I Tried It! Manna From Anna...

[MichelleC]

WOW!!!! Manna from Anna is SOOOOO good!! I just ordered two cases (you get free shipping with that volume). It's AWESOME!!

Thanks, all!

Michelle

[angel-jd1]

I baked a loaf of the Manna From Anna bread this weekend. It is pretty darn good. What I really like is that it can be toasted!!! I made a grilled cheese and it actually "grilled" instead of soaking up the butter! haha I also made some garlic bread for supper with the same result. It is a great product!!

-Jessica

[luvs2eat]

I just ordered some. I'm crossing everything that it's as good as y'all say!!

[luvs2eat]

Well... as soon as I received the Manna from Anna, I made some rolls and a small loaf with the first mix! It is delicious and I brought one of the rolls for lunch today to have with tuna fish!!

Eureka!!

[catfish]

This was the first gluten-free bread I had that actually gave me hope. I don't buy it much anymore, because I now have good recipes that are cheaper and at least as good. But I have not yet found a prepared mix that could compete with Manna From Anna.

[luvs2eat]

I've not had much luck with any recipes I've tried, with the exception of Bette Hagman's pizza crust in her book. I don't think I'll buy it often... I've gotten used to just doing without bread... but it's nice to know it's there!!

[kactuskandee]

Hmm, sounds good. Anyone have the link to their web site?

And as rolls were mentioned, does anyone know how you would go about making traditional looking cinnamon rolls? Since all the gluten-free bread mixes come out unlike traditional gluten bread dough, you can't roll it out and add cinnamon/sugar/butter and then roll them up and cut them....or can you? I'm lost here... have any of you experts devised a way?

Thanks,

Kandee

[catfish]

I haven't had much luck making gluten-free cinnamon rolls. The best thing I've dreamed up was only a partial success at best, but I'll describe it anyway in case someone finds a way to make it work better.

I took 1 batch of gluten-free bread dough (batter, whatever) and I spread a large spoonful onto a gluten-free spring roll wrapper. I added the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar on top of it and then rolled it up (the moisture in the batter softened the springroll wrapper enough to roll it) and then cut it into sections with a sharp knife and arranged it in a pan. I did this using several wrappers and then let the dough rise and baked the rolls.

Results;

The wrappers prevented the dough from expanding completely, and the butter/sugar mixture made the batter soggy and prevented it from firming up properly. Also, the springroll wrappers remained somewhat firm instead of dissolving away like I'd hoped. It still tasted okay, but it tasted more like baklava than cinnamon rolls.

[kactuskandee]

Catfish,

Wow, that was an interesting experiment..using spring roll wrappers....Sorry yours didn't turn out well. I'm wondering if you made the gluten-free dough stiffer with less added liquid then spread it out with on a greased surface, the added the filling goodies, then gently rolled it using wide spatulas..then cutting it quickly and transferring the rolls into a pan to let them rise... if THAT would work. Or would making the dough stiffer make the over all product tuff.

I'm sure curious if anyone has perfected a sure fire way to make cinnamon rolls. There has just got to be a way...

Oh boy, do I miss them.

(And Catfish? If I may ask, what brand of gluten-free spring roll wrappers did you use? and where did you get them?)

Kandee

[angel-jd1]

Open Original Shared Link is the Website where you can get Manna from Anna mixes.

On the cinnamon roll note. I tried to make some one time. It was a total disaster!! I tried it with bob's red mill bread mix, then spread it out and tried to make them like traditional cinnamon rolls. The "dough" stuck to EVERYTHING!! Finally got them onto a pan to bake, they didn't even taste good! haha I haven't tried since that traumatic experience. Maybe I'll try again someday.

-Jessica

[catfish]

I got the spring roll wrappers at an Asian market. It does say "Banh Trang Deo" but for all I know that might say "Spring Roll Wrappers" or it could be the actual brand name. The ingredients are simply tapioca flour, water, and salt.

I might try the experiment again sometime using some modifications, perhaps a slightly drier dough with a rice paper surface to work on rather than the egg roll wrappers. I think you need something to roll the dough in or it will just stick to everything and make a mess.

[kactuskandee]

Thanks Jessica, I finally found the link last night. One question: Does anyone use their bread maker? It's a bit pricey but if it works good with those mixes, then why not. Also, does anyone get gas by the added bean flour in the mixes. I was using Bob's Red Mill, but had to quit because the OF the bean flour.

Catfish, Thanks for the info on getting the spring roll wrappers from the Asian market. I will have to start frequenting that place. Lots and lots of gluten-free alternatives in those places, and I need to find a soba noodle that is ALL buckwheat and not the kind with added wheat I'm seeing in the regular grocery stores.

I think between all of we genius's we could certainly, somehow, someway..come up with a suitable sub for cinnamon rolls. I just had a flash. Maybe we need to rethink this and not use the traditional method of rolling them. I'm wondering if maybe putting the gluten-free dough in a pastry bag and swirling it into the shape, then put the filling in another pastry bag to pipe it into the crevices, then letting rise to bake, then glazing...if that might work. The problem is with the FORM of the dough so you have to work around that dilemma. Anymore thoughts anyone?

Kandee

[judy05]

My husband does the baking in our home. Whenever he

rolls out the pastry he puts it between waxed paper,

then lays it in the pan by peeling the pastry from the

paper.

[luvs2eat]

Well, I'm completely HOOKED on Manna from Anna!! I made a loaf on Sunday and sliced it and froze portions. I've been bringing a real honest-to-goodness SANDWICH to work every day... on TOASTED bread that doesn't crumble.

I'm in hog heaven!!!

[kactuskandee]

Luvs2eat,

Wow, if it's that good I'm going to order some...I was a bit turned off when I went to their website because the picture they had of a loaf looked like it was sunken in the center.................and we all know how disappointing that is when it does that.

Do you use their bread machine too?

Kandee

[luvs2eat]

No bread machine. I used my big mixer and a regular loaf pan. When it came out of the over, I did invert it and sort of sat it inside the loaf pan and the "puffed up" top sort of held it up... kind of like you'd do with an angel food cake.

First real sandwich I've had in more than 2 years!!

I was a tad put off when I first saw the batter... it looked like there were ANTS in it!! haha

[kactuskandee]

Hey Luvs, I use the heavy duty stand mixer and commercial weight loaf pans too. That always works the best for me. The 2 times I made a gluten-free bread mix in my bread maker it turned out like a brick. I threw it out to the birds and it was so hard the ravens took a week to peck thru it.....honest!

But you just gave me an idea to try...I think, when I bake gluten-free bread, and I take it out of the oven I'm going to invert it, but leave it in the pan and keep the loaf inside the pan by laying a knife across each end of the loaf..about an inch in from the edges...then suspend it over a large bowl...letting it cool that way. Who knows, maybe gravity will correct the "center fall" and the loaf will maintain the dome that was created in the oven..

Another way I've found to reduce the chance of a "fall" is to reduce the amount of liquid slightly.

Kandee

[luvs2eat]

Good idea about the reducing the liquid a little.

My other problem is slicing the bread uniformly... guess I'll have to break down and buy that knife on tv that you can "dial" the same thickness... haha.

Like I said before... I ate an awesome sandwich for lunch every day last week. I am in hog heaven!!!

[luvs2eat]

Oooh... I just ordered "english muffin rings" ... I'm hoping that will help make smaller uniform sandwich rolls. I am a happy camper!!

[pixiegirl]

I made this bread yesterday for the first time... My bread machine is old and has a very small loaf in it, so I dumped it all in the machine, let it mix and rise in there, then before the bake cycle I took a spoon and took some out (otherwise it would have overflowed while baking).

I took the extra and made a small loaf and baked that in the oven. Wow it all turned out so good. This is by far the best gluten-free bread I've ever had. My dog thinks so too.... I left the loaves out on the stove to cool and she jumped up and grabbed the smaller one (that was cooked in the oven) and ate the whole thing!

I didn't get any of that dough enhancer yet, I ordered some but it didn't arrive as of yet but the bread was great without it. Now where do you order those English Muffin Rings???

Susan

[luvs2eat]

I actually found the english muffin rings at amazon .com! I went to google and punched in "english muffin rings" and it sent me to amazon. i checked out some of the other sites, but the ones at amazon looked like the best deal. They should be here early next week... I'll let you know how they work out!

I'm also intrigued about the "enhancer." What's it supposed to do and where do I find that??

[pixiegirl]

Its supposed to ensure the bread doesn't get crumbly and it prolongs its freshness, its got lecithin, citric acid, and other stuff in it. I was told to get it at the Gluten free mall but they are sold out right now so I googled it, just like you did with the muffin rings.. and found some gluten-free dough enhancer at:

Open Original Shared Link

thanks for your help, Susan

[angel-jd1]

You can also find it at the Gluten Free Pantry Open Original Shared Link

Great bread bakers have always relied on dough enhancer to maker their bread lighter and fluffier. But gluten-free bakers have been excluded from that group because most dough enhancers contain gluten. Thanks to Bette Hagman, we've found a dough enhancer that helps gluten-free bakers bake velvety, moist breads with less crumble and longer shelf life. Add 1-2 tablespoons to any bread recipe. Comes in a reusable can. Needs no refrigeration.

Ingredients: whey, soy lecithin, tofu, citric acid, dry yeast, sea salt, natural spice blend, corn starch, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), natural flavor.

Hope that helps!!

-Jessica

[2new2celiacs]

I too just got the manna from anna bread mix and reluctently tried it. I made mine in an old bread maker that was passed down my way a few years back and I am not really sure how to use it other than to put it on what ever bread type I am making, so to make this short, I just did my best . OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!

I sound dramatic I know, however, I almost cried when I went to check on it during the rise cycle and saw it rising to "real bread" size! And the wonderful crust... I am so happy!

After it cooled, I slabbed a mound of butter on it and sat back and enjoyed. It truly is wonderful and in my opinion, very close to the "real thing".

[kactuskandee]

OK. you've all convinced me..I have got to order Manna from A.....TODAY.

And you say it can be used in a bread machine? Any bread machine? That sounds fantastic. Mine is OLD, and old Breadman, and the shortest cycle is 2hrs.20 minutes...but it lets it rise twice..wondering if that will be a problem.

I had such bad luck with trying the gluten-free bread in it I went to the heavy duty stand mixer, but sure would like to use the bread machine instead.

As to those English muffin rings..I got impatient and wanted them NOW..(didn't want to wait for an order from Amazon). I found a set of 6 individual mini-tartlet pans (the bottom comes out like a spring form pan) which make 4 1/4 inch tartlets. I use them to make big rolls/hamburger buns/etc. They work nicely and are non-stick...(oh yeah, got them at Bed, Bath and Beyond).

Isn't that lecithin in the dough enhancer soy?

Kandee