Product Reviewed:
Lékué Bread Maker
Baking homemade bread always sounds like a great idea. But when I think of getting out the large bread maker, making space on the counter top, and waiting four hours for it to bake…those loaves at the grocery store look pretty appealing. The Lékué Bread Maker solves the dilemma of homemade bread in two ways: you can make yummy homemade bread for your family and friends without a four-plus hour-long process, and you don’t have to make room for a giant appliance on your kitchen counter.
The convenience of this product is amazing. Since the Lékué Bread Maker is constructed out of silicone, it is foldable and takes up much less space in your pantry than a traditional bread maker. The recipes that come with the bread maker also recommend using the product as a mixing bowl for ingredients, decreasing your clean up time. And to make clean up even easier, it also can be cleaned in a dish washer!
For those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, several of Lékué’s featured recipes are gluten-free. And, conveniently, these do not take as long to prepare as traditional bread maker gluten-free breads. However, one word of warning: Lékué is a European company, and they list ingredients in metric measures and have non-specific directions. Be sure to have a food scale on hand or use your web browser for some conversions.
The nutritional bonus of this bread maker over a traditional bread baking pan lies in the fact there is no need to add fat to grease the Lékué Bread Maker. Finished cooled loaves comes very easily out of the bread maker simply by peeling the bowl away from the sides of the bread. If you typically purchase your bread, note that a loaf of this homemade bread is on the smaller side, so consider making more than one loaf to feed a family for a week, or place two to three Lékué bread makers in the oven at the same time.
Gluten-Free Chickpea Bread with Rosemary and Sundried Tomatoes
(Using a Lékué Bread Maker)
Recipe by Brittany Chin, RD, LD
I adapted this recipe from the Lékué website (using a food scale for conversions). This product is great for those cooking for families, college students with small kitchen, or anyone who is looking to try out something new in the kitchen!
Ingredients
1½ cups Bob’s Red Mill garbanzo and fava flour
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon corn starch
¼ cup potato starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried yeast
½ tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 egg white
Directions
- Mix all ingredients from flour to olive oil inside the bread maker with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and ingredients are evenly spread throughout. If you have trouble mixing in the bread maker, place bread maker in a large aluminum bowl for stability.
- Using an electric mixture whip egg white on low-medium speed until stiff peaks form (peaks with tips that stand straight when the beaters are lifted).
- Using a spatula, fold the egg white into the dough. Mix using a stand or electric mixer on high for 3-5 minutes.
- Close the bread maker, and set aside for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool in bread maker for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
