are BPA-free.

Accessories include a full color recipe booklet with 50 delicious recipes, nested measuring cups for dry ingredients, a liquid measuring cup and a measuring spoon.

The included recipe booklet has amazing recipes for the season. The Cranberry & Walnut Bread is deliciously full of sweet-tart cranberries and crunchy walnuts. Our classic Pumpernickel uses coffee and a mix of wonderful whole wheat flour, rye flour and cornmeal.  And the Rustic Herb Bread, a gorgeous European-style bread, pairs beautifully with seasonal soups and stews. This breadmaker will definitely come in handy when preparing for the holidays. Butter Rolls complete any festive meal, and Tea Cake served with a variety of teas and coffees add charm to any gathering. All of these are in the recipe booklet, along with so many others!

We hope you love these recipes and share the ones that you create in your own kitchen with us!

68 thoughts on “Product Inspirations – Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus Breadmaker (BB-PDC20)-November 2018

    • Hello! Please substitute with amounts asked in the recipe. Olive oil can be substituted for butter or margarine for a healthier choice. You could also use Avocado, Hummus or Prune Puree.

      Please note, we only guarantee the outcome of recipes that are from our recipe book without making any substitutions.

    • Hi Irina, thank you for reaching out! We currently don’t have a 100% rye flour bread, but there is a light rye bread recipe on page 8 of the recipe book. It may be tweaked, but we can’t say for sure. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-733-6270 and dial 1 for Customer Service. Thank you!

  1. I am wanting to buy your Zojirushi Bread Machine Cookbook for beginner book but it looks like most of the recipes may be for 1.5lb loaves. Can I bake those with virtuoso or will I have to convert the recipes to 2lb loaves and if so, how do I do that?

  2. All the bread recipes in the recipe book that came with my Virtuoso Plus BB-PDC20 calls for Rapid Rise yeast.Is this a miss print? Shouldn’t I use the Rapid Rise yeast for rapid rise setting only? My white bread failed. I usually use active dry yeast as do not normally use the rapid rise setting.

    • Hi there, thank you for your inquiry. The BB-PDC20 breadmaker bakes 2 lb loaves of bread automatically. The breadmaker contains a recipe book to follow to bake various types of breads and pastries. If you are interested in purchasing a breadmaker with a 1 lb capacity, we suggest the Home Bakery Maestro® Breadmaker BB-SSC10 or Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker BB-HAC10. If you need any further assistance, please feel free to contact our knowledgeable Customer Service department at 1-800-733-6270. Thank you.

          • The whole point of a forum like this is that one person asks the question that many people are wondering about. Redirecting questions to customer support is not how these things are supposed to work. You need to have your customer support answer these questions here where everyone can benefit.

          • Hi James, we try to answer each question as best we can. However, some questions may appear simple but to best answer it we may need a little more insight. For this reason we recommend speaking with our Customer Service Team if you need help choosing a model. As for the original question here, the BB-PDC20 is a 2lbs. breadmaker and will automatically make this size recipe. It will not bake a 1lb. recipe properly so we don’t advise using such a small recipe. The recipe book included will feature a “mini” recipe as an example and that is roughly a 1.5 lbs. recipe, we don’t recommend baking anything under that size in our larger model breadmakers. Please let us know if you have any other questions!

  3. I have a BBC-V20 bread machine. I currently bake gluten free.
    How do I adjust the custom setting for gluten free?
    Also, if possible, what exactly is the difference in setting between the gluten free and the basic settings?
    Thank you.

    • Answer the question here, doggone it! Not answering hurts your credibility, makes it look like you are dissembling. (Look that up in the dictionary)

      • Hello KayceeD, the gluten free course is much shorter than the basic course and is optimized to get the best rise and bake for gluten free breads. They usually don’t need to have a long rise time as opposed to regular breads. If you are looking to bake gluten free, then the best is to get a breadmaker with a preprogrammed gluten free course. Now, if you own one of our older models without a gluten free course but it has the HOMEMADE feature (like the OP), then we usually recommend speaking to our knowledgeable customer service team since they can assist you in set it up a gluten free course using the HOMEMADE. Hopefully this helps!

  4. Hello ,
    Im from New Zealand. Im very much interested to buy your bread maker machine. Can you please advise where can I buy it here in New Zealand ? Thanks

  5. I have my own sourdough starter. Is there a recipe for sourdough bread where I can use my starter rather than making a new one with each loaf?

  6. As I recall, my previous Zojirushi Breadmaker (older model) had a Sweet Bread Cycle for chocolate and other sweet breads (which reportedly use lower temperatures and longer baking times) and a Fruit / Nut Cycle for some breads.
    This model does not have those cycles but I understand one can program customized cycles.
    Please advise what parameters to program for a Sweet Bread Cycle and for a Fruit / Nut Cycle.
    Thank you.

  7. Where can I find a complete list of course cycle times for the bb-pdc20. the book shows the cycle time for the mini white 1.5 lb loaf and the 2 lb loaf but I would like the cycle times for course 2 – 14 it will help me with the custom cycles as I create my homemade recipes.

      • How can we make adjustments and best utilize the “Homemade” course if we don’t know the cycle times we are starting with? In order to utilize the features we paid for, it would seem this information (cycle times and temperatures) should not be proprietary in regards to people who have purchased your product in part based on the ability to customize settings for recipes not included in the somewhat limited Zojirushi recipe book.

        • Hi Joe, thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately as you mentioned the time for the preprogrammed menu settings are proprietary and were not provided as with our previous models BB-CEC20 or BB-PAC20. The HOMEMADE can be used for recipes developed by others and usually they will provide you the time the recipe needs to be kneaded, rise and bake. If you are using a recipe that is similar to those included in the recipe book, then it’s best to use the matching preprogrammed setting for the highest success rate. Also, our knowledgeable Customer Service Team can help with questions you may have or provide suggestions. We look forward to assisting you!

  8. I have tried several recipes for gluten free white breads using King Arthur, Better Batter and GfJules Flours. No success. The breads either fall after I remove them from the PCD20 or the breads are not done. Any suggested recipes, I could try or other flours ?

    • Hi Lou, sorry to hear you’re having trouble. Have you tried the recipes that come in the recipe book? Those have been tested thoroughly to ensure perfect results every time. For other bread recipes, are you using the Gluten Free course? For using King Arthur’s recipes, we’d recommend you reach out to King Arthur, as they are very familiar with our breadmaker and can advise you better.

  9. I haven’t Tried the recipes in the book because I wasn’t interested in the Breads in the Gluten free section. I WANTED plain white sandwich bread.
    Yes,, I have been using the Gluten Free setting. It really seems that the bake time is too short.. I even took one Version Of many, and baked it in my oven for another 35 minutes After it was done in the BM. Still gummy inside. Is there a way to increase the bake time on the Gluten Free setting ?
    I will contact King Arthur, to see if they can help with a recipe.
    Thanks. Lou

  10. How do I make half white bread flower and half wheat flower in my virtuoso BB-PDC20 bread machine. I made the the seven grains one and it was to hard the seeds. Can I make it with no seeds or do you have the recipe
    Thanks Joan

      • The recipe you linked to says to put it on the Basic setting, but the virtuoso BB-PDC20 doesn’t have a Basic setting. Can you tell me which course that is on the Virtuoso? Also, do the Courses from your recipes work the same across models, or at least those ending in 20? Thank you!

        • Hi Brian, the basic setting was designed to be used with most white bread recipes or recipes that use regular bread flour as the base. For the BB-PDC20 the most similar recipe is the White course or course 1. Our BB-PDC20 has the most courses that are specialized for different types of recipes and breads. Previously you would have had to program these courses using the HOMEMADE course. A good rule of thumb to use, is to compare the recipes with the recipes included for each course to see which course would fit it best. As for the recipes, most 2 lbs. recipes we have available for the most parts will work with the BB-PDC20. I would recommend getting in touch with our Customer Support Team for assistance on picking courses and general baking questions. They are super knowledgeable and will be able to answer your questions: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/customer_service/entry

  11. What is the maximum amount of flour I can put into the Virtuoso Plus when making dough. I have a pizza dough recipe that calls for 5-1/2 cups

  12. All loaves seem to rise lopsided on the left side of the pan, not sure why this is. I use All purpose Canadian flour for the white bread. I do not understand why this is consistently a problem. it is like the heat is not the same on the left or the dough is not centred before the final rise. Canadian flour is higher protein so should not be a problem

  13. Is there a way to only bake and not knead? I want to let sourdough rise in my machine for 8 hours and then immediately bake. How do I do this?

    • Hi Dave, the breadmaker has a HOMEMADE feature where you can customize a course to only bake. We wouldn’t recommend allowing the dough to rise for 8 hours in the bread maker since the dough can rise and overflow or it can rise and sink before it is ready to be baked. If you need any assistance with programming your breadmaker, then please reach out to our Customer Support Team and they can walk you through it. Please call 1-800-733-6270 M-F from 8am-5pm PST or email support@zojirushi.com

  14. I’m having trouble finding a recipe for pizza dough made with chickpea flour. How might I get some guidance? Thank you!

    • Hi Alma, we haven’t developed a recipe using chickpea/garbanzo bean flour but we will forward this suggestion to our recipe development team. It looks like there are a few blogs that have made a pizza crust using chickpea flour and their recipes do not call for any leavening agent. The ingredients would need to simply be mixed and made into a crust, no need for any rising. If you would like to use the bread maker to mix the ingredients then we would suggest using a recipe that matched the quantity of ingredients in the recipes included in the recipe book included with your breadmaker. This is to prevent overloading the breadmaker and have it mix everything properly.

      If you need more help please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team. They would be happy to help!
      Zojirushi Customer Service: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/customer_service/entry

  15. I have the Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA, my question is about the pan. The underside screws seem loose, they wiggle easily back and fourth abut 1/4″ each way. I am not talking about the paddles inside the pan. This is referring to the screws on the underside of the pan. Is this what is suppose to happen? Thank you for your time.

  16. Question about the pan for the Zojirushi BB-PDC20. The under bottom of the pan wingnuts are a little loose. I know you should be able to spin them by hand, but they are loose about 1/4″ wiggle on each of them. Is this to be expected?

  17. Love this machine as not only is the bread great but it easily drops out of the nonstick pan.
    A question…what guidelines are there for making smaller loaves..do I just need to adjust the baking time? Is the reduced time equivalent to the percentage reduction in loaf size?

    • Hi Lindsay, the BB-PDC20 can bake a 1-1/2 lbs. recipe and no adjustments need to be made to baking course. The recipe book comes with a couple Mini recipes and some of the recipes in our website will also have this size variation. We don’t recommend baking any recipe smaller than this since the outcome will not be very good due to the size of the breadmaker. Please let us know if you have any other questions!

  18. Good afternoon,

    It really hasn’t been mentioned here, but can you add tap temperature water (mid level, not hot, not cold) to the machine for the instant yeast? I know the water has to be 100-110F for proper rise. Do I have to make sure the water falls in this range when initially adding it or will the machine bring everything up to temp in the initial phase? I have the Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus machine.

    Thank you for your advice on this matter.

    Sincerely,
    Brian Swan

    • Hi Brain, that’s a great question! You can use tap water or cold water in the breadmachine, just make sure you always use the rest cycle. One note, if using tap water in the summer, the water may be too warm and activate the yeast too quickly. In this case, it’s better to stick with cold water and using the rest cycle so the water will be at the right temperature when it starts kneading. Hope this helps!

  19. Hi there

    The homemade cycle permits rest, knead, shape, rise, bake, and keep warm.

    is there a way to change the order, for example, rest, knead, rise, knead, rise, knead, rise and bake?

    Thanks and best regards

  20. Is there a way to change the “crust” control during a cycle? For example, the default setting is “Medium”, but what if I forgot to change it to light before starting the cycle. Can it be changed after the cycle starts?

    • Hi Harmon, unfortunately changes cannot be made once the breadmaker has started the course. If it the course is still in the REST/PREHEAT cycle you can cancel the course and restart it with the correct crust setting. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please let us know if you have any questions.

    • Hi Andrew, yes, they are designed to have about an inch of play. This is so they are easy to remove after baking. When installing the kneading blades, you want to make sure they are inserted all the way into the rotating shaft, and when you turn it, it will eventually catch on to it and turn it as well. If the kneading blade spins freely without catching the rotating shaft, then it would indicate that the kneading blade is worn. I hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!

  21. I have an older Zojirushi (model BBCC-S15A) that came with some great recipes for 1.5 lb loaves of bread that I love. Can I use these recipes if I upgrade to the Virtuoso model?

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