February 24, 2009 - 6:18am
Gluten-free bread recipe that really does taste good
Is there really a gluten-free bread that tastes good? I have a friend who has requested a gluten-free bread, and I've tried making several. I have used recipes that say they are good, but I haven't liked any of them. I don't know what "gluten-free bread" should taste like, so my opinion isn't worth much. But, does anyone out there have a recipe that REALLY does taste good? I would love to have some.
Thanks!
Leanna
P.S. I love this website!
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Leanna, I am not Celiac affected but I cook for those who are and I haven't found a GF bread yet that actually tastes good. I've had trouble finding a recipe that makes anything you could consider "light" either. But I am working on it, in small batches, and I'll save your post to be sure and get back to you when I find the solution. Because there's no gluten, I understand that it's never going to measure up to your average high quality loaf of bread. But I'll be satisfied if it has anything close to a good crumb and a flavor superior to modeling clay. Stay tuned ...
I found this recipe by accident one day and held onto it just in case I need it later. The reviews sounded positive so I might try it one day just for fun. Here is the link http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/2008/11/best-gluten-free-bread.html
She even says that she made french toast with it -yum!
Jennifer
I've been baking gluten free for almost 4 years now (after more than 20 years of consistent regular baking) and bread is a personal favorite of mine. We've tried a lot of different types- some we liked, some we despised and some were just OK. The main difference from regular bread is usually texture, and with a good recipe and good technique even that's not a problem.
Your opinion is you like what you like, and when you're the one eating something that's what matters! :^) To me, good bread should taste pleasantly grainy, slightly sour and yeasty, whether or not there's gluten in it. Taste is subjective, though. What flavor problems have you experienced, and what flavors would you prefer instead?
Don't despair! There are a lot of dedicated GF bakers and some remarkable breads have been developed. Once I know more about your tastes I can make better suggestions.
Bye for now, Eileen :^)
Hello Leanna. I've just found your question. Here's a recipe that works for me. It's a take on the Turkish "ring" breads called Gevrek. You'll need a digital scale and a pizza stone in the oven, plastic bag, rubber gloves, a mixer and baker's parchment.
160 grams Analise Roberts Brown Rice mix
91 grams millet flour
1 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum
5/8 tsp salt
30 grams sugar
8 1/2 grams instant yeast
1 1/4 TBLS olive oil
234 grams water at 110 F
@ 2 - 4 TBLS sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 500 or 550 if yours goes that high
Mix the dry ingredients in a stand mixer. Add olive oil. Add water and stir a few seconds. Stop mixer and scrape dough back to the bottom. Restart mixer to high speed and mix @ 2'. Turn dough out onto water-sprayed plastic sheet (an opened super-big storage bag works well and is reusable). Wearing rubber gloves and wetting your fingers frequently, shape dough into a long sausage about 2" in diameter, then divide into 6 - 8 sections. Turn these into circles and smooth somewhat, but allow to remain rustic. Now sprinkle a sheet of bakers parchment with sesame seeds and carefully transfer circles to this (this is tough!). Reshape circles as needed, then liberally cover each with sesame seeds. Pat them down a little to prevent losing any. Using the back of a cookie sheet or a peel, transfer the circles to your hot pizza stone. Bake only 4 min, then remove. Allow to stand 4 - 12 hours then reheat just the ones you're going to eat in a hot (450 to 500) oven for 7 - 10 min. Serve warm. Freeze remainders and second-bake to use.
They're very good!
Hi Charles, interesting recipe and I would like to try it next week. How high does this bread rise? Do you have pictures of the crust and crumb? I am surprised to see no "starch" in the ingredients. I have come to realize that I have to use close to 50% of starch in my loaves in order to have a more bread-like texture. I also find xanthan gum alone doesn't do a very good job holding the bread together. I need eggs!
I have been trying to come up with my own combination for gluten free breads. Not that I needed it but I just like the challenge. Just made one loaf yesterday using flour combination of brown rice flour, sorghum flour, corn flour, cornstrach, tapioca starch, and potato starch. It turned out pretty nice; spongy like a loaf of real bread. No toasting needed; I could eat it just with a bit of margarine. But one would need to like the taste of corn because this one tastes very much like spongy cornbread. LOL
Hi Leanna. Thanks for your interest. I guess I should say that the Analise ROberts Brown Rice mix is about 50% starches. The trick to this bread is this mix, which uses a super-fine brown rice flour, potato starch flour and tapioca flour. If you're used to wheat baking the rise isn't terrific, kind of like pizza dough. In fact this recipe is derived from a pizza dough recipe. You won't need eggs for this bread, though you're right about the problems of xanthan gum, as a general observation. I've come up with some GF techniques that circumvent some of the lack-of-gluten structural problems and will post them at a later point. Ditto photos - I don't have any of the gevrek, alas. However, here's how I make my own version of Analise Roberts mix: 272 grams Authentic Foods Superfine Brown Rice flour (carried by Wegman's if you live in the eastern US, otherwise buy online), 117 grams potato starch flour, 41 grams tapioca flour. Here's also a link to a good but somewhat technical article about GF breads in general: http://www.csaceliacs.org/documents/Gluten-freebaking_000.pdf
Good luck, and let me know how it comes out!
I too use the combination of brown rice flour and starch for the mix. I use 2 parts flour with 1 part starch. I sometimes use rice flour with millet and pea flour mixed with starch for a twist. I also have the same link bookmarked and have been studying it for quite some time. Great minds think alike, eh? LOL
The only way I use to improve the structure of the loaf is using my dough hooks in my Kitchen Center for 7 minutes. I know there's no gluten development in the batter but the mixing does help with the final volume. The eggs, of course, I use to maximize the "expansion" as well.
Once I finish this loaf I will try your recipe. What height should I expect? My loaf is about 4/5 of a regular wheat bread. Can't wait for see a picture of your product. Cheers. Al
Correction: The very fine brown rice flour is from Authentic Foods - sorry guys. The gevrek aren't really loaves so much as rounds. They expand maybe +/- 50% more than their wet height, so diameter will be about 3". I'm guessing B/C they never sit around long enough to be measured in my house :) ALso I've found that although no gluten develops in GF bread, Xanthan Gum does change properties with time. The ideal proof time seems to be @ 3 hours. Also if you read the link I provided you'll see a positive review of HPMC. I've tried it but with poor results, maybe b/c I'm only making hearth loaves that are unsupported with a pan. Well, enjoy the gevrek! Charles
Did you find HPMC? I have been on a look out for it but have no luck. Where did you find it? But again I am in Canada and we have much stricter regulations when it comes to food stuff.
I am more interested in making sandwich breads because a friend of mine loves sandwich bread but she is allergic to gluten. I have also read about zein, the corn protein... that's why I used corn flour. I used to have straight millet and rice flour in my mix. But the corn flour seems to help... I figure a little extra is better than none.
Very interesting stuff!
Al
Hi Al. Here's the link to the site where I bought HPMC:
http://willpowder.net/methylcellulose.html
Good luck with it. My high temperature and natural leaven techniques give HPMC a bitter taste.
Charles
I've just added a blog/recipe: Excellent Gluten Free Bread. ENjoy!
Just checked out your blog, what beautiful rolls there! By the way, which type of HPMC did you use (mentioned in the previous message)? The site seems to offer different strength HPMC. Al
Al: It was the E4M.
Thank you for your comments, btw.
Charles