What’s the first thing you do when you have a cooking robot? Get it to knead you some bread, of course.
A few weeks ago I went to a VIP event as one of the founding members of the Tefal Cuisine Companion Cuisine Club (Hello Bizzylizcook and Vegetaraian :o) . At the VIP event I got to play with this wonder machine and made a delicious vegan risotto and apple crumble effortlessly.
It’s such a versatile machine. It chops, whips, mix, kneads, cooks, steams, blends, stirs, emulsifies, whisks, sears, crushes, mills and heats food. In the beginning I was afraid that it might be a bit complicated to use but it turns out to be quite easy and straightforward with an intuitive user interface and six automatic functions.
That first weekend I decided to test-drive my demonstration model, making one of my favourite breads, Maple Oat Bread. I use a combination of whole-wheat flour and oats which help lower the gluten content of the bread and increases its nutritional value. Though I’m trying to eat less bread, I’ve never been a fan of complete deprivation, so rather than stop eating it altogether I’d rather try making it healthier and better for me (and maybe eat a bit less of it). So when I discovered you can turn oats into flour and make bread with it, you could imagine my excitement.
Why I love it:
This bread is quite easy to make so you can certainly make it by hand if you want. However, the Cuisine Companion makes it even easier as you don’t have to knead it. The machine does all the work, including maintaining an optimum proofing temperature. Once I had put all the ingredients in, the only thing I had to do was to wait and then shape the dough into bread rolls. Too easy.
What’s good about it:
In my book, oat is superfood. Here’s 5 reasons why you need to make oat bread, not that you need any.
5 Reasons Why You Need To Make Oat Bread
- Oats are high in fibre and are a good source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals
- Oats help you control your appetite [1]
- Oats help regulate blood pressure [2]
- Oats are rated no. 1 for breakfast, in satiety index [3]
- Oats may improve insulin sensitivity [4]
Whole Wheat Oat Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 300ml warm water
- 1 packet of dry yeast
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (you can add up to 3 tbsp if you like it sweeter)
- 1 cup of whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup of rolled oats, plus a few tablespoons, divided
Methods
- Place the yeast and 300ml of warm water in the bowl fitted with the kneading/crushing blade. Launch the P1 pastry program. After 30 seconds, open the lid and add the flour, oat and salt. Note that this program will knead the dough for 2 minutes and then it will stop for 30 minutes while maintaining the temperature at 30C.
- After 40 mins, remove the dough using a spatula and knead for 5 mins or so by hand until it forms a loose ball.
- Place the remaining oats on a small bowl. Pick up the dough ball and gently roll it over the oats.
- Leave on a tray lined with baking paper. Leave to rest for 1 hr 30 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Place a bowl of water on the lower rack in the oven (this will help achieve a nice crust). Bake for 25 mins. Lower the oven to 180°C and cook for an extra 15 to 20 minutes.
Disclosure: I received a complementary Cuisine Companion from Tefal both to play with and for editorial purposes.
You can find out more about the Tefal Cuisine Companion at https://www.cuisinecompanion.com.au/. It is now available at select Harvey Norman stores across Australia.
References:
[1] Nutrition Research, October 2009; 29(10):705-9
[2] Journal of Family Practice, April 2002; 51(4):369
[3] European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 1995; 49(9): 675-90
[4] European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2007; 61(6):786-95
