Baked Goods Issue

[Aelfwine]

My husband has recently been diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, subsequently I am now making our own breads etc. The issue im having is that, despite following all the recipes exactly, the bread all have a cake like quality, and not like bread at all. Does anyone have any tips? I know that the bread will never be the same as store bought wheat bread, but any tips are most welcome. 

[cyclinglady]

I'm still new to celiac disease and I've made lots of cookies, cakes and muffins that don't require yeast over the past 12 years (hubby is gluten-free longer). Plan on trying it someday, but the frozen bread is good enough for my hubby and I don't even crave sandwiches (prefer lettuce wraps). I'm hoping some of the bakers will come forward to help you.

[lpellegr]

You're right that the texture is different, and you will probably never find any gluten-free bread with the texture of typical commercial gluten bread.  Gluten-free baking takes a lot of experimentation to find what you like, and eventually you will get used to this type of bread or decide that you can live without it.  For myself, I find that I just don't like the bread enough to bother with it on a regular basis, although I often bake it just to make crumbs and have the rare sandwich.  Try different recipes.  There are books such as "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread" with a lot of recipes, and of course online.  One of the best I have found is Ginger Lemon Girl's Favorite Sandwich Bread Open Original Shared Link but it does have a lot of ingredients and it still doesn't have that "bread" texture.  You can leave out the Sure-Jel.

 

You may find that you are better off (and save money) finding substitutes for bread - wrap sandwich fillings in corn tortillas or eat them plain, eat leftovers instead of sandwiches for lunch, make pancakes to use as bread.  Keep trying new recipes, and make them more than once, because many times it takes subtle adjustments to figure out how much water to use, whether to lower the temperature, how long to leave it in the oven.  If a loaf doesn't come out good, cube it up, dry it in the oven at 250, and crush the cubes for crumbs or saute them with seasoning for croutons.  I hope your husband is aware of how lucky he is to have someone willing to put this kind of time and effort into keeping him happy and healthy!

[pricklypear1971]

Are you baking from a mix or recipe?

In the beginning I found mixes easier and I learned a lot by trying different ones.

Also, I found gluten-free bread bakes better in small loaf pans - instead of one big loaf I made 3-4. It rises better and improved texture, IMO.

I'm one of those that opted for less bread, to be honest. I just couldn't get along with gluten-free bread. Lately, I've found Canyon Bakehouse hamburger buns to be very good and the Schar brand of rolls, rye type deli bread and white bread to be decent if I want a sandwich.

Otherwise, I use corn tortillas in place of flour tortillas and have cultivated my gluten-free cracker selection to replace pita bread, etc. I find "real" food substitutes (something not developed to be gluten-free but is normally gluten-free like corn tortillas) to be a much better way to work in my breads than trying to locate or bake gluten-free breads I find palatable.

[Aelfwine]

Hey guys, 

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. My husband is still really craving the white sandwich bread, so I shall persevere. Should I find anything that works I will let you all know. We have been trying the tortillas and next to try is the hamburger buns. Thanks for the brand suggestions, we shall try and see 

[GottaSki]

Hey guys, 

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. My husband is still really craving the white sandwich bread, so I shall persevere. Should I find anything that works I will let you all know. We have been trying the tortillas and next to try is the hamburger buns. Thanks for the brand suggestions, we shall try and see 

 

Nothing is the same as white gluten-filled sandwich bread...but we think Glutino's Genius White is pretty darn good.  Canyon Bakehouse's Mountain White is very good...but not really white.  We use Udi's too -- better toasted.

 

We made our own for quite a long while....but never got bread that kept well and got tired of trying to keep up with hungry teens

[love2travel]

Hey guys, 

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. My husband is still craving the white sandwich bread, so I shall persevere. Should I find anything that works I will let you all know. We have been trying the tortillas and next to try is the hamburger buns. Thanks for the brand suggestions, we shall try and see 

I do a ton of bread baking and have posted some recipes here. One of the best is a recipe by one of our members. Search for Simonella's challah bread. My laptop died last night with all my saved recipes. It will be heartbreaking if my hard drive is lost.

[GottaSki]

I do a ton of bread baking and have posted some recipes here. One of the best is a recipe by one of our members. Search for Simonella's challah bread. My laptop died last night with all my saved recipes. It will be heartbreaking if my hard drive is lost.

 

Even if your laptop is not repairable...you can have the hard drive pulled and copied onto a new one....I do hope it is an easy repair...none of us want you to lose your recipes!!!

[Aelfwine]

I searched for Simonella's challah bread but couldnt find it. Im not using mixes at the moment, just recipes on the internet. Just made a multigrain bread and this seems to be a bit better then the white bread. 

[love2travel]

Even if your laptop is not repairable...you can have the hard drive pulled and copied onto a new one....I do hope it is an easy repair...none of us want you to lose your recipes!!!

Yes, I have done that before but this time there is also something very wrong with my hard drive, too. :-( Stupid dumb laptop. Am using my tablet which means slower/less typing. I keep my life on my laptop practically. Sad how I rely on it!!!

[GottaSki]

I searched for Simonella's challah bread but couldnt find it. Im not using mixes at the moment, just recipes on the internet. Just made a multigrain bread and this seems to be a bit better then the white bread. 

 

Here you go:

 

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/94916-best-bread-recipe/?p=811764

[frieze]

Yes, I have done that before but this time there is also something very wrong with my hard drive, too. :-( Stupid dumb laptop. Am using my tablet which means slower/less typing. I keep my life on my laptop practically. Sad how I rely on it!!!!

Back up...back up....back up!

[julissa]

Thanks for the link to her bread and challah recipes, just what I was looking for

[GottaSki]

Thanks for the link to her bread and challah recipes, just what I was looking for

 

You are welcome...I've been meaning to find them again for some time....this time I bookmarked the post

[love2travel]

Here you go:

 

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/94916-best-bread-recipe/?p=811764

Sorry, Simona. Must have been dreaming of Salmonella!!!

I am making this bread again today. You actually form it rather than spoon or scoop the dough.

[love2travel]

Would someone please let me know how much tapioca starch and arrowroot are required in this recipe? My tablet shows a blank where the amounts should be. Thanks!

[GottaSki]

Sorry, Simona. Must have been dreaming of Salmonella!!!

I am making this bread again today. You actually form it rather than spoon or scoop the dough.

 

I just came to look for those myself....Simona must have used a character for these measurements that didn't transfer properly after the big forum upgrade of '12!

 

Anyone else have a hard copy of this recipe floating around?

 

I'll PM Simona -- not sure if she is still hanging about.

[Simona19]

I have fixed my recipe in the original post and I copied everything in this one. I hope, it will help you. 

 

Simona's braided Challah
(Gluten and casein free)

Ingredients:

3 cups white rice flour
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
3 Tbsp. Xanthan gum
1 teaspoon Baking soda (I used measuring spoons)
1 Tbsp. of sugar
1 Tbsp. of salt  (I elevated this just now from 1 teaspoon to 1 Tbsp.The challah will taste better.)

3 cups of warm vanilla rice milk
2 rapid yeast packets
3 Tbsp. of sugar, for sweeter version add 2 more Tbsp.

4 large eggs
1 egg white
1 stick of Fleishman margarine in room temperature, not melted

Egg wash:
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. or sugar
1 Tbsp. of rice milk

Direction:

1. Mix yeast, sugar and warm milk together and let it rise for about 15-20 minutes.

2. Put all dry ingredient in stand mixer. Add proofed yeast, eggs, and egg white. Mix for 3 minutes on low and 2- 3 minutes on high.

3. Place waxed paper on 10x15 baking sheet. Take a bigger cutting board and spread some oil (vegetable, canola) over. Divide dough on 6-8 pieces. Put some oil on yours hands, the same way like you do with lotion. Take one peace of dough, make ball and roll it into braid long about 6-7 inches. Repeat it three times. Take this braids and braid them together. Place them on baking pan.
If you work with 8 pieces, make second row of the Challah the same way as first. For the third row of Challah use only two pieces.



If you work with 6 pieces, then make second row with two braids and the first with one (like letter S).
When you work with braids, always have oily hands. Don't be afraid to use oil. Nothing will happen to dough.
This part is messy and little complicated, but it can be done.

4. Let it rise for 40-50 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F.
6. Mix 1 egg yolk, sugar and milk and spread this mixture with brush over Challah. Bake it for 50-60 minutes.



7. Mix 3 Tbsp. of sugar and 2 Tbsp. of water and spread it over Challah after you take it out.
Enjoy! This Challah tastes like the real think. It's very good and very soft for 3-4 days.



OR

I bough round porcelain dish for pies. It's 2 inch deep and have 9 inches in diameter. I used it the second time when I baked this Challah.
I divided dough 6 times. I braided three braids together and placed them in one half of the pie pan. I repeated this with other three braids.



I let it rise for 1 hour and baked on 350 F for 50 minutes. After I took it out, I spread the sugary water over the top of Challah.  From my experience its better, if you divide dough in half and bake two loafs at once.   

 

[Simona19]

I just came to look for those myself....Simona must have used a character for these measurements that didn't transfer properly after the big forum upgrade of '12!

 

Anyone else have a hard copy of this recipe floating around?

 

I'll PM Simona -- not sure if she is still hanging about.

I'm still here, but busy with my job and health problems, so most of the time, I will just read posts. But, I'm still baking and making new recipes. From the beginning I made a lot of bread crumbs, but now I have a shortage of them.

[GottaSki]

I'm still here, but busy with my job and health problems, so most of the time, I will just read posts. But, I'm still baking and making new recipes. From the beginning I made a lot of bread crumbs, but now I have a shortage of them.

 

Great to see you!

 

Thanks for re-posting your recipe

 

Hope your health improves and the job isn't too stressful.

[love2travel]

I'm still here, but busy with my job and health problems, so most of the time, I will just read posts. But, I'm still baking and making new recipes. From the beginning I made a lot of bread crumbs, but now I have a shortage of them.

So glad to hear from you but am sad to hear of your health problems.

Will make this tomorrow. Thanks for posting this. I had a copy as I have made it since but misplaced it. It still remains my favourite!! You are very good.

[Simona19]

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/85650-gluten-free-sandwich-bread/ This is one recipe that is pretty close to sandwich bread. Again I fixed the amounts at the end.