Baking Bread

[wsieving]

Is it necessary to have a breadmaker that has a specific gluten-free setting? A family member gave us a bread maker today because they knew we would be making our own bread from here on out, and I didn't know whether or not we could make yummy bread with it, or if we really need one with a gluten free setting like the Cuisinart.

[Juliet]

I don't use my gluten free setting.

I make bread on a variant of Lorka's gluten free flax bread on this site using rapid rise yeast. I use the rapid rise 2 lb. loaf wheat bread setting and pull out the panel after the first kneading. It works perfect every time.

[JennyC]

If you use a bread machine, you have to make sure that it has not been previously used for gluten bread in order to avoid cross contamination. That being said, I have a bread machine with a gluten free setting and I never use that setting. My gluten-free setting only allows for 14 minutes rise time and that is definitely not enough! I think the most important qualities of a bread machine are that it has a horizontal bread pan and that you can program your own settings.

I program my machine this way:

20 min mix/knead

1 hr rise

55 min bake

[wsieving]

If you use a bread machine, you have to make sure that it has not been previously used for gluten bread in order to avoid cross contamination.

I wasn't even THINKING about this when I accepted the bread maker from our cousin... If we clean it really well will it be okay, or do we just need to get a new one?

[JennyC]

You would be safer just to buy a new one. There are lists of things that many of us just replace, and I think a bread machine is on that list for most people. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on one, just make sure you can program it and that it has a horizontal pan. Good luck, baking gluten free bread is an adventure!