"Don't worry...I'll just make a salad."
I found myself saying that a lot in the beginning.
But I'm a good eater, I exercise, and I love the satisfying combination of something like a sandwich. So even though there are many oh-so-tasty GF salads out there, and lettuce wraps are an increasingly popular choice, I quickly found myself missing bread. In fact, when I first went off gluten, the simplicity of making a quick pb&j seemed like a distant memory. Of course, I started taste testing.
I am sure you have heard it before - gluten free bread can be a close cousin to a brick. I used to joke that I would leave a loaf of gluten free bread under my bed as a weapon against potential intruders. Why is that? Gluten is an important protein in flour. It gives dough its structure, texture and elasticity. Various amounts of gluten give various results but some amount of gluten is necessary in "regular" baked goods, breads, pizza and pastas. That is how we get crusty croissants, chewy sourdough bread, and fluffy pancakes. When gluten is removed, other types of flour are used which have a different chemical make up. Out goes the gluten and also out goes its role. So bakers, both professional and home, have come up with different combinations of ingredients to make their gluten free bread as close to bread as possible. Some do this much better than others.
Of course you can make gluten free bread at home. I'll be honest, I haven't. I have not the bread machine, nor the counter space for one. What I really need is local gluten free bakery! Do you have one? If so, I'm green with envy. Second, get your bread hungry tummy over there for a taste test. The bread might be pricey, but it will be better, fresher and have less preservatives than anything you can buy in the store.
But for the rest of us, there are good options at the store. To date, my favorite gluten free store bought bread is Udi's. Udi's bread is light, soft, and actually tastes like bread. There is no bean flour aftertaste, no chemically feel from overuse of xantham gum or gritty texture. It is not dense or overpowering, making it possible to enjoy the other flavors in your sandwich. I recommend starting with the White Sandwich bread and the Whole Grain bread. Both are also soy and dairy free which is a huge must for me right now (more on that later). The loaf is somewhere around $4.99 depending on where you buy it. Check the frozen section of Whole Foods, Sprouts, a health food store or Target (yes, Target!).
But with pros there are cons, right? Udi's bread is rather SMALL. In fact, my local Whole Foods provides Udi's bread at their deli for gluten free sandwiches and they literally make you two sandwiches, i.e. four slices of bread. My coworkers call the bread "Francine size" (I am 5 foot tall). Second, once in a great while the loaf of bread is "hole-y" meaning that somewhere in the baking process something went awry and left large holes in the already small little slice. When that happens I take it back to whatever store I purchased it at and ask for another loaf. They are happy to oblige.
Udi's brags that their bread does not have to be toasted to be enjoyed. Those of you new to the gluten free scene might think this sounds like an odd statement. But remember gluten free bread of yesteryear was nothing to write home about. Heating it up and slabbing some butter or jam on it was the best way to suffer through the experience. Udi's bread can be enjoyed out of the bag which makes it a great sandwich bread for lunches. But if you are home, fire up your toaster...it's even tastier that way. Lastly, gluten free bread goes stale quickly and should be eaten soon after purchasing. If you are going to need more than a couple days to consume, store it in the freezer, and take a few pieces out when you are read to prepare the sandwich of your choice.
Happy gluten free eating,
Francine
I found myself saying that a lot in the beginning.
But I'm a good eater, I exercise, and I love the satisfying combination of something like a sandwich. So even though there are many oh-so-tasty GF salads out there, and lettuce wraps are an increasingly popular choice, I quickly found myself missing bread. In fact, when I first went off gluten, the simplicity of making a quick pb&j seemed like a distant memory. Of course, I started taste testing.
I am sure you have heard it before - gluten free bread can be a close cousin to a brick. I used to joke that I would leave a loaf of gluten free bread under my bed as a weapon against potential intruders. Why is that? Gluten is an important protein in flour. It gives dough its structure, texture and elasticity. Various amounts of gluten give various results but some amount of gluten is necessary in "regular" baked goods, breads, pizza and pastas. That is how we get crusty croissants, chewy sourdough bread, and fluffy pancakes. When gluten is removed, other types of flour are used which have a different chemical make up. Out goes the gluten and also out goes its role. So bakers, both professional and home, have come up with different combinations of ingredients to make their gluten free bread as close to bread as possible. Some do this much better than others.
Of course you can make gluten free bread at home. I'll be honest, I haven't. I have not the bread machine, nor the counter space for one. What I really need is local gluten free bakery! Do you have one? If so, I'm green with envy. Second, get your bread hungry tummy over there for a taste test. The bread might be pricey, but it will be better, fresher and have less preservatives than anything you can buy in the store.
But for the rest of us, there are good options at the store. To date, my favorite gluten free store bought bread is Udi's. Udi's bread is light, soft, and actually tastes like bread. There is no bean flour aftertaste, no chemically feel from overuse of xantham gum or gritty texture. It is not dense or overpowering, making it possible to enjoy the other flavors in your sandwich. I recommend starting with the White Sandwich bread and the Whole Grain bread. Both are also soy and dairy free which is a huge must for me right now (more on that later). The loaf is somewhere around $4.99 depending on where you buy it. Check the frozen section of Whole Foods, Sprouts, a health food store or Target (yes, Target!).
But with pros there are cons, right? Udi's bread is rather SMALL. In fact, my local Whole Foods provides Udi's bread at their deli for gluten free sandwiches and they literally make you two sandwiches, i.e. four slices of bread. My coworkers call the bread "Francine size" (I am 5 foot tall). Second, once in a great while the loaf of bread is "hole-y" meaning that somewhere in the baking process something went awry and left large holes in the already small little slice. When that happens I take it back to whatever store I purchased it at and ask for another loaf. They are happy to oblige.
Udi's brags that their bread does not have to be toasted to be enjoyed. Those of you new to the gluten free scene might think this sounds like an odd statement. But remember gluten free bread of yesteryear was nothing to write home about. Heating it up and slabbing some butter or jam on it was the best way to suffer through the experience. Udi's bread can be enjoyed out of the bag which makes it a great sandwich bread for lunches. But if you are home, fire up your toaster...it's even tastier that way. Lastly, gluten free bread goes stale quickly and should be eaten soon after purchasing. If you are going to need more than a couple days to consume, store it in the freezer, and take a few pieces out when you are read to prepare the sandwich of your choice.
Happy gluten free eating,
Francine