I was wondering if any of you knew of a way to get a satisfying loaf of gluten-free bread. I was talking to a gluten-intolerant person yesterday, and she has given up trying to find such an animal. If anyone knows of a really tried-and-true recipe, I would bake one for her, but I certainly don’t have time to start experimenting in this area.

My daughter recently had to change her diet to gluten free so I’ve started experimenting. I found most gluten free bread recipes so far were not that great. I tried several recipes off the internet. They were horrible, crumbly, dry, tasteless and made great donations to the garbage pail. 
Then I came across a book called “The Gluten-Free Goumet Cooks Comfort Foods” by Bette Hagman (Owl Books).  We found a bread in there that is actually not too bad. The recipe I tried is called Mile-High Sourdough. You have to make a sourdough starter, with rice flour, a couple days in advance and it makes a nice soft sort of bread that is nice plain but even better as a cinnamon-raisin bread. It uses Garfava bean flour, Sorghum flour, Tapioca flour, cornstarch.  This lady has several “Gluten-free Gourmet” books including one called “The Gluten-free Gourmet Bakes Bread” but I don’t have that one. It was out of stock.  I find gluten-free recipes are never like the “real” thing but the recipes I’ve tried in this book, so far, are acceptable, edible options, in my opinion.  (It is also a matter of getting used to something. )
I should tell you, it is quite an investment to get all the supplies when you’re first starting gluten-free cooking. For example just for the bread recipe I mentioned above, you have to buy all the different types of flour you need. The xanthan gum (levener) itself is about $12 (in our area) and you only need 3 tsp for the 2 loaf recipe but you have to buy the whole pkg. You also need egg replacer, unflavoured gelatin, almond meal or buttermilk powder. So if you’re just making the one recipe as a gift for your friend you may find it rather expensive.

Heidi, whenever I search through google, I come up with “Jule’s” all-purpose flour - it’s her special combination of various flours, gums, tapioca, etc. It is supposed to taste better than most. Have you tried it? Perhaps you can send for some, bake something, then tell me if you recommend it. Yes, the flour is expensive (I think it’s $19 for 5 pounds), but it sounds like a good combination of ingredients - I think then you just add eggs, and some other things she suggests that aren’t as expensive. It saves having to hunt down all of thoshe things separately. Let me know if you’ve heard of it. Thanks, Beth

Beth,
I’ve never heard of that kind of flour. Since I’m not much of an expert with this gluten-free baking I’m hesitant to vary from the recipes. I’ll check around to see if I can find it. I tried 2 different kinds of the packaged bread mixes where you only add eggs and a few other ingredients. We didn’t like them very much but the gluten-free cake and muffin mixes I’ve tried were good. I made a chocolate gluten-free cake mix when one of my visitors at a dinner party needed a gluten-free meal. He was hoping to have some leftover to take home but in spite of there being another dessert for the others, the other “regular” guests liked the gluten-free chocolate cake so much that there was none left at the end. I also bought some very good gluten-free bread but it’s quite expensive and also doesn’t keep very well. You have to freeze it or eat it.  I don’t have Rose’s bread book. I don’t suppose she has any gluten-free recipes in there does she?  I’ll post the question in the FAQ section.

Heidi, The Bread Bible does not have much that is totally gluten-free. 

My favorite gluten-free cake is in The Cake Bible, the Bittersweet Cocoa-Almond Genoise.

Heidi, I think the Jule’s flour has to be bought on-line, though I’m not sure. You can also use it for cakes and muffins. My friend did comment that she has had cakes and muffins that taste fine, but that the bread she has had is horrible. Beth

I have seen Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flours in my local safeway supermarket. I believe they also make an all purpose mixture of gluten -free flours. I will be experimenting with this next weekend. I’ll post my results.

Also, Is there an alternative to using xantham gum as a binder? Someone asked me about this.  I am adding gluten- free to my repertoire.

Anyone know where I can brush up on the rules for ingredients other than the flour?

wish me luck

I just made the gluten free pancakes from Elana Amsterdam’s The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook.  And what I am taking away from this experience is:  Go low carb, and when you are absolutely desperate, make something from a gluten-free recipe.  Then and only then will you be satisfied with the result.  Go about your business and bake for everyone in your life with the ingredents you find in all the wonderful gluten filled recipes that are out there. 

When you make something just for you or your GF kids, only then should you spend this amount of money on ingredients and be truly happy with what comes out of the oven.

This is my favourite one:

Gluten Free Bread -  by Cyndi O’Meara

Ingredients - dry
•  110g of brown rice
•  110g of white glutinous rice
•  80g of millet or quinoa
•  140g of Arrowroot or Tapioca flour
•  40g of Besan Flour
•  40g mixed seed of choice (Sesame/Sunflower/Linseed)
•  2 tsp Xanthan gum or Guar gum
•  Sachet of dried yeast (7g)
•  1 heaped tsp sea salt
•  20g of Rapadura or raw sugar
Ingredients - wet
•  400g luke warm water
•  30g Macadamia nut oil or Olive Oil
•  1tblsp Apple Cider Vinegar
•  2 eggs

Method
Add rice and millet to TM Bowl and mill for 1 minute, speed 8. Add all other dry ingredients.
Add wet ingredients to TM Bowl, and mix, speed 7 for 6 seconds.
Knead for 25 seconds, add 2 Tblsp of water and mix for 1 minute, speed 4.
Leave to prove in a warm place in lined bread tin or on a tray, free form for 20 – 30 minutes
Add seeds to top or drizzle with oil and add seeds.
Bake in a moderate oven for 30 to 40 minutes, check by inserting a skewer, when clean remove bread from oven. Cool and serve with favourite topping
Recipe taken from ‘Changing Habits Changing Lives - Cyndi O’Meara

If you don’t have a Thermomix just mix the flours together, add all other dry ingrediants, add wet ingrediants and mix. Knead for ? a minute or so if you are using a mixer that kneads - if doing by hand I don’t know how long. Then add the 2 Tblsp water and mix to incorperate and from then prove for 30 mins, add seeds and bake.

This is the best GF bread I have ever tasted. It is beautiful.