Bread Zeppelin

🎸 Bread Zeppelin: The Mini Bread Maker Loaf That Rocks Hard 🎸

By John Nickolls – Kneading dough and blasting tunes since way before it was cool

If Led Zeppelin made loaves instead of legendary riffs, this would be their greatest hit.

Introducing Bread Zeppelin, a bold, herby, cheesy, tomato-infused loaf baked to glory in my Panasonic SD-PN100KXC Automatic Mini Bread Maker. It’s got swagger, crunch, and a flavour drop-kick that screams “I’m not your average loaf.”

🧾 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need from your cupboard, fridge, or wherever you stash your bread-building kit:

Dry & Pantry Goods:

• 240g strong white bread flour – gives the loaf its body and bounce

• ¾ teaspoon fast-action dried yeast – the lift-off specialist

• 1 teaspoon salt – always vital, but keep it well away from the yeast

• 2 teaspoons garlic granules or garlic powder – turn the flavour to eleven

• 2 teaspoons dried mixed Italian herbs – the Mediterranean soul

Liquids:

• 150ml warm water (not hot, or you’ll assassinate the yeast)

• 1 tablespoon tomato purée (or ketchup if that’s what’s rolling around in your fridge)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil – for a moist crumb and smooth finish

Add-ins (chucked in when the bread maker beeps):

• A handful of grated cheese – cheddar, mozzarella, whatever you’ve got

• Optional extras: chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or pesto blobs – these are your guitar solos. Improvise.

🛠️ Method

Step 1: Add Ingredients to the Bread Tin (In This Specific Order)

This is vital. Bread makers are fussy little things and demand layering precision:

1. Water – straight in the bottom

2. Tomato purée – spoon it in with a flourish

3. Olive oil – the smoother the better

4. Salt – scatter it like seasoning a stadium

5. Garlic & herbs – sprinkle over the salt

6. Flour – gently add the 240g on top so it covers all wet stuff

7. Yeast – make a tiny well in the flour, pop the yeast in like it’s being tucked in for a nap

Step 2: Set the Bread Maker

Your Panasonic mini marvel does the heavy lifting:

• Program: Basic or French (French gives a crispier crust and a bit more chew – I say go French)

• Crust Colour: Medium or Dark (Dark = extra attitude)

• Loaf Size: It’s a mini (1lb) – leave as is

Hit start and let it do its thing.

Step 3: Add the Extras at the Beep

When your machine beeps mid-cycle (usually around 20–30 mins in), open the lid and gently add:

• Grated cheese

• Olives / sundried tomatoes / whatever extra magic you’re summoning

Let the machine knead them in like a seasoned rock drummer.

Step 4: Bake, Cool, Rock Out

The cycle will take around 2 hours 30 minutes. When it’s done:

• Lift the tin out carefully

• Turn the loaf onto a wire rack

• Let it cool for at least 30 minutes (or tear into it straight away like a wild beast, I won’t judge)

💸 Full Cost Breakdown

Item

Approx Cost

240g Strong White Bread Flour

£0.18

¾ tsp Fast-Action Yeast

£0.03

1 tsp Salt

£0.01

2 tsp Garlic Powder

£0.04

2 tsp Mixed Herbs

£0.03

1 tbsp Tomato Purée

£0.04

1 tbsp Olive Oil

£0.05

Grated Cheese (25g)

£0.15

Optional Add-ins

£0.10

Electricity (0.4 kWh @ £0.28)

£0.11

Bread Maker Depreciation (£95 ÷ 100 bakes)

£0.95

Total Cost Per Loaf

£1.69

(That’s less than a posh packet of crisps and way more satisfying.)

🥁 Final Thoughts: Why Bread Zeppelin Rocks

• It’s not just a loaf, it’s a flavour encore

• Uses basic cupboard ingredients with attitude

• Costs less than a stale bap from a service station

• Perfect for soup dunking, toast blitzing, or just devouring solo with a slice of cheddar and smug satisfaction

📸 Share Your Loaf!

If you make Bread Zeppelin, I want to see it. Tag me on Instagram @johnnickolls or chuck it up on Facebook with #BreadZeppelin

Next up: Crust Almighty – the loaf that fears nothing. Stay tuned.