The Most Delicious Home-made Gluten Free Bread I've Ever Tasted...

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I've made this bread many times in the oven, and it came out fantastic each time--I had to fight my gluten-eating kids for it!

Now that it's summer, I finally bought a bread machine so that I can have bread without heating up the house, but I couldn't find one with a gluten-free cycle at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (I had a 20% off coupon that I wanted to use, but maybe it's not worth it?).

I bought a Breadman Ultimate and I'm trying to figure out what the best method for this bread would be.

Do I just use the medium white bread setting? Or a quick rise setting? Or should I program in the exact mix and rise times that I used when making it in the conventional oven?

I don't want to make a brick!

Help???????????

[lorka150]

I have no idea about your bread machine, but for mine, I use it rarely (I have a ridiculous crush (ahem: obsession) with my mixer, so it's hard to use anything else. But I use the normal method, and pull out the paddle before the second kneading, if that helps. But I do know that all breadmachines are different, so hopefully others can shed some light, too!

You guys are the bessssssssst!

[Piesmom]

Lorka -

I wish I had read about your bread recipe earlier. I made this yesterday and my husband was giddy like a school girl! I can't tell you (but I'm sure you already know) how happy this had made my family. I just have to say thank you thank you thank you! I love that it was easy to make, doesn't fall apart and tastes great. Wow. Just like regular wheat bread.

Please tell me that you are coming out with a cookbook.

You have been a GODSEND!!!

Thanks again!

[lorka150]

Kelly, check out the link in my profile PM or email me with any questions.

[Tucson]

I printed out the recipe, but I understand that white distilled vinegar has gluten. It's made from grain. Just like Vodka.

So, whenever I have salad dressings or sauces I ask what kind of vinegar did you use???

tucson.....

[Yellow Rose]

Looking for suggestions to substitute the rice flour and cornstarch. Can't do rice or corn anything. Any suggestions? Want to make this bread and be able to eat it without reacting. Help!!!

Yellow Rose

[lorka150]

YellowRose,

When I first created the bread, I never used rice. I am allergic to it. I also use tapioca, not cornstarch.

For the main, I use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose, or a mix of amaranth, and whatever high nutrition and fibre grains I have on hand.

[Piesmom]

I printed out the recipe, but I understand that white distilled vinegar has gluten. It's made from grain. Just like Vodka.

So, whenever I have salad dressings or sauces I ask what kind of vinegar did you use???

tucson.....

Hi tucson -

Sometimes I use cider vinegar...but in this recipe I used my distilled white vinegar because it's gluten free. I'm lucky because the store I buy from (Wal-Mart) lists on their vinegar container that it is gluten-free.

I hope this helped, Good luck!

[Mango04]

I printed out the recipe, but I understand that white distilled vinegar has gluten. It's made from grain. Just like Vodka.

So, whenever I have salad dressings or sauces I ask what kind of vinegar did you use???

tucson.....

Distilled vinegar is safe for people with celiac disease.

[Juliet]

"I printed out the recipe, but I understand that white distilled vinegar has gluten. It's made from grain. Just like Vodka."

Also, vodka, and all other distilled alcohol, is safe for Celiacs, too. And vodka, in particular, was originally made from potatoes. Good Russian vodka still is.

[lonewolf]

After reading all the raves about this bread, I decided to try it. Followed the recipe exactly. It turned out horribly. It was looking great until I put it in the oven. Then it fell - probably sunk down 2-1/2 inches while it was baking. Taste was okay on the outside, but gooey and gross on the inside, just like all my failed experiments over the years. What did I do wrong? (I'd like to point out that I am a good cook and baker and homemade yeast breads used to be my specialty )

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Could your oven be malfunctioning? Do you have an oven thermometer?

What kind of yeast do you use? Quick-rise yeast does not work well with gluten-free flours. For that matter, neither do metal baking pans--do you have a glass one? Glass ones work best.

The recipe might seem a bit confusing because it calls for an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (which contains cornstarch and potato starch) AND additional corn starch and potato starch (you're not using potato flour, are you?). Could that be a factor in your flop??

Here's hoping for better baking days for you!

[DingoGirl]

Hi Liz,

sorry about your flop! I am surprised, I HATE baking/cooking, and I've made three or four loaves of this, wiht great success - even the last time I made it, accidentally doubled the xanthum gum

and it's STILL edible (though the batter was a bit like chewing gum)....

Alison has good advice - maybe you should try a different flour blend? And - - oven's okay? Don't be discouraged - it's the BEST bread, I hope you'll try it again!

[lonewolf]

Could your oven be malfunctioning? Do you have an oven thermometer?

What kind of yeast do you use? Quick-rise yeast does not work well with gluten-free flours. For that matter, neither do metal baking pans--do you have a glass one? Glass ones work best.

The recipe might seem a bit confusing because it calls for an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (which contains cornstarch and potato starch) AND additional corn starch and potato starch (you're not using potato flour, are you?). Could that be a factor in your flop??

Here's hoping for better baking days for you!

My oven is great (fairly new, bake all the time). I just got a brand new container of yeast and it's not quick rise. I did use metal baking pans. They're the ones I use for quick breads and they always turn out just fine. I'm an experienced baker - I used my "normal" gluten-free flour blend and then added the exact flours called for in the exact measurements. I do know the difference between potato starch and potato flour . I REALLY want to make some homemade yeast bread! The Pamela's mix always turns out great, but it's too sweet for my taste and I just want normal type bread. I guess I'll go back to the store and buy the different flours again - I'm out of cornstarch and bean flour now. One more try.

[JennyC]

My oven is great (fairly new, bake all the time). I just got a brand new container of yeast and it's not quick rise. I did use metal baking pans. They're the ones I use for quick breads and they always turn out just fine. I'm an experienced baker - I used my "normal" gluten-free flour blend and then added the exact flours called for in the exact measurements. I do know the difference between potato starch and potato flour . I REALLY want to make some homemade yeast bread! The Pamela's mix always turns out great, but it's too sweet for my taste and I just want normal type bread. I guess I'll go back to the store and buy the different flours again - I'm out of cornstarch and bean flour now. One more try.

I actually changed the recipe a lot to get it to work for me. I reduced the liquid to 2/3 cup. I also had trouble with it rising, so I increased the yeast to 3 tsp and instead of honey I add 3 TBSP sugar. For the bean flour I used sorghum flour and I used a mix of sorghum, rice and amaranth for the gluten free flour. While mixing it I either added water or flour until the dough formed a ball, either in the bread machine or using the dough hook. I hope this method works for you. My bread would collapse every time until I made these changes...it still tasted good though!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

The metal pans do work well for quick breads--but for some reason, they don't for yeast breads with gluten-free flours. I don't know why. This is something Annalise Roberts wrote about, and I think she had some kind of logical explanation for it, too, but I can't remember what it was. I know all my yeast gluten-free breads flopped until I bought the glass baking dish.

My oven is cantankerous, too. It works fine for quick breads, but for yeast breads and cookies, I have to turn it down by 25 degrees, and rotate the pans halfway through, too. Oh, and I subbed brown rice flour for the bean flour--don't know if that helped, too?

Your flop sounds like it might be rising too quickly?

One way or another, I'm sure everyone will figure out how to make this bread WORK for you--no more flops!!!

[2Boys4Me]

Liz,

I've never matched the success of my first loaf, but I've never had a flop. Re: the question of flours, for my bread I use:

1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour which consisted of: 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup sorghum flour and 1/4 cup tapioca starch. Then the rest as indicated in the recipe. (1/4 cup garfava flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup flaxmeal)

Laid out neatly it's this:

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup garfava flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup flaxmeal

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup potato starch

I use a medium gray metal pan, non-stick 11" x 4" that I found at Walmart for $7.

[arc]

I wanted to report on some changes we made to the original recipe that really made a difference for us. Maybe it will help someone else.

The problem with most gluten free breads is the loss of the protein. The protein helps build the structure of the bread and helps keep it from collapsing. That is why bean flours are so popular in gluten free baking - they are a higher protein flour. However, I can't stand the flavor, so we had been making this recipe with sorghum flour instead of the called for garfava flour and, while tasty, we had a lot of problems with it collapsing.

Then I came upon this Open Original Shared Link I was intrigued by the idea, so we purchased a bag of Bob's Red Mill 100% whey protein isolate. We then modified the recipe by replacing the 1 1/4 cup of flour mix with 1 cup of glutinous rice flour and the 1/4 garfava flour with 1/2 cup 100% whey protein isolate. Another change my wife made from the original recipe was to heat the (full fat) milk and honey and then add the yeast instead of adding it directly to the flour. We also use butter instead of vegetable oil.

The results were fantastic. It didn't collapse and had a very light texture. The bread isn't crumbly at all and stands up well to sandwiches as well as grilled cheese sandwiches or toast. It also stays soft all week (when it lasts that long). Here is picture of the loaf:

Bread picture (sorry for the link - the picture wouldn't show up image tagged)

My wife also make the same recipe but bake it in a 7" x 11" casserole dish. She then cuts it into squares to use as hamburger buns.

I have no idea if this would work in a bread machine of it would work without milk. The 100% whey protein doesn't contain casein or lactose but I guess it would be up to the dairy free individual if it was safe enough.

[sarad1]

Arc, your bread looks fantastic!

I just saw this post and the first few pages really made me want to try this, and then I skipped to the last page and saw that a few people have had issues with bread collapsing and now I'm scared to try it. I am a good cook, but baking is not my strong point so who knows if it will turn out and I don't want to waste the money if it is a flop....I'm a tightwad.

I haven't found a store here locally that carries most of the flours mentioned in this post, and in fact the only flours that I can find are the Bob's Red Mill flour mixtures and bread mixes or soy flour. I would love to be able to make my step son some decent bread, since all he has been eating is kinnikinnick tapioca rice bread and he's pretty sick of it.

Do you guys think that the flax has a lot to do with the texture of the bread? I was wondering if I used a Bob's bread mix for my bread machine and just added the flax to it if that would make much of a difference in texture since those bread mixes are usually so crumbly.

Just a thought...

[bakingbarb]

After reading all the raves about this bread, I decided to try it. Followed the recipe exactly. It turned out horribly. It was looking great until I put it in the oven. Then it fell - probably sunk down 2-1/2 inches while it was baking. Taste was okay on the outside, but gooey and gross on the inside, just like all my failed experiments over the years. What did I do wrong? (I'd like to point out that I am a good cook and baker and homemade yeast breads used to be my specialty )

Liz, you have helped me so much I hope I Can help you here. I never proof any gluten free bread as long as it says to. For the rise time I use HALF the time the recipe says to use. I baked wheat bread for over 25 years so I like to think I know something about baking bread! The first couple of loves gluten-free I made sunk and were squishy in the middle which is quite gorss and a waste of time and $ So from then I never let the bread dough raise as long as it states. This has worked perfect for me.

BTW I went to Portland to a gluten-free cafe....I was in heaven

AND I am perfecting my recipes for my cafe, thanks to your encouragment on the recipes! We are looking all the time for a place. Its time for me to go to the SBA and get a move on planning.

[bakingbarb]

Arc, your bread looks fantastic!

I just saw this post and the first few pages really made me want to try this, and then I skipped to the last page and saw that a few people have had issues with bread collapsing and now I'm scared to try it. I am a good cook, but baking is not my strong point so who knows if it will turn out and I don't want to waste the money if it is a flop....I'm a tightwad.

I haven't found a store here locally that carries most of the flours mentioned in this post, and in fact the only flours that I can find are the Bob's Red Mill flour mixtures and bread mixes or soy flour. I would love to be able to make my step son some decent bread, since all he has been eating is kinnikinnick tapioca rice bread and he's pretty sick of it.

Do you guys think that the flax has a lot to do with the texture of the bread? I was wondering if I used a Bob's bread mix for my bread machine and just added the flax to it if that would make much of a difference in texture since those bread mixes are usually so crumbly.

Just a thought...

I am going to test this recipe next week. I have not made this one so I will test it and see what happens. I do have a recipe from a book that I tried and I loved, it is the first bread I like so I can get that for you guys if you want.

[arc]

Arc, your bread looks fantastic!

I just saw this post and the first few pages really made me want to try this, and then I skipped to the last page and saw that a few people have had issues with bread collapsing and now I'm scared to try it. I am a good cook, but baking is not my strong point so who knows if it will turn out and I don't want to waste the money if it is a flop....I'm a tightwad.

I think most of the people that have had problems with the bread collapsing haven't been using the higher protein bean flours. If you like the flavor, the bean flour should work okay. If you don't (like me), try my variation.

As for the flours and starches, do you have an asian market near you? We don't but make a trip to a nearby city every few months to load up. You can get tapioca, potato and corn starch, as well as rice and sweet (glutinous) rice flours very cheap; usually for less than a dollar a pound.

[HiDee]

Arc, that really is a beautiful loaf of bread. I have had tons of problems with the collapsing bread, I'm definitely going to try the protein powder. Just a question, do you melt your butter for the recipe or just have it soft? Also, do you think your variation would work with sorghum flour and brown rice flour instead of sweet rice flour? Thanks for the advice.

[arc]

Arc, that really is a beautiful loaf of bread. I have had tons of problems with the collapsing bread, I'm definitely going to try the protein powder. Just a question, do you melt your butter for the recipe or just have it soft?

We melt the butter first.

Also, do you think your variation would work with sorghum flour and brown rice flour instead of sweet rice flour? Thanks for the advice.

I honestly don't know. I suspect that the sweet rice works better because it is lighter and "stickier" and binds together better (it isn't gritty at all). Brown rice flour is a denser flour (we don't use it at all) so may contribute to the collapse. I guess you could try it and let us know what happens.

One thing that I didn't mention before was that the protein powder needs to be the unflavored 100% whey protein isolate powder. The flavored kind you make shakes with probably wouldn't work very well.

[JNBunnie1]

We melt the butter first.

I honestly don't know. I suspect that the sweet rice works better because it is lighter and "stickier" and binds together better (it isn't gritty at all). Brown rice flour is a denser flour (we don't use it at all) so may contribute to the collapse. I guess you could try it and let us know what happens.

One thing that I didn't mention before was that the protein powder needs to be the unflavored 100% whey protein isolate powder. The flavored kind you make shakes with probably wouldn't work very well.

Ewwww..... strawberry bread. Blech.