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Converting Bread Machine Recipes for Differently Sized Machines — 35 Comments

  1. I’d like to bake smaller loaves: 1 pound. But wondered if the baking time should be adjusted? What should the baking time be for a 1 lb. and 1 1/2 lb loaf in my Zojurushi?
    thanks

  2. Hi! Love your bread machine site! I want to start making my breads with milled whole wheat berries. If a recipe calls for 3 cups of bread flour, how much replacement for milled wheat berries would I do? Thank you!!

  3. 5 stars
    This page has been the most help iv found for conversations. I too am a bit nervous abt mistakes so comments help a lot. My machine is a 3 lb and most recipes are for 1 1/2. Wasn’t sure if baking would be the same by doubling ingredients.

  4. 5 stars
    Thank you, that was very helpful. My biggest problem is that here in the UK we use grams and not cups – would you have a conversion for this please? Also, are liquid cups different from dry ingredient cups – thank you.

    • Thanks so much for leaving a comment. I’m going through and adding software that converts everything to metric measurements. My goal is to have all the recipes done by the end of the year. Let me know if you’d like a particular recipe converted and I’ll do it right away.

      The cup measurements are the same in the US. Although it’s easier to measure the liquids if you use a some sort of see-through cup.

  5. To make a 1 1/2 lb loaf in a 2 lb Zoji, do I use the pro-programmed settings for white, wheat, etc., or do I need to create a ‘Home made’ routine? Thank you!

    • In that case, you’re making a smaller loaf than your machine is built for, just use the regular white, wheat or whatever setting. Note that your bread may be a little oddly shaped but that will be the only issue.

  6. Thank you, Very helpful information. Just wondering — If you convert to a 1 1/2 loaf from a 2 pound, do you use the same Zo setting number from the 2 pound loaf? Does it “bake” for the same amount of time? Do you decrease the crust setting? Do you have to program a homemade setting with different times for each step?

    Thank you as I don’t have any confidence in experimenting… :I

    • I’ve made 1 1/2 pound loaves in my 2 pound machine a bunch of times. I just use the regular settings and the bread turns out fine. The only issue is that the loaves might look a little funny. I call them “hippo loaves” because one end is larger than the other. It all tastes fine though and I think the hippo loaves are cute. πŸ™‚

  7. what causes the bread to fall? It rises well, but hits the top of the breadmaker and when it starts to bake, the top caves in. How do you remedy this problem?

    • That happens to me when I use too much water. The best solution is to check your dough after 5 min or so of mixing and it must be a ball .. no sticking to sides of machine. If so , add 1 Tbs flour at a time till it does not stick. I found that most recipes on youtube and other had way too much water for my kind of flours and machine. For example .. the recipes calling for 1 1/3 c per 3 cups of flour was too much .. I had to cut down to 1 1/8c. Hope this helps.

  8. So if I’m wanting to convert my 1.5lb recipes to 3lb recipes to mix in a 3lb machine (I usually use the dough cycle then bake in the oven), I should theoretically be able to just double everything? What about yeast? Most of my recipes call for 2tsp yeast, would I actually need 4tsp yeast for 6 cups flour?

    • Some of this is going to be you making your best guess based on other recipes and your experience. If the yeast isn’t what you’d expect you might want to adjust that up or down as you think best. Make notes so that you know what you did.

    • I’d take the original recipe and get the measurements for a half pound of bread. Then take those numbers and times by five. You’ll have to do tweaking of course. After you’ve done the math, do any adjustments that you think should be made (adjusting the yeast comes to mind) and then give it a try. Make notes on how it comes out and then tweak again if needed.

  9. Hi Marsha,

    Thanks for the great tips on tweaking recipes in different sizes, I wish I’d found them when I first got my Zo 5 years ago!

    Mat I suggest a slightly simpler way to run the math? To convert from 2 pounds to 1.5, multiply by .75 on a calculator (I use the one on my phone). To convert from 1 pound to 1.5 pounds, multiply by 1.5. Easy peasy.

  10. I have 2 pound zoj machine and I made a recipe that was 11/2 pound but converted it to fit 2 pound and it was so tall and big and it was a lot. Can I make a 1 1/2 pound loaf in my 2 pound machine???

    • You bet. I do it all the time. The only problem is that the loaf might be a little funny looking. I call them hippo loaves. One end will be taller and bigger than the other. It’s not really a problem though, it just looks a little different. πŸ™‚

      • On almost every loaf I make in my Zo, before the last rise I either re-shape the dough in the machine or take it out to re-shape in my hands. Then gently put it back in the breadpan.

      • Just before the cycle switches to bake, pause the machine. Open the lid and redistribute the dough evenly in the pan. Close the lid and continue the cycle. It will rise more evenly and make a nicer loaf.

  11. Oh this is VERY helpful!
    My machine (Zoj) does 2 lb loaves BUT sometimes the 2 lb is too much. Sometimes my conversions don’t work well; but then there’s those 4 little things you added at the end vis-a-vis Salt, water, sugar, yeast.
    Sometimes it takes another person’s experience to make your own much better. You are pure genius! *grins*

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