I Don't Like The Breads Yet

[bakingbarb]

I have made 3 different breads. One was a mix for french bread, it was white and the flavor was tolerable as was the texture.

I made a regular bread recipe (don't remember which recipe) but it was a tannish color, it rose ok and the texture was fine. It was a mix of flours.

The third thing I made was pizza and it too was a mix of flours and it was ok, the texture was best on the one that baked the longest.

Now I have baked other things with the various flours, cookies, cake, cornbread and brownies and I don't taste the weirdness in them. I am assuming that I don't taste the weirdness in these because they have other stronger flavors.

Am I ever going to like the gluten free breads and is it the flours or is it the xanthan gum? I don't know if xanthan gum has a flavor but I did read if too much is used it makes the baked goods taste bad. Since I have very sensitive taste buds I am wondering if I am tasting the xanthan. I was one of those people that couldn't eat English muffins (when I ate them) because I could taste the chemicals/preservatives.

Do I need to make breads that have flavors added in? Corn bread is easy and it tastes like corn bread but I am getting bored of it, so any ideas would be appreciated.

In case I wasn't clear up there, I cannot stand the taste of the breads and I am trying to figure out if it is the flours or the xanthan gum.

[MyMississippi]

I only liked Pamela's Wheat free bread mix when I added a lot of ground flax seed to it. ( and sometimes sunflower seeds, also ). Like you, I don't care for the texture or taste of the breads. I used to bake my own wheat bread and as far as I'm concerned nothing gluten free can ever taste that good ! !

I don't use the xanthan gum in anything I bake from scratch like muffins, cornbreads, etc.

I used to add the ground flax seed to everything just to give it some more texture and body. But I'm afraid the flax seed is bothering me now. I'm testing it out------ Drat ! I hope I don't have to give it up--- I really like it. !

[Juliebove]

I find that zucchini bread works well. Tastes like the real stuff. Foccacia also works nicely.

[hayley3]

I'm in the same boat as you. I can't even bring myself to use xantham gum. Why did they have to name it that! It just sounds awful!

Anyway, I was just wondering what kind of mixes or flours you are using?

I've been doing lots of researching and experimenting. I've just bought some stuff to make Indian flatbreads. And last night I made some corn tortillas, although they really do not taste like corn because the flour is actually made from hominy. The 2nd batch I fried and we ate the heck out of them topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream. It was really easy, I don't know why I always procrastinated on making them.

I did a lot of research on that manioc flour that is in Chebe's bread but I can't bring myself to eat something that has chemically modified starch in it. I tried making cheese puffs with tapioca flour (which is supposed to be the same thing as what's in Chebe's mix) but I thought they were too runny and left out some of the milk, when I shouldn't have. These tasted more like bread than anything, so far. However, the next morning my stomach hurt a little and I think it was too much starch for me. I'll have to try it again.

I did learn that garbanzo bean flour makes a great gravy, but you have to sift it first.

Sorry I got off topic a little bit. I used to bake great bread, and I miss it.

[loco-ladi]

For the most part I am going without, and thats how I am handling it......

For pizza thats pretty much impossible and the best one so far is a mix by cause your special but its not right either so am continuing my search...

no bread or rolls or nothing here yet I needed a break from my "testing"

[larry mac]

.....I did a lot of research on that manioc flour that is in Chebe's bread but I can't bring myself to eat something that has chemically modified starch in it......

Someone correct me if I'm mistaken, but it's not "chemically modified" per se, in the sense of adding chemicals to it to change it. It's "modified" by an application of heat and/or pressure. Usually it's done to change the viscosity and physical properties. This allows it to be used in a wider variety of applications. By no means does it turn it into a poison. It just makes it thicker and stickier.

Thousands of foods are "modified" in many ways. It's not neccessarily always a bad thing. Many times it's to improve foods. Milk, has to be homoginized and pasturized. Again, that's applying heat and/or pressure to make it safe.

Seems some of us get so hung-up about so-called chemicals. Yes, certainly there are chemicals that are suspect. Some people have intolerances for the preservatives nitrites/sulfites for instance. But most people don't. All of us Celiacs have an intolerance for wheat. Wheat's not a chemical. Salt's a chemical, and it's in everything. Like everything else in life, we have to use our brains to figure things out. The use of chemicals is not a black & white thing.

best regards, lm

[bakingbarb]

So the xanthan gum is weird too huh! What about guar gum?

It is bittersweet to know it isn't just me. It is sad to realize that it just doesn't work - these breads.

The pizza for me was a huge disappointment. My 15 yr old daughter even tried it but she didn't like it at all, she ate it cause she was hungry lol!

My bf ate the pizza and said it was different but he would eat it anyways.

There has got to be something out there that tastes good. The bread that I was able to tolerate was only good in my mind when I put peanut butter and homemade plum jam on it!

BTW another question, when I bake the cookies or brownies there is a bit of a gritty texture, is that the brown rice flour or are all the flours like that?

[Darn210]

I would say the grit is from the rice flour. Authentic foods has a really nice but really expensive fine-ground brown rice flour. I have found that the white rice flour is a finer ground if you get it at an asian market.

I haven't been too happy with the breads either. So far, the one that my family likes the best is Annalise Roberts' which uses millet and sorghum (and no rice flours). It's pretty good fresh out of the oven, but nobody wants to make a sandwich out of it the next day.

[hayley3]

The gritty texture is from the rice flour and it's in all the mixes that I know of.

Larry:

Actually pasteurized and homoginized milk is not really good for you either.

And yes they add a chemical to the starch to modify it. I read it on this forum where they do actually do that. Salt is the residue that is remaining after the sea water is evaporated. I don't see that as a bad chemical, because our bodies need salt.

Some people choose not to eat chemicals that are unnatural. If someone else chooses to do so, that is okay. When I was younger no telling what I ate. As I get older, I get a little pickier. I'm not trying to offend anyone else's choices. I just don't want to wait ten years down the road and they say that "some chemical" that I had been eating, causes your fingernails to turn green and I look down and I have green fingernails! It would be like one of those V8 moments, if you know what I mean.

[Phyllis28]

I am not much of a baker and the most commercial gluten free bread is, in my opinon, not very good. I keep gluten free bread in the freezer but very rarely use it. Some of my alternatives are below:

Corn Tortillas - All heated in the microwave

Pizza - Pizza Sauce, cheese and pepperoni layered

Tuna, ham, turkey or any other aleady cooked meat of your choice with cheese

Refried beans, taco meat and cheese.

Rice Cakes

Tuna, ham, turkey or any other aleady cooked meat of your choice with cheese. Cold or warmed in the microwave

Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Butter and Cinnamon - warmed in the microwave

Cold gluten free Pancakes with jelly or jam

[lcbannon]

I am sooo glad to know I am not alone, I have tried making breads and also just did a Bob;s Mill mix, they just dont cut it for me. I go without most times too. White Corn Tortillia heated to varying degrees have taken breads place for a lot of things.

I have even tried to make stuffing out of mistakes and now wowed with it either. I used to run a Bakery Catering business and have noticed most in this thread were bakers prior to - maybe that is why we have trouble making switch-we know what it should REALLY taste like.

[Darn210]

I'm going to throw this opinion out there, too . . .

The crust is so thick and tough. Pre gluten free, I used to try and get my kids to eat at least some of their crust. Now, I don't care for the crust so there is no way I'm going to push them to eat it. Anybody have a solution for a tough thick crust?

[lpellegr]

I don't think anybody ever likes these breads, they just find ones they can tolerate and get used to them. I found a brand of frozen bagel I like, waffles I like, pizza crust that's not bad, and recipes that work most of the time for bread and pizza crust. But mostly I just gave up on bread. This diet is a matter of adapting and saying goodbye to your old way of eating. Find what works for you and don't look back!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Okay, I'm going to post (again) my recipes for pizza crust and flaxmeal skillet bread (which isn't my own recipe, I found it on this very board!!!).

My gluten-eating family thinks that they are both at least as good as gluteny recipes. You may disagree, or course, but please at leasty try them! They are both extremely easy, and ready in 30 minutes or less.

gluten-free Pizza Crust

1 packet yeast (about 1 tablespoon)

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

1/2 cup potato starch

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon xanthan gum

[irish daveyboy]

I have made 3 different breads. One was a mix for french bread, it was white and the flavor was tolerable as was the texture.

I made a regular bread recipe (don't remember which recipe) but it was a tannish color, it rose ok and the texture was fine. It was a mix of flours.

The third thing I made was pizza and it too was a mix of flours and it was ok, the texture was best on the one that baked the longest.............................................................................................

Am I ever going to like the gluten free breads and is it the flours or is it the xanthan gum?..................

Do I need to make breads that have flavors added in? Corn bread is easy and it tastes like corn bread but I am getting bored of it, so any ideas would be appreciated.

In case I wasn't clear, I cannot stand the taste of the breads and I am trying to figure out if it is the flours or the xanthan gum.

Hi Barbara,

I'm unsure if your using a flour mix (ready packaged) or your own version of a mix?

.

I am a member of various groups and forums and recently a question came up on one of them

about improving a ready mix bread.

.

The original question and my answer are below.

(any references to E-mail addresses or Group name have been removed).

.

.................................................................................................

.................................................................................................

.

Okay, so I have been using BRM's bread mix and I have been tweaking to

get a better taste (I have to use up what I've purchased and then I

will try my own). I added vanilla yogurt and that really helped with

the taste, but what can I do about the texture. What could I do to

help make it lighter and fluffier? This last time I baked it in small

loaf pans and those English Muffin Rings which my daughter loves for

her sandwiches, but I'm not happy with the texture yet.

Any Ideas would be welcomed

Joy.

Hi Joy,

I'm not the expert on this Group I think Naomi is!....

But having said that, and unfamiliar as I am with bread mixes (I bake my own from scratch).

.

I looked at the baking instructions of Bobs Red Mill Wonderful Bread Mix and the way I would alter the instructions to get the effect you require would be.

.

1. The Egg Mixture: one egg yolk and three egg whites, whisk whites to firm peaks add yolk and 3 Tbls of Vegetable oil and whisk until thoroughly mixed

(egg emulsion, watery custard consistency) *** this gets more air into mix making it lighter

.

2. Replace 1/3 to 1/2 cup of flour mix with Ground Almonds/Almond Meal.

This will give it better texture and cancel out the grittiness of rice flour.

When Yeast and warm milk has Grown and foamed add yeast mix and egg mix to other ingredients and mix as normal.

This will give your bread bendability and a better mouth feel and chew like wheat bread

(remember that stuff) LOL

.

3. Fill bread tin and allow to prove in a warm place (rises to top of pan)

Heat oven and turn it OFF and put bread to prove in oven for about 30 mins.

.

4. Once proved turn oven to correct temp and bake as per recipe.

To achieve a crunchy top crust dust lightly with rice bran / rice polish.

(after proving and before baking of course)

.

Hope this works for you.

Best Regards,

David

[Cam's Mom]

Hi!

I just absolutely had to weigh in on this. Like fiddle - faddle, we too have been making totally tastey pizza. The gluten eating (and highly picky) members of my family love it.

I have made home made gluten pizza and bread for at least 20 years. I love baking. When I started making gluten-free food I was totally discouraged and made one darn door stop, hockey puck after another. But with time and experimentation and extremely expensive ingredients, it is possible to make really delicious gluten-free bread - believe it or not.

First of all, if you have any pre-packaged mixes - chuck 'em (that is if you are highly discriminating and and trying to make something that you truly want to eat as opposed to filling the bread void).

Then what you need to do is go on line to Authentic foods and order: brown rice flour, sorghum flour and white rice flour. You can get the starches locally or even at an Asian market to save a little "dough". Then go out and get a HUGE tupperware like container that can hold enough mix for several loaves of bread. Then mix up the dry ingredients with the exception of the small ingredients such as the dreaded xanthan gum, and yeast, salt, etc.

Then go search on this site for Lorka150's incredible Flax bread and start messing with the recipe. We don't like bean flour so used almond meal instead. I'm a big fan of sorghum for it's glycemic index as well as agave (diabetic daughter). You are a baker - you'll easily figure out what you like and what you don't but start with her recipe exactly as it appears, so you can start to modify it to your liking.

Now, I bake my signature loaf every week - in fact I am producing upwards of 5-10 loaves a week as I am now supplying a local cafe and several customers there special order it. I also have some standing orders and my family of 4 goes through about 1 1/2 - 2 loaves a week. This beats store bought gluten bread any day. Can't say it's as good as my old James Beard favorites from before going gluten-free - but boy I'm coming close. I've even been shipping out a few of my "mixes" to some folks out of town - but really I think you can justify the price of the expensive flours if you buy in bulk and mix your own rather than buying those crummy pre-packaged mixes.

You can get there, but you have to start with the absolutely finest milled flours (IMHO that's Authentic Foods) and go from there. Good luck with the quest - you'll get there.

Happy Baking,

The other baking barb

[Cam's Mom]

Hi!

I just absolutely had to weigh in on this. Like fiddle - faddle, we too have been making totally tastey pizza. The gluten eating (and highly picky) members of my family love it.

I have made home made gluten pizza and bread for at least 20 years. I love baking. When I started making gluten-free food I was totally discouraged and made one darn door stop, hockey puck after another. But with time and experimentation and extremely expensive ingredients, it is possible to make really delicious gluten-free bread - believe it or not.

First of all, if you have any pre-packaged mixes - chuck 'em (that is if you are highly discriminating and and trying to make something that you truly want to eat as opposed to filling the bread void).

Then what you need to do is go on line to Authentic foods and order: brown rice flour, sorghum flour and white rice flour. You can get the starches locally or even at an Asian market to save a little "dough". Then go out and get a HUGE tupperware like container that can hold enough mix for several loaves of bread. Then mix up the dry ingredients with the exception of the small ingredients such as the dreaded xanthan gum, and yeast, salt, etc.

Then go search on this site for Lorka150's incredible Flax bread and start messing with the recipe. We don't like bean flour so used almond meal instead. I'm a big fan of sorghum for it's glycemic index as well as agave (diabetic daughter). You are a baker - you'll easily figure out what you like and what you don't but start with her recipe exactly as it appears, so you can start to modify it to your liking.

Now, I bake my signature loaf every week - in fact I am producing upwards of 5-10 loaves a week as I am now supplying a local cafe and several customers there special order it. I also have some standing orders and my family of 4 goes through about 1 1/2 - 2 loaves a week. This beats store bought gluten bread any day. Can't say it's as good as my old James Beard favorites from before going gluten-free - but boy I'm coming close. I've even been shipping out a few of my "mixes" to some folks out of town - but really I think you can justify the price of the expensive flours if you buy in bulk and mix your own rather than buying those crummy pre-packaged mixes.

You can get there, but you have to start with the absolutely finest milled flours (IMHO that's Authentic Foods) and go from there. Good luck with the quest - you'll get there.

Happy Baking,

The other baking barb

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Just wanted to add that you can get FANTASTIC food-grade plastic containers at Sam's Club. They hold something between 20-30 cups of flour mix, and they're totally airtight, and they stack beautifully! I have four of them, and use one for Annalise Roberts' brown rice flour mix, another for homemade pancake mix, another for betterbatter flour mix (I'm just starting to experiment with it, and it's really really good--look for it at www.betterbatter.org), and one for gluten-free pasta. They also have bigger ones that hold a 20-pound bag of rice (definitely good for us celiacs!!) and one that holds individual small bags of rice flour, potato starch, etc.

[Darn210]

OK Cam's Mom Barb,

I am going to request some of your expert help (and hi-jack this thread . . . just for a bit).

Every (and I mean EVERY) loaf of bread that I have baked so far has sunk. Some terribly, some not so bad. The loaves that have called for sweet rice flour are the worse so I am no longer using that. Is this a problem with too much liquid? No cooked long enough? (Although the crust is getting really dark when I pull it out). Oven too hot? Also the thick crust - is there any recipe or part of the process that will give me more of a gluten type crust? And I had one more . . .

Oh . . . I know . . . what size bread pan do you use? I changed to a smaller size (in hopes of helping that sinking problem) and by the time I trim off the crust, there's not much bread left!

I'm a lot closer now than I was 6 months ago . . . problem is they are really time consuming, expensive mistakes that nobody will eat!!

[Cam's Mom]

Hi!

Yes I thinkage quite a bit about shrinkage. It is indeed a bit of continuous problem. Here are the steps I have taken to combat it. First of all stick with one recipe that you think you can like in the end. Then start to cut back bit by bit on the liquid (but don't get carried away with this). Here are the steps I have taken:

1. Use and 8 1/2 inch loaf pan.

2. Close to the end of the baking time I reach in with tongs and tip the pan over dumping the loaf out of the pan onto the oven rack (use foil if you've had gluten on that rack). Remove the pan entirely from the oven. Cook for 4-5 min. on one side then reach in again and flip to the other side. THis crusties up the crust all around making it a bit sturdier and less susceptable to the shrinkage.

3. I've added a scant teaspoon of gelatin powder (as much as I resisted this) to my dry ingredients. This seems to make a real difference in the texture and the loafs ability to hold up.

4. Last but not least - this problem is least apparent when making rolls. So if you take a good sized scoop and scoop you bread dough (batter) onto a greased cookie sheet or better yet, a muffin top pan, you will have nice rolls with no shrinking problem. Sprinkle a few sesame seeds on those puppies and your ready for burger heaven my friend.

Hope these tips work for you. Again, I recommend sticking with one recipe while trying to solve these types of problems because if you jump all over the place it is hard to figure out what works.

Good luck!

Cam's Mom, barb

PS. Oh forgot to mention that the worst flops seem to be on loaves that rise super high - they are the biggest flops. The ones that are stoutest are the least floppy but too small and not so pretty - so try to make a note of exactly how high it needs to be before going into the oven and how much rise you usually get while baking - so you aim right down the middle. Tall enough to give you a good sandwich but not so tall that it deflates and not so scrawny that no one wants to eat it.

[Harobed]

I found that the breads like Strawberry bread, pumpkin bread etc. end up tasting okay but that is because of other strong flavors.

I tried making homemade French bread from a mix but could not stand the taste. Not use what is in it that I hate so much. The texture was fine and my daughter (married and eating gluten-free) loved it. She also likes the pizza crust made from the same mix. I couldn't eat it.

My older daughter said to try adding Flaxseed but I am allergic to Flaxseed, so that is out.

I can't stand corn tortillas. yuck!

I do make good pancakes with a combo of flours...and muffins.

For the most part, I am like many of you, I have store bought bread (tapioca) in the freezer, but rarely eat it because it is such a disappointment. I just do without breads.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I have much better results using a glass baking pan (both for loaves and for 8 x 8 focaccias).

Also, make sure that your yeast is NOT quick-rise--gluten-free flours don't support that kind of fast rise for some reason.

You can also try cutting back a bit on yeast or sugar. or adding a little more liquid.

[bakingbarb]

The gritty texture is from the rice flour and it's in all the mixes that I know of.

Larry:

Actually pasteurized and homoginized milk is not really good for you either.

And yes they add a chemical to the starch to modify it. I read it on this forum where they do actually do that. Salt is the residue that is remaining after the sea water is evaporated. I don't see that as a bad chemical, because our bodies need salt.

Some people choose not to eat chemicals that are unnatural. If someone else chooses to do so, that is okay. When I was younger no telling what I ate. As I get older, I get a little pickier. I'm not trying to offend anyone else's choices. I just don't want to wait ten years down the road and they say that "some chemical" that I had been eating, causes your fingernails to turn green and I look down and I have green fingernails! It would be like one of those V8 moments, if you know what I mean.

LOL I loved your response.

If raw milk is bad I should be dead by now! Would love to have a source for such a thing now.

[bakingbarb]

Hi!

I just absolutely had to weigh in on this. Like fiddle - faddle, we too have been making totally tastey pizza. The gluten eating (and highly picky) members of my family love it.

I have made home made gluten pizza and bread for at least 20 years. I love baking. When I started making gluten-free food I was totally discouraged and made one darn door stop, hockey puck after another. But with time and experimentation and extremely expensive ingredients, it is possible to make really delicious gluten-free bread - believe it or not.

First of all, if you have any pre-packaged mixes - chuck 'em (that is if you are highly discriminating and and trying to make something that you truly want to eat as opposed to filling the bread void).

Then what you need to do is go on line to Authentic foods and order: brown rice flour, sorghum flour and white rice flour. You can get the starches locally or even at an Asian market to save a little "dough". Then go out and get a HUGE tupperware like container that can hold enough mix for several loaves of bread. Then mix up the dry ingredients with the exception of the small ingredients such as the dreaded xanthan gum, and yeast, salt, etc.

Then go search on this site for Lorka150's incredible Flax bread and start messing with the recipe. We don't like bean flour so used almond meal instead. I'm a big fan of sorghum for it's glycemic index as well as agave (diabetic daughter). You are a baker - you'll easily figure out what you like and what you don't but start with her recipe exactly as it appears, so you can start to modify it to your liking.

Now, I bake my signature loaf every week - in fact I am producing upwards of 5-10 loaves a week as I am now supplying a local cafe and several customers there special order it. I also have some standing orders and my family of 4 goes through about 1 1/2 - 2 loaves a week. This beats store bought gluten bread any day. Can't say it's as good as my old James Beard favorites from before going gluten-free - but boy I'm coming close. I've even been shipping out a few of my "mixes" to some folks out of town - but really I think you can justify the price of the expensive flours if you buy in bulk and mix your own rather than buying those crummy pre-packaged mixes.

You can get there, but you have to start with the absolutely finest milled flours (IMHO that's Authentic Foods) and go from there. Good luck with the quest - you'll get there.

Happy Baking,

The other baking barb

The other Barb, I am very happy you chimed in.

The flax bread was going to be the next one I was going to try as I have read about it on here before.

We really wanted pizza so that was what I made last and ugh. LOL

My daughter asked if I would ever bake the real stuff again so yesterday I made her rolls and cinnamon raisin bread. That stuff is staring me in the face but I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed baking it and working with the dough. SIGH

Ok so I needed something to eat too so made a version of soda bread with raisins, it is ok but nothing special. One thing that is an issue is getting these things to bake to completion. The tester comes out clean, the crust is BROWN and the bread should be done but it is still a bit soft in the center. Can I turn the heat off and let it cool down a bit in the oven to finish the inside? This is what I used to do with (gluten) quick breads.

I now wish I baked a wider variety of things before. I am disappointed in myself there. But as my daughter pointed out, I would just have more to miss! LOL

Any more hints greatly appreciated, and thank you everyone for the info you have posted.

Flax bread coming up this week then. I will make it as posted and then go from there. BTW is the flax a bit hard on the digestion or not really?

[Joni63]

Has anyone ever tried adding soda/cola to their bread/muffin recipes? It was a tip in one of my books that is supposed to help make the recipe turn out lighter?

I made dumplings the other night and they were like raw thick dough balls in the middle, ick! But I didn't use the exact flour mix that was stated in the recipe. I'm beginning to think that does really make a difference.

I though maybe club soda or seltzer water might work since I wouldn't want the added sugar.

Anyone tried it or heard of it???