Flatbread Dilemma

[Marilyn R]

Last week I packed a lunch, as always. I decided I just could not eat another salad! I was done. So I went to a local restaurant that advertises gluten-free food. I asked some questions and ended up ordering a wrap made with millet & flax seed. I ordered hummus served with the same flatbread. I ate the entire wrap and most of the bread served with the hummus. (Yep, pigged out.)

That bread was so good that I was sure I was going to be sick the next day. I mentioned that to the waitress and she told me not to worry, they have some people with celiac disease that eat there nearly everyday.

I'm always been very sensitive, or at least thought I was, but I haven't been sick at all, and that meal was five days ago. (Well, I had a bit of C, but that isn't how my symptoms normally present, mostly neuro & D.)

Today I returned to the restaurant/small grocery/gas station to see if I could buy the bread. They have five freezers and I couldn't find the Millet & Flax Lavosh, so I went to the food counter. The server told me that they have to keep it in the back so that it doesn't sell out.

I bought the bread. My dilemma is that it states "contains traces of wheat or gluten" after the safe ingredient list.

I don't buy items that are cooked on shared lines. That bread was so good and my DP loved it, even though he's not gluten-free.

So do I eat the bread once a week as a treat or give it to DP?

I gorged on the bread, it was really flipping good. What would you do? (I was already dreaming of wraps made with smoked chicken and tahini and romaine and cucumber or pickle). It was soft, pliable, tasty. It was made by Tami's bakery in Tampa. There's a website, but it's really slow.

[Bubba's Mom]

I dunno? Maybe the *possibilty* of the bread containing gluten was just a CYA type thing? If you're sensitive and didn't get any symptoms of being cc it might be fine for you to eat it? I guess I'd go back and ask questions about why it's labeled that way?

Sure is a bummer to find a product you really like and now you're not sure about whether or not it's safe.

[jststric]

WOW, what I'd give for some great flatbread like that! You state you are normally pretty sensitive to cross-contaminations. But you are having no problems with it at the moment? I would go ahead and enjoy it as long as you can. I SUSPECT if you are like me....there may come a time when it WILL bother you. Perhaps that's because when I find something I love like that and its kinda iffy....I REALLY enjoy it....overly, lol. You should tell them to MARKET THAT STUFF!!! They'd make a mint from all of US!! : )

[GlutenFreeManna]

I bought the bread. My dilemma is that it states "contains traces of wheat or gluten" after the safe ingredient list.

"Contains traces of gluten" is WAY different than "MAY contain traces of gluten". I would write to them for clarification on whether they are actually putting small amounts of gluten in it and calling it gluten-free or if that is a processing risk statement. You may be able to enjoy it on occaision without incident but if it really has small amounts of gltuen in it those small amounts could add up. You may end up sick from eating it several times in the same week. If it truely has traces of gltuen in it I would not risk it. However if it's just a cc risk and you can find out their cleaning procedures that would make a difference. I'm super sensitive but there are a few products with cc risks that I chance eating about once a month or so (i.e. Lays potato chips or some brands of corn chips). Bottom line: I would get as informed as possible about your level of risk and then make a decision.

[mamaw]

I never heard of Tami's Bakery but I do know of Sami's bakery in Fl...and they make Flax & mIllet breads..is this who you are talking about?

Another site just posted about their products.maybe Trish T hompson or maybe ever Scott on here would know...... I'm drawing a blank as to who did the article. I didn't even read it because I don't use their products sorry I can't be of more help.......

[Twinklestars]

I would email or ring the company and find out whether there is actually gluten in it or whether it's a cross contamination risk as well. Even gluten you don't react to can be damaging for a celiac. I wouldn't eat it if they actually put gluten in it. I hope it really is gluten free for you!!

[Marilyn R]

Thanks for all your good advice. I probably shuold not eat that bread, it really was too good to be true. I've made some decent flatbread on my own, but it wasn't pliable and had to be served hot off the grill.

Mamaw, you are correct, it is Sami's not Tami's bakery. They produce wheat breads too.

I'll give them a call tomorrow, but I suspect they will say since it's produced and baked in the same bakery that produces wheat breads (baked in a brick oven), they have to say it contains traces of wheat. I got stuck on their slow web site. They had a gluten-free line up on their search engine, even a millet and flax seed pizza crust.

The funny thing is I have never wanted to cheat. I'm ok with this diet. That's probably because anytime I've made a mistake I've been smacked, and I've been very careful.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Thanks for all your good advice. I probably shuold not eat that bread, it really was too good to be true. I've made some decent flatbread on my own, but it wasn't pliable and had to be served hot off the grill.

Mamaw, you are correct, it is Sami's not Tami's bakery. They produce wheat breads too.

I'll give them a call tomorrow, but I suspect they will say since it's produced and baked in the same bakery that produces wheat breads (baked in a brick oven), they have to say it contains traces of wheat. I got stuck on their slow web site. They had a gluten-free line up on their search engine, even a millet and flax seed pizza crust.

The funny thing is I have never wanted to cheat. I'm ok with this diet. That's probably because anytime I've made a mistake I've been smacked, and I've been very careful.

I wonder if it would be possible to figure out the recipe for their bread based on the ingredients they use? Some posters here reverse engineered Udi's bread a while back to try to replicate it. If you want to try, just make a new post with the ingredients listed and we can start experimenting

[eatmeat4good]

Glutenfreemanna, that is a great idea.

At first I was soooo happy for you Marilyn...

Then I wanted to order some for myself....

Then I started thinking oh crap that isn't safe no matter how good it was if it has trace gluten in it.

But if we make it...hmmm...

I will be watching with interest.

[love2travel]

Focaccia dough can work well as flatbread. I also have a gluten-free Naan bread recipe somewhere...

Rather than mourn a product I cannot have, I try to find a way to make it gluten-free myself. There are just some things that still evade, though.

[eatmeat4good]

Well then, it sounds like we need a Flatbread Thread!

I would love to know how other's make flatbread.

I have only made Besan (Garbanzo Bean flour) Flattbread.

Recipes?

Or should I start a new thread?

I figure it is a "flatbread dilemma" for all of us right?

[love2travel]

Well then, it sounds like we need a Flatbread Thread!

I would love to know how other's make flatbread.

I have only made Besan (Garbanzo Bean flour) Flattbread.

Recipes?

Or should I start a new thread?

I figure it is a "flatbread dilemma" for all of us right?

Yes - why don't you start a new thread? Will look up some of my recipes and post 'em. Sometimes you just gotta have flatbread!

[GlutenFreeManna]

Well then, it sounds like we need a Flatbread Thread!

I would love to know how other's make flatbread.

I have only made Besan (Garbanzo Bean flour) Flattbread.

Recipes?

Or should I start a new thread?

I figure it is a "flatbread dilemma" for all of us right?

Start a new thread! I'm always looking for ideas. I make chickpea flour flat bread as well but that's about it (Beside corn tortillas and panackes). I like simple recipes, lol! I haven't really branched out in my making of flat breads. I would love one that makes grood wraps.

[Marilyn R]

Ok, I should switch to to the cooking forum but here are the ingredients:

Millet flour, brown rice flour, ground flax seed,salt, non aluminum baking powder, cultured brown rice flour and ascorbic acid.

The website is www.samisbakery,com. They claim hand made and brick oven baked. I wouldn't even question it but I get sick for three days with cc, & this bread didn't make me sick, even though I was worried enough about it to make me sick! You all know that self-fulfilling prophesy, right?

I've searched the web for recipes and found a few that looked like a right PIA with all kinds of ingredients and flours, and the poster said that their bread didn't get cooked in the middle right.

This was before I bought the bread. Now it's sitting in my freezer, but I have some other options. I am done with salads for awhile though.

[kareng]

I think I would ask them why it says that "contains " nonsense. Some companies seen confused & it might be OK. It might mean to them that they don't test for gluten but there isn't any. Or they could be really confused & you can't trust that they know which way is up.

Do start a new thread. Or look for one of the old threads on the baking section and add to it. I know we have had some. There was a flatbread on Lidia's cooking show the other day. I'll get it tomorrow to add to your ideas. I think I posted a recipe from the KC Star newspaper for a flat bread awhile back.

[Marilyn R]

I'm just reading my post and wondering how you can make bread without some form of fat and/or liquid. That's impossible, even with flatbread.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I'm just reading my post and wondering how you can make bread without some form of fat and/or liquid. That's impossible, even with flatbread.

If that's the whole ingredient list then I would assume they also add water and just don't list it as an ingredient. That is a little strange however!

[GlutenFreeManna]

Ok, I should switch to to the cooking forum but here are the ingredients:

Millet flour, brown rice flour, ground flax seed,salt, non aluminum baking powder, cultured brown rice flour and ascorbic acid.

I'm also wonderign what they mean by "cultured brown rice flour"? Is that flour that has been soaked or something? Perhaps that's where the moisture comes from?

ETA: Okay I googled and that IS what it means. The flat bread is essentially a sourdough. Here's a step-by step for making cultured brown rice flour: Open Original Shared Link

A cup of that plus the other ingredients would probably make up the bread without adding extra water.

[Marilyn R]

I was wondering about that cultured brown rice flour too. Love your inquirying mind...thanks for posting

[Takala]

Sami's -They are not a gluten free bakery. Look again. They do a lot of wheat mixtures, low carb and millet and flax stuff, for people wanting more fiber and fewer calories in their bread.

That flatbread item on their website is not listed as gluten free on its product description page, it just says millet and flax lavash

Open Original Shared Link

That pizza crust made of millet & flax on the homepage is the same way, it's not listed as gluten free: Open Original Shared Link

when I searched "gluten free" at that website it only pulled up gluten-free blueberry, banana muffins and almond and chocolate biscotti and some brownies.

I would be mightilly annoyed if a restaurant served that to me as a gluten free item. Baked goods are always riskier than other items because of the potential for cross contamination or using unsourced or untested ingredients. If they were serving it as a 'eat at own risk,' I would understand, and might, depending on research, decide if it was or was not acceptable to take the risk, but this is the type of situation that really messes it up for the more sensitive. That bakery, with all that low carb high fiber flax stuff, seems to be catering more to dieters than to the people who are doing it for medical necessity.

[Marilyn R]

I guess DP gets the gorgeous bread. I was just really lucky I didn't get sick last week, or maybe my symptoms are changing.

It's funny. The menu doesn't actually state that any of the items are gluten-free, but the restaurant has been written up as having a gluten-free menu in the local paper and gluten-free is painted on their window. I don't intend to return to the restaurant.

Thanks for your posts.

[Marilyn R]

The funny thing is that I used my smart phone to google that restaurant! All of the reviews were great except one and that was because they had to wait a long time for their order. I should write a review, shouldn't I, telling people that their gluten-free status is basically B.S. I was nascious & constipated last week, but I attributed it to reintroducing dairy.

[GlutenFreeManna]

The funny thing is that I used my smart phone to google that restaurant! All of the reviews were great except one and that was because they had to wait a long time for their order. I should write a review, shouldn't I, telling people that their gluten-free status is basically B.S. I was nascious & constipated last week, but I attributed it to reintroducing dairy.

Yes, write a review! I encountered a bakery once while traveling that advertised gluten-free stuff but also had gluten stuff in the same case. When I asked them questions about how their gluten-free stuff was made they said that the gluten-free stuff was made in the same pans/with the same equipment and int he same kitchen as everythign else. Then they said their gluten-free baked goods were not for people with serious "gluten allergies". That's when I knew they were completely ignorant about cc and just trying to make money off something they thoguht was a fad. I write a review on them whenever I find them listed on a gluten-free site that allows reviews because no celiac should eat there!