Both the flavor and smell of Chebe’s Focaccia Bread is a wonderful experience.  But alas, we had some difficulty in getting it to rise to traditional focaccia levels.  Our first trial resulted in a truly flat experience, dense and quite chewy, yet tasty.  Our second trial did yield bread that was doubled in side.  I also found, that baking the bread for the maximum time recommended led to a slightly less chewy loaf.  It was a touch more airy, and would easily qualify as a flatbread or thick pizza crust.  We decided to utilize round two as a base for smoked salmon.  This turned out to be a very flavorful combination.  The bread itself had a traditional focaccia taste, mellow overall but with well-noted flavors of rosemary and basil.  I hope to trial this bread again, as the flavor was worthwhile, it has great versatility, and for the love of baking I am determined to take it to its full height potential!
 

Chebe Overall Review

Chebe is one of the few gluten-free / yeast-free manufacturers to tackle the challenge of dinnertime breads, such as focaccia, breadsticks, pizza crust, and French bread.  Although they are not a mirror image of these traditional favorites, Chebe’s breads seem to have some charms of their own.  For starters, they are incredibly easy to prepare.  I typically make my own sandwich and French bread (sans bread machine) which can be a rather time consuming experience (mix, rise, knead, rise, bake).  Chebe’s products take just 10 to 15 minutes in preparation, after which they are then immediately oven ready.  Each time, we just popped the bread in the oven, put dinner on, and in 30 minutes we were sitting down to eat, bread and all.  The only complication we dealt with on occasion was that the bread tended to break apart during shaping.  Each of the dairy free Chebe breads we trialed had a texture somewhat similar to French bread, but a bit more dense and on the chewy side.  It tended to rise to just barely double in size, not the balloon like affect you might see in traditional yeast breads.  At first thought, this may not sound as appealing, but several of us liked the chewy texture quite a bit.  We also found the flavor of even the baseline bread to be somewhat addicting.  Chebe’s products are definitely best when eaten just after preparation, but will keep for a day or two, and should be reheated in the oven. 

• Pros: Very versatile; Easy to prepare; Gluten-free; Several dairy free varieties; Soy-free; Yeast-free “yeast” breads; Mix is fat and cholesterol free (just 2 eggs and a small amount of oil are required for preparation)
• Cons: Chewier texture will be particular to some; Occasional challenges in shaping and baking (does not rise dramatically); A touch high in sodium

Recommended For:

• Wheat Allergies
• Gluten-Free / Casein-Free Diets
• A Fast and Easy Bread
• Spreading with a Touch of Earth Balance / Smart Balance Buttery Spread
• Pizza, Breadsticks, Flatbread, and Snacking Bread

Where to Buy:

• Online – www.chebe.com
• In Stores – Select Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and other natural food stores throughout the U.S.

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