Chebe Clone? Not Quite!

[ItsaDollThang]

Well, 3 recipes later I still have not been able to recreate that tasty dough! Got one bag and 2 more recipes to try tomorrow night, but if that doesn't work I'm hanging it up and ordering a couple of cases of the Chebe off Amazon! So far all I've gotten for my efforts is a bunch of semi-decent tasting biscuits. I've tried the traditional on the stove first method and 2 that don't. I've tried dried parmesan, fresh parmesan, cheddar, and so far everything I've produced is heading for the trash bin.

I hate to say it because I'd much rather do it myself but it's looking like those mixes are just far more cost effective than me trying to do it myself. None of the home recipes I have tried so far use xanthan gum, but I believe it was in the Chebe mixes I bought. I looked at that, almost bought it but at $13 a small container I just felt the mixes would be cheaper if that was the missing ingredient. By the time I've bought the flour, added in the cost of the rest, I'm still spending as much or even more as I am in buying the mixes.

I did want to make my own variation on the pizza crust, the spicing on theirs is a bit heavy for me, but oh well. There is at least one more recipe I want to try though mixing the tapioca flour with mashed potatoes and that does sound interesting at at least for rolls.

I sure hope they turn out better than what I made tonight though.

[jststric]

Good luck! Let us know if you figure it out! I'm too cheap to do what you are doing, but would love not to pay the high prices for the mixes.

[VioletBlue]

On chebe's site they sell 10 or 20lb, I can't remember which, packages of the basic mix. That is the cheapest way you can buy Chebe. From there you can make just about anything I've found. I keep the mix in the frig where it does take up some room, but I love it and it keeps in the frig quite nicely for some time.

I make my own pizza crust because like you I don't like the seasonings they use in theirs. I also use it to make cinnamon rolls by adding a little baking powder to puff it up a bit. I don't know what they put in their cinnamon roll mix but I think it's terrible. I've made turn overs, rolls, garlic loaves, wraps and who knows how much else from the basic mix just by altering the ingredients I add.

Well, 3 recipes later I still have not been able to recreate that tasty dough! Got one bag and 2 more recipes to try tomorrow night, but if that doesn't work I'm hanging it up and ordering a couple of cases of the Chebe off Amazon! So far all I've gotten for my efforts is a bunch of semi-decent tasting biscuits. I've tried the traditional on the stove first method and 2 that don't. I've tried dried parmesan, fresh parmesan, cheddar, and so far everything I've produced is heading for the trash bin.

I hate to say it because I'd much rather do it myself but it's looking like those mixes are just far more cost effective than me trying to do it myself. None of the home recipes I have tried so far use xanthan gum, but I believe it was in the Chebe mixes I bought. I looked at that, almost bought it but at $13 a small container I just felt the mixes would be cheaper if that was the missing ingredient. By the time I've bought the flour, added in the cost of the rest, I'm still spending as much or even more as I am in buying the mixes.

I did want to make my own variation on the pizza crust, the spicing on theirs is a bit heavy for me, but oh well. There is at least one more recipe I want to try though mixing the tapioca flour with mashed potatoes and that does sound interesting at at least for rolls.

I sure hope they turn out better than what I made tonight though.

[ItsaDollThang]

Well, I gave it up. 4 things of tapioca flour, a bunch of ingredients and several recipes later I can't make anything like a Chebe bread stick or pizza crust and I'm just not into eating bricks!

For now I'm going with buying Chebe via Amazon. The cases there are actually slightly less than on the Chebe site and I don't have to pay shipping besides. I can buy 2 cases, one pizza one general baking mix and get 16 packs for the cost of about 7 locally. That works pretty for me in terms of budget.

I did think about just buying a big bag from Chebe but the packs are more convenient and I'm feeling lazy after having to measure out so many things. I need a break from that for a while and with the mixes I only have to throw it in the bowl add 2 eggs, oil or butter and some milk and I'm done.

I personally thought the spices in the pizza mix were a bit much but then again when I made the mini pizza crusts and bread sticks they went over very well with everybody and that means I don't have to make separate items for anyone else I am feeding. I finally found a pasta that's gluten free that everyone seems to like as much as the regular kind so that greatly simplifies the kitchen routine for making pizza or pasta meals around here.

We don't eat either more than once or twice a week but it's still nice to be able to make one meal in two pots instead of one meal in 3 or more. I'm not putting everyone in the family on my diet, but having some items that are gluten free around that everyone goes for is a real help sometimes.

About the only thing we all can't agree on so far is the pancake mix and the sandwich type bread and I can't say as I blame them there.

I really don't like any of the pancake mixes or that type of bread that I have tried so far. The Gillian's French rolls I got were not so bad, but I don't think I'd buy them again anyway. They're going to stock Udi's at the health food store as of next month and I will give that a try but the remainders of the Schar's, Kinnikinnick, FFL, I'm dumping as soon as the Chebe cases arrive from Amazon.

At this point I'm pretty much convinced that you could play hockey with the majority of the gluten free breads out there, use a loaf as a puck, and it would likely survive!

So far I've tried the Bob's Mill Pancake mix (Does seem to have a bad aftertaste, maybe the bean thing, but not so bad otherwise. The texture is right and if I add enough banana and blueberries and drench them in syrup they are edible, sort of, but I'm not crazy about eating them.) and the Pamela's. They have the Namaste mix too, but I'm not too sure I want to go there as it's very expensive locally.

I'm thinking I don't really need to worry about that. I don't eat pancakes very often and can skip them mostly. It's the French Toast brunch on Sunday's that I do miss. It's my one indulgent thing on weekends. On Sunday's I wake up and it's bacon, and French toast, with real butter and real maple syrup. Rest of the week I'm usually eating just fruit for breakfast, or grabbing a bowl of corn flakes or a yogurt and a banana. It's an under 250 calorie meal.

I'm really hoping the Udi's is decent, far better than the rest so I can still have the odd tuna or nut butter and jam sandwich and the French toast brunch once in a while. I don't eat huge amounts of bread but what I do eat I really miss a lot.

I just don't feel hungry all the time when I can have some "real" bread type items. I do when I try to go without or try to substitute rice and corn items for it all. That odd sandwich or bread stick with my soup really helps me deal with all this gluten free diet stuff.

[mbrookes]

I can really identify with most of what you say, especially the feeling deprived without real bread.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the Udi's. Also try the Udi's blueberry muffins.

Don't throw away the Kinn bread. I cut mine into blocks, tossed with butter, garlic and herbs. Then baked (slow, around 250) for about an hour. Homemade crutons for your salad. If they get too hard, throw them in the processor and make seasoned bread crumbs. Food (especially ours!) is too expensive to waste.

On the pancake front, have you tried buckwheat? Not the mixes, pure buckwheat flour. We (husband and 2 grands) like them better than the old wheat kind. Try them with real maple syrup.

[JNBunnie1]

Well, I gave it up. 4 things of tapioca flour, a bunch of ingredients and several recipes later I can't make anything like a Chebe bread stick or pizza crust and I'm just not into eating bricks!

For now I'm going with buying Chebe via Amazon. The cases there are actually slightly less than on the Chebe site and I don't have to pay shipping besides. I can buy 2 cases, one pizza one general baking mix and get 16 packs for the cost of about 7 locally. That works pretty for me in terms of budget.

I did think about just buying a big bag from Chebe but the packs are more convenient and I'm feeling lazy after having to measure out so many things. I need a break from that for a while and with the mixes I only have to throw it in the bowl add 2 eggs, oil or butter and some milk and I'm done.

I personally thought the spices in the pizza mix were a bit much but then again when I made the mini pizza crusts and bread sticks they went over very well with everybody and that means I don't have to make separate items for anyone else I am feeding. I finally found a pasta that's gluten free that everyone seems to like as much as the regular kind so that greatly simplifies the kitchen routine for making pizza or pasta meals around here.

We don't eat either more than once or twice a week but it's still nice to be able to make one meal in two pots instead of one meal in 3 or more. I'm not putting everyone in the family on my diet, but having some items that are gluten free around that everyone goes for is a real help sometimes.

About the only thing we all can't agree on so far is the pancake mix and the sandwich type bread and I can't say as I blame them there.

I really don't like any of the pancake mixes or that type of bread that I have tried so far. The Gillian's French rolls I got were not so bad, but I don't think I'd buy them again anyway. They're going to stock Udi's at the health food store as of next month and I will give that a try but the remainders of the Schar's, Kinnikinnick, FFL, I'm dumping as soon as the Chebe cases arrive from Amazon.

At this point I'm pretty much convinced that you could play hockey with the majority of the gluten free breads out there, use a loaf as a puck, and it would likely survive!

So far I've tried the Bob's Mill Pancake mix (Does seem to have a bad aftertaste, maybe the bean thing, but not so bad otherwise. The texture is right and if I add enough banana and blueberries and drench them in syrup they are edible, sort of, but I'm not crazy about eating them.) and the Pamela's. They have the Namaste mix too, but I'm not too sure I want to go there as it's very expensive locally.

I'm thinking I don't really need to worry about that. I don't eat pancakes very often and can skip them mostly. It's the French Toast brunch on Sunday's that I do miss. It's my one indulgent thing on weekends. On Sunday's I wake up and it's bacon, and French toast, with real butter and real maple syrup. Rest of the week I'm usually eating just fruit for breakfast, or grabbing a bowl of corn flakes or a yogurt and a banana. It's an under 250 calorie meal.

I'm really hoping the Udi's is decent, far better than the rest so I can still have the odd tuna or nut butter and jam sandwich and the French toast brunch once in a while. I don't eat huge amounts of bread but what I do eat I really miss a lot.

I just don't feel hungry all the time when I can have some "real" bread type items. I do when I try to go without or try to substitute rice and corn items for it all. That odd sandwich or bread stick with my soup really helps me deal with all this gluten free diet stuff.

Couple things- the Bob's pancake mix doesn't have any bean flour in, so if that AND the Pamela's doesn't appeal to you, you probably are tasting the rice/sorghum flour and it's putting you off. I've fed the Bob's pancakes to a number of people, some of whom didn't know about my diet, and they all enjoyed them. Maybe your tongue's just noticing the new flavors. I actually take the Bob's cornbread mix and make pancakes with it sometimes, you might try that for a change for a little while, to fool your tastebuds with something completely new while they get used to the new flavors. These cornbread pancakes are really good as cold sandwiches with cream cheese too.

Almost all gluten-free white bread is good for french toast. The best store bought frozen bread I've found is Aleia's, but I don't know where you live, so it may not be in your area. Also, if you want to bake some bread but don't want to buy eight million ingredients, the Bob's pizza crust mix makes some delicious sandwich buns, oddly enough. It doesn't have enough flavor for pizza crust for me, so when I use it for that I add spices. But it makes a lovely, soft, whole grain tasting bread when made into rolls. It was still soft the next day and even handled refrigeration fairly well. That, the pancake mix, and the cornbread mix have no bean flour.

I love Chebe too, and good on you for trying all those recipes! I haven't tried any yet, too lazy. I wish some of them had worked out for you.

[irish daveyboy]

Well, 3 recipes later I still have not been able to recreate that tasty dough!

I hate to say it because I'd much rather do it myself but it's looking like those mixes are just far more cost effective than me trying to do it myself.

I sure hope they turn out better than what I made tonight though.