Friday, January 6, 2012

Bonabona simple and modern

Bre and I got a bread machine!  BonaBona is the brand.  Their motto is simple and modern.  The instructions are in Japanese, but we got an assist from Olga with English translations.  The photo below is of our first loaf.  It was very tasty!  We set it on the steaming rack to cool.


Here you can the machine.  Inside is the heating element.  There is a bread tray that fits in the middle (not pictured.)  It has an attachment to stir/knead the bread.  It is pretty simple and easy to use.  We just put the ingredients in, turn it on, and wait 3 hours and 58 minutes for it to finish.  The machine blends the mix, lets it rise, kneads the dough, and bakes it all by itself.


Here is Bre excited to take a bite out of the loaf.  The shape of the bread pan makes the loaf almost a perfect cube.


Thanks Olga for the great suggestion of getting our own bread machine!  I look forward to many fresh loaves.

That's all for now,

Kyle (and Bre)

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A note from Bre about learning how to use a Japanese-language bread machine:


Kyle and I were careful to buy the same machine that our friend Olga owned.  Olga had a Japanese friend who translated what the different settings are (there are 12) and what the ingredients are for the different recipes printed in the user-manual.  Olga and I sat down the other day with our two manuals and Olga translated her Russian translation of the Japanese into English.  I think we have all the important things figured out... or at least most.

The next step after I got home was to convert all the measurements of weight into volume.  The recipes called for dry ingredients in grams but (1) we don't own a scale and (2) after baking for years in the US, I'm used to everything being in American volume measuring units... cups, teaspoons, tablespoons, etc.  Luckily for me, there are some useful webpages out there for translating.

This is the most important page of the user manual.  It includes the recipe for basic bread (upper right box) and the ratio of mixing-rising-cooking for each of the 12 settings for bread (left page).


So far success!  Both Kyle and I have made loaves of bread, and we have one just started in the machine right now.  Later today I hope to try to make a small cake.

-Bre

We have had requests for more of the recipe book translated into English.  I have added photos below of all the English translations that we have.  Good luck to all you Bonabona users!







9 comments:

  1. How nice to have a bread machine that makes such a small loaf!

    I yearn for Moscow Co-op's Daily Wheat and have worked out a recipe that's fairly near to it. I don't know what you would be able to get in Japan that would work. I grind my own hard (bread) wheat. I have a Zojirushi machine and found that I have much better luck with the basic quick cycle -- and with making the bread as I would at home, starting the yeast and the sugar in 1 3/4c cool water (the machine heats for 5 minutes), adding a TB each lecithin and flax, then 4c total of flour fortified with some gluten.

    Some of the cakes I made in the Zojirushi came out very well, too. I adapted a Rombauer applesauce cake recipe and my Aunt Amy's chocolate cake recipe (the most reliable cake ever devised) because the Zoji recipes were either sickeningly sweet or used mixes.

    Have you had taro bread yet? It is delicious. And blue. The only soft 'white' bread I've ever thought edible. It is easy to make in the bread machine, especially if you can buy the taro already peeled, which I'm sure you can, there.

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  2. hello. I have the same breadmaker but unfortunately having a hard time using . Can you send me English translation you have? Alea.dawn@gmail. com

    thank you so much!!!

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  3. Yea I have same problem too...bought it for ages ago. I m not good of reading kanji...that is why endup reading urs page...if u dun mind...with would u kindly sharing urs translations to my email....neenazareena@ yahoo.co.UK...highly appreciate it in advance

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  4. Hi, Good morning, i have the same breadmaker and also cannot read Kanji and on top of it i lost my recipe book. Can you please kindly email me a copy of english translation to yokyunishiyama@gmail.com

    God Bless. Thank you.

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  5. Thank You so much for this blog !
    Regards

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  6. can you send me a copy of english translation of bona bona breadmaking manual. its been 2 years my husband bought me a breadmaker and until now i havent use it :( both of us dont know how to read and understand japanese language. please help

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  7. Does anyone know where I can find a replacement blade (paddle) for my BONA BONA Home Bakery (bread machine) BK-B67? The store I bought it from a few years could not help me. Thanks! julie_water@yahoo.com (Julie)

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  8. I have a BONA BONA BK B67 White bread maker. I lost the paddle. Anyone know how to get a new one? Can:t find it on Amazon Japan or the U.S. or a BONABONA website. Thanks!

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