| 01 February 2010
Posted in Reviews - Appliances
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| Breville BBM600 Breadmaker |
Making bread with an electric bread-maker sounds easy, but when it comes to making gluten free bread I can assure you that it is a totally different world and anyone in that world would appreciate the difficulties experienced. Since being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease some two years ago, I have tried numerous gluten free bread recipes, mostly with little success.
My old electric bread-maker claimed to be able to make gluten free bread, but after dozens of hard, solid little “bricks” being produced, I totally gave up on using the bread-maker and reverted to the conventional oven baked method. However, after using the latest Breville ikon Baker’s Oven BBM600 Bread-maker for the very first time, I have been converted into believing that technology really can vary immensely. My first loaf was a delight.
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| Country Style Gluten Free |
I followed the gluten free recipe provided in the Breville instruction manual called “Country Style”. The following points were noticed from the loaf produced:
Pros:
• The baked loaf had even texture and with no large holes
• Loaf had a lovely crisp crust on five sides
• Loaf tasted delicious
• Loaf had the lightest texture I’ve produced whilst using an electric breadmaker
• Bread rose to over twice the original mix size
• Due to the collapsible paddle, minimal destruction occurred to the bottom of loaf
• A total of four recipes provided, although all the same basic mix with three flavour variations
• Two different sizes (1000g and 1250g) allowed on gluten free cycle
• Once finished, the breadmaker will keep the bread warm for up to one hour
Cons:
• The top was pale and not as crisp as the remaining five sides
• The gluten free setting does not allow for the 750g size that the regular white and wholemeal bread setting cycles offer
• The alarm that sounds at the end of the program cycle is only three consecutive beeps for three short bursts. The alarm is not loud enough, nor long enough.
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| Prepackaged Gluten Free |
My next gluten free loaf was a prepackaged loaf that did not contain yeast, eggs or dairy. I followed the instructions on the packet and produced a loaf with the following points:
Pros:
• Bread was rather dense, but given there was no yeast in the mix, it was actually quite good
• The Breville ikon Baker’s Oven BBM600 bread-maker also provides a yeast free cycle and this may produce a better loaf than the gluten free cycle
• Although the loaf appeared to be a little undercooked, this could have been remedied by using the “bake only” cycle for additional baking time
Cons:
• The Breville Instruction Manual does not provide any recipes for gluten free prepackaged bread mixes.
• Packet mix was for a 800g loaf, but the smallest gluten free loaf setting is 1000g
• The texture was denser on the bottom third than the top two thirds
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| Own Recipe Gluten Free |
Favourite Own Recipe – Gluten Free
As I had previously managed to find a recipe that worked well in my regular oven, I tried it in the Breville ikon Baker’s Oven BBM600 bread-maker. I was extremely sceptical as my old bread-maker produced a solid small brick when I had tried the same recipe.
Pros:
• The loaf was just as light and terrific as any I had baked in a regular oven
• Texture was even and contained no large holes
• Loaf was a good colour on all sides, including the top
• Nice crisp crusts were produced
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| Regular Bread |
Regular Baked Bread
For those who are fortunate enough to be able to eat regular flours, I also tried a regular loaf of prepacked bread. My husband was ecstatic with the loaf.
Pros:
• The baked loaf had light, even texture and with no large holes
• Loaf had crunchy crusts – three crust colours are available for selection
• Loaf tasted delicious
• Due to the collapsible paddle, minimal destruction occurred to the bottom of loaf
• Collapsible paddle allows easier removal of baked bread from pan
• Three different loaf sizes to choose from
• Once finished, the breadmaker will keep the bread warm for up to one hour
• Instruction manual provides recipes using 13 different prepacked mixes
• Numerous recipes provided in manual for baking various doughs and breads
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| Jam Making |
Jam Making
Who would have thought of a breadmaking machine also making jam??!! Yes the Breville BBM600 also has this feature. The non-collapsible paddle provided with the machine is used for this purpose.
Pros:
• Eight specific jam recipes provided in manual, with additional generic one for using any fruit
• Simple to use – just chop up fruit, mix with sugar and Jam Setta and tip into pan and press “jam” setting and then “start”
• Only takes 65 minutes after pressing “start”
• 500g of fruit made two good sized jars of jam
• Jam set well, but still runny enough to allow for easy spreading
Cons:
• Not recommended to make more than four cups of fruit at a time, so not practical for large quantities
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| Paddle Damage |
Other Features of the Breville ikon Baker’s Oven BBM600 Not Already Mentioned
• Automatic and manual program settings, including pasta and jam programs. Provision for up to three sizes – 750g, 1000g and 1250g loaves.
• An automatic fruit and nut dispenser is incorporated to ensure these items are added at the correct time.
• A viewing light enables the operator to see the product easily at any time.
• If there is a power cut, the bread-maker will “remember” where it was at for up to 60 minutes and will automatically resume bread making when power is restored.
• Is stainless steel in design
• Includes a 13 hour preset timer
• An extremely comprehensive instruction manual is provided
• Comes with a 12 month replacement guarantee
Conclusion
I could recommend the Breville ikon Baker’s Oven BBM600 to anyone. As well as making a professional regular bread loaf, the BBM600 also produced excellent results when baking gluten free loaves. The addition of a jam making cycle is an unexpected bonus that works well.
For the suggested RRP Aud $289.95 at www.breville.com.au
I say, well done Breville!
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