Ener-G Brown Rice Loaf

[sa1937]

Today I ventured into Giant in Chambersburg and bought a loaf of this stuff (they just call it a "loaf", not bread. That should have told me something.

Anyway I was starved when I got home and decided to toast a couple of pieces and put butter on them. Yuck! Then added cinnamon and sugar for cinnamon toast. Still yuck!!! My dog didn't mind it though. lol

The only way I can even begin to imagine using this is to make bread crumbs out of it or possibly garlic bread. Or instead of just bread crumbs, Italian bread crumbs with lots of seasonings. I really can't imagine even using it for French toast.

So if anyone out here uses it, what on earth do you do to make it palatable?

I guess I got spoiled after trying the Grainless Baker's Flax Seeded Bread, which is so yummy.

[MagpieWrites]

I tried it.

Once.

And decided that if that was my only option - going without bread for the rest of my life or eating that...

No bread for me.

Frankly, it kind of puts me in mind of those green squishy foam cubes florists use. Ultimately, I ground it up and made meatballs with it - not great, but after dropping $5.49 on a single loaf I couldn't bring myself to just toss it out.

[sa1937]

Thanks for your reply! I'm glad I'm not the only one who found it to be nasty. I chewed and chewed and chewed and finally forced myself to swallow. lol

I can't imagine even using the bread crumbs in meatloaf...like why ruin the meat!

I'm also glad it wasn't the first gluten free bread I tried or I'd have probably sworn off bread forever, too.

[Black Sheep]

I totally agree with Magpie, except for the part about tossing it out! Look, here's an example of how cheap I am when it comes to expensive g.f. bread: I just finished a half of a grilled turkey and cheese sandwich, made with the last slice of my yummy home made g.f. bread. the last tiny bite of crust was a little dry, with no cheese. So rather than give it to the dog or toss it, I'm saving it for breadcrumbs.

But that rice bread....oh, that nasty, nasty bread....man, we need a "barf" emoticon here. I tried eating that c*** every which way, and it just made me think that wet cardboard combined with sand must be a lot like that bread. I couldn't even stand the thought of using it for breadcrumbs, so out it went. Yeah, it hurt to watch nearly $6 go flying out the back door (I was hoping the birds would at least eat it)....but no worse than a pound of hamburger that got forgotten in the fridge.

[Juliebove]

My daughter will eat it. Also the white rice or tapioca if that's all we can get. She likes it either toasted or zapped in the microwave for 10 seconds. But her favorite bread is the Rice Starch Loaf. I can't find that in any stores. Have to order it from them.

[sa1937]

Are white rice or tapioca breads generally tastier than brown rice? I'm new to these gluten free flours. I found the Kinnikinnick English muffins to be really delicious (I think they're made from tapioca and white rice flours), Unfortunately Giant didn't have the English muffins but they had their bagels although I'm not really a bagel fan.

The brown rice "loaf" had a really strange flavor. I can't even describe it other than to say it was just so unpalatable.

Maybe I should really make Italian bread crumbs from the brown rice loaf and make Chicken Parmesan smothered with a zesty Italian tomato sauce and lots of Mozzarella cheese.

[JNBunnie1]

I also violently dislike the Ener-G bread. But guess what it works really well for? Stuffing. It has no flavor and holds together beautifully no matter how much liquid you add, so it makes really good stuffing. For anyone that has most of a loaf they don't know what to do with... Just dice the bread cubes SMALL.

[Black Sheep]

Are white rice or tapioca breads generally tastier than brown rice?

The brown rice "loaf" had a really strange flavor. I can't even describe it other than to say it was just so unpalatable.

I make most of my own g.f. bread, and so far I haven't used any white rice flour, just brown, and the bread and pizza crust are awesome! Even my finicky husband, who is not very open to change, loves it! More than even the high-end store bought gluten breads. But I would never make a loaf of bread with just one flour! I think that would be awful, and with my luck, it would all fall apart or something. I use several different flours for each loaf; like brown rice, tapioca, cornstarch or arrowroot, millet, oat, and sorghum make up the flours in one of my breads (at least I think that's all of them.), plus xanthan gum. My guess is the Ener-G breads are so awful because their pretty much just bland old rice flour. Although I must admit I tried their tapioca hamburger buns once, and they were....edible.

[sa1937]

Thanks for the suggestion to use it for stuffing. I bet a truck could run over it and it would remain intact. lol

[sa1937]

Black Sheep, I only have one gluten free baking cookbook at the moment and every recipe I've seen calls for a blend of different flours, which I'm gradually picking up when I go shopping.

I was just referring to the Kinnikinnick English muffins that were soooo good. Not sure what else is in them but I know they contain both white rice and tapioca flours...probably others that I don't remember. I doubt anyone, gluten free or not, would not find them delicious.

[eatGF.only]

Hi sa,

A pity you shouldn't enjoy your breakfast like i do!!!!!

you should try the new Katz Gluten Free line. I buy their white, multi grain and challah bread at Alternative Eating in Scranton PA. They are Awesome!

[sa1937]

Well, eatGF, Scanton is just a wee bit too far to go for Katz breads. I'm actually just a stone's throw from Hagerstown, MD. Are their breads available elsewhere? I'll watch for that brand in the stores where I shop.

No need to feel sorry for me! I had eggs for breakfast along with two slices of Flax Seeded Bread from The Grainless Baker!!! Yum!

[Black Sheep]

I found a store about 45-50 min. from here that sells Kinnickinnick (sp?) doughnuts, and they were good, so next time I'm up that way I'll have to see if they have the English muffins.

The bread you buy in PA sounds good, too! If they don't have it here, perhaps I could get it from the i-net.

[MagpieWrites]

(I was hoping the birds would at least eat it)

What EVER did those poor little birdies do to you!

I can just picture it - the poor little things, too bloated to fly.

The meatballs turned out... edible. Just.

As it is, anymore I'm sticking to gluten-free breads I make myself. I'm this close to perfecting my gluten-free english muffin recipe. It's pretty tasty now, but I'm edging it to perfection. And considering I make it twice a week at a minimum, I have plenty of chances to work on it!

[burdee]

My husband and I tried all the varieties of Ener-G breads (loaves?). We only like corn loaf (low cal, high fiber, like a sourdough) and Seattle Brown (very close to what I remember whole wheat bread tasted like). I like Seattle Brown so much I eat the sliced loaf and the hamburger buns (which I use like English muffins) and Seattle crackers (similar to Seattle Brown). HOWEVER, all NRG breads need to be heated, toasted of microwaved to soften or improve their texture. I don't mind the extra care, because I like the convience and price of NRG breads. My husband passes the NRG Foods bakery on his way to work every day. We can also buy their breads at reduced prices at a local Fred Meyer nutrition section.

SUE

PS We don't do French toast, because we both have egg allergies. However the 'corn loaf' makes tasty garlic bread/toast.

[sunnybabi1986]

Ener-G Tapioca Loaf was the first gluten free bread I tried. The first day I went gluten free. I took one bite, spit it out and broke down in tears, sobbing. I thought all gluten free bread was going to be like that...thankfully, I was wrong! Udi's is my favorite. I don't know why my local Wal-Mart even carries it...the same loaves have been on the shelf for a year now and are going out of date, guess I'm not the only one who can't stand it!

[sa1937]

As it is, anymore I'm sticking to gluten-free breads I make myself. I'm this close to perfecting my gluten-free english muffin recipe. It's pretty tasty now, but I'm edging it to perfection. And considering I make it twice a week at a minimum, I have plenty of chances to work on it!

Magpie, how do you bake your English muffins? Like the kind of pan you use. I read somewhere of using muffin-top pans to bake hamburger buns. Hopefully you'll share you recipe with us when you've finished tweaking it.

I have yet to make my first loaf of gluten free bread even though I've had a cookbook lying open for the past week to a bread recipe by Elizabeth Barbone.

[ciavyn]

Magpie, how do you bake your English muffins? Like the kind of pan you use. I read somewhere of using muffin-top pans to bake hamburger buns. Hopefully you'll share you recipe with us when you've finished tweaking it.

I have yet to make my first loaf of gluten free bread even though I've had a cookbook lying open for the past week to a bread recipe by Elizabeth Barbone.

Yo, my PA peeps...Wegman's has all sorts of bread options, and the Healthy Grocer in Camp Hill, PA (about an hour from chambersburg) has Udi's bread now...and believe you me, it's worth the drive. I just finished my deli chicken, miracle whip, and white Udi bread sandwich. Yummy. not to mention: grilled cheese. Just savor that one from a moment. Ah....

Anyway, if you need gluten free sources around here, let me know. I can tell you what I've found so far. I live outside Carlisle, PA.

[sa1937]

Thanks, ciavyn! Right at the moment I can't see driving that far for a loaf of bread (as if I ever get out of any grocery store with only a loaf of bread). lol

I really don't eat many sandwiches and much prefer leftovers for lunch.

[MagpieWrites]

Magpie, how do you bake your English muffins? Like the kind of pan you use. I read somewhere of using muffin-top pans to bake hamburger buns. Hopefully you'll share you recipe with us when you've finished tweaking it.

I have yet to make my first loaf of gluten free bread even though I've had a cookbook lying open for the past week to a bread recipe by Elizabeth Barbone.

I make them pretty much the way I made them before celiac - its a thick batter, thicker than pancake, thinner than a muffin. After the batter rises for an hour or so, I cook them on a griddle using english muffin rings (you can use washed tuna cans that have the tops and bottoms cut out - but as those will eventually rust and can be rather sharp, I dropped the $5 a set on some rings through Amazon.) I sprinkled the griddle inside the rings with a little cornmeal and cook for 5 minutes or so and flip.

A bit more fiddly than making them in the oven - but I end up with english muffins that I tested out on some none-gluten avoiding family members... they like them better (and in some cases couldn't tell which was which) that the Thomas's English Muffins my family ate for years. Even have nooks and crannies! I am just about set with the plain - now I'm working on a parmesan/garlic, a blueberry, a cinnamon/sugar, and a sourdough!

[sa1937]

I make them pretty much the way I made them before celiac - its a thick batter, thicker than pancake, thinner than a muffin. After the batter rises for an hour or so, I cook them on a griddle using english muffin rings (you can use washed tuna cans that have the tops and bottoms cut out - but as those will eventually rust and can be rather sharp, I dropped the $5 a set on some rings through Amazon.) I sprinkled the griddle inside the rings with a little cornmeal and cook for 5 minutes or so and flip.

A bit more fiddly than making them in the oven - but I end up with english muffins that I tested out on some none-gluten avoiding family members... they like them better (and in some cases couldn't tell which was which) that the Thomas's English Muffins my family ate for years. Even have nooks and crannies! I am just about set with the plain - now I'm working on a parmesan/garlic, a blueberry, a cinnamon/sugar, and a sourdough!

Well, duh! I would never have thought of English muffin rings. Your English muffins are making my mouth water!

[eatGF.only]

The bread you buy in PA sounds good, too! If they don't have it here, perhaps I could get it from the i-net.

[Mskedi]

I also violently dislike the Ener-G bread. But guess what it works really well for? Stuffing. It has no flavor and holds together beautifully no matter how much liquid you add, so it makes really good stuffing. For anyone that has most of a loaf they don't know what to do with... Just dice the bread cubes SMALL.

I didn't have the heart to throw away all the nasty gluten-free breads I tried, so I froze them all and, for Thanksgiving, turned them into a delicious stuffing. It does seem to be the save-all use for awful bread!

Ener-G Tapioca Loaf was the first gluten free bread I tried. The first day I went gluten free. I took one bite, spit it out and broke down in tears, sobbing. I thought all gluten free bread was going to be like that...thankfully, I was wrong! Udi's is my favorite. I don't know why my local Wal-Mart even carries it...the same loaves have been on the shelf for a year now and are going out of date, guess I'm not the only one who can't stand it!

...except for that one. The Tapioca Loaf was the first one I tried, too, and that promptly went in the trash. I couldn't eat more than a biteful.

[mommida]

When you are stuck avoiding other allergens too, NRG has been a lifesaver.

You must grill or toast it. You just adjust to the taste and texture.

[sa1937]

When you are stuck avoiding other allergens too, NRG has been a lifesaver.

You must grill or toast it. You just adjust to the taste and texture.

Avoiding other allergens, too, would be a real problem. I tried toasting the Brown Rice Loaf and that didn't work. I'm not sure I could ever get used to the taste or texture. Now I'm too much of a coward to try any of their other kinds of bread.