Gluten-Free Bread Ideas
Article by Melinda Knight
We’ve all grown up eating bread, and it can be hard to break the habit of a lifetime. For celiac sufferers and others who must avoid the glutens found in wheat, rye, and barley flours, giving up bread can be a heartbreaking experience. If you’re feeling deprived, and you want to find bread recipes that leave you feeling satisfied, you’re not alone! Many people seek out alternative flours and recipes that fulfill their cravings for soft, chewy, aromatic breads. You can still enjoy flavorful sandwiches, artisan breads, and basic bread and butter when you follow our tips on finding the ideal bread for a gluten free diet.
The breads of yesteryear often had a heavy, cake-y taste – in fact, you may still run into a few gluten-free breads that crumble too easily or don’t have the right elasticity or chewy feel. However, the use of innovative ingredients, such as psyllium husks, is adding a more pleasing, familiar and “bread-like” texture to gluten-free versions. You can choose from a dizzying array of choices – from rice-free and dairy-free breads, to hearty, pumpernickel-style loaves. It’s also possible to use a bread machine to create versions of your favorite types. Usually, these breads will be created with the help of flour blends that feature some combination of white or brown rice flour, sorghum flour, quinoa flour, almond flour, or potato starches.
To get started making your own bread, try a simple recipe with just a few ingredients. Once you’ve tested basic bread recipes, you can move on to more complicated ingredient combinations. Keep experimenting until you achieve a result you’re really happy with. Then, your basic loaf of bread can become an everyday staple that helps you to resist gluten-rich “comfort” foods. Here is a simple beginner’s recipe for gluten-free bread – all you’ll need is a cup of rice flour, one-and-a-half tablespoons of sugar, one-and-three-quarters of a tablespoon of baking powder, and half a teaspoon of salt. Your “wet” ingredients should include an egg, half a cup of milk, and one-eighth of a cup of vegetable oil.
Preheat the oven to 350 and get started mixing your dry ingredients in a large bowl. After the dry ingredients are ready, beat your egg with a whisk until it’s fluffy – then, add your other wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry and stir until well integrated – look for a “muffin” batter consistency. Grease a small loaf pan and spoon in the dough. Bake for about half an hour. Cool the loaf completely before you slice it.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of bread baking, amp up the flavor in each loaf by adding in tasty extras, such as gourmet olives, grated cheese, and fresh herbs. Adding a touch of sweetness is possible by substituting almond milk for dairy milk, and adding honey, dried fruits, and sugar or sugar substitutes (such as Splenda). The only limitation is your own imagination!
Baking your own bread is definitely not your only option – most urban centers feature gluten-free bakeries that cater to celiac disease sufferers and those with wheat, rye, or barley allergies. In fact, many groceries stores now feature a special health food aisle stocked with a variety of choices for people with celiac disease. The best way to be certain the bread you’re buying is gluten free is by examining labels and talking to bakers and grocery store managers. Asking questions and getting proactive about your own health is the best thing you can do. However, you must be certain that your bread isn’t contaminated during the preparation process
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