Features:

  • Its versatile design makes it possible to bake real homemade bread in one single container
  • Shaped as a partially closed bowl, the bread maker allows steam to circulate inside, making the dough moist and preventing the bread from drying out
  • The side openings allow hot air to circulate inside the Bread Maker giving bread a crusty, golden texture
  • Includes easy recipes to enjoy the taste and smell of traditional homemade bread
  • Suitable for microwave and dishwasher safe; made of 100% platinum silicone to withstand high temperatures of up to 428ºF (220ºC)
... someone I know bought one and talked about how wonderfully crusty the bread is on the outside and nice ...

I bought this after someone I know bought one and talked about how wonderfully crusty the bread is on the outside and nice on the inside. It is. The loaf is the perfect bread for slicing and having with cheese along with soup. I also bought the Lekue cheese maker and spreading the cheese on the bread is so good. I have taken to pressing raw sunflower seeds and sesame seeds on the outside before baking. They get toasty and add a nice crunch. Lots of options with the kind of bread to make, too. Have only used it a few times as it is pretty warm to be baking bread right now but am looking forward to the fall and winter.

which is based on a wet dough and it works wonderfully!. I did a couple of comparisons with ...

I had this on my wish list and received it for Christmas. While I don't know that I'm totally sold on the recipes in the book (in all fairness, I only tried one of them), BUT I have also started to use the book 'Make Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day', which is based on a wet dough and it works wonderfully!. I did a couple of comparisons with the same recipe --- one loaf using a baking stone and a pan for steam, and one loaf of the same recipe in just the Lekue Bread Maker. The only exception I found was that if I did a small loaf (smaller than the bread maker), I needed to remove the bread from the pan for the last 10 mins to give it a better color crust. Otherwise, the exterior crust texture was almost identical without the stone and steam hassle. If the loaf you are baking fills the bread maker, I don't think you have that browning issue (I didn't with the 1st loaf I made using one of the recipe's that came with it.) If you happen to subscribe to the wet dough make ahead method, this works really well and easily without having to mess with the stone and steam.

Sourdough Bread

I'm learning to make sourdough bread with a natural yeast starter. It's quite expensive to buy the Lodge or Ceramic bakeware needed to get the crispy crust sourdough is known for, and I wasn't sure I could keep even my yeast alive let alone create a loaf of bread with it. I bought two Lekue bread makers. They have worked well and saved me a lot of money. After some experimentation, I have been able to make delicious and crusty sourdough bread. I'm grateful for the low price while experimenting in this new type of bread making, and I don't actually see a reason to purchase the more expensive bakers. Sourdough Tips: There is leeway in the amount of water that can be used in a natural yeast sourdough recipe. I've found the crust bakes crispier and thicker in the Lekue the wetter my dough is. Also, I like to rise my dough for 24 hours and I keep a wet towel or plastic wrap over the closed bakers the entire time so the open edges won't harden the dough as it proofs. As for browning the crust, the quality of the loaf is the same whether the bread browns or stays completely white. So for my bread I only needed the brown crust to make it pretty, which is what I want when I give my bread away. It was hard to figure out how to brown the loaf because it didn't matter whether I baked with the Lekue open or closed, the bread would stay completely white. I learned to use enough dough to rise to the top of the baker, because everywhere the dough touches the baker, It gets a nice brown color. My investment into Sourdough breads was nominal because of this baker. Easy use, easy to store, and super easy to clean.

LOVE this silicone bread maker for no knead bread, vegs, meats

Great for making 'no knead bread' see pictures. I used my regular no knead bread recipe (not the Lekue bread recipe). Baked up wonderfully. You can make the bread in a round shape by not closing the silicon container or if you close the container the bread is shaped as an oval (more like a foot ball). I baked the no knead bread at 425 degrees F (the instructions with the product state the max temp is 428 degrees for this silicone baking container). Normally when I make no knead bread in a Lodge cast iron Dutch oven I bake at 450 degrees F. I got a wonderful crust with this silicon baker. I have used it with bread made with Instant Yeast and I have also used it with my own sourdough starter. I sprayed the dough with water and sprinkled on seeds (I find water helps seeds stick better than oil). I used the maximum amount of bread flour you can use with this bread maker size when using it in the closed position (to start with). I wanted a larger loaf and I suspected the dough might rise higher in the container. So I only kept the container closed for the first 30 min. of baking then "unclipped" the silicone container top and the loaf continued to rise a bit higher with the container completely open. I used my regular recipe for no knead bread: 500 grams K.A. BREAD flour, 375 grams water, 12 grams sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon SAF INSTANT yeast. I mixed and left it covered with a plate at room temp (78 to 81 degrees) for 11 hours. Great product, lightweight, can be carried in suitcase if traveling, washes so easily. Can be used to roast meat and vegetables in the oven. Can also use in microwave to cook vegetables, corn on the cob etc. I have been making no knead bread in cast iron and the old fashioned corning ware for years..... and I love this Lekue for my regular no knead bread recipes. Crust is wonderful, crumb outstanding. This bread maker is totally non-stick and a breeze to clean. I even place it in the dishwasher sometimes. Update: Have been using the Lekue silicone bread maker for several months for no knead bread. The oven spring rise (to me) is equal to using a cast iron dutch oven with lid. See picture with oval artisan loaf done in Lekue and round artisan baked in cast iron dutch oven. Lekue baked at 425 no extra preheating. Dutch oven with lid baked at 450 and required 30 min. extra preheating. With Lekue I unclipped the silicone container at 25 min. It baked the total 45 min. with no parchment paper. Dutch oven baked 30 min with lid on, 15 with lid off (used parchment paper). Edited 6/12/15: Been using Lekue for months it is holding up well, washes great, no need for parchment paper, and travels well when I visit someone where I want to make bread. I now usually bake a "half of the dough" no knead bread recipe in the Lekue at 425 degrees for 35 to 40 min. and do not unclip the top. I preheat the oven to 435 and when it comes to temperature I then put the Lekue in the oven and reduce the temp to 425 degrees. Full recipe: 500 g bread flour, 12 g kosher salt or sea salt, 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, 375 g spring bottled water. 11 or 12 hour first rise. I then cut dough in half and put half in the frig, and the other half in the Lekue for about 1 hour rise. See the last three new photos attached they are of a half loaf of dough recipe. I place the Lekeu on a perforated pan (like my Delmar silicone baking dishes). 1/25/16 Used the Lekue bread maker to roast some turkey pieces with onions and carrots two week prior to Thanksgiving so I could make gravy and freeze it early and not have to make gravy on Thanksgiving day. See photo. The Lekue baker did a fabulous job with roasting a few pieces of turkey and vegs (see photo). I'm going to use the Lekue for roasting other small items. I put the oven temp. at 425 degrees for roasting because the instructions state it is rated to 428 degrees max. I place the Lekue baker on a baking sheet with holes (see photo) so there is good heat circulation and it is more stable to carry especially when hot. Update: 2/13/2019 Lekue bread baker is holding up beautifully. Added some rye bread photos.

Lekue is perfect. Regular pan burnt bread

I'm a dude. I can't bake for crap. Wanted to impress to impress a baker girl so I bought the lekue. I made two sourdough side by side with regular pan and the lekue. The regular pan I burnt the bottom. The lekue came out perfect.

Love it

I really love this bread cooker. The crust comes out crunchy. I made the bread in the kitchen aid, then dumped it into the Lekue, let it rise, no buttering needed, punched it down, closed it up, let it rise again and popped it into the oven. I cooked it about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for, so it was brown enough. Took the Lekue out of the oven, opened it up and the bread fell right onto the wire rack! Loved it so much I bought another, as most recipes make two loaves!!!!! Recommend to everyone.

Impressive!

I asked for this as a gift two years ago and have been using it nonstop! Everyone loves the smell and taste of fresh bread, but city living means small spaces so no real room for a bread maker or large chef's board for rolling dough. I have to admit I was suspicious of this because it seemed almost too simple, but definitely trust the reviews on this one - it's pretty incredible how easy it is to use (and clean off). I'm gifting one to my mom this year and I know she's going to love it!

This is a seriously awesome bread maker!

I bought the Lekue bread maker because I wanted an easy way to make bread. My family really misses the rosemary/olive oil loaf that Costco used to sell and we wanted to make our own bread. As soon as I got it, I made 2 loaves in 1 day. I found a recipe for rosemary/olive oil bread online (with only a 5 hr rise time) and it came really close to the Costco bread. I love being able to have my daughter clip rosemary from the garden and then making an amazing bread with it. And there's nothing like the smell of baking bread to fill the house and the joy of eating the warm, crunchy edges of the bread before dinner!

I LOVE my lekue bread maker

I LOVE my lekue bread maker!!! The fact that the bread comes out so easily without any extra flour, greasing or prying is enough of a reason to buy it....Such a great tool, if you enjoy baking your own bread. I use it at least twice a week so I feel it was worth spending the money on. I'm super cheap! At first I felt I was spending too much money, now I feel it was money well spent! I did not follow any of the recipes from the booklet it comes with. All my bread is naturally leavened with my own sourdough starter. I tend to work with wet, sticky dough, which I find easier to use in this silicone container.

I think I COULD live by bread alone!

I love this - very easy to use and to clean. I have been trying to make fresh bread every week and this is much easier than using my dutch oven (which weighs a lot - being cast iron). I am trying different recipes with this bread maker, and so far, all have come out great! I've included a picture of my sour dough loaf from this pan.

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