Breads & Rolls

[maximoo]

hello: I am the mother of newly dxd teens age 13 & 16. Can anyone tell me of any good tasting sandwich bread or rolls at a reasonable price? I live near a Whole Food market & one small (12oz) loaf of bread is $5.00 ! I was afraid to buy it for fear the kids wouldn't like it. I believe it was made with spelt (?)

I am the worlds worst cook so baking bread would be a monumental challenge. Please anyone--advise!

[GFreeMO]

Honestly, reasonable priced gluten free bread is kind of hard to find. The best tasting bread is Udi's bread. It is expensive and small. It's the closest gluten free bread that comes close to "real" bread. I make biscuits out of the gluten free Bisquick and store them in the freezer. It's much cheaper. I hope that you find something that you like. Another thing that works for sandwiches are Mission corn tortillas, they can be used to make wraps.

I don't think that spelt is safe for us. I do not believe that it is gluten free!

[Monael]

Have you tried rice cakes? I was never interesting in even trying them but after going gluten free, I tried them and they taste pretty good. I put mayo, lunch meat and a bit of cheese on top. Combined with a salad or other veggies, it has been my go-to lunch when I don't have left overs.

Also, corn tortillas are another great option. You can put cheese in between them and cook them for a tasty treat. Or make enchiladas, those are super yummy and versatile. Or tacos! Either soft tacos or fried.

I have been afraid to buy the gluten free breads because the ones I have found are super expensive and they feel so heavy! I don't think I would like them and at that price I just have to pass. I do like the Bob's Red Mill pancake mix. So I can have some nice breakfasts on the weekends.

Otherwise, I just don't bother. I know it is hard for teens especially. My son is scared I won't buy hamburger buns, etc because I can't eat them. (I haven't stopped). If he had to go gluten free it would be a struggle. Hopefully they will like the rice cakes, and corn tortillas. There are also some nice corn bread mixes and gluten free Bisquick with very easy instructions. Plus you can order some gluten free pizza crusts that a lot of people like and add their favorite toppings.

[psawyer]

Welcome to the board.

Spelt is closely related to wheat, and is actually higher in gluten content per gram than wheat.

Gluten-free baked goods are expensive, but a gluten-free diet can be focussed on what you CAN eat.

[eatmeat4good]

My teen went gluten free 7 months ago. I thought I'd go broke buying Udi's. I wanted him to eat and feel normal. Surprised me when several weeks into it he no longer reached for the bread. It has dwindled down to nothing. We keep one loaf for a treat now and then, but it lasts us 2 months for one loaf of bread.

He announced he didn't really want it anymore and I didn't argue. We have decided that the gluten was addicting and sandwiches are a habit. Once you eat real food, you no longer depend on the breads so much.

Yes, it was indispensible in the beginning, but now we don't need it.

Same with pasta's...just a treat whereas before it was a need.

Udi's is the only one worth the try if you ask me.

[Takala]

You may be the self proclaimed "world's worst cook" right now, but you must be good at other things, and if you apply yourself the same way to minimalist food preparation procedure, you should be able to come up with something edible gluten free.

I would suggest that you google "gluten free xxxx health food store" with xxxx = the name of your town, and it should pull up some vendors. Go to one of these places and pick up a package or two of gluten free baking mixes that makes a loaf of bread, that you just add egg and water or milk to it. Follow the directions on the package. Gluten free breads tend to bake at slightly lower temperatures for longer times, sometimes in smaller pans that regular wheat breads, to get the best result. Always test the bread not only by touching the top to see if it springs back, but by sticking a butter knife into it and seeing if the knife comes out clean - if not, put the bread back in the oven and continue baking for 5 to 10 minute intervals, until the knife does come out clean, without that sticky stuff on it. If more people would do this, there would be fewer gummy brick results.

When you make your own bread it will be denser and taste much better than the store bought. Unless you are using certain gluten free ingredients, typical rice/tapioca based gluten free breads go stale more quickly than regular breads, and will need to be frozen for long term storage.

There are two types of gluten free flours which tend to not mold as quickly and can make bread that can be stored in the refrigerator, one is almond meal and the other is amaranth flour. I have stored quick breads leavened with vinegar and baking soda, made with almond meal and some amaranth, using olive oil for the fat, for as long as a week in the refrigerator.

You may want to try a bun-in-the-the- cup microwave recipe. These are very easy quickbreads that can be quickly assembled in a ramekin or cereal bowl, then are baked in the microwave for a minute and a half or two, and it makes a soft, moist bun that serves one to two, depending on the size. These things are almost foolproof once you get the hang of them. They are especially good because they are fresh and the flour mixture can be customized - most of us tend to have at least one other food intolerance we discover after we have gone gluten free, and sometimes it is a common ingredient. Othertimes it is a matter of taste. You can measure out several at once and make your own pre- mixes to store in ziplock baggies. I would think that something like a Pamela's Gluten Free flour blend would work in this, also.

Recipe directions here, scroll down:

[maximoo]

Thanks for the ideas. This morning I was in the market & stood in front of the Mission corn tortillas & wasn't sure which to get--the white corn or yellow corn. Well I decided on the yellow corn & when I tasted them--well they are nasty! Does anybody know if the white corn taste any better?

[hannahp57]

I would say if you have picky eaters for teens dont try to jump right into a lot of baked goods until they have had a few weeks off of gluten products. at first you try gluten free products with the idea of comparing to the gluteny stuff. if you arent thinking about how they compare to the gluteny stuff the gluten free stuff tastes better. its not the same so it wont be comparable but it can taste good still. udi's bread is good. but i prefer to bake gluten free pantry's favorite sandwich bread or italian bread as a loaf. it lasts longer and i like the texture. gluten free pantry also has (in my opinion and my gluten eating husband's opinion) the BEST brownies ever. its a mix and i add an extra egg to make them more cake-like and oh my gosh you teens will be in heaven

[GlutenFreeManna]

Thanks for the ideas. This morning I was in the market & stood in front of the Mission corn tortillas & wasn't sure which to get--the white corn or yellow corn. Well I decided on the yellow corn & when I tasted them--well they are nasty! Does anybody know if the white corn taste any better?

I buy Mission Corn tortillas (both yellow and white) and I like them, however they must be heated in the oven or microwave to be used for tacos. They make decent enchiladas (make sure any enchilada sauce you buy is gluten-free), quesadillas and taquitos. One thing you can try to make them edible for you or your teens is to make some chips out of them. I brush them with olive olive (any oil would work), add seasoning salt or kosher salt and cut into triangles with a pizza cutter. Then bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Watch them carefully the last few minutes so they don't burn. Eat with salsa or guacamole or bean dip or queso dip or hummus or whatever other gluten-free dip you like. Warm out of the oven they remind me of chips at a Mexican restaurant.

[sb2178]

Yeah, corn tortillas are supposed to be eaten warm or cooked in a sauce. I'd have to be pretty hungry to eat them cold. If you're concerned about school lunches, some parent's have gotten their kids' access to a microwave at school (teacher's lounge?) via the whole disability plan.

I'd also get a rice cooker. It's almost fool-proof, and you can chop sandwich type ingredients to mix in as a sort of rice salad. Really. Imagine chopped lettuce and tomato, with mustard and mayo, mixed into brown rice and diced turkey breast. Spring rolls are also pretty good.

Rudi's is actually better than Udi's. But, I'd work on getting them to eat corn tortillas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rice. Baked potatoes are pretty good cold, and sweet potatoes are pretty awesome.

[maximoo]

the problem with the mission corn tortillas is that they break apart & they taste like crumbly cardboard! we tried both white & yellow versions. Yuck, yuck, yuck!

Also bit the bullet & bought udis hamburger rolls. They cost more than the hamburger meat!!! 4 rolls in a pack @ $4.50! The taste is ok but they are too thick. They should be thinner. I feel bad hollowing them b/c of how much they cost! : /

And I bought a box of kinnckinnick pizza crusts. 4 in a box for $9!!!

They were very bland! Not worth the price at all!

can anybody tell me how to make a good pizza crust--be gentle Remember I am the worlds worst cook! : )

[sa1937]

the problem with the mission corn tortillas is that they break apart & they taste like crumbly cardboard! we tried both white & yellow versions. Yuck, yuck, yuck!

Also bit the bullet & bought udis hamburger rolls. They cost more than the hamburger meat!!! 4 rolls in a pack @ $4.50! The taste is ok but they are too thick. They should be thinner. I feel bad hollowing them b/c of how much they cost! : /

And I bought a box of kinnckinnick pizza crusts. 4 in a box for $9!!!

They were very bland! Not worth the price at all!

can anybody tell me how to make a good pizza crust--be gentle Remember I am the worlds worst cook! : )

Did you heat the Mission corn tortillas for a bit (wrapped in a damp paper towel)? That does help them roll.

I used this recipe for pizza last weekend from Jules Shepard and thought it was pretty good. Open Original Shared Link Cute video, too.

I do have her flour but you can make your own mix. I googled and found this for nearly normal flour, which is what I suspect her flour is based on: Open Original Shared Link This is a pretty bland crust but is a whole lot cheaper to make.

ETA: For some reason there's a problem with my link to Jules Shepard's blog. Open Original Shared Link Try this and do a search for Pizza

[love2travel]

Did you heat the Mission corn tortillas for a bit (wrapped in a damp paper towel)? That does help them roll.

I used this recipe for pizza last weekend from Jules Shepard and thought it was pretty good. Open Original Shared Link Cute video, too.

I do have her flour but you can make your own mix. I googled and found this for nearly normal flour, which is what I suspect her flour is based on: Open Original Shared Link This is a pretty bland crust but is a whole lot cheaper to make.

I add lots of herbs and seasoning to homemade pizza crust for extra flavour.

[love2travel]

the problem with the mission corn tortillas is that they break apart & they taste like crumbly cardboard! we tried both white & yellow versions. Yuck, yuck, yuck!

Also bit the bullet & bought udis hamburger rolls. They cost more than the hamburger meat!!! 4 rolls in a pack @ $4.50! The taste is ok but they are too thick. They should be thinner. I feel bad hollowing them b/c of how much they cost! : /

And I bought a box of kinnckinnick pizza crusts. 4 in a box for $9!!!

They were very bland! Not worth the price at all!

can anybody tell me how to make a good pizza crust--be gentle Remember I am the worlds worst cook! : )

The hotdog buns at our store are $8.49 for 4! No way - that's $2.12 each!!! Insanity. I agree - the Kinnikinnick pizza crusts just plain SUCK. No matter how yummy the sauce you make it cannot disguise eating drywall! I make my own pizza - much better than purchased ones I've bought. Will post recipes. In addition to homemade sauce I swirl in some pesto.

[sa1937]

I add lots of herbs and seasoning to homemade pizza crust for extra flavour.

The recipe calls for oregano and garlic. And I also saut

[psawyer]

ETA: For some reason there's a problem with my link to Jules Shepard's blog.

It is a common problem when trying to paste a link.

Browsers abbreviate long urls when displaying them. The clue to this is three consecutive periods (i.e. an ellipsis) in the middle of the displayed url. If you click on it, it works, so do that, copy the url from the address bar, and then go back to paste in the complete url from your clipboard.

[love2travel]

The recipe calls for oregano and garlic. And I also saut

[sa1937]

Oh, yes, it does! I forgot. There are several crust recipes that do no require any seasoning or herbs - talk about dull, drab, bland and odious! Oh, and I like to add Parmesan to the crust, too.

I'll have to add some Parmesan to the crust, which I haven't tried yet. All-in-all, I thought the pizza was pretty good. And sometimes I add more Italian seasonings after I've prebaked the crust. Since I already made it once and liked it, I need to double the recipe and stash a prebaked crust in the freezer.

[Judy3]

hello: I am the mother of newly dxd teens age 13 & 16. Can anyone tell me of any good tasting sandwich bread or rolls at a reasonable price? I live near a Whole Food market & one small (12oz) loaf of bread is $5.00 ! I was afraid to buy it for fear the kids wouldn't like it. I believe it was made with spelt (?)

I am the worlds worst cook so baking bread would be a monumental challenge. Please anyone--advise!

Spelt is not gluten free, it is a wheat product. I don't care for many of the gluten free breads but I do think that Udi's white is ok for sandwiches as well as Kinnicinick Hamburger Buns. The buns are about $5.00 for 5 of them but at $1.00 a piece that's not bad but with two teens.. hmmm might want to try and make your own buns, rolls, etc. I haven't had much luck with making my own breads yet... still trying though!

[luvs2eat]

Time to learn a new skill! Baking gluten-free bread isn't hard. All you have to do is follow the directions on the mix! gluten-free Pantry's is pretty good, as is Bob's Red Mill. My personal fave is Pamela's bread mix. I make it all the time... either in a loaf pan or on parchment paper or a Silpat for rolls... I just scoop out the bread dough (which is really more like thick cake batter) and whirl 'em round w/ my spatula into a round. The kids themselves might enjoy the challenge!

Lots of peeps here use breadmakers, which would take a lot of the guesswork out of it.

The only thing I really miss is a good, soft hotdog roll. We live so rurally, there is no Udi's here and certainly not fresh (as opposed to frozen) rolls. My daughter actually sent me photos of her awesome looking hotdogs in Udi's fresh rolls.