Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread (with Brown Rice Flour)
Jun 25th, 2007 by Mary Frances
Sandwiches are a staple of our diet. When John first started a gluten free diet we searched through grocery store after grocery store hunting the elusive frozen rice bread that our internet searches indicated should be there. We finally found some and, upon trying it, promptly spit it out. It was horrible! John kept eating it though, because what else is one to do when you don’t know how to cook and your girlfriend is away at grad school.
By the time we married the following year, we had a bread machine and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix. Thus started the four year saga of baking gluten-free bread that was either dense, wet, full of air holes, or incredibly misshapen. At last count we’ve been through three different recipes plus innumerable variations of each when I just couldn’t keep my hands off the recipe (which would be at least 95% of the time). But do not be disheartened - Finally, after four years, I have worked out a recipe that consistently turns out really good sandwich bread. The loaves are definitely of a gluten-free stature (i.e., not that tall), but it’s Good Bread.
Really Good Sandwich Bread
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ c. water (105 degrees or a little less than hot)
2 ½ cups "Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix Recipe"
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1tsp. salt
2 eggs (or 6 Tbsp. water and 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed)
1 ½ Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1. Start by combining the yeast and sugar in a small bowl (I use the smallest in my set of three nested mixing bowls). Add the water while gently stirring the yeast and sugar. Let this mixture sit while you mix the rest of the ingredients - bubbles and foam should form if the yeast is happy.
2. Combine the flour mix, xanthan gum and salt in the largest mixing bowl and stir well.
3. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and vinegar until the eggs are a bit frothy.
4. By this point the yeast mixture should be foamy, so you can pour the two liquid mixtures into the flour mixture. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed and then dump into your bread machine. Cook on the 80 minute setting – the stirring paddle is not necessary.
Hi I am glad to find your blog! I’ve been gluten free almost a year, and I think I’m ready to try some bread.
Is the flour mix in this recipe the same one in the list of links on the right?
And, if so, I wondered if there is any substitute for the soy flour? The bean flours make me just a mite breezy, iykwim.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe, especially after all the work you put into it! 4 years, WOW!
Yay for GLUTEN-FREE FOOD!!!!
harmonious - I’m glad you’ve found my blog too! How in the world have you been living without GF bread; we go through at least two loaves a week. The flour mix in the recipe is the flour mix in the list of links on the right - I’ve added a link in the recipe to make that more clear.
I’ve done some reading on other flours tonight, and I think that buckwheat flour or sorghum flour might work as a substitute for the soybean flour. I have used buckwheat flour in my bread before and it will darken the bread a good bit, but we liked the taste. I’ve never used sorghum flour, but it is in a lot of flour mixes so I think that it should work well.
Please let me know how the bread turns out. And next time I spot buckwheat or sorghum flour at the store I will try a batch and update the post.
We have made this bread with and without the paddle; and it turns out well every time. I know this is referencing your other post; about the Bob’s Red Mill mix; but I just thought to tell you. My MIL’s machine cannot have the paddle removed.
Thanks for the great bread recipe.
Amy B
phew! I’ve been worrying that it would completely flop with the blade in and that everyone who tried it would think I’m crazy =)
Have you ever milled your own flours for this?
I was just wondering if you had your expierence. It seems it would drastically reduce the cost.
I am thinking of trying this very soon
Dusti, I haven’t tried milling my own flours though it sounds like the kind of thing I would enjoy. My cost-savings approach has been to try to use as many commonly available flours as possible. Thus the soy flour, corn starch, and masa harina in my Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix. The only thing that I regularly order from Bob’s Red Mill is the brown rice flour and I get 25 lbs of that at a time.
I can’t my egg-free loaves to rise. I’ve tried everything - club soda, baking powder/coconut milk (worked once), Bakewell Cream, gelatin, etc. The only thing I cannot use is flax (allergic to that also). I don’t proof the yeast, I just add all wet ingredients, then dry, to the bread machine. My old Welbilt gives us a dough cycle then a bake cycle, which I usually run twice.
I have a delicious bread recipe, it just never comes out higher than about 2 inches. Haven’t had much luck with Anna’s or Pamela’s bread mixes either, though Pamela’s does make a to-die-for egg-free pizza crust and bagel recipe.
Any suggestions?
Hi Amber, I have a few ideas but it may take me a day or two to research. I want to get the opinion of another GF blogger on some non-traditional egg substitutes. In the mean time, would you mind sending me a copy of the recipe? If I have most of the ingredients on hand I’d like to give it a shot. Two sets of hands doing baking experiments is always better than one =)
I don’t have a bread machine, do you have directions for conventional ovens? And what would be substitute for soy flour, daughter is allergic to it.
Thanks
GM
I do not have a bread machine — How should I proceed? I really want to try this—- Please help. I have tried many bread recipes with okay results, but am searching for a great sandwich bread for my 9 year old son (and Me)!
First let me say, I have not personally tested the following instructions for conventional ovens, but I do promise to try to nail them down next time I have opportunity to bake a loaf in the oven. (I’d have trouble finding a warm place for the bread to rise this week, as our temperatures are not expected to get above freezing tomorrow. I know that’s normal for some of you in the winter, but this Southerner is not used to it at all!)
Mix up the dough as usual. Place dough in a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan and cover with a damp dishcloth. Allow the dough to rise in a warm area until it reaches the top of the pan or doubles in size. (This will take approximately 45-60 minutes).
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and then bake the bread for approximately 60 minutes. When the bread is done the crust should be hard and the bread should have pulled away from the sides of the pan. It should also smell like freshly baked bread. If needed, you may place a foil tent over the bread after the top has browned to your satisfaction.
Once the bread is done, remove it from the pan and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
Oh, and try sorghum flour instead of soy.
Hi! I just posted some conventional oven directions into this comment thread. If you have a chance to try it this week, please let me know how it goes. I do have to say that I could not live without a bread machine, especially when I was making bread a couple of times a week for my husband’s lunch bag. I use it more than any other kitchen appliance except the microwave.
I just did a check of Ebay’s completed auctions for bread machines and they seem to be selling for really reasonable prices.
I will absolutely try this conventional method. Thank you. (Actually I do have an old bread machine with a really small paddle at the bottom but I an unsure-nervous about using it. I used to be a brave cook/baker! What happened to me? To many gluten free flops, I guess.)
One more question. Most recipes say to beat bread dough for 3-4 minutes after all ingredients and combined. This is a real pain with a mixer, and in your pizza recipe this is not required. So… What does beating it do? What do you suggest for this recipe?
Wheat breads need the beating/kneading to develop the gluten. For all of my bread recipes, I just mix with a spoon until all of the ingredients are well combined. I don’t even use the paddle in my bread machine. I mix the ingredients in a bowl and then put them into the bread machine on the 80 minute setting and proceed to forget about it for 80 minutes =)
This site is such a wonderful blessing to us!
You have provided a wealth of information ~ THANK YOU!!!
In addition to going gluten-free for health reasons I am diabetic and have been in search of effective flours for breads that are also low on the glycemic index (#55 or lower) … I was wondering if you are aware of a single (or medley) of flours to suggest which addresses both arenas?
:*)
Jubilant,
I’m afraid I don’t have the expertise to answer that question and I didn’t find anything very helpful on any of the glycemix index websites. I did notice that dried beans have a very low glycemic index so I would think that adding them to a gluten free flour mix would help. Beyond that, I don’t have much insight.
I’m going to forward your question to a friend that is a dietician and see if she can help out.
I’m wondering if anyone has had success using a zojirushi kitchen assistant with gluten free/egg free bread? Using the homemade setting I can tell it not to knead long etc but I’d like to try to avoid the no-rising issue since we can’t use egg. Thank you for any help you can offer!
[...] steak salad for me (no one else liked the arugula cheese), PB and J for kids (I’ll try the sandwich bread from Gluten Free Cooking School); raw veggies with [...]
Just found this website. Its awsome. Can anyone suggest a dairyfree/cassien dry milk/butter substitute for baking and a butter substitute for cookies?
Thanks,
Jodi
[...] recipe is from Gluten Free Cooking School. Mary Frances says it is really good. I couldn’t resist seeing if it was. The ingredients [...]
I tried the conventional oven recommendations and they worked just fine. My bread took 15 minutes to rise in an oven preheated to the lowest setting then turned off and 40 minutes to bake. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
I am new to gluten free cooking for my daughter and husband and I have tried this recipe twice with great sucess both times. I also used the conventional oven 375 for 55-60 minutes.
I tried the recipe with some variations and it is the best gluten free bread I have made so far. I used the conventional oven method but cooked it for an extra 15 minutes because it was a little damp inside. I also replaced the harina with corn flour and the soya with sorghum, and the brown rice with white rice, and used three cups of flour instead of 2.5 (probably why I had to bake it for extra time). The loaf came out fluffy and delicious, exactly like real sandwich bread. My four year old loved it. He really shouldn’t eat that much corn so next batch I am going to replace 1/2 the corn starch with potato starch or extra tapioca starch/flour, and if that comes out ok, next batch I’ll replace 1/2 the corn flour with millet or sorghum. I am thrilled!! and will let you all know how things turn out.
J
Rachael, I’m so glad you like it. Thanks for letting me know =)
Jodi, I’ve used tapioca flour when I couldn’t get corn starch and there was no discernible difference. And if your family can eat tree nuts, another reader said that almond flour worked well as a substitute for the masa harina.
Hi, I have the Breadman Ultimate machine. I don’t see an 80 minute setting. Should I start with the liquids, then the dry ingredients and bake as usual? The 80 minute setting seems so much easier. I love your site. Thanks for your recipes.
I used my girlfriend’s breadman. Mixed it by hand and then dumped everything in on Bake for 125-130 minutes (until the bread was 210 temp.
New Flour Recipe! By the way all, I am trying to stay away from corn for my son so I came up with the following recipe which comes out amazing. 1 Cup of Brown Rice Flour, 1/2 cup of Corn Starch, 1/2 cup of Tapioca Starch, 1/2 cup of sorghum and 1/2 cup of millet. I then use 2.5 cups per the above directions and the only deviations for the bread recipe above is that I add 1.5 tsp of salt (instead of 1) and 2 tsp of cider vinegar (instead of 1). I mix everything per the directions, then let it rise to the top of the pan and bake at 375 until the bread is around 210 temp. My kids (one gluten free and the other not) are gobbling it up.
Ok, I finally am ready to try this. What settings should I program my zojirushi with (ie how long to preheat, rise then bake?) Thank you!
Not sure. Please let me know how the zojirushi works. I am thinking hard about spending the money and buying one.
Hi. I’m really new to this, I changed our diets for our 5 year old son. I was thinking about making up a bunch of “necessities” all at once to make life easier. . . such as breads, muffins, cookies. Could you let me know if baking and freezing GF breads and such is reccomended. Will they keep well?? Is there a certain way that I should package them up to help them keep. Also, like I said, I’m new (three days now) and I’m finding dinner ok. when i get a pancake receipe breakfast will be more than just eggs, but lunch is a task. Any suggestions on luch, or breakfast for that matter? Thanks.
I came here originally for a substitute for all-purpose flour. Found that and more I see!! I don’t have a bread machine or a 9X5 tin. Which to buy is a toss up because for a few dollars more I could buy the machine on eBay.
I’m gluten and sugar intolerant…can’t use fake sweeteners either they cause problems too. My intolerance causes pain, actual pain caused by Fibromyalgia–not a “good thing” as Martha Stewart would say.
Your boards have been a Godsend and the book you recommended on one of your links is gonna help me immensely too I can see. I’m gonna try to get it used online somewhere or other. The more inside notes on the book the better for me..extra tid bit remarks of help I hope :). Thanks again and I hope to try this bread recipe and others posted. I have the oven to let it rise in and to bake it in. Ain’t got no pan, Ma!! I’m going to try the flour on some cookies that are a regular oatmeal/banana/nut cookie. Sound good already? Hope Whole Foods has all these flours.
PS. Please tell me which brand of bread machine to look for that you used in making these breads. thanks again.
[...] From Claudia (left as a comment on Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread (with Brown Rice Flour): [...]
For making bread, I use Dr. Shar’s (2 dots over the “a”) Mix B. It’s a mix specially made for making bread. I initially followed the recipe on the bag then started some of my own modifications. I found that adding 20 grams of powdered egg white, and reducing the flour by 10 grams, I get a browner loaf. This loaf also rises nicely. It looks and has the texture of homemade wheat bread. [I do follow the European method and weigh my ingredients instead of using cups and spoons. I find it easy since I have a digital food scale and recipes turn out more consistently.] I’ve also added flax meal to get a nuttier tasting loaf. Just 10 - 20 grams is sufficient but you need to reduce the amount of Mix B by the same amount or it will be too dry.
I’m fortunate because there is a gluten-free store a couple of miles from where I live. However, I’m trying to locate a wholesaler on the Web that will allow me to buy the mix in bulk. It would probably be cheaper that way.
Hi Jodi, I too am looking for a good substitute for butter with no casein in it. For milk, I use DariFree from http://www.vancesfoods.com, It’s a dry powder I use in bread making.
I have a bread machine and a recipe that has turned out a perfect loaf everytime….this after 10 months of trial and error. Will try to post recipe later.
Hi. For butter substitute I use Earth Balance 100% vegan buttery spread. Spectrum has an organic vegetable shortening. Frankly, I am not in love with either when it comes to baking cookies or other items that call for more than a few tablespoons of butter or shortening but what can you do? If anyone else is aware of any other butter substitutes, please let me know. As for milk substitutes, I’ve had good luck with rice milk. I tried Dari - Free once but think the version I had was flavored vanilla so the bread I made with it did not come out good. Please let me know which version you use and I am really interested in seeing your new recipe. Thanks!
My family is sensitive to gluten, dairy, soy, and egg (the biggies, there are others too). Since we can’t find any sort of butter that is dairy AND soy free, I often use a mix of oil and a nut butter or sunbutter. One thing to know about sunbutter is that if there is baking soda or baking powder in the recipe, the baked good will slowly turn a dark green. Depending on the recipe, I also will use bacon grease in place of butter (usually pancakes or the like). If the butter is melted, use 7/8 the amount of oil in place of the butter. For cookies I usually use 1/2 nut butter 1/2 oil. You may need to add water at the end to get the right consistency.
Also noticed someone asking about replacing eggs. I use mostly Ener-G foods egg replacer. Bob’s Red Mill Egg replacer has wheat in it so be careful if you find another brand! The trick with the egg replacer is to make sure you mix it with hot water BEFORE you add it to the recipe. Mixing it activates it and if you give it a chance to sit, it will actually start to bind and have the look of an egg white. You use 1.5 teaspoons replacer with 2 tablespoons hot water for every egg. I have also used 2 oz. baby food per egg (usually best in things like pancakes). Hope this helps.
Aleta, things to try for kid’s lunch are grilled cheese with gf bread or any regular sandwich stuff wrapped in lettuce instead of bread.
My all-time favorite pancake recipe is 2 c brown rice flower, 1/3 c tapioca flour, 2/3 c potato starch, 3 tb brown sugar, 1 tb baking pdr, 1.5 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 2/3 c sifted buttermilk powder, 2 eggs, 2.25 c milk, 4.5 tsp canola oil, 1 tsp vanilla. Mix and set aside wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients, make a well, pour in the wet, combine. Drop by 1/4 c onto pan over medium hear, cook 35 seconds per side. Enjoy.
[...] & Banana Sandwich* Peanut Butter & Apple Sandwich (All sandwiches were made on slices of Finally Really Good Sandwich Bread) Brown Rice with mixed vegetables Silk or Juice to [...]
I just tried to make this recipe and it rose beautifully while cooking, then in the last 2 minutes, it FELL! It seems like it would have a great taste and texture, but i’m not sure what to do differently to keep it from falling.
Help please! And thanks!
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, That stinks that you’re bread fell. Can you tell us more about the conditions the day you cooked it? Was is a bread machine loaf or a conventional oven? Was it humid that day? I can’t promise we’ll figure out what happened, but you never know =)
[...] the bread, I am trying a new recipe, will share results later today or tomorrow. The recipe is from Gluten Free [Cooking School]. It uses a flour mixture made with masa harina (a type of cornmeal) plus soy flour, cornstarch and [...]
Thank you for this recipe. In my rush to make it I completely overlooked the instructions to use a bread machine. I just put the dough in a 9 X 5 pan, put it in the oven and heated it to 350 degrees and let it cook for 50 or so minutes, and it turned out very nicely. It didn’t rise as much as it could have, had I done it properly, but at least it is quite edible, and I didn’t waste the ingredients. It’s one of the few times that I’ve messed something up and it turned out.
I have tried so many bread recipes, inbluding Bobs Red Mill, and every loaf falls in the last 10 minutes. What am I doing wrong, except maybe needing to bake for 70 minutes instead of 60 minutes, which I will try today. I am an excellent baker using conventional flours, but can’t seem to get the hand of gf bread. I have taken the remnants and made some awsome french toast that my 7 year old has loved, but this diet will bankrupt us before I get the hang of it. We live in the south so it shouldn’t be an altitude issue, maybe it is humidity. I am proofing in my Jen-air.
Hi, I have a few questons about this recipe.
I made this today 2x lol.
first time I followed all directions to the tee but the bread was a bit gooey? I made this in a regular oven and I used a glass bread pan. I cooked it an extra 15 minutes too. This one fell too.
Second try at it: I tried a metal bread pan, added a bit extra flour, cooked it at 375 for 60 minutes (still gooey although the temp was 210)
Both times the yeast etc was nice and happy, eggs frothy.
Put it back in for 40 more minutes at 400! Still a bit gooey
sure does smell good!
Seems to be a large amount of yeast? has anyone made it with less? Also a lot of water for 2 1/2 cups flour.
This one temp went up to 220. finally took it out, didn’t fall at least.
Has a wonderful crust but still a little gooey
We did toast a few slices and it has a wonderful taste but the gooey????
Anyone have any suggestions?
Me’Me’, I always had trouble with the Bob’s Red Mill falling as well. On the other hand, this recipe rarely falls for me. If I’m going to bake it in a conventional oven I let is rise on top of the stove in the winter, and anywhere in the kitchen during the summer. Maybe your bread is rising too much before it goes into the oven and just can’t hold that much rise. Gluten free breads no not need nearly the amount of rising that wheat breads do.
the bread i make is always a little moist in the middle until a few days later when it dries out. It is definately still edible even though I only cook it to 210 degrees - my kids gobble it up. I have found that the inclusion of corn flour in the mix decreases the amount of moistness in the loaf. My ideal mix of flours is: 1 cup of brown or white rice; 1 cup of tapioca (i don’t use soy), 2/3 cup sorghum and 1/3 cup of corn flour. I then use the2.5 cups of mixed flour called for in the recipe and reserve the rest for another loaf. I have found that the more corn flour i use the fluffier and less wet the bread. Additionally, when cooking the bread conventionally, if you overproof it or let the yeast overdevelop, it tends to come out too mushy. FYI-I found a great pampered chief loaf pan made out of either stone or ceramic type material that cooks the bread up awsome (even in my toaster oven).& nbsp;
J
I am really excited about trying this bread recipe but I am unsure about the egg substitution. Do I boil the 6 tbsp water and 2 tbsp ground flax seed? We’ve got dairy, gluten/gliaden, citrus fruit, egg, and beef allergies in this house! Sometimes I feel like I am substituing every ingredient in a “normal” recipe! Oh, well 7 weeks into it and definitely still learning!
@Jackie: When I’m lazy I just add the flax to the dry ingredients and the extra water to the wet ingredients. However, the proper method is to stir the flax seed and water together and let them develop for a few minutes before adding them to the other wet ingredients.
Hi I want to try this recipe however I am allergic to yeast. Can you suggest a substitute?
Thank you for the wonderful bread recipe. We went to the health food store to purchase bread. The cost was unbelievable and the taste and consistency of the bread was as best awful.
I have made your bread recipe twice now, my husband and I just love it. The texture is great and so is the favour. I am use to making bread with spelt flour and had great success with consistency and favour. Can not believe are much easier this recipe is to prepare and bake. I follow the oven method. This makes going Gluten Free a welcoming affair rather then a situation of deprivation. Thank you for all your hard work and effort.
Best Regards
Regina
@Regina: That is so lovely to hear. This weekend I experimented with mixed the dough with my hand mixer to develop the gluten. The bread didn’t rise higher, but had a firmer texture and a really great hard crust.
Hi all!
Has anyone ever tried
“Gluten Substitute”
Orgran makes it
http://www.orgran.com if you want to read about it.
I bought some and after I try it (soon hopefully) I will report back:)
@Eileen: Yes, please let us know. I would like to know what their 100% natural plant derived ingredients are.
This is what I found on the gluten sub.
Orgran Gluten Substitute
Soya free. Egg free. Yeast free. Dairy free. Wheat free. Gluten free. Suitable for vegans. Lactose free.
This gluten-free gluten substitute is a revolutionary new development that will give starch and other gluten free flours of your choice workability and versatility and make gluten-free baking easy. This product will provide structure and will mimic the physical protein found in wheat in a way that will allow you to make a dough or batter with similarities of consistency and characteristics to wheat based products.
Usage: simply add 20g to every 100g of gluten free flour and mix well. Suggested flour blend: rice + maize + potato.
Ingredients: superfine rice flour, pea extract, maize starch, vegetable derived gums & cellulose: guar gum, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, monoglycerides from vegetable.
Nutritional information per 100g:
Energy 1280kj/303kcal
Protein 8.3g
Carbohydrates 56.7g
of which sugars 0.9g
of which starch 55.8g
Fat 0.8g
of which saturates nil
Dietary fibre 1.2g
Sodium <0.1g
[...] good cheese, ripe tomato, lettuce, sliced avocado, and salt & pepper. (All served on slices of “Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread”, of [...]
This is the best GF bread that I have made so far (2 years in)….
I used brown rice flour, tapoica starch, sorgum flour, & almond meal in the proportions suggested to make the flour mix; I mixed it by hand in my stand mixer & baked it in my conventional oven.
This is the only bread that I have made that did not dry out in the week that we were eating it. Thank you so much!!!
I made your bread today for my GF sister and she was so happy she could have cried. It was so wonderful! I used cornmeal I ground from popcorn in my wheat grinder (cleaned first, of course) and I also ground my own rice flour. This made the whole thing really inexpensive. We also made the pastry… incredible! I am so pleased. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I can’t wait to try this bread recipe. I love reading the post comments and questions as it helps me so much when trying a new recipe.
Hi I want to try this recipe however I am allergic to yeast. Can you suggest a substitute?
Hello,
I would love to have a recipe for a gluten free loaf of bread or wrap without the yeast or the bean flours that doesnt crumble at the first bite. Yeast affects me badly ever since I became pregnant, meaning it uhm, now causes me the same problem bean flours do. We do not own a bread machine, I make everything by hand and bake it in the oven even when electric beaters are suggested. If anyone has a quick and easy as possible recipe I would appreciate it so much. Thanks!
Hi!! Sorry it has taken me so long to let you all know about the gluten sub.
I used it in another bread recipe and it actually made the bread feel like gluten bread. It had a bit more elasticity. You could bend a piece of bread and it didn’t break!
I still want to try it in your Really Good Sandwhich bread.
I will let you all know when I do.
Thank you so much for your awesome website! I have a niece with Celiac’s and her mom goes crazy trying to find food that allows her to avoid cooking two completely separate meals as she has 3 other children who have no special diet needs. Simple things like gluten free biscuits, bread, and all-purpose flour mix will make her life a WHOLE lot easier. Thanks again!
On the issue of gluten free “regular” foods for kids … I made meatloaf for my kids the other day and they devoured it. I mixed catsup, mustard, gf worchester sauce, salt, pepper and oreg and basil in a bowl, Then mixed it into a veal, beef and pork (ground) meatloaf mix, and added rice crispies that I had mixed in the food processor to fine consistency to bind it. Then I shaped it into a loaf and covered the meatloaf in a the same mixture and added onions to the pan and roasted for 35 to 40 minutes until done. Wonderful. Who would think … Rice Crispies are a wonderful thing.
[...] picture above is my newest gluten free triumph . . . tall bread! This is the Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread recipe with one change - I beat the dough with my handmixer for several minutes. This extra [...]
Hi,
Whenever we make bread (not in a bread machine) or any recipe that have gums in it we always beat the ingredients for at least 4 minutes.
I had read somewhere.. this helps with height and helps the gums do their job.
Have found it does make a difference.
To #66 Jodie - You’ll want to be very careful with adding processed cereal as binders to meatloaf. If you’re using the name brand Rice Krispies…it is not gluten-free. If I remember correctly, there is barley malt in that cereal. I can’t eat it without getting ill.
Nope. I use the Organic Rice Cereal Brand with no barley or malt flavoring.
My son has PDDNOS, OCD and a few other issues. We had him tested for allergies and found out he can’t have wheat, barley, malt, oats, sugar (cane), sugar (beet), yeast, yeast (brewers), milk, orange, red dye, yellow dye, nutrasweet and chocolate. We are having a very difficult time finding things for him to eat. I need recipes for poppyseed muffins, bread, hot dog buns, donuts & deserts including ice cream.
Thank you!
Sheri
I have loved reading this website for sometime but never seemed to find the time to add my 2 cents. My 2 daughters and I have combined food allergies that include wheat, dairy, gluten, corn, soy, eggs, candida, flax and sesame. So I love the recipe ideas. I have done some research and found millet and sorghum flours at indian grocery stores and rice, tapioca and potato starch flours at asian grocery stores for 1/2 the price.
What can I use instead of cornstarch and corn flour in your gluten free flour mix?
Wonderful website, very helpful and interesting. For those of you in the colder climes (I’m in Panama), you can easily proof your doughs by just turning the light on in your oven. After mixing/kneading your dough, set your covered dough bowl in the oven with the light on. Close the door and let rise. It easily reaches 80F temps. The top of your refrigerator is also a good warm place for this purpose.
Looking for a Butter Substitute? Use Coconut Oil. Make sure it’s organic, expeller COLD pressed. Many many benefits for incorporating coconut oil in your diet. http://drbenkim.com/articles-coconutoil.html Do your own Google search to verify, lots of info out there. Coconut oil has been a godsend for us.
I’d try tapioca starch or potato starch or a combination of both.
Jodi
I made the recipe last night. I used white rice flour instead of brown, I used sorgham instead of soy flour, and I used corn flour instead of mesa. I thought I had enough corn starch but noticed during the mixing of the flours that I didn’t, so my ratio was:
1 c. white rice flour, 1 c. corn starch, 1/2 c. sorgham and 1/4 c. corn flour. I used the other ingredients like it said in the recipe.
However, the bread did not rise at all and is still gooey. But, this morning, it has a nice “thick” texture but was still flat (and when the crust is cut off -as that is the way my daughter eats bread - it makes for a very small piece of bread).
I am using my boyfriend’s mom’s bread machine. It has an “express 80 minute” setting (which when started - starts at 120 minutes) and even though I took the paddle out, it still made the sound like it was mixing the dough instead of going to a straight baking mode.
Any ideas on what I did wrong? My daughter liked the bread but I think it needs to be a little less dense so she can actually eat it as a sandwich and not like toast with butter or cinnamon sugar on it.
Also, what can I do to make this type of bread a cinnamon raison bread that is like a “snack” bread (but without the raisons)?
@Julie: A couple of thoughts: the flour substitutions and ratio changes were probably enough together to throw the recipe off. Corn flour is much less absorbent than masa harina, and soy flour has more protein than sorghum.
Did your yeast get bubbly before you mixed it in? Did you stir the dough well to develop the xanthan gum? My machine doesn’t go straight to bake mode either, so that shouldn’t be the problem.
I did let the yeast get bubbly like the directions. I just bought more corn flour (couldn’t find the mesa) and I have a whole bag of sorgham left. Should I increase the corn flour and sorgham?
Thanks.
Julie: I use similar proportions to yours and used to use similar ingredients and never had a problem with the rise. It has to have been your yeast. Was it foaming or just bubbly?
J
it should look like a serious head of beer before you mix everything together.
J
Another amazing version of this bread! Try this mix of flours etc. and you will be amazed at the results. 1 1/4 cup of brown rice flour, 1/2 cup of potato starch, 1 cup of corn starch. I used three eggs instead of two, and 2 tsp of vinegar instead of 1, and 2 tbs of oil instead of 1. The rest of the recipe remains the same except that I took the advice above and after everything is mixed together I beat everything for 4 minutes with the electric mixer. Totally insane fluffy bread. My bread looked like a boule and my entire family ate it with gusto (celiac and not)
J
@Jodi: Thanks so much for your input!
The yeast was foamy. I’ll try again tomorrow. Maybe something was a little off.
Thank you so much for your blog, and the cooking & experimentation that you do so that I don’t have to be so overwhelmed.
I have baked this great bread recipe a few times, and today I omitted the cider vinegar. I think today’s bread was lighter than it’s ever been. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence, but you might want to try it and see if you get the same results!
I tried this recipe using Bob’s Redmill GF All Purpose Flour instead of your AP flour mix and I subbed 4 tsp gelatin for xantham gum (didn’t have x gum). The dough came out runny like pancake batter. I proofed on top of oven with damp cloth and it rose easily to top of pan, then overflowed pan. When I baked, it smelled heavenly, but a giant trough sunk in middle of loaf. Do you think it needed more flour? I wish I knew how to attach pic of loaf. It was so funny lookin’.
I ran across this recipe while doing a search for gluten free bread recipes… I will be looking at all the recipes now, it was so good!!! I also used the bob’s red mill flour mix, but I used 2cups of bob’s flour mix and then 1/2 regular white rice flour… I also, accidently, put 2Tbls yeast in the bread, instead of the 1… if anyone has even enjoyed a “yeast roll” this tasted JUST like it…
Just my 2 cents… but this was the easiest, best recipe for gluten free bread I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a TON!)
Thanks!!!!
Kirby
@Suzi: I’ve never gotten good results substituting gelatin for xanthan gum. The gelatin just does not thicken the batter up like the xanthan. I don’t know that more flour would have helped, since the extra flour doesn’t contain anything to help hold all the dough together.
@John: Snap…I just realized that I’m logged in as my husband!
Hi Mary Frances,
I would like to bake your really good sandwich bread, but I can only use nutritional yeast instead of the active dry yeast. Are they interchangeable or is there a ratio that is used in lieu?
Also, I can’t have sugar so I have to use Agave, so I’ll use the amount of water, less the amount of agave, so the liquid is balanced out. Does this sound okay, in your opinion?
Thank you so much in advance.
Diana
I found out that nutritional yeast is non-activated, so it won’t work for bread.
I’m going to ask my naturopath if I can use regular active dry yeast and use virgin coconut oil to stop any overgrowth of yeast/candida that could happen. I hope she won’t have a problem with that. Going gluten-free was tough enough, but to also go yeast- free, that is a little too much. Gluten free soda bread tastes hideous to me… I don’t think I have good recipes for that, as I’ve tried a couple.
Mary Frances,
Do you think that honey could be used instead of the sugar? I would take the measurement of honey from the wet measurement. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Diana
@Diana: yes, I think that I’ve used honey before.
@Diana: Converting the recipe to a soda bread is on my to-do cooking list, but it’s anyone’s guess as to when I’ll get to that one =) I haven’t been doing a very good job of making bread regularly for a few months.
I still have not tried this in my zojirushi, but seriously, I’m ready and will do it before the new year. On the 80 min setting, should I set it to have a preheat or do I just get it to bake immediately for 80 mins? After reading all of these it seems I should mix it up, dump it in w/o paddles, no preheat, rise for 20 mins, bake for 60 mins. Is that what you mean by an 80 min setting?
If anyone has ground rice and millet for this, I’d love to know the amount of flour you ended up using. I’ll have to use my bought tapioca and potato starch, but want to mill the rest if I can.
Sheri-the Vita Mix can make something like ice cream with just fruits and veggies. It is expensive, around $400, but can do it and the kids all liked it (had a sample in the store).
Take care everyone!
Mary Frances,
Sorry for leaning on you for so many things. I’m just used to baking bread the old fashioned way, without any restrictions. :/
The question I have is, have you ever used molasses to proof the yeast in the bread?
As always, your opinion (guidance) is appreciated.
Diana
@Diana: I haven’t, but I would think it would work since it still has the sugars that the yeast needs to feed on.
@Psalm40: it’s more of the rise for 20, bake 60. The setting that I use would generally be mixing/needing during the first part, but my bread only rises since I don’t have the mixing blade for the machine.
Thank you Mary Frances,
I’m just trying to find all of the options I can with as many variations as I can to perhaps make a gluten free pumpernickel-like bread. Knowing that I can make this yummy looking bread that you developed, gives me quite a skip in my step.
Diana
Hi again, Mary Frances,
I don’t have a gluten free bread maker, so I was wondering what temperature you would suggest to set my oven to, to make this? I want to try it today.
Thank you,
Diana
I made the bread today and the taste was great. It didn’t rise as high as it was supposed to, but I know what I did wrong and what I need to do the next time I make it. It was great to taste something that good.
@Diana: I’m so glad it turned out! I need to go back and update that post. You’re questions have reminded me that there is a lot of info from readers in the comment that really should be put into the main post.
I dont have a 80 min setting on my bread machine. I did as the recipe says and just hit the white medium setting and 2 lb loaf with paddle in. The loaf only came out 3″ high but was wonderful, cooked all the way thru and the crust is great not overly done. new to bread making and gluten free for my 6 year old, my question is what size loaf does this make. Also when you put the yeast in the bowl to get troffy is that like letting it get a head start so no neading and rising in the cycles are needed? Can i make this by doing liquids then dry then yeast like I usually do? I just love the bread and the sugar cookies are wonderful too. Thank you for this site Mary Frances.
Newbie Kelly
I wanted to share with those of you that can not eat casein, that ghee is casein free. Casein is similar to clarified butter except that all the milk solids are removed. It is found in Indian Grocery Stores. You can also buy organic ghee in your local health foods store. The organic ghee is very, very expensive. I think I paid $15 for a pound of it.
I have used it cup for cup to replace butter in recipes however as I sit here thinking about it, you may want to use a cup less 1 or 2 tablespoons since regular butter is not pure fat.
I made the really good sandwich bread again, with a little twist. I put honey to proof the yeast (which worked great, btw) and added about 2 tsp cinnamon and a cup of raisins. The cinnamon raison bread turned out perfect. It smelled so good when it was baking, too. Makes great cinnamon toast. I put some virgin coconut oil on it and that just made it even better.
Thank you, Mary Frances, for this wonderful recipe.
Diana
Diana, I just stocked up on flour again and will definitely give this a try this week. Thanks so much!
Hi Kelly,
When you put the yeast in the bowl to get frothy, that is called “proofing the yeast”. It lets you know that the yeast is good and let’s the yeast get to work. However, the bread still needs the kneading and rising cycles. The bread is a 1.5 lb loaf, but you can get it to be taller by mixing the ingredients before you put them in the bread machine and making sure to mix the dough for several minutes to allow the xanthan gum to develop. The bread machine knead cycle doesn’t seem to quite do the job. If you mix it all outside the bowl, then you can (but don’t have to) leave the dough blade out of the machine.
Mary Frances, you’re so welcome. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. The cinnamon is really good for your blood, and if you use virgin coconut oil, it has many nutritional properties, such as controlling the flora in your digestive system and keeping your whole system in check. The coconut flavour tastes really good with the cinnamon & raisins and goes really well with the flavour expectations.
I think my next try is to make that pumpernickel-type bread that I mentioned in a previous post by adding molasses and carraway seeds. I want to make a spinach dip to go with it for New Years Eve. I just have a few things to figure out with the dip ingredients to suit it to my diet.
Even after all of my diet restrictions are lifted, I’m still going to use this recipe, as it’s so yummy and easy to make. I don’t miss the wheat whatsoever.
[...] you haven’t found a gluten free bread that you like, try my recipe for Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread. Like What You’ve Seen? Enter [...]
I am needing to get a new breadmaker….I’m ready to enter the world of gluten free breadmaking! It looks like in your sidebar that there should be a link to the breadmaker you recommend, but nothing is clickable. What breadmaker do you recommend?
Thanks!
I opened your site through Internet Explorer instead of Firefox (which I normally use) and there was the photo and link. Sorry! Don’t know why Firefox is like that sometimes ;o(
Hi Mary Frances,
I just stumbled upon your site whilst looking for GF biscuits and fell in love. The biscuits were a huge hit with my non GF family (mom kept stealing them fresh from the oven) and also loved this yummy sandwhich bread recipe. The reason I am writing this long post is because I thought the texture of that bread would make a wonderful dessert bread. My dad was diagnosed with Celiac about a year ago, I’ve been GF ever since we found out, and he really loves orange and chocolate. Thus I decided to experiment with turning this recipe into an Chocolate Chip Orange bread and I would really love to share it, hope that’s alright…
I am not a baker, but have found your recipes to be wonderful and easy to work with. I only tailored it a tiny bit and the result was amazing.
Chocolate Chip Orange Bread
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ c. water (105 degrees or a little less than hot)
2 ½ cups “Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix Recipe”
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1tsp. salt
(To this I added 2 Tbs. Sugar, and ½ tsp. of baking powder, I also added roughly 1/3-½ cup of extra flour mix)
2 eggs (or 6 Tbsp. water and 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed)
1 ½ Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cider vinegar
(To this I added 2½ tsp. vanilla and an extra ½ tsp. of oil)
(I also just realized that I totally goofed and only added 1 egg, but the texture is still wonderfully spongy)
After following the directions, I folded in the zest of one navel orange and 1 cup of chocolate chips (I used a mixture of semi-sweet and bittersweet) and then put the mixture into a greased 9×5 baking pan. Before I put it in the oven, I brushed the top with a bit of oil and sprinkled it with sugar. This made the bread turn out especially glossy and delicious. Then I just popped it into the oven at 350 degrees. It baked up to the size of a normal loaf of bread and I was shocked, I think that was because I didn’t let it rise beforehand so the bread got trapped at that wonderful volume, the baking powder may have helped as well. In my (gas) oven, which takes longer to cook things than most, the bread took about 45 minutes.
For a first try it turned out great! I could barely wait for it to cool and immediately spread the bread with some salted butter and poured myself a glass of milk, Yum!
In hindsight, the bread itself wasn’t very sweet so I might add more sugar next time, however the mild flavor of the bread was very balanced with the orange zest and chocolate.
Thank you so much for this wonderful site, it has given me so much hope and excitement. I hope the New Year is treating you and your family very well and can’t wait for all the great recipes this year will bring!
-Lauren
I am new at this gluten free cooking, and I want to make homemade bread in the oven(Don’t have a bread machine) and I can’t use regular yeast(have a yeast problem) been told to use nutrional yeast because it is deactivated, so how can i make bread in the oven with nutrional yeast, that will be moist and not not crumbly.Please help!
@Teresa: Nutritional yeast does not rise at all so you can’t use it in baking. Check the comments in my post on All Purpose Flour Mix (use the search box or the link in the sidebar to find it). Diana recently posted a recipe for cinnamon raisin bread that does not use yeast in the comments section of that post. That recipe should give you a starting point…just leave out the cinnamon and raisins for now, and maybe cutback on the sugar a bit.
I tried this for the first time yesterday and my husband loved it. He said finally he had a bread that didn’t crumble and that tasted good without toasting. I let it rise normal in a loaf pan and baked it at 375 and it was fine. My son didn’t have cider vinegar here but I used a GF Balsamic vinegar and other than making the bread darker didn’t seem to alter anything else. Thanks for your work to help the bread loving GF community!
Rose then fell…hmmm
I finally made this, using a mixture of tapioca flour, millet flour, potato starch, corn starch and sweet rice flour. I set my zoji for the homemade setting of:
preheat 15 mins
knead 1-30 mins
rise 2-55 mins
bake 55 mins
It rose really high before baking (maybe 5 or 6 inches?), then fell down until I had a 2 inch high loaf that was a little more moist than it needed to be. It will be fine tomorrow, but I’m trying to perfect this to teach a friend who is GF and don’t think this is going to cut it :). With my traditional bread when it rises then falls I reduce the yeast a little and maybe the liquid…so I’m wondering if I need a tiny bit more flour, more water, or something entirely different. Please share if this happened to you. I feel I’ve read comments that it has at one time or another, but this post is getting so many posts, trying to read through and find this answer is going to take forever ;-).
My 2 cents: First, because it is GF flour you only have to mix and do not need to knead. Second, it sounds like you let it rise for too long and then didn’t bake it long enough. I would cut back on the rise time just until it doubles in the breadmaker and then bake it until the temp is 210.
just a tip, I have found that adding another egg to the recipe makes for a fluffier bread. But I do not bake with a machine so…I’m not sure how this will work in your breadmaker.
Oh. You also may want to simplify your flours. I mix 1 1/4 cup of brown rice, with 1/2 cup of potato starch and 1 cup of corn starch - I know its not as healthy as the original recipe, but it sure tastes good.
Also, I use 3 eggs (instead of 2) and 2 tsp of vinegar (instead of 1) and 2 tbs. of oil (instead of 1) and it comes out like a boule.
My whole family goes wild for by bread (GF and not).
One more tip from MF (I think). I mix everything up with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or so before I put it in the pan. I think this develops the gluten better and makes for a fluffier bread.
You inspired me. I am baking a batch of mini-loafs right not.
J
Mixing it thoroughly, first, helps develop the xanthan gum. I put mine in my kitchenaide with the paddle attachment and let it run on the lowest setting for about 5 minutes before transferring it into a greased loaf pan to rise for about 20 minutes. Then, into a 375 degree preheated oven for 60 minutes. It comes out perfect.
I need help!!! I’ve tried making the sandwich bread and a couple of the muffin recipes and they all have turned out the same….looking like they didn’t raise/cook enough and overly moist and almost doughy in the middle. With the last set of muffins I left them in almost 15 minutes longer than I should have and they still turned out the same. What could I be doing wrong???
@ Pam, did you read through the previous postings on this log? Perhaps the answer is already there.
I tried this recipe before using Hodgsons Brown Rice Flour (cheap) instead of Bob’s and 4 tsp gelatin in place of the xantham gum. Dough consistency was like thick pancake batter. Rose to the top of the pan pretty quickly and baked well at 350F in 40min. The Hodgsons flour is fairly coarse. That rough texture contributed alot to a “cornbread” like taste. Loaf was flat-topped and sunk a bit. Slices fell apart easily. Nothing special.
NOW, I tried this again today using Domata flour and 2 tsp of guar gum. Thank God! This dough was like that of a fine bleached wheat flour loaf. I rolled it into a regular shape and gave it 30 min to rise in 120F oven. It rose up like regular bread! Baked it at 360F for 40 min till it pulled away from the pan edges and was golden. Rubbed the top with butter and let it cool in the pan. I would swear this is WonderBread. A fresh warm piece (couldn’t wait) tasted almost like cake. Yumm
It’s amazing the difference a little xanthan gum makes. The Domata flour already has the xanthan gum mixed in. Gelatin on the other hand is not a good substitute for xanthan gum.
The recipe does work well with the Domata flour. It tastes kinda “blah” to me, but that’s probably because I haven’t eat “white bread” in a decade =)
Okay, I must admit I got a little over-excited about my first piece of decent bread in 2 months. Using Domata flour this recipe tastes more like potato bread than anything once cooled to room temp and sliced.
It does seem to rise very well and has crust that doesn’t peel away too easily. Yes, it’s a bit blah but still a far cry from the typical short, coarse and overly dense GF breads I’ve tried so far. Thanks much!
I have spent countless hours going through websites looking for a rice bread recipe and just finished reading everyone’s comments on your sandwich bread. I think I want to try this. First I don’t need it to be gluten free so what fours would you suggest I use for the mix. I can’t have eggs so will use the sub up above. I don’t have a bread machine so I have jotted down some of the suggestions for using the oven. Guess I will have to knead the dough since it won’t be gluten free. I am really anxious to try this as the breads you buy are very expensive and horrible. Thanks for any input!
@Diane White: I have actually never made a loaf of bread that wasn’t gluten free, so I’m afraid I can’t be of much help in advising you on how to make a gluten containing loaf of this bread.
IN THAT CASE THEN I WILL MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE. THAT IS FINE WITH ME. WHAT FLOURS WOULD YOU SUGGEST I USE. I HAVE BROWN RICE FLOUR AND WHITE RICE FLOUR. THANKS
I FOUND THE COMBO OF FLOURS ON THE NEXT PAGE. THANKS ANY WAY. IF A RECIPE CALLS FOR AN EGG, IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR EGGS. CAN’T HAVE ANY DAIRY. THANKS
I’m just starting to go gluten free, and i’ve been researching bread recipes. your flour mix i adapted it to
3 parts brown rice flour
3 parts tapioca
2 parts sorghum
1 part almond meal
i made a loaf in our new bread machine using dry active yeast the textue of the bread was good but the flavor came out really yeasty, it was inedible. Im going to try again today with quick rise yeast. and see if it makes a difference. also my bread machine does not have an 80min setting. i was thinking of just putting it on the dough setting and then baking it in the oven. The bread machine is still new to me i don’t quite relate with it yet. any input or suggestions would be very much appriciated.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made my first ever batch of GF homemade bread today and it turned out great. I followed the recipe exactly and used a Magic Chef bread machine from Wal-Mart and cooked it on Rapid setting. The crust was crisp and golden and the inside was perfect! Thanks again!
Carolyn
If you don’t have a loaf pan on hand, use an ordinary one-pound coffee can. Just make sure to grease it well and to put it on the lowest rack in the oven. You’ll end up with a cylindrical loaf for beautiful round sandwiches.
What’s the best way to store the bread, what to wrap it in and on the counter or refrigerated?
Melissa
My husband is allergic to wheat so we are trying lots of new things that make him feel “normal”. I tried your Sandwich Bread recipe and the texture was great but my husband would like it to be a little sweeter. Can I add more sugar without ruining it? (I am not an expert bread maker.) How about adding Cinnamon and Raisins for another taste sensation? Thanks so much.
@Melissa,
I use a plastic cake cover to store my bread on the counter. If I put it in the fridge, even if covered, it gets dry and crumbly. If someone else has a better idea, I’d love to hear/read it.
@Debbie,
I mixed in 1 Cup of Raisins and 1 Tsp. of cinnamon with a dash of nutmeg and it turned out great.
@Debbie,
I mixed in 1 Cup of Raisins and 1 Tsp. of cinnamon with a dash of nutmeg and it turned out great.
To DIANE WHITE. I note that you did not get a reply to your comment that you need a substitute for eggs, and that you can’t have dairy. Be advised that eggs are not dairy, if that is your concern about using them.
THANKS FOR REPLYING. I CANNOT HAVE EGGS THAT IS WHY I SAID A SUBSTITUTE FOR EGGS. I DID FIND AN EGG REPLACER WHICH DID SEEM TO WORK. GOING TO TRY THE BREAD AGAIN TODAY. I DID NOT BAKE LONG ENOUGH. IT LOOKED BROWN ON THE TOP SO TOOK OUT TOO SOON. BUT A VERY TASTY BREAD AND VERY EASY TO MAKE. I DO MINE IN THE OVEN. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE REPLY.
Hi, I live in Samoa and getting GF flours and products is virutally impossible. Was very excited tp try this recipe last nite. We cant get xanthan gum here so i used the gelatine. Bread turned out fine - way better than the ready made GF breads we brought from New Zealand over xmas. except the children complained it left a slight sour aftertase in the mouth? Im not sure why that would be? Is it the yeast or the vinegar that gives it that taste? I didnt have cider vinegar - used white vinegar - could that be why? Am going to try recipe again today (even though they complained my 2 Gf daughters ate the entire loaf ….) The sound of raisins and cinnamon sounds delish too.
Thanks so much for your site and the great recipes. I like how you give step by step instructions.
Lani from Samoa.
Those having problems getting it to rise, I suggest mixing the dough more thoroughly. The first two times I followed this recipe, the bread was pretty flat, but the last time I got out my hand mixer and blended the heck out of it until it was as smooth as whipped cream.
When I put it in the bread machine then, it finally rose like it was supposed to.
I have made the bread twice. Both times the center caves in. Is this normal? I don’t have a bread machine. So I let it rise in a 150 degree oven and when it is over the top of pan then I take it out and turn the oven up to 350. I baked for 40 mins. that wasn’t enough so tomorrow I will try an hour. I have active and instant dry yeast. Can I use the instant dry yeast instead of active. My neighbor wants to try this recipe also so need to know if cave in is normal and if time and temp is correct and using instant yeast. It is a very tasty bread and love the texture. Beats what you buy at health food stores. Yuk. Thanks for your help.
I have your Answer. You overproofed the bread. That mean that you let it rise too long. Only let it rise until it is almost to the top and then kick up the oven to 375. Take it in about 60 minutes after that when it has an internal temp of 205-210. Also, if you want it fluffier, add an extra egg.
I have your Answer. You overproofed the bread. That means that you let it rise too long. Only let it rise until it is almost to the top and then kick up the oven to 375. Take it in about 60 minutes after that when it has an internal temp of 205-210. Also, if you want it fluffier, add an extra egg.
FYI - i always use active dry yeast. when i add the extra egg, i add a quarter cup more of flour.
Hi there, I’m very new to the GF world. I have now made 2 loaves of bread in my new to me, used bread machine. They turned out great tasting, but not a great sandwich bread. Yours sounds great and I’d love to try it, but the instructions for the machine says to use the Whole Wheat bread setting which consists of :
Normal Rapid
1st knead=13 mins ”
1st rise = 5 mins ”
2nd knead= 20 mins ”
2nd rise = 70 mins 30 mins.
shape = 20 secs ”
final rise = 72 mins ”
Baking time= 4 hours 3 hrs. 20 mins
Is either one of these settings okay to use? I really hate to waste the dough, and there is no way to set it to just cook for 80 mins.
Please help, thank you so much. I love this site, soooo much information.
@Lori,
The bread machine that is referred to has a setting specifically for gluten free breads. This dough isn’t anything like bread making using regular flour, which is kind of like slop, so traditional methods will not work. I’ve had to shelve my breadmaker until the time I can bake regular bread again (I don’t have celiac or an intolerance to wheat; I’m adopting this gluten free lifestyle to help overcome a serious illness)
My suggestion to make gluten free bread, is to mix the dough with a paddle in a mixing machine (I use my Kitchen Aid) for about 5 minutes and transfer to a greased bread pan to let rise in a warm place, out of the draft, for about 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and bake for approximately 60 minutes.
Diana
JODIE, DO YOU THINK I SHOULD BEAT THE DOUGH FOR A COUPLE MINUTES? I HAVE READ WHERE SOME HAVE DONE THIS. I JUST WANT A NICE LOAF OF BREAD. I MAY TRY AN EXTRA EGG AS IT IS VERY DENSE. I USE EGG REPLACER WHICH SEEMS TO WORK FINE. I ASKED ABOUT THE INSTANT YEAST AS I HAVE A TON OF IT. IF IT ISN’T RIGHT I WON’T USE IT. THANKS FOR INFO.
Yup. See above. After everything is mixed together (flour, egg and vinegar mixture), take out your electric mixer and mix on high for 2-3 minutes. (This is what puts the holes in the bread that make it seem so “bread-like”) Then, let it rise until just below the top of the pan at 175 or so, and then I just keep it in the oven and kick it up to 375 for another 60 minutes or so until it reaches a 210 temp internally. I use a different flour combo than the one on this site but I’m sure it’ll come out awesome - my combos are based on the same concepts as here.
Can’t tell you about the instant yeast. I’ve never used it - or the egg replacer. I just add the extra eggs because I don’t use the soy flour (recommended here) and the protein helps the bread rise - I think.
Good Luck. Let me know how it comes out.
Jodi
Diane: Here is my flour mix.
1 1/4 cup of brown rice flour, 1/2 cup of potato starch, 1 cup of corn starch. I used three eggs instead of two, and 2 tsp of vinegar instead of 1, and 2 tbs of oil instead of 1. The rest of the recipe remains the same except that I took the advice above and after everything is mixed together I beat everything for 3-4 minutes with the electric mixer. Totally insane fluffy bread. My bread looked like a boule and my entire family ate it with gusto (celiac and not)
I made this and it smelled and tasted sooooooooooo “yeasty” that I took 1 bite and had to throw it away. What could I have done wrong? I followed it exactly and used the exact ingredients. I’ve had this happen with a few other breads I’ve tried too. Actually I still haven’t been able to make a bread suitable to use as sandwich bread. They either don’t rise or the taste is really yeasty beyond being edible.
JODIE, YOU HAVE BEEN AN IMMENSE HELP WITH THIS BREAD. FINALLY A GOOD LOAF. I DIDN’T USE YOUR FLOURS AS I ALREADY HAD THESE FLOURS MIXED. I LET IT RISE IN 150 DEGREE OVEN AND JUST UPPED IT TO 375 FOR 1 HR. AND IT CAME OUT LIKE A LOAF OF BREAD. JUST NOT AS HIGH. I WAS SO PROUD OF THAT LOAF. I ALSO BEAT IT FOR 3 MINUTES. I USE THIS TYPE OF BREAD AS MY NEW WAY OF EATING IS NO MEAT, NO DAIRY, AND NO EGGS. AND THEY PREFER YOU DON’T USE WHEAT. IT HAS TAKEN ME OUT OF PAIN AND THAT IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. HAD EVERY THING DOWN PAT CEPT THE BREAD. THANKS TO YOU I HAVE THAT FIGURED OUT NOW ALSO. DO YOU THINK AN EXTRA EGG WOULD MAKE IT QUITE NOT SO DENSE. PRETTY HEAVY. THANKS AGAIN, YOU WERE A BIG HELP.
Diane:
Thanks. Glad to hear how I helped you out! I’ve been working off of this recipe for over a year … and ever since I added the third egg, it became a much fluffier, less dense loaf.
How many eggs are you using. Three was the magic number for me. Also, the mixing with a mixer for four minutes at the end also helps a lot as well.
Finally, I think the Masa Harina flour is a little dense. I tried my recipe last night with Masa Harina flour and it was not even close to as fluffy as the loafs I usually bake.
I would try my flour mixture with the three whole eggs (two at a minimum), or if you want to cut out the yolks, do it with 6 egg whites. My girlfriend did it that way and it was amazing. Let me know how it goes. Yours, Jodi
Hi - Jodi just want to say a very big thank you for sharing your recipe. I just tried it today and the bread rose so high and was absoloutely delicious. I loved it ( and im not the celiac in the family). I beat it with the electric beater for several minutes like u said. Then put it all into bread machine and used regular quick cycle. I didnt have potato starch so used corn starch instead. I think the 3 eggs realy made a diff as well.
Thank you.
I really enjoy reading these posts and improving upon this great recipe. I seem to have a different problem. My bread rises over the edges down the sides of the pan and much of the batter is lost. Even if I only let it rise a half hour this happens. I increased the eggs to 3 and the bread was good, but bigger than ever (and very messy). What type of pan is everyone using for baking this bread? Is there a particular type of yeast that is recommended? I am using one of the little pouches of Hodgson Mill yeast.
Debbie:
In some locations (based on heat or altitude) bread rises quicker than other places. Go on line and just look at the regular bread baking sites for more information on this.
Try only letting it rise until right before the top of the pan - whether that takes five minutes or 20 minutes and then put it in a 375 oven. I use either a glass loaf ban or clay pans from pampered chef. Either one is good. I also use Hodgson Mill active yeast. So it has to be the temp/altitude and your letting it rise too long.
[...] started with a package of my gluten free bread mix, (we had several bags of my gluten and casein free bread recipe, “Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread”, in the freezer) which we mixed up and [...]
I’m fairly new to this site but have had success with everything I’ve tried. Question, tho, on the sandwich bread. I did it exactly per Mary Frances’ directions the first time and it turned out too dense & wet. The next time, I added 1/2 c more flour (almond flour, actually, for protein & flavor) and baked an additional 20 minutes. It came out much better, edible, tho I have to toast it. It’s still a little dense and wet. What am I doing wrong? I’m using a bread machine, btw. Mixing it by hand, then dumping it in machine and using bake setting.
Oh, and thank you thank you thank you for the pizza crust recipe. It was delicious!
@Tobi: how long does your machine rise and bake on the bake setting? My 80 minute setting is a 2 minute knead, followed by an 18 minute knead, then 12 minute rise, and 48 minute bake. However, since I don’t use the blade my bread is really rising for 32 minutes.
I am new to cooking gluten free bread and have tried the really good sandwich bread recipe several times. I have finally got all the ingredients right sort of. I cannot get masa harina but I have bought some corn tortilla and ground them to a fine crumb and used that. I have mixed all the ingredients in my mixer for several minutes with a dough hook and them put in my bread machine. I do not have a rapid bake setting so I have put my bread machine on for an hour and it has gone through all the mixing of the flour and then I put the dough in the pan and put it in the bread machine for the last 90 minutes with out the paddle. So it rises and cooks fo this time. It rises OK but it is still wet and dense. Is gluten free bread always going to be like that or can I do something else to make it more of a dry consistency.
Hi Lucia, Gluten free bread definitely does not have to be wet and dense. If you can’t find masa harina where you live, then you’ll probably have better results using a recipes for which you can get all of the ingredients and follow the baking directions exactly. The Gluten Free Mommy, Karina’s Kitchen, and Ginger Lemon Girl blogs all have great bread recipes, so I’d suggest that you try one of those next.
I just can’t seem to end up with a good gluten free bread! My son is allergic (so far) to gluten, dairy, corn and egg. I haven’t had good result using various homemade egg substitutes and I can’t use EnerG egg replacer because it contains corn. I’ll take any suggestions you can come up with. I’m getting desperate!!!
My bread machine’s bake setting is just that…bake. No mixing involved. I don’t know how much of that time is rising, it doesn’t indicate to me. Do you think that’s the problem tho, that it’s not baking long enough? I made another loaf last week to try it….and then I got hit with a bug and didn’t eat anything but rice for 3 days *sigh*….so, I have to bake again!
This bread is SO easy, I don’t even use my bread machine at all. I like seeing and controlling all the aspects of the process. The bread is tall, fluffy and my husband says it is better than anything you can buy. I make several modifications to the original recipe. 3 eggs and really beat it for a good 4 minutes. Since the dough is not thick, it is as easy to mix with a mixer as cake batter. I also substitute sorghum for the soy flour. It is sweeter and my husband likes it better. I use tapioca flour instead of the masa harina. I like Hodgson Mill yeast, and it works so quickly, it is usually risen to the top of the pan within 20 minutes and so I bake it immediately after that. Try doing it all yourself and you may be pleasantly surprised. Good luck.
@Pam, check the bread recipes on Karina’s Kitchen blog. Karina has a lot of food allergies including all of the ones above, I believe. Hopefully her recipes will work for you without any substitutions.
@Tobi: I do think that bake setting may be the problem. Since your machine doesn’t have an express setting, I’d try using the regular bread cycle, or baking a loaf in the oven (see instructions that people have left in the comments).
@Debbie: Thanks for commenting with your modifications. I think that I have most of those ingredients on hand, so I’ll give it a shot. The experimenting never ends with gluten free baking =)
JODIE, I JUST HAD TO TAKE A MOMENT TO LET YOU KNOW YOUR RECIPE FOR BREAD IS INCREDIBLE. I MADE IT YESTERDAY AND YOOHOO IT CAME OUT LIKE A GIANT. THE TASTE AND TEXTURE IS PERFECT. NO LONGER DENSE AND WET. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I USE THE EGG REPLACER FOR 3 EGGS AND I USED ONE TSP OF VINEGAR AS I FORGOT AND USED OLD RECIPE. STILL PERFECT. CAN YOU USE THIS FOR A PIZZA DOUGH OR DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER RECIPE FOR PIZZA DOUGH. READY TO TACKLE THAT NOW. WHEN YOU TOAST THAT BREAD IT IS FABULOUS. EVERYONE SHOULD FOLLOW THE RECIPE YOU HAVE AND THEN THEY WON’T HAVE ANY FRUSTATIONS WITH THEIR BREAD. IT IS FOOL PROOF. THANKS AGAIN DIANE
Diane: You made my day! Thanks so much for the compliment. I have been playing around with this recipe, with Mary Frances’s as a base, for over a year and am glad to share it! And glad it came out so well.
As for the pizza dough, I have tried using my recipe but it doesn’t come out as great. However, I did find a good recipe for gf bread on emeril green. He did a gluten free episode which you can find on the web and his technique is excellent so watch the video.
I used his recipe with my flour mix, and his technique and the pizza came out awesome. I cooked mine in the oven first, and then oiled up the grill, put it on super hot and put the partially cooked dough on the grilll. I flipped it after a few minutes once it was crispy on the part that was on the grill. I then put the put less cooked side down on an aluminum pizza pan, put the toppings on the crispy side and cooked it some more on the grill and it was awesome. Let me know how it goes. Jodi
Hi,
Thanks so much for this website! We have recently found out that my two teenage kids, as well as myself, are gluten-intolerant. My daughter and I are also dairy- and egg-intolerant. Quick question about your Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread recipe: Have you ever tried egg substitute (powder, you add water before adding to recipes) instead of the water & flax seed substitute you suggest? We love flax seeds, but I wondered if the egg substitute might result in a higher rising bread? Thanks for your reply!
Jodi:
I forgot to thank you thank you thank you for your flour mix recipe! I used it for bread, mixed it for a couple minutes as you suggested, cooked it in the oven as Mary Frances suggested, let it rise just to the top as you suggested, and presto! I had a loaf of fluffy bread I don’t have to toast. Yay!!!!! I meant to add some ground flax seed, to up the fiber a bit, but forgot. I will try that next time. Anyway, I cannot thank both of you enough. I was never much of a baker, but the economy has decided for me that I will no longer buy storebought gf baked goods. This site has proved invaluable.
Thanks so much. If it wasn’t for Mary Frances website and her intial recipe, I would never have been able to get it sooooo fluffy. So Kudos to her for sure.
I have some good cookie recipes if anyone is interested.
Jodi
@Jodi,
Yes, please, for the cookie recipes.
The only one I have which doesn’t have what I can’t have, is gluten free snickerdoodles. They turn out fantastic and are terribly addictive.
Diana
@Jodi:
If you want to send me the recipes, I can post them here on the blog so that you don’t have to give our your email address (or wait for me to remember to relay your email address to everybody that wants it, b/c Lord knows that might be a while!)
I would love to try this recipe but I am also allergic to corn and have problems with Xanthan gum (which it seems is manufactured on corn). Can you suggest a substitute for the corn ingredients and the gum (particularly the gum)?
@Elizabeth G.: I haven’t tried the egg replacer, but please let me know how it turns out if you decide to try it.
@Marni - I’ve read that you can use guar gum as a 1:1 substitute for xanthan gum. I haven’t tried it, but am planning to do so when I run out of xanthan gum. As for the other substitutions, check this post on gluten free flour mixes.
I am so excited to subscribe to this website. I subscribed to this blog/website several months back when we were considering a GF/CF diet because of our son. (ADHD combined type and mild PDD-NOS. He is on the spectrum). We are on a GF/CF diet full time now. It’s great and not that hard. Except for the bread. I’m so happy I have a great bread to try. I have used the Bob’s GF Bread Mix, added chia seeds and flax seeds to it. Came out great. Also, the magazine Living Without is phenomenal. (livingwithout.com) Great for people with any kind of food issue. (soy, wheat, eggs, nut,)
I am new to GF eating and baking and I am willing and excited to experiment with different recipes for this way of living. I would like to know if it is possible to make a “Buttermilk” bread for the bread machine using your recipe for Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread recipe. My 6 year old son loves the traditional Buttermilk bread, and I was hoping to use either buttermilk powder or fresh in the mixture. I need to know if this is possible and how to make the adjustments. Thank you for your help.
Kristin
Yipeeeeeeeeee I am so excited to have found you.. I have lots of reading to do. My fiance is gluten free and really misses bread especially.. I have never made a loaf in my life but my mother has and we do have the breadmaker so wish us luck
thank you!!
I have a seven year old daughter who is allergic to almost everything. Soy, corn, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, peaches, latex, pears, apples, etc anyone have any tips for me? If so, please email me @ Welch.24@hotmail with the subject listed as allergy thanks. We just got diagnosed in January and are having a really hard time.