It is the perfect season for baking, and we’d like to share our flagship breadmaker, the Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus Breadmaker (BB-PDC20) with you this month.
2-lb automatic breadmaker bakes a horizontal loaf
The Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus has a smart mix of the best features traditionally found in our breadmakers along with new, healthy menu settings. It makes traditional, rectangular, 2-lb loaves and also has settings to mix dough, create sourdough starter and make cakes and jam. It features 14 pre-programmed course settings along with a Homemade setting that allows you to store up to three custom settings.
Easy-to-read key code on lid for course selection
The course settings work by altering the time the breadmaker kneads the ingredients, allows them to rise, and bakes them to the desired crust. Each course setting sets a different time for each function based on the type of bread to be made, ranging from classic White, Wheat and European breads to health-conscious options like Gluten Free, Salt Free and Vegan breads. A rapid course setting allows you to bake a loaf of White or Whole Wheat bread in just two hours and 25 minutes!
Easy-to-use control panel
Along with the pre-programmed course settings, the Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus comes with a special Homemade course, which allows you to input up to three of your own custom recipes and store your own knead, rise, and bake times.
Cakes, jam and sourdough starter is just as easy to make as bread and dough. Simply add in the ingredients, select the appropriate course setting and let the breadmaker work. Detailed instructions can be found in the easy-to-read instruction manual that comes with the machine.
The easy-to-use LCD control panel and convenient key-code make it easy to choose the course setting, select the crust color – from light to dark – and set the optional 13-hour delay timer. Our website features seven videos with how-to tutorials for using the breadmaker to its fullest. Learn about How to Measure Ingredients, How to Make Bread, How to Set the Clock and Timer and How to Clean and Store among other great tips.
Homemade loaf of bread
In order to make these delicious foods, the Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus utilizes heating elements in the lid and bottom of the machine, promoting even baking and browning. It has dual kneading blades that rest inside the baking pan and do a great job of mixing all of the ingredients. The baking pan is removable and nonstick coated which makes it easy to remove your delicious creations from the pan.
Both the pan and blades are easy to clean, and 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.
Baking pan with dual kneading blades
All of these smart features are nothing compared to the food the Home Bakery Virtuoso® Plus makes! You can find many recipes on our website in the Breadmakers section but we wanted to share our favorites from the recipe booklet. The Multigrain Raisin Bread is to die for, as is the Italian Herb Bread. We love the Breadsticks and the traditional Pizza Dough. And no one can go wrong with Pound Cake! The truly amazing surprises are our suggestions for the Homemade course. You have to try the Meatloaf Miracle and the Tomato Pasta. And when you do, be sure to come back to our website or our Instagram page and share your creation with us!
Happy Holidays and good baking to you all! See you in 2020!
Hi there,
I made the Whole Wheat Walnut bread and it was delicious, but it is too big for our small family. Is it possible to make it in a 1.5 pound size? Do you have the recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Marilyn, we’re glad to hear you liked the Whole Wheat Walnut Bread! We unfortunately don’t have a smaller loaf version of this recipe. We’d recommend slicing the bread and storing the extra in the freezer, or you may be able to find similar recipes online. We’ll pass along your request to our recipe development team, and hopefully they can come up with one!
Is there a way to light up the LCD display on the machine without a light I find it hard to know where my bread is in the cycle. Also is there a way to light up the inside of the machine while it is baking or kneading? Last question, can I open the machine at anytime of the cycle to look in if there is in fact no light?
Hi there. We believe that our knowledgeable Customer Service team can better help assist you with this matter. Please give them a call at 1-800-733-6270. Thank you.
can you make pound cake from scratch, not boxed?
Hello! Yes, the recipe book comes with a recipe for pound cake from scratch! You can download the recipe book from here, if you’ve misplaced yours.
I lost the books that came with my breadmaker, including the cookbook and the manual. Is there an online version I can use? Thank you!
Hi Benjamin, the manual is available online here. Thank you!
HI. I have had a zojirushi bread maker for 15 years and love it still! I live in Italy for 1/2 the year. Is there anyway of obtaining one of your bread makers that runs on european (220 V) current? Thank you very much for your reply.
Hi Nathan, thank you for using our breadmaker for so long! Please reach out to our international department in Japan for availability in Italy: Zojirushi International Department
Happy Baking!
I have used my Zojirushi bread maker for at least 15 years and with 5 hungry children. I wanted to buy the Virtuoso Plus bread maker for my grown daughter and cannot find it in the US (other than auction sites). Is there a reason and if so, how long until we see them back in stock in US?
Hi Mary, thank you for using our breadmaker! We apologize for the shortage of breadmakers as they have been very popular during the pandemic. We have been shipping them out to our retailers the last few weeks, and they should become available any day now. Please follow us on social media where we have been making announcements when we see they are available at some of our retailers!
How do I purchase the bread maker?
ZOJI BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker, 2 lb. loaf of Bread, Stainless Steel/Black
Hi Jeanne, all of our retailers are currently sold out, but we are doing our best to produce more, and it should become available soon. Please follow us on our social media accounts where we have been making announcements when the breadmakers become available.
https://www.facebook.com/zojirushiusa
https://www.instagram.com/zojirushiamerica/
https://twitter.com/zojirushiusa
How or where do I purchase the bread maker?
ZOJI BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker, 2 lb. loaf of Bread, Stainless Steel/Black
For anyone trying to buy a Virtuoso bread maker, check at http://www.kingarthurflour.com. They have the Virtuoso Plus in stock at a competitive price and shipped it quickly. We live in Missouri. We ordered ours on Monday and received it on Wednesday, shipped from Vermont. I was impressed with the quick delivery and love this machine.
Thank you for sharing, Jim! We’re happy to hear you had a pleasant experience with King Arthur Flour, and hope you enjoy the breadmaker just as much!
why is there no 220volt units available for sale so that the rest of the world can enjoy the product without having to invest in a step down transformer?
Hi Isidore, thank you for your interest in our products! We’re doing our best to get our products into more areas, and will pass along your request to our product R&D team!
I love the Virtuoso machine. I waited almost 3 mos and it was worth it. I do wish that the LCD display lit up. Right now I’m using a flashlight to read it.
Zojurushi team, I love the bread maker I purchased from you. I am confused though! could you please explain to me the difference between European and Basic settings, and why they are different? What makes a bread “european”?
Hi Jenna, the European setting and recipes yield a heartier, chewier bread compared to the Basic setting!
I would like a break down of the time length for each cycle ie: rest cycle, knead cycle, rise cycle. Thank you so much.
Hi Marti, we apologize but the kneading time, rise temperatures and bake temperatures are not available for the BB-PDC20 as it is considered proprietary information. We apologize for the inconvenience.
I’m thinking of getting the Virtuoso plus bread maker, but I understand that most of your bread makers are made in China. Is this also made there?
Yes, the BB-PDC20 is made in China, but please be assured that it is made in our own factory in China, and that the quality is the same as any other Zojirushi product!
Amazon.ca was showing ZOJI BB-PDC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus Breadmaker as being available November 27, 2020, but now shows it as “Currently unavailable. We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.”
Will you be resupplying Canadian vendors? if so, do you know when?
Thank you for your interest in our product! We are doing our best to supply the product, but they are taking some time. It looks like the BB-PDC is currently available from this retailer.
If you prefer to shop from amazon.ca, we would recommend getting on a waitlist or checking back in a few weeks. We apologize for the inconvenience!
Hi , I live in India. I have your bread maker Home Bakery , model : BBCQ – Q20. I am very happy with it , using it for many years now.
Its an earlier model and now needs replacing of Belt. It’s not possible to find Zojiroshi replacement parts in India, nor you have a service center here.
Can you give me details of the belt for this machine , like peripheral length , number of teeth , width , etc. ?
I can locate a suitable belt and replace myself. I only need details of the Belt. I am willing to take my chances but not ready to abandon this machine.
Thanks
Sharad Patel
India
Hi Sharad, thank you for using our breadmaker for so long! Unfortunately, we don’t have any information on your breadmaker as it is not a US model. Would you mind reaching out to our international office in Japan? They should be able to help. Thank you! https://form.zojirushi.co.jp/enq
My favorite yeast is SAF active dry yeast. I just purchased the Virtuoso BB-PDC20 and noticed all of the recipes call for Rapid Rise Yeast. How can I adjust the recipes to keep using SAF. Recipes for your earlier models just called for active dry yeast. Why the change? (My experience is that the Rapid Rise Yeast compromises flavor and makes a loaf of bread taste too yeasty).
Hi Paula, the BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso’s recipes will call for rapid rise yeast since it is more popular and easier to find than active dry yeast. We have not officially tested this substitution, however some of our customers have tried substituting the rapid rise yeast for active dry yeast as an equal substitution using the BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus and have had good results. We hope this helps!
My favorite yeast is SAF active dry yeast. I just purchased the Virtuoso BB-PDC20 and noticed all of the recipes call for Rapid Rise Yeast. How can I adjust the recipes to keep using SAF. Recipes for your earlier models just called for active dry yeast. Why the change? (My experience is that the Rapid Rise Yeast compromises flavor and makes a loaf of bread taste too yeasty).
Hi Paula,
The recipes included in the BB-PDC20 will call for rapid rise yeast as it is more popular and easier to find. However, some of our customers have substituted equal amounts of rapid rise yeast for active dry yeast and have had good results. Please note that we have not officially tested this substitution so results may vary. Happy baking!
Is the bread machine available anywhere in the US?
Hi Heather, due to the continuous high demand for the bread maker products, many of our retailers are still out of stock of the bread maker products. However, Bosch Kitchen Center and Lifestyle by Focus have it in stock now. Also, The Bread Beckers and ABT have a pre-order for the bread maker.
Thank you!
I have a bread machine recipe that I want to try that calls for the milk & water to be heated to 110 degrees. Do I need to do this or will the preheat cycle take care of it?
Hi Lori, when using the preheat or rest cycle in our breadmakers there is no need to heat up the liquids. The cycle will bring up the liquids to the perfect temperature for baking. Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Hi,
My recipe says I need to add butter approximately “10 minutes before the end of the first kneading cycle”. I am using the white bread course (1). How do I know when the first kneading cycle is 10 minutes away from finishing? Thank you. Best regards.
Hi Neal, the kneading cycle for the White Bread course is approximately 20 minutes so the butter can be added 10 minutes into the kneading cycle. It sounds like the butter should be added once the ingredients are mixed and it starting to look like dough. I hope this helps!
May I ask if this bread maker Home bakery virtuoso plus a dual – good for 110 (USA) & 220 (Philippines)?
Hello Betty, Zojirushi America products are sold for use in the U.S. and Canada. Due to the voltage difference, if used abroad, it may experience a malfunction. We hope this helps!
At what temperature does the BB-PDC 20 bake the bread. We live above 5800 and have to adjust ingredients and temp to get bread to turn out. Our last bread machine couldn’t be used to cook the bread, just mix it.
Hello David, the baking temperature is much lower than in a regular oven, for this reason, the baking time is longer. All Zojirushi America bread maker units are tested to function at an altitude of up to 5,000 feet above sea level. Usually when baking at a higher elevation, the bread will rise high and sink at the end. We would recommend weighing your ingredients when baking, use cold water, and reduce the yeast by 1/8 teaspoon. If you need any baking help, please reach out to our Customer Service Team by emailing support@zojirushi.com
What course do I need to set for Anadama bread?
Hello Liz, we haven’t tested an Anadama bread recipe but it looks like it uses bread flour which works best with the white setting on our bread makers. We would advise following the recipe’s recommendations when testing the recipe in the breadmaker and if it requires different times for each cycle then the HOMEMADE setting should be used. When testing your own recipes then it’s always best to weigh the ingredients for a higher success rate. For further assistance, please reach out to our Customer Support Team by emailing support@zojirushi.com
Trying to remove the paddles after second rise on course 1 to make loaf more attractiove and easier to get out of pan. How many minutes should I set my timer after pressing the initial start button?
Hi CMILLER, we don’t recommend removing the kneading blades during the course since it will compromise the rising of he loaf. The doughs that are manipulated during the rise will turn out shorter than expected. If you have any questions, please reach out to Zojirushi Customer Service at 1-800-733-6270 or email at support@zojirushi.com
Are Zojirushi BB-PDC20BA from Amazon and Zojirushi BB-PDC20 the same product? The price difference is very significant.
Hi Slava, the model numbers BB-PDC20BA and BB-PDC20 are the same product. The “BA” is referring to the color code that the breadmaker comes in. We hope this helps!
Can one use Virtuoso recipes in a Virtuoso Plus? Are the Cycle times of similar Courses the same between the two?
Hi Bob, yes you can use the Virtuoso recipes in the Virtuoso Plus. The cycle times for the preprogrammed courses are similar so they can be used with the most similar course in the the Virtuoso Plus. If you have any questions regarding any recipes, reach out to our Customer Service Team and they will be happy to help: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/customer_service/entry
How to turn off the preheat cycle
Hi Karen, the rest cycle can be turned off by pressing and holding both time setting buttons right before pressing the start button. The instructions are located on page 19 on the manual for the BB-PDC20. If you need assistance, please reach out to our customer service team: https://www.zojirushi.com/app/customer_service/entry
I am interested in making sourdough bread without yeat added using the homemade course. Do you have a recipe and the times to set on course 15 for making sourdough bread with an established starter?
Hi Linda, unfortunately we don’t have a sourdough recipe that doesn’t require additional yeast. We apologize for the inconvenience. Normally for a sourdough bread recipe, we would recommend using the white bread setting. Based on customer feedback, when using your own starter, you would use two cups of starter when following our Traditional Sourdough Bread Recipe:
384g Bread Flour
23g of Sugar
8.4g of salt
5.6g of Active Dry Yeast.
We would advise maybe going to King Arthur Baking, they may have a recipe and sometimes they will test their recipes on our breadmakers. Hope this helps!
I found a book that has no yeast sourdough bread machine recipe. It is a 1994 book called worldwide Sourdoughs From Your Bread Machine. It worked out very well. It basically has you mix half the flour with a large amount of starter typically 2-3 cups then let it sit for 8 hours then add the res of the ingredients and start a baking cycle. I did this yesterday and it turned out amazing. So it can be done, and I was on a quest to make this without yeast. I would send photo if there were a place for attachments.
Hi Linda, we are so happy to hear that you found a recipe that worked for you. Thank you so much for sharing your findings here as well. Happy baking!