Tried My First Rice Bread

[stitchy woman]

I bought a loaf of light rice bread and tried a few slices last night. I haven't bought a new toaster yet, so I just made PB&J straight on it, and first of all, the stuff didn't absorb into the bread. When I went to eat it, it had the consistency of dessicated sand castle, and about the same taste. Is that normal for bread off the shelf in a "normal" grocery store vs. a specialty bakery or natural foods store?

I realize I'm still adjusting and possibly mourning the old lifestyle, but that was really a let down. And, ideas what to do with the rest of the loaf? Sorry, don't remember the brand.

[gfmolly]

I bought a loaf of light rice bread and tried a few slices last night. I haven't bought a new toaster yet, so I just made PB&J straight on it, and first of all, the stuff didn't absorb into the bread.

All gluten free breads taste better toasted or heated up. That might help a bit. My favorite brand of storebought gluten-free bread is Kinnikinic brand Italian tapocia rice bread. It is a change!

Terri

[Guest Doll]

You are not alone! I also am not a fan of the vast majority of premade gluten-free "bread" products. NEVER eat them untoasted! Yuck! I'm sure everyone else here can give you some great ideas if you are willing to make your own gluten-free bread. Homemade bread seems to be a lot better, but not everyone is able to go this route.

If you are looking for a great premade bread, I like (and I am picky), Glutino Cornbread. Toasted and with mayo and mustard, it makes a sandwich taste decent! Actually GOOD!

Good luck!

[CarlaB]

Toast it ... or make grilled cheese. These hideous breads make better grilled cheese sandwiches than normal bread.

I must say, you develop a taste for it. I have a gluten intolerance secondary to another illness that I'm finally coming out of. I've been gluten-free completely since Dec. 2005 and at one point was sensitive to the slightest crumb of gluten. Now that I'm recovering from this other illness (actually illnesses), my sensitivity is letting up. In fact, since I do not have celiac disease, I challenged gluten a couple weeks ago (more than once) and had no reaction at all to it.

So, I recently had a real cheese coney. I had missed them terribly since I live in Cincinnati and they are part of the local cuisine. I must say, the regular bun tasted very strange, had a weird texture, and was not at all what I remembered it to be.

Rice is so much better for you than wheat ... once you get off the bad stuff, you develop a taste for the healthier. An example is, if you get off sugar, then eventually fruit tastes better than candy. It's the same for this bread.

So, I continue along eating gluten-free even though I don't need to anymore. It's a choice for me. My non-gluten-free children prefer it ... they even prefer this bread you mention over regular bread. Obviously, if a non-celiac like me has a sensitivity to gluten when I'm sick, then gluten must be bad for everyone ... healthy people can tolerate it better because their immune systems are not as overworked, but it stresses everyone.

Hang in there, it gets easier. I can truly say, I prefer it ... in the beginning I hated it and found it impossible and now I do it by choice.

[Phyllis28]

My favorite rice breads are Rice Almond or Kinnikinic white bread, however I do eat either one on a regular basis. I can eat them cold but they are better heated. I personally prefer to put sandwich fixings on a rice cake open face style.

For a tuna melt (tuna and cheese), I heat in a soft corn tortilla and eat like a taco.

[jerseyangel]

I haven't tried a ready-made gluten-free bread that tasted good untoasted. If you have a Whole Foods nearby, their Gluten Free Bakeshop Sandwich Bread and their Cinnamon Raisin Bread are very good.

I can't eat pre-made breads anymore because I'm sensitive to a lot of the ingredients they use. I eat The Gluten Free Pantry French Bread. It's really good--I bake a loaf, let it cool, slice, and freeze. It is even good untoasted--I used it for an almond butter and jam sandwich over the weekend, and it was fantastic.

I baked a loaf this past Sunday--when my husbvand walked in, he said it smelled like a bakery in here!

[mftnchn]

I don't have a choice to buy bread where I live. Making my own was discouraging at first. Weird taste, weird texture, didn't raise well, etc.

But eventually we found recipes that work well. We do one now in the bread machine that none-gluten-free people really like and can't tell isn't regular bread, especially when toasted. They are really surprised when I tell them it is gluten-free.

I agree that it gets better, there is such a steep learning curve.

[imsohungry]

Oh, bless your heart. I hope you weren't like me and bought Ener-G bread as your first gluten-free bread.

Although Ener-G does have some good products, most of us (note I did not say all of us), think Ener-G breads make a better brick than bread.

Like others have suggested, Kinnikinnick, Chebe, etc. make good pre-made bread or mixes.

And for heaven's sake, toast that bread you bought like other's suggested...toasting it will help it taste a little better.

I experiment with recipes, and now have several recipes that I make well. You'll find what works for you.

Hang in there! It is a challenge to cope with the change in the beginning.

-Julie

[Darn210]

If you decide you are not going to finish that loaf and try another brand. Then use it for bread crumbs. I'm sure you noticed that the loaf was pricey and small compared to what you were used to - well, gluten-free bread crumbs are pricey, too. I had a recipe that called for stove top stuffing on top. When I converted it to gluten-free, I used my gluten-free bread crumbs (from my attempts at baking my own gluten-free bread) and seasoned them as my substitute for the stuffing.

Also, on the homemade stuff, you do need to slice it thinner - the bread is denser even if you make it yourself. If you slice too thick, you ratio of bread to sandwich fixin's is off.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Although Ener-G does have some good products, most of us (note I did not say all of us), think Ener-G breads make a better brick than bread.

-Julie

Except they're too dry and crumbly to make a decent brick!!!

However,if you mix it with water and let it dry, it might make good cement...

[ravenwoodglass]

I have to vote with Kinnikinnick premade loaves. They are well worth the trouble to order on line if you have to. Make sure you try a package of the pizza crust to. They seem much like what I remember as gluten bread.

Most of our breads are par-baked, the best way I have found is to nuke them until they are warm then you can let them cool for cold sandwiches or toast. I found this was the only way to make the Ener-g bread eatable. Microwaving improved the texture a lot.

[ravenwoodglass]

Except they're too dry and crumbly to make a decent brick!!!

However,if you mix it with water and let it dry, it might make good cement...

I bet that would work with a little gorilla glue added. Coat it with sealer and make a walk way.

[mamaw]

IF you up to the price order from Everybody Eats baguettes & crusty dinner rolls, these are to die for but pricey....

Anna's bread mix is wonderful..... Some other greats are :against the grain breads,the grainless baker: & almost all ned to be heated up first to make tnem editable...

You also can try the toasta bags so you don't need to but an extra toaster....

whole foods has several good breads but remember to put a piece of paper between the slices before freezing any bread because none of it seems to come apart easily after freezing. At times I use a table knife & a small hammer to get the bread apart!!!!!!!!!!

Joan's gfgreatbakes has the cream of the crop for bagels & eng. muffins...

mamaw

[justanotherday]

I'm new to the gluten-free diet (diagnosed in June '07) but once I tasted the gluten-free bread, I basically gave it up! I do intend to try some of the above-mentioned brands though. And I will start to bake my own. But right now I'm doing the basics... fruit, vegies, basic meats... probably where everyone starts. And honestly, it's fine. Unless I take my kids through the drive-through at In-N-Out... then I want to cry! But I appreciate everyone here and their input, especially since I'm a newbie. I'm learning so much here about brands I can buy. It's definitely overwhelming at first. My first trip to Whole Foods left me in tears. Now it's no biggie. For me, I had to realize that for us celiacs, food is for survival now. I find enjoyment in the other aspects of my life and don't worry so much about "enjoying" my food. I do, don't get me wrong. But the foods I loved before my diagnosis are just foods.

The best thing about my diagnosis is that it finally gave me the answer that I'd been looking for for so very long. And even though the diet is a pain in the butt, it is SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than the way I felt before that if I have to give up the "enjoyment" in food, I'll find my "enjoyment" elsewhere... like in feeling like a healthy person again!!!

Thank you to the veteran members/celiacs who share with us who are newly diagnosed. You make a life-changing diagnosis a lot more tolerable. And I mean that.

[loraleena]

Try Bread from Anna mixes. You make it yourself, but you don't need to heat it. Usually just toast or microwave for a few seconds. Food For life makes a great brown rice wrap that you warm in the toaster and then can make wraps and burritos.

[kbtoyssni]

I like the bread recipes in "The Gluten Free Gourmet" cookbook. The french bread one is delicious and works great for fondue.

[stitchy woman]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies. It made me feel better about not being the "only one", similar as what I have felt about having this food intolerance, and finding this forum. I will make note of the brands, and my copies of some of the gluten-free cookbooks have arrived, and so I imagine my lot with bread will get better. I was such a carbivore before, and so it is really taking some adjusting.

OK, so I won't toss the remainder of the loaf, or use it for skeet shooting. Good point about using as bread crumbs or stuffing.

You know, you folks have covered every topic so well, that as a newbie I find it hard to pose a question that hasn't been covered hundreds of times. For instance, I did a search on roux, and found all kinds of stuff. I'm hoping to make a gumbo this weekend, and will also try making some gluten-free dinner rolls or muffins.

Thanks very much, all!

[celiac-mommy]

If you can get your hands on it, Angeline's white bread is some of the best bread I've ever had--it tastes like 'real' homemade white bread. You can find it fairly easily if you live in Oregon or SW Washington since the bakery is in Oregon, but you can order it online--but you'll pay a mint in shipping costs. It's almost worth it to taste it once

[Guest thatchickali]

Ener-G bread is awful. It might be what you had because nothing absorbs into it. I use "Food For Life White Rice Bread" and after toasting my mayo melts into it a little bit and it's pretty tolerable.

I baked my own "Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread" and I didn't tell my (non-celiac) boyfriend it was gluten-free and served it to him with butter during dinner and he said he loved it and had no idea.

I just decided to get a bread maker, make my own from that mix and freeze it.

[Guest j_mommy]

www.sillyyakbakery.com

www.grandmaferdons.com

Both have great bread!!!! Silly Yak's shipping is cheaper and they have a yummy garlic chedder bread!

[hathor]

Try Bread from Anna mixes. You make it yourself, but you don't need to heat it. Usually just toast or microwave for a few seconds. Food For life makes a great brown rice wrap that you warm in the toaster and then can make wraps and burritos.

I agree with both these suggestions. Bread from Anna is nice because it doesn't have the other things I can't have, which many other gluten-free breads do. Of course, EnerG bread doesn't either, but it is awful. I ended up feeding it to the birds or squirrels. Well, some desperate critters ate it all.

Which reminds me, do NOT NOT NOT get Holgrain rice crackers. They taste like styrofoam. Virtually inedible even if you spread them with yummy things. I put them out for the animals ... and the animals did NOT eat them. They sat there for weeks and didn't even biodegrade when they were rained on.

I really shake my head when I go to my favorite grocery store and see shelf space wasted on these things. I've told them orally what I think they should carry but it hasn't clicked yet. I think I'm going to write with my wish list (and tell them what to drop). They probably only sell these awful things once to each newly diagnosed person who comes in and that's it

[libbyann]

Gluten-free breads? BLLEECCCCHHH! Horrible. With that said, however, I did find Bob's Red Mill gluten-free Bread Mix at my local Kroger, and it's pretty good. Very eggy flavor, if you like that. Not too hard to make. It makes acceptable sandwiches without having to toast it first. If you're making bread from scratch, I like Bette Hagman's ideas in her gluten-free cookbooks, to use a combination of flours. It works a lot better.

[stargazer]

I haven't found a prepackaged gluten free bread that I like! I like the homemade bread much better. Try baking your own.

[Darn210]

Which reminds me, do NOT NOT NOT get Holgrain rice crackers. They taste like styrofoam. Virtually inedible even if you spread them with yummy things. I put them out for the animals ... and the animals did NOT eat them. They sat there for weeks and didn't even biodegrade when they were rained on.

Oh My!!! I couldn't agree more!!! I'm just happy that I only bought one box - I had two in the cart 'cause they were on sale and then I figured we better just see if we like them first . . . my impression was that it both looked and tasted like cardboard.

[stitchy woman]

I'm making all kinds of scribbly notes. I used to bake a lot of bread and was even given a bread maker, but then got lazy since DH is not into bread, and eventually gave away the bread maker. I may have to buy a newer, better one, or I can do it from scratch....not that hard with a good recipe. Thanks for the web site suggestions, and what to stay away from.....it was Ener-G Rice bread that I first bought. Once I got my dedicated toaster, it wasn't too bad for cinnamon toast.

I could use less bread and carbs overall, so maybe I will get into a routine of baking just once or twice a month. It's also fun to do in winter months.