Gluten-Free Bread Recos, Hated Udi's

[umsami]

So, I finally made the trek to Trader Joe's to buy some Udi's bread.  I was so excited.  I bought bread, bagels and hot dog buns.  Today, I had a sandwich on the bread (toasted) and it was nasty.  Didn't even want to finish it.

 

Is Udi's the best there is?  Help!  Very disappointed as I was so looking forward to it.  Maybe after I've been gluten-free awhile, it will taste better?

[jimhalpert625]

So, I finally made the trek to Trader Joe's to buy some Udi's bread.  I was so excited.  I bought bread, bagels and hot dog buns.  Today, I had a sandwich on the bread (toasted) and it was nasty.  Didn't even want to finish it.

 

Is Udi's the best there is?  Help!  Very disappointed as I was so looking forward to it.  Maybe after I've been gluten-free awhile, it will taste better?

 

I love Glutino bagels, so maybe try those.

[psawyer]

Personal tastes vary widely when it comes to gluten-free baked products.

 

We like Udi's bread, hamburger buns, and pizza crusts. We don't do many sweets, so we don't have any experience to offer on their dessert items.

[GottaSki]

Our family loves....Udi's, Canyon Bakehouse and Glutino.

 

If you are new to gluten-free breads...may I suggest -- trying to toast Udi's before you toss it?  

 

There is always baking your own -- we did in my early days as we could not afford Udi's for a family with multiple celiacs.  Thankfully....prices have come down a bit.

[Adalaide]

I tolerated and told myself I liked Udi's okay when I was first diagnosed. Truth is that I just wasn't a fan of gluten free bread. I took about three months or so off of bread completely. After that I suppose I forgot what bread tastes like and feels like. I like Udi's and Rudi's both just fine, although I prefer Udi's. (Not for taste but because Rudi's has a problem where it won't come apart!) My favorite by far is the chia one.

 

Some food for thought. Gluten free bread will never be the same as gluteny bread, do not expect it to be or you will always be disappointed. Instead, attempt to view it as something else entirely and try to enjoy it for what it is. This shift in attitude may also be partly responsible for my enjoyment of bread now.

[w8in4dave]

I think your just too new to it!! I tried some noodles and altho they tasted pretty good, I couldn't wrap my mind around it!! I just couldn't doit!! I am a newbie also  

[karichelle]

Yes, it won't be the same as gluteny bread, no matter what. When I first went gluten-free, I bought brown rice bread and thought it was just okay, not the best, so I froze the rest of the loaf. Now, coming back to it after 5 months, it actually tastes pretty good and I like it. So I think it's just a matter of tastes changing and letting go of the "want" for something just like a gluten containing bread.

[Rowena]

Yes I agree, it could be that you've not gotten used to it yet, it tends to be an acquired taste, simply because we are so used to gluteny breads when we start eating gluten free that we expect it to be the same.  Personally, I prefer to make my own bread, because a) I know what's in it exactly because *I* put it there, breadmaking is relaxing c) most gluten-free breads come frozen (at least here they do) and freezing gluten-free bread does weird things to the bread c) I discovered the secret to making good gluten-free dough (of any sort really)  extra oil/butter and an extra egg.  (If you can have eggs)

[NJceliac]

Depending on where you live there may be better options or depending on how much you are willing to spend.  I also am not a fan of Udi's so much, it does the job.  Schar is vaccuum packed and not frozen when you buy it and I like their "sandwich bread" (not a full replacement for rye bread but good for deli sandwiches).  I think their hotdog buns are slightly better then Udi's .

There are also gluten free bakeries that will ship bread.  One is evaruths.com located in Middletown, Rhode Island.  I have had their onion dill and their whole grain bread.  They are probably the best gluten free breads I have had.  Another place is westmeadowfarm.com from Vermont.  Their bread is good.  They make something called a donut muffin that is phenomenal!  It tastes similar to a cinnamon sugar donut but in a muffin form.  This donut muffin has been enjoyed and a preferred food choice for even the non celiacs in my house.  The donut muffin may not be on their website but you can order it, comes in 3 sizes, you can call or I think email them.  There have been other gluten free bakeries I have tried that I did not like at all so they aren't all equal.

I also think the Whole Foods near us makes a decent bread called prairie bread but very dense, taste is good.  As I have experimented with different breads, I think they all end up with a sort of similar taste. 

The longer you go gluten free, I have found the less you remember about regular bread and so your taste buds aren't as discriminating, meaning you start to find that some of the gluten free products you thought were not good become "better".

And bagels will never be the same, you can't expect to find one you will like if you constantly compare it to bagels with gluten.  The best I found were a brand where you actually had to bake them in the oven for 20 minutes or so but had to eat it right away and I am sorry to say I forgot the name of the brand.  I have not tried Against the Grain bagels but heard they were decent.

Good luck in your search!

[bartfull]

Canyon Bakehous San Juan 7-Grain. Hands down, the best gluten-free bread I have ever had. Tastes similar to Rudi's but it doesn't fall apart. If you liked those multi-grain breads in the grocery stores that have all those nutty little bits in them, you will love Canyon Bakehouse. It is BETTER than the gluteny ones.

 

And if you ARE looking for a dessert, Udi's Double Chocolate Muffins are heavenly! I defy ANYONE to try one and identify it as a gluten-free product!

[karichelle]

Annie May's Sweet Cafe is a bakery that will ship gluten-free bread and buns. Their bread is delicious. Never had a bad thing from there. You can get doughnuts and cookies, mixes to make bread/pancakes/waffles/pizza at home, all homemade.

[umsami]

So, this is what has been working so far.  I decided to go back to a favorite of mine from 20 or so years ago, rice cakes.  I used to love them spread with Laughing Cow cheese or peanut butter. I've been using them for sandwiches for me and DS--and they've worked well.  I even brought some in a ziplock baggie in my purse to a hamburger joint to replace the bread.  Much more satisfying (to me) than wrapping it in lettuce.

 

Also, when I make almond flour pancakes, I make extras--and we use those as bread.  DS loves one with either peanut butter and banana or nutella spread on it.

 

I also made a recipe I found online for biscuits (I think it was from Wheat Belly) using almond flour, flax seeds, butter/coconut oil, and whipped egg whites.  They were good--but I think part of what made them good was they were fresh baked.  No idea how they'd work if I made a giant batch, and then froze/defrost them as needed.

 

I figure we'll do this for a few months and then go back and retry some gluten-free breads and see if they taste better.

[love2travel]

Not really a fan of Udi's, either. My favourites are Kinnickinnik soft bread (far larger slices than Udi's) and Glutino Genius. As Peter said, our toastes vary wildly. However, homemade is always best though it is still a distant second to gluten bread. If you want to make your own, one of the best recipes by our own Simona is posted on here. It is called Simona's Challah Bread. Good flavour, texture and crumb. Rises nicely.

[MissyBB]

I LOVE the Udi's gluten-free buns - both hot dog (good for "subs") and hamburger buns. YUMMY! They are, IMO, the best gluten-free buns I have found. But, as someone else said, just like everything in life, there is always going to be individual preferences and tastes at play. 

 

As for bread.....have you tried Glutino's Genius bread?  You can see it here:

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

I have tried both the white and grain and liked them both.

[cyclinglady]

Most frozen/commercial gluten-free bread needs to be toasted.  That's the only way we'll eat it in our house if we haven't baked it ourselves (made only one loaf so far).  We prefer to use lettuce wraps.  We carry a cheap toaster around everywhere.

[love2travel]

Most frozen/commercial gluten-free bread needs to be toasted.  That's the only way we'll eat it in our house if we haven't baked it ourselves (made only one loaf so far).  We prefer to use lettuce wraps.  We carry a cheap toaster around everywhere.

Kinnickinnik's new "soft" bread is made so it does not require toasting which is nice. Large slices, too. The buns need no toasting, either. Worth buying if you can find it. It is also lots cheaper at $4.99 CDN. But all others I tried certainly do need toasting, sometimes for 15 minutes! :-)

[Christine0125]

I like Udis but my family prefers canyon bakehouse. One idea is to try gluten-free wraps. My picky gluten-free daughter loves the wraps made by Toufayan. I have made her quesadillas and wrap sandwiches in them and she loves it. Rudi's wraps are also good but can be a bit brittle. I tried sandwich petals and thought they were jus ok... Can't remember who makes those.

[mbrookes]

I think a big key here is attitude. Gluten free bread is NOT going to be like the gluten kind. After six years gluten free, I think I have forgotten what "real" bread tastes like. Udi's suits me fine, although I do pull out some of the insides on the buns... too thick. Same with gluten free beer. If it is all you can have, it's pretty good.

[LisaRae28]

The bread is the worst part... I think I offended someone who bakes their own bread by telling her it tasted like marshmallows (which was meant as a compliment because by all means it was still the best most I had tried till then). I got used to eating things like hotdogs and hamburgers with rice and stuff like that which I kinda prefer now even tho I've gotten accustomed enough to appreciate some udis bread at least... I usually warm my white sandwich bread in the microwave just to thaw it and sprinkle some shredded cheese on it before hand so it melts in a little then I toast it for like 15 seconds turns out alright for sandwiches I just load a lot of meat and cheese on em now. Best advice for bread tho is French toast. Some breads need to be soaked longer before frying them tho. French toast is where it's at tho