My Plush Protein Bread, My New Cookbook

A recipe preview and a big preorder giveaway

Happy weekend, everyone! Today I’m very excited to share a new project of mine, one that’s a little different from what I’ve done so far.

It is a bread book! More specifically a bread machine book, called, fittingly, The Bread Machine Book. It will publish on March 4, 2025.

I never really imagined I’d write a book like this. Growing up in the ‘90s, we certainly had a bread machine and I loved it — especially the soft, squishy loves that my brother and I would slather with Country Crock while they were piping hot (yes, these bread recipes came from box mixes).

But from the moment I got a job at a bakery in high school and learned traditional methods for making bread, and then moved onto a career in food, I was pretty sure I’d graduated from the appliance.

Then a few years ago, the opportunity to test out a bunch of different bread machines circled me back, very unexpectedly, to this funny little appliance. I was so surprised — I just found them to be fun and quite convenient for making bread at home. And as I was revisiting it, I came to realize that for many people, bread machines never really went out of vogue.

I write about my journey in the book, which includes a focused collection of 75 recipes and also has a slightly different way of looking at the appliance than other books on the subject — as a tool for a enhancing or helping to streamline parts of bread practice, rather than a replacement for it.

If you aren’t into bread, don’t worry — my focus will continue to be vegetable-oriented, weeknight coking. But if you are into bread machine baking, or curious about it, or know anyone who is, I hope you’ll earmark this announcement.

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Today I’m sharing a few things:

• The news that The Bread Machine Book is available for preorder, wherever you like to buy books. Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Hudson Booksellers, Target, Powell’s — and please don’t forget your terrific local bookstores. Some of my favorites are Book Larder and Charlie’s Queer Books in Seattle, Now Serving in Los Angeles, and Archestratus in Brooklyn (independent bookstores may not have an online listing yet but you can always call or email them and they will order it for you).

• The announcement of a big preorder “sweepstakes” prize for one lucky winner who preorders the book between now and March 10, 2025. Details below.

• A recipe preview of my take on “protein bread.” Scroll to the end for the recipe.

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The Big Bread Machine Book Preorder Sweepstakes Prize

By preordering The Bread Machine Book anytime before March 10, 2025, you can automatically enter yourself to win all that great stuff above. This is a nearly $550 value, including:

• Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus Bread Maker, the Cadillac of bread machines. It’s bulky, but it simply does the job better than any other machines I’ve tried. It makes bread in a traditional loaf shape, rather than a tall, tree-stumpy shape; it has two mixing/kneading paddles for much better mixing and kneading; and it’s got a heating element up top, which cooks the breads more evenly and gets them golden brown all over. Also you can your create your own custom programs, which is fun and handy. These things are expensive, too, at $400!

• Victoria Cast-Iron Grain Grinder: This is a relatively new tool to me, but I am loving it. In keeping with the spirit of ease expected of a bread machine book, I do not ask you to grind your own grains. But you certainly could, and as I know that many of you are so skilled at cooking with whole grains, you’ll have no problem unlocking the creativity it presents. Beyond cracking rye and wheat berries to incorporate into homemade breads, I’ve also found it to an excellent way to make delicious, ultra-flavorful porridge.

• Barton Springs Mills Whole Berry Bundle, so you can start cracking your own grains right away. I love Barton Springs Mills, with their top-quality flours and grains, their commitment to preserving and restoring local heirloom grains of the Texas region, and the close work with they do with their farmers.

• One-Year Paid Subscription to This Very Newsletter: I’m throwing this in there as a little gravy. For those who receive only the odd sporadic message, as a paid subscriber you’ll receive a recipe every week, with my primary focus being high-protein, weeknight-friendly vegetarian recipes. (If the winner is already a paid subscriber, their subscription will be extended for 12 months.)

To enter, simply head to this page to enter your order details and information, anytime before March 10, 2025.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between JANUARY 17, 2025 and MARCH 10, 2025. Open to US residents, 18 and older. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. See Official Rules at https://geni.us/BMBrules for full details.

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My Protein Bread

Photo by Trevor Baca, from The Bread Machine Cookbook

Two things to note about this recipe and all the recipes in my new book:

• When I use the bread machine, I go back and forth isolating just the “dough” function, then proofing the dough in a regular loaf pan and baking it in my oven, and using a set-it-and-forget-it preset, where all the action happens inside the bread machine. Sometimes I just like to get my hands a bit dirty and get a feel for the dough. Throughout the book, each recipe has both options, which you’ll see reflected below.

• Gram weights are going first. On top of all the other reasons you probably already know as to why it’s better to bake with a scale (more precise, no measuring cups to clean), the bread machine pan just makes it so easy. Set the pan on your scale, add your ingredients, snap the thing into the machine, and you’re done.

Plush Tofu Protein Loaf

• Inspired by various types of protein bread that are enriched with cottage cheese and/or egg whites, this higher-protein-than-typical bread instead employs silken tofu, which blends seamlessly into the dough while it kneads in the bread machine. If you aren’t yet a fan of tofu, I encourage you to still give this loaf a try anyway — its flavor is barely discernible, and more importantly the bread is appealingly squishy and satisfyingly rich. A perfect snack.

• Leftovers and Storage: Keeps for up to 2 days, wrapped loosely at room temperature. Stored in an airtight bag or container, the sliced loaf can be frozen for up to 1 month.

• To make a vegan loaf, replace the egg with 3 tablespoons water and 2 teaspoon additional avocado oil. Watch as the dough kneads, and add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour if it is too wet.

• Recipe and text from The Bread Machine Book, by Lukas Volger, copyright 2025, published by Ten Speed Press. Reprinted with permission.

Makes 1 loaf

350 grams (1 [12-ounce] package) silken tofu
1 large egg
40g (2 tablespoons) maple syrup
11g (1 tablespoon) avocado or olive oil
10g (1 ½ teaspoons) fine sea salt
470g (3 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons) bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
Egg white, for brushing the crust (optional)

Hands-Off Method

Combine all ingredients except for the egg white in your bread machine’s baking pan, in the order listed. Program the machine on its WHITE setting and MEDIUM crust, lock the pan into the machine and close the lid, and press START. If desired, after the loaf’s final rise (usually around 1:30 from completion), pause the program and brush the proofed loaf with egg white. Once complete, use mitted hands to remove the bread from the machine. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then and tip the loaf out of the pan to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Hand-Shaped Method

Combine all ingredients except for the egg white in your bread machine’s baking pan, in the order listed. Select DOUGH, lock the pan into the machine, close the lid, and press START. At the completion of the cycle, the dough should be doubled in size; if not, leave it in the machine for additional time as needed.

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. If it’s too sticky to handle, dust it lightly with flour, but resist adding any more than necessary, and use a bench scraper to help lift and move it around. Gently stretch it to a thickness of about 1 inch, then shape it to fit your baking pan. Place it seam-side down either back in the bread machine pan, or in a greased loaf pan for baking in a traditional oven. Cover (inside the machine pan, or with a clean towel or food wrap) and proof in the bread machine or in a warm spot in the kitchen until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

To bake in the bread machine: If desired, brush the top of the proofed loaf with egg white, and lock your pan into your bread machine. Select the BAKE setting and bake the loaf for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the machine and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then tip onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.

To bake in the home oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F, using convection if available. If desired, brush the top of the loaf with egg white, and score the bread by making a long slash down the length of the loaf with a sharp knife. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until browned and hollow-sounding when you tap on the loaf, or an instant read thermometer reads 190°F. Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Do you have a story or a a relationship with a bread machine? I would love to hear about it.