Homemade Bread Question

[sherrylynn]

I was going to attempt to make my first homemade bread today, and was just wondering do you have to freeze it or if you intend to use it all within a few days to a week can you leave it out in a bag. If you do freeze it, how long does it take to thaw out at room temp before you can make a sandwich.

Also, what kind of knife do you use to slice it. My mom use to have an electric knife for carving a turkey, wonder if that would work, or do you use just a big serated knife?

[sa1937]

I was going to attempt to make my first homemade bread today, and was just wondering do you have to freeze it or if you intend to use it all within a few days to a week can you leave it out in a bag. If you do freeze it, how long does it take to thaw out at room temp before you can make a sandwich.

Also, what kind of knife do you use to slice it. My mom use to have an electric knife for carving a turkey, wonder if that would work, or do you use just a big serated knife?

What kind of bread are you making? I think I read previously that you were going to try a mix. Inquiring minds want to know. I'm still trying for that *perfect* loaf. Let us know how it turns out. I'm still challenged and always searching.

Since I live alone, I slice my bread and put two slices in a cheap foldover sandwich bag and then into a larger Ziploc freezer bag to freeze it. It doesn't take long to thaw out that way or you could defrost a couple of slices at a time in the microwave.

I use a serrated bread knife to slice mine. Never thought of using an electric knife but I bet it would work. I think I still have my late Mom's electric knife. I'll have to get it out and try it...great idea!

ETA: Sometimes the bread is best toasted the second day. It seems mine is always best the day it's made.

[sherrylynn]

What kind of bread are you making? I think I read previously that you were going to try a mix. Inquiring minds want to know. I'm still trying for that *perfect* loaf. Let us know how it turns out. I'm still challenged and always searching.

Since I live alone, I slice my bread and put two slices in a cheap foldover sandwich bag and then into a larger Ziploc freezer bag to freeze it. It doesn't take long to thaw out that way or you could defrost a couple of slices at a time in the microwave.

I use a serrated bread knife to slice mine. Never thought of using an electric knife but I bet it would work. I think I still have my late Mom's electric knife. I'll have to get it out and try it...great idea!

ETA: Sometimes the bread is best toasted the second day. It seems mine is always best the day it's made.

I have a mix from gluten free pantry. Favorite sandwich bread mix. I haven't had time to go to whole foods and buy the other mixes. I want to try pamela's bread mix. I might go tomarrow to buy some. I will let you know how it turns out. I have been gluten free now for 11 days now, don't feel very different, but I know it will take some time to heal. thinking up meals every day though is exausting, Since I cannot just nuke a frozen burrito or go to McDonalds.

[WinterSong]

I slice my bread and put the entire thing in the freezer. I like it toasted, so I take it out of the freezer and put it directly into the toaster when I want it. Works great.

[Takala]

Your First Gluten Free Loaf Attempt

Q. "....was just wondering do you have to freeze it ?"

A. This will depend on how it comes out. Are you planning to pass it around the holidays, immortal, like a fruitcake ?

Q. "Can you leave it out in a bag."

A. Heavens, no! You must hide it. Otherwise, someone else will either eat it, or do unspeakable things, like lay it upon a old cutting board full of wonderbread crumbs. Just be sure you can find it again. Mark down the coordinates with the GPS system.

Q. "Also, what kind of knife do you use to slice it. My mom use to have an electric knife for carving a turkey, wonder if that would work, or do you use just a big serated knife?"

A. Chainsaw.

[sa1937]

Your First Gluten Free Loaf Attempt

Q. "....was just wondering do you have to freeze it ?"

A. This will depend on how it comes out. Are you planning to pass it around the holidays, immortal, like a fruitcake ?

Q. "Can you leave it out in a bag."

A. Heavens, no! You must hide it. Otherwise, someone else will either eat it, or do unspeakable things, like lay it upon a old cutting board full of wonderbread crumbs. Just be sure you can find it again. Mark down the coordinates with the GPS system.

Q. "Also, what kind of knife do you use to slice it. My mom use to have an electric knife for carving a turkey, wonder if that would work, or do you use just a big serated knife?"

A. Chainsaw.

Well said! I've baked a few loaves like that! :lol:

[sherrylynn]

Your First Gluten Free Loaf Attempt

Q. "....was just wondering do you have to freeze it ?"

A. This will depend on how it comes out. Are you planning to pass it around the holidays, immortal, like a fruitcake ?

Q. "Can you leave it out in a bag."

A. Heavens, no! You must hide it. Otherwise, someone else will either eat it, or do unspeakable things, like lay it upon a old cutting board full of wonderbread crumbs. Just be sure you can find it again. Mark down the coordinates with the GPS system.

Q. "Also, what kind of knife do you use to slice it. My mom use to have an electric knife for carving a turkey, wonder if that would work, or do you use just a big serated knife?"

A. Chainsaw.

Hahaha. Thank you for that, I laughed so hard I almost peed myself. Now how did you know it would turn out like that. You should have seen it. It was heavy like a brick and it had curly swirls on top kinda like meringue.

So tell me. Is there any gluten free bread that taste's like regular bread? That bread I make was yellow and tasted very funny. I am going to try it with mustard and mayo for a bologna sandwich but I don't know if I will be able to get by that taste.

[mushroom]

Now how did you know it would turn out like that. You should have seen it. It was heavy like a brick and it had curly swirls on top kinda like meringue.

Everyone's first loaf turns out like that Too get rid of the curly swirls smooth offf the top with a wet spatula.

[Takala]

Q. So tell me. Is there any gluten free bread that taste's like regular bread? That bread I make was yellow and tasted very funny. I am going to try it with mustard and mayo for a bologna sandwich but I don't know if I will be able to get by that taste.

.... And So Begins the Initiation Ritual.

A. Yes, but it will take a few months for the ways of the glutenous to fade from the memory of the taste buds.

Commercial mixes are usually made of the common ingredients that are less expensive and less likely to cause other allergic reactions, such as rice, potato, tapioca, cornstarch. But they take whole eggs and gums to replace the missing binding action of the gluten. They also need moisture, because those ingredients tend to dry out faster, but the moisture comes from fat, not water or milk. Some will bake with egg whites instead of whole eggs. Most gluten free breads tend to be heavier than standard fluffy white bread. Experimenting with mixes, or then buying a few different ingredients and seeing which ones you like better, will eventually bring you together with a recipe or a brand that works. You can make a lot of bun- in the- cups in the microwave to see which flavors you prefer.

[sa1937]

Sherry, did you buy a stand mixer? If not, that might explain the "brick" as it's pretty much impossible to mix bread enough without one. I think I tried one loaf before I bought mine. I've heard that a lot of people like the Gluten Free Pantry bread mix although I haven't tried it. I've been trying generally to bake from scratch since it's so much cheaper. I do remember trying Bob's Red Mill Wonderful Homemade Bread Mix...only problem, I did NOT find it wonderful although it rose well and was not a brick. Definitely did not like the funky taste of the flours.

Since we have to use gluten-free flours, most of the breads I've made do call for whole eggs...which I think gives it too much of an "eggy" flavor.

I think I'll attempt to bake another loaf of bread today...glutton for punishment that I am.

[IrishHeart]

Your First Gluten Free Loaf Attempt

Q. "....was just wondering do you have to freeze it ?"

A. This will depend on how it comes out. Are you planning to pass it around the holidays, immortal, like a fruitcake ?

Q. "Can you leave it out in a bag."

A. Heavens, no! You must hide it. Otherwise, someone else will either eat it, or do unspeakable things, like lay it upon a old cutting board full of wonderbread crumbs. Just be sure you can find it again. Mark down the coordinates with the GPS system.

Q. "Also, what kind of knife do you use to slice it. My mom use to have an electric knife for carving a turkey, wonder if that would work, or do you use just a big serated knife?"

A. Chainsaw.

:lol: :lol:

OMG! Thanks for that!!!!....I think I peed my pants a little......

Our first few loaves were like sponges....but now, really quite good!!

[sa1937]

Our first few loaves were like sponges....but now, really quite good!!

You keep talking about the wonderful bread your hubby makes...I think you need to post the recipe!!! :D

ETA: My first few loaves were like bricks!!!

[IrishHeart]

You keep talking about the wonderful bread your hubby makes...I think you need to post the recipe!!! :D

ETA: My first few loaves were like bricks!!!

OOps...I did not know I bragged that much about his bread (red faced) sorry...LOL

Sure, I'll be happy to post it...let me ask him what he does....and get it on here!

I just double posted by accident on here about Expandex. we tried that yesterday in a loaf and it gave me the "gluten willies" ...ever try it??

[sa1937]

OOps...I did not know I bragged that much about his bread (red faced) sorry...LOL

Sure, I'll be happy to post it...let me ask him what he does....and get it on here!

I just double posted by accident on here about Expandex. we tried that yesterday in a loaf and it gave me the "gluten willies" ...ever try it??

No, no, no...just bragging enough that I want that recipe. For those of us who are continually searching for bread recipes (ok...maybe it's just me), I am constantly wanting to try new recipes.

Do you buy Expandex or use Jules flour that already has it in? And do you have any of her cookbooks? I recently got her newest one Free For All Cooking.

[mushroom]

This loaf always turns out and it never lasts long enough to even need refrigeration (I put it in a brown paper sack and then in a plastic bag and leave on the counter).

Taken from food.com:

KALAMATA OLIVE AND ROSEMARY BREAD

1/2 cup amaranth flour *

1/4 cup garbanzo flour *

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp white rice flour

5 Tbsp teff flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

2 Tbsp flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)

3 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped roughly

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

2 whole eggs

2 eggs, whites separated from yolks

3/4 cup water, room temperature

5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Optional: Coarse sea salt crystals for crust

**I sub 3/4 cup sorghum for these flours

Preheat the oven to 200

[sa1937]

This loaf always turns out and it never lasts long enough to even need refrigeration (I put it in a brown paper sack and then in a plastic bag and leave on the counter).

Thanks! It sounds really good and I'm glad you subbed out a couple of flours. I absolutely, positively, have to stop buying flour!!!

[IrishHeart]

No, no, no...just bragging enough that I want that recipe.

Do you buy Expandex or use Jules flour that already has it in? And do you have any of her cookbooks? I recently got her newest one Free For All Cooking.

No, we bought the Expandex to try it. I do have her book Celiac Disease The First Year. It is the best book for newbies and I recommend it to anyone I meet with celiac disease.

okay, here's the recipe. Hope you like it! I'll feel bad if you think it sucks!!

Sandwich Loaf

Use a 4X4X8 HEAVY loaf pan (or it will burn). Spray it with Pam.

½ cup tapioca Flour

½ cup millet flour

1 cup white rice flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. gelatin

1 TBLS. xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp. guar gum

1 TBLS. active dry yeast

2 Eggs

¼ cup oil (we use safflower; canola is fine)

¼ cup honey

9 oz warm milk (we use rice; cow's milk is fine)

2 TBLS. lemon juice

Melted butter (optional) for the top

Add oil, eggs, and honey mix to the dry ingredients and then add milk.

Beat for 3 minutes in mixer and transfer to loaf pan.

Let rise 75 minutes in 90-100 degree oven. ( or near the woodstove)

Remove from oven and preheat to 400.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then lower temperature to 365 degrees for another 40 minutes.

(optional) Brush top of loaf with melted butter.

Turn loaf out of pan onto rack. We were told by a gluten-free baker to alternately turn it on each side, bottom and top to cool....every 20 minutes or so.... to keep it from collapsing in the middle.... and that worked!!

Let cool completely before cutting it.

It stays well in a ziploc for a few days.

The reason we finally liked THIS recipe was because it did not crumble into a gazillion pieces when we bit into it...I hate when that happens.

[sreese68]

If you want a mix, my kids tell me that King Arthur bread mix made a good loaf of bread. It worked out fine and was my first bread to make. (I get stomach pain from eating brown rice, so I couldn't eat it the bread myself since there's brown rice flour in it.) My kids are very picky, so I was thrilled that it worked! I also found the customer service at King Arthur to be very helpful the two times I called them.

[sa1937]

Thanks, IrishHeart! Surprise, surprise...I have all the ingredients for the bread. How unusual. I actually was turning the loaf I made today thinking that the sides might not collapse (they did some). I definitely need to up the oven temp as I've been pretty well following the directions for the recipe I use. I recently bought a nice 9x4x4" loaf pan from King Arthur Flour...supposedly it helps maintain the structure of gluten-free bread with the 4" sides. It's a heavy loaf pan.

Sreese, normally I make my own mixes but I have an order coming from King Arthur that's supposed to be delivered tomorrow. Includes their bread mix and a box of their gluten-free all-purpose flour. I was so disgusted last Sat. when I ordered it out of desperation. I want to see how their mix works in contrast to the not-so-good loaf I made last weekend using a recipe from their website.

[IrishHeart]

I recently bought a nice 9x4x4" loaf pan from King Arthur Flour...supposedly it helps maintain the structure of gluten-free bread with the 4" sides. It's a heavy loaf pan.

Oh good! Hubby just said...did you tell her to use a HEAVY pan?? LOL Or it will burn (I'll go back and edit that into the recipe)

Okay, happy baking!!