First Loaf Of Bread

[Rachel--24]

I've had pretty good luck with baking muffins, cookies and cakes so far. Today I thought I'd try a bread. First, I'm no Betty Crocker and I just kind of throw stuff together. I have to substitute dairy, eggs and soy also. I followed one of the recipes from the Betty H. bread book (sort-of). The bread came out totally hard on top and really sticky in the middle. I'm still eating it as I type but its not what I was dreaming about at all.

Looking at the directions again I see that I overcooked it....by alot. Obviously that would make the top hard but not sure if that would cause the inside to be gummy. Anyways, if someone could give me an easy "cant go wrong" bread recipe that would be great. I think I need something really simple to start with but something that I can also be proud of.

I'm just gonna put this mishap behind me and try again.

[AmandaD]

Rachel - Do you use a breadmaker or just standard oven?

I make loaves of Montina bread and they come out excellent - but I could only do it in a breadmaker....

[lonewolf]

Wish I could be more of a help, but the only advice I can offer is to try the gluten-free Pantry French Bread and Pizza mix, substitute for the eggs and bake them in muffin tins for "rolls". They turn out better with eggs, but they're edible without. I think the best egg-free ones were using plain gelatin and Ener-G egg replacer. I've been trying this for 10 years and haven't had a good loaf of bread in all that time without eggs.

[Rachel--24]

I've been trying this for 10 years and haven't had a good loaf of bread in all that time without eggs.

Bummer.

Amanda,

I don't have a bread machine. Bummer.

This isnt looking good....I guess I'll have to buy more of the ener-g rice bread.

[lonewolf]

This isnt looking good....I guess I'll have to buy more of the ener-g rice bread.

Sadly, I'm to the point where I wonder why people think the Ener-g rice bread tastes bad. It tastes good to me after all these years. Especially grilled with garlic butter!

[AmandaD]

Rachel - If you would ever consider investing in a bread machine, go for it...

I have one - (I actually got it as a gift) and it has saved me gazillions of bucks on pre-made bread. (I have a family of 5 I cook for and we don't allow regular bread in the house...just the kind I make)...It tastes delicious and if you were ever to get a machine, email me. I've got some really good, easy recipes.

[Rachel--24]

Amanda,

Is it really that much better making it with the machine as oppossed to the oven? I dont know anything about this stuff. Can it still turn out good if I'm dairy and egg free?

My birthday is coming so I could ask for a breadmaker but I only want one if the bread is gonna be fluffy and moist...in other words better than the Ener-G rice bread I buy. I'm not complaining about the ener-g stuff because I do like it but if I can make something better I'd be pretty darn happy.

[lorka150]

Rachel, I have a recipe for a gluten-free/df bread that I've made every time with success. I am sure you could use egg replacer instead of the eggs. It has the instructions for bread machine, but also loaf pans... I've only done bread machine, but if you want to give it a try, I can post it for you.

[Rachel--24]

Rachel, I have a recipe for a gluten-free/df bread that I've made every time with success. I am sure you could use egg replacer instead of the eggs. It has the instructions for bread machine, but also loaf pans... I've only done bread machine, but if you want to give it a try, I can post it for you.

OK...I'm thinking about the bread maker so if you dont mind could you post the recipe for it? Is the bread maker a good investment? Do you have good success with it? Any particular brand you reccommend?

[lorka150]

Hi Rachel

I know that Cuisinart just came out with one that has a Gluten Free setting, however, I have a Black and Decker that I paid only about 70$ for, and it works great.

I think it's a good investment, as you can also use it to knead ANY dough. It also saves time, as I do all my own baking.

Mix together 1 1/4 c. water, 3/4 c. eggwhites (or alternative), 3 tbsp. veg oil, 4 tbsp. honey, 1 1/2 c. flour (I've used bean or rice), 2/3 c. cornstarch, 1/4 c. walnuts (optional... sometimes I use flax instead), 1 tbsp. xanthan, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast. After I mix it all, I add tapioca flour and random cereals (if I want) to get desired bread consistency.

Put in bread machine. Press "quick".

[Rachel--24]

Thanks Lorka,

Sounds really easy....I'm gonna start looking into the bread machines. For some reason (even though I know zip about this) I had always thought the bread makers didnt work well and that it was better to just use the oven. Apparantly I was wrong...thats cool that they have a setting for gluten-free breads too.

[awesomeame]

i have a bread maker but never use it. it's a black & decker and seems to work well though in any case. easier just to go to the store and spend the $0.99 on a loaf of rice bread....consistancy is always the same, and it's always available

--matt

[AmandaD]

Rachel - Get a breadmaker. And then use egg replacer - for dairy free bread I usually replace it with almond milk...I'm slowly getting over my lactose intolerance so I'm starting to put milk in stuff again.

Ask for it from your parents, if you can. I'm 30 with my own kids and husband - and I asked for a big KitchenAid mixer and they came through...

I figured it was the least mom and dad could do for giving me this d&*(@! Celiac gene.

P.S. I really think the consistency and smell is soooo much better in my homemade breads...

[Guest nini]

i have a bread maker but never use it. it's a black & decker and seems to work well though in any case. easier just to go to the store and spend the $0.99 on a loaf of rice bread....consistancy is always the same, and it's always available

--matt

where on earth did you find rice bread at $0.99 a loaf??? the cheapest I've found it for is at least $4.00

[Rachel--24]

where on earth did you find rice bread at $0.99 a loaf??? the cheapest I've found it for is at least $4.00

Yeah really. The Ener-g bread I just bought last night was $4.79 and I've never seen anything under $4.

Rachel - Get a breadmaker. And then use egg replacer - for dairy free bread I usually replace it with almond milk...I'm slowly getting over my lactose intolerance so I'm starting to put milk in stuff again.

I think I'm gonna get one. I'm gonna go look at them and see what kind I want. I'm all about convenience...do you think its much easier to use a breadmaker? Do the loaves come out soft? I miss soft bread. All the stuff I buy is refrigerated and hard.

Thats great that you're starting to tolerate milk again!

[AmandaD]

Yes - they come out soft - which was huge for me. When I was first diagnosed my doc sent me to the house of the support group leader here and she actually showed me the bread she made and also had me taste it right out of the bread maker. It was like "okay, i can live with this condition."

i have an old breadman that i use and i make all gluten-free bread on the quick, white cycle...but if I were you i'd invest in the one with the gluten free cycle on it...it may also have a longer paddle inside which is good because our bread is very thick compared to traditional wheat stuff.

Yeah really. The Ener-g bread I just bought last night was $4.79 and I've never seen anything under $4.

I think I'm gonna get one. I'm gonna go look at them and see what kind I want. I'm all about convenience...do you think its much easier to use a breadmaker? Do the loaves come out soft? I miss soft bread. All the stuff I buy is refrigerated and hard.

Thats great that you're starting to tolerate milk again!

[penguin]

I have the fabled cuisinart breadmaker with the gluten-free setting. I've only made one loaf of gluten-free bread, but I had to scrape down the sides in the middle of it and I had to take it out of the machine 10 minutes early because it was already burned! On the light setting! You just have to watch it.

I had it like, a month before dx, so I made gluteny bread in it a few times and the crust always came out excessively crunchy. Go for a breadman or something. I haven't tried since that first loaf, because the bread ate the paddle and DH threw out the bread, and thus, the paddle.

I will say that it rose beautifully, however, although a bit uneven.

[awesomeame]

where on earth did you find rice bread at $0.99 a loaf??? the cheapest I've found it for is at least $4.00

omg i'm such an idiot. i just went and checked the receipt again and seems i didn't read straight across my bad, i'm soooooo sorry for the confusion everyone i'm paying $5.49/loaf i never realized this stuff was so expensive, i eat 2-3 loaves a week once again, sorry about my fu*k up

--matt

p.s. i shop at zehrs.

[lorka150]

if i re-call, you are from kitchener? where do you shop?

[Lollie]

Rachel- I'll throw in my two cents- I love my bread maker! I use it all the time. It only took me about a week of that frozen stuff to decide I could make it myself, cheaper and better! I wish I had a good recipe to share with you but my favorite has eggs and sour cream. If you want it anyway, maybe you have good substitutes, I would be happy to post it for you! It really tastes like real bread, and I make it by hand and bake it. I make rolls with it. And it is really easy- I just throw it all together.

Good luck! And by the way- I have found that potato starch used instead of flour helps the texture immensely!

Lollie

[penguin]

Rachel- I'll throw in my two cents- I love my bread maker! I use it all the time. It only took me about a week of that frozen stuff to decide I could make it myself, cheaper and better! I wish I had a good recipe to share with you but my favorite has eggs and sour cream. If you want it anyway, maybe you have good substitutes, I would be happy to post it for you! It really tastes like real bread, and I make it by hand and bake it. I make rolls with it. And it is really easy- I just throw it all together.

OK, so I'm not Rachel, but I'd like that recipe, if you wouldn't mind posting it

[Lollie]

Here you go! I hope this works out as well for you as it did for me! I'm making another batch tonight!

4 tbsp shortening (I used butter softened)

3 tbsp honey

2 eggs

1 packet of yeast

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup potato starch

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tsp xanthan gum

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine all ingredients

3. Mix well to remove all lumps. (I have a Kitchen Aid and used the bread hook, but I don't think it's necessary)

4. The dough will be quite wet

5. Wet hands to handle dough

6. Take about a fourth cup of dough and shape into balls

7. Drop into greased baking tin

8. Bake 18-20 minutes, until tooth pick comes out clean!

Note: I used a greased cupcake tin and made 3 little balls, so they looked like clover leaf rolls! I don't know how long mine took to bake as it was Easter and there was alot of things baking at the same time! I think these are the most like a "regular" roll I've found. I'm going to try and let them rise for about 15 minutes and see if they will be lighter if I do that!

Please post and let me know if you try them and if you had success, or if you make changes, ect....

Lollie

[awesomeame]

hey lollie, i just made your bread!!! is it ever goooooood! mmmm, mmm!!

i let it stand 5mins before baking, cut the salt to 1/2 tsp (next time i'll cut it out entirely i think) used tofutti dairy free sour cream, and was about 1/4cup short on the corn starch. also i made it in a 5x9 loaf pan instead of rolls, took 20mins, but is a bit wet, which i think can be attributed to being short on the corn starch. tastes great in any case! i'm curious how it's going to taste for tomorrow's grilled cheese sandwich at breakfast.

btw i have a kitchenaid as well and just used the "normal" mixing attachment. cranked it up to "6" no problems.

--matt

damnit, the ends are baked, but i just cut a 2nd slice and the center isn't done at all back in the oven with this thang

--matt

urgh, ok, total baking time for a 5x9 loaf pan is 45mins @350*F. top is burned to a crisp, but still tasty. this recipe is definitely for rolls-smaller portions will be baked through and not be burned! tastes great in any case

[Lollie]

hey lollie, i just made your bread!!! is it ever goooooood! mmmm, mmm!!

i let it stand 5mins before baking, cut the salt to 1/2 tsp (next time i'll cut it out entirely i think) used tofutti dairy free sour cream, and was about 1/4cup short on the corn starch. also i made it in a 5x9 loaf pan instead of rolls, took 20mins, but is a bit wet, which i think can be attributed to being short on the corn starch. tastes great in any case! i'm curious how it's going to taste for tomorrow's grilled cheese sandwich at breakfast.

btw i have a kitchenaid as well and just used the "normal" mixing attachment. cranked it up to "6" no problems.

--matt

damnit, the ends are baked, but i just cut a 2nd slice and the center isn't done at all back in the oven with this thang

--matt

urgh, ok, total baking time for a 5x9 loaf pan is 45mins @350*F. top is burned to a crisp, but still tasty. this recipe is definitely for rolls-smaller portions will be baked through and not be burned! tastes great in any case

I'm so glad you gave it a try! I thought it was really yummy myself! I'm going to try to make it in my jumbo muffin tins as a "bun"! We'll see! I thought it took it a while to bake yesterday, but like I said, I was so busy trying to cook Easter dinner.....I didn't keep up with any of the timing. I just kept checking in on them! They were really easy, huh!? I thought it was really weird how easy they were to make. Up until this January, I had always made my bread from scratch, but it was alot of kneading and rising and timing. This wasn't like that at all!

Glad you liked them!

Lollie

[Cheri A]

I have thrown out a lot of bricks too. I recently found a recipe that my dd likes a lot. It is easily converted to dairy free and bakes in the oven.

Liz ~ did you ever try this recipe?

Sorghum Bread

- This recipe was developed by Bette Hagman for Twin Valley Mills, LLC.

For other recipes using sorghum flour, check out Bette’s book

THE GLUTEN-FREE GOURMET BAKES BREAD.

1 cup sorghum flour

2/3 cup tapioca flour

2/3 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1/3 cup dry milk powder or nondairy substitute* ( I use Vance's Dari Free)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast granules

2 eggs (I use 1 1/2T water, 1 1/2T oil, 2 tsp. baking powder)

1/2 teaspoon dough enhancer or vinegar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup lukewarm water (more or less)

Grease an 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" loaf pan and dust with rice flour.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

In the mixing bowl of a heavy duty mixer, whisk the eggs, dough enhancer and oil. Add most of the water holding back about 3 tablespoons to add as needed. Turn mixer to low and add the flour mix a little at a time. The mix should be the consistency of cake batter. Add the remaining water a little at a time to achieve this texture. Turn mixer to high and beat for 3 1/2 minutes. Spoon into the prepared pan, cover and let rise in a warm place about 35 minutes for rapid rising yeast; 60 or so minutes for regular yeast or until dough reaches the top of the pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes in a 400° oven, covering after 10 minutes with aluminum foil.

Turn out immediately to cool. For a softer crust rub immediately with butter or margarine. Cool before slicing.

* Bette wrote, "I used the adult drink powder Ensure as my nondairy substitute and it turned out very well. The extra flavor and vanilla in the powder made the best tasting bread."