Sandwiches

[ZatKat]

I'm in France right now. And, I have found lots of gluten free products in the stores... however, the breads are tiny. No way the slices are big enough to make a sandwich. I took some bread with my lunch one day and when i went to eat it, it was all crumbled into tiny pieces. Is this the case with all gluten free brands? I'll be moving back to the US in a few months, are there any breads you recommend for sandwiches.. (either in the US or in France)or, have a recipe for bread that you use on sandwiches. I really just want a sandwich and havent been able to find normal sized bread slices!

[jkmunchkin]

I'm in France right now. And, I have found lots of gluten free products in the stores... however, the breads are tiny. No way the slices are big enough to make a sandwich. I took some bread with my lunch one day and when i went to eat it, it was all crumbled into tiny pieces. Is this the case with all gluten free brands? I'll be moving back to the US in a few months, are there any breads you recommend for sandwiches.. (either in the US or in France)or, have a recipe for bread that you use on sandwiches. I really just want a sandwich and havent been able to find normal sized bread slices!

I don't have any suggestions for France, but in the US I love the bread by The Grainless Baker. It is slightly smaller than "normal" bread, but I eat sandwiches on it all the time; and it doesn't crumble. My favorite for sandwiches is the mock rye, and I like the cinnamon raisin bread for snack or breakfast.

They also have the BEST graham crackers.

[blueeyedmanda]

I second the Grainless Baker bread, by far the best I have found It is very good, especially when toasted.

[Guest digmom1014]

I love Sami's Millet bread at Earthfare. I'm in NC but, I have seen it in other states. It doesn't crumble or taste like drywall!

Sarah

[njbeachbum]

Add a third fan of the grainless baker sandwich bread (though I'll need to try the mock rye). i also just tried the Kinnikinnick sandwich bread this week and it's quite good also! neither brand crumbles and actually the kinnikinnick is a tiny bit bigger.

i also like baking my own bread

[Takala]

I have this visual image of dozens of these micro loaves coming out of ze beeg french ovens on a paddle.... and the puzzled person watching says to the baker, "Porquoi are ze loaves so small ?" and the baker says, "I couldn't find ze wheat this morning !"

I don't think the French are into "sandwiches" the way we are using square loaves sliced up, more of they would use a roll, croissant, baquette (little bitty french bread hoagie bun) baked individually, maybe then sliced in half, or used a long narrow crusty french bread torn into pieces and dipped in olive oil as a side dish.

From what you are describing it sounds like commercially made rice/tapioca bread here in the states, which is an interesting substance that is rumored to be edible once toasted but then is just toasted tan colored styrofoam, and has motivated more people to attempt to learn home baking than any other gluten free food item ever created.

If you try to toast the french version, remember to do it under a broiler or in the pan because you need a clean dedicated toaster because of crumb contamination from wheat bread. This will not fix the problem that the end result is sized for hobbits but it will then allegedly crumble less.

Yes it is possible to bake gluten free bread that is not only "bread- like" in consistancy but even has taste that is not bad, even good, using different flour blends and binders. The Bette Hagman recipe for yogurt quick bread without yeast and her "4 bean flour blend" works well even when tinkered with, and the "Lorka's Flax bread, aka "the best tasting" is also good in the yeast raised style. The 4 bean flour doesn't actually HAVE 4 beans flours in it, but it has one or two small amounts of bean flour added as protein, which makes the whole mixture behave better as a bread flour when baked. See this thread which links to those discussion threads: Open Original Shared Link

[ZatKat]

Thanks everyone!

Yeah, the French eat more sandwiches I think than anyone on the planet, but they are on baguettes.. I did see some gluten free baguettes that I think you bring home and bake but I haven't tried them yet. I may do that this week.. its soooo expensive though!

The sandwich bread you buy in the store, the ones that are called "American sandwich bread"... the slices are HUGE, like twice the size of our bread. Which makes it really weird to see it next to the tiny little ones in the gluten free section.

I will def. try the Grainless Baker... is that in the regular supermarket, or is that in say Trader Joe's and Whole Foods?

I'll also try toasting the bread and see what happens! I don't have a toaster here.. so I'll be good with the broiler setting. :-)

And.. that is the most beautiful cat ever!

anway, thanks guys!