gluten free zen
Taking The Stress Out Of Gluten-Free Grain-Free & Dairy-Free Living
Forever Searching For That Perfect Sandwich Bread
Sandwich bread is the number one complaint and the most sought after item by people who are gluten-free and/or grain free. Seriously, I cannot believe with the information and technology we have today that no one has been able to make the perfect gluten-free, grain free, or Paleo sandwich bread. How is this possible?
And don’t go getting too excited, because this post isn’t the post where I tell you I have it all figured out either.
Sorry.
I constantly search thinking there has to be someone out there who has this all mapped out and is sitting on a revolutionary allergen free sandwich bread . Oh, there are people who think they have it figured out and have shared some decent recipes, and I’ve tried tons. But I have yet to find that one recipe that screams “BREAD!”
I mean come on. They’ve created crazy GMO foods and cloned animals and who knows what else… you’d think someone could come up with the perfect allergen free sandwich bread.
I too am guilty of putting “the best” or “fabulous” in front of some of my creations. And truth be told, I do feel those are the best or most fabulous of the numerous variations I’ve tried. However, there are those recipes you run across and try that have all of those colorful and hopeful descriptions that leave you scratching your head when they come out of your oven.
Something else to keep in mind…sometimes for no rhyme or reason you can follow an allergen free recipe exactly and it still won’t turn out like the photo or the comments of the person sharing it. I have no idea why.
I have recipes that I’ve used for years and years that are consistent and reliable and occasionally people will write me and tell me they’ve followed it exactly and it didn’t turn out the way I said it would. I have no idea how to address that. It would have to fall into the category of what is your definition of “exactly”? Or, I just do not know why. Which is frustrating for people.
One of my biggest complaints lately is that many of the grain free recipes I’ve tried all have the same texture. In between bread and a muffin or banana bread texture.
For some reason, this really irritates me. And after a while, grosses me out. I want to say really? This is it? The BEST sandwich bread? Are we all just so desperate for a decent bread that we have lowered the bar…dramatically?
I would say the biggest complaints I have and the biggest complaints I hear from other people are in this order:
1. It doesn’t rise and is too small
2. The texture is weird. Either grainy or dense or crumbles and falls apart
3. It lacks in flavor
4. It needs to be toasted to be used for sandwiches
5. Too eggy, especially in Paleo bread making
6. Too many uncommon ingredients
7. Too expensive to make (many grain free recipes call for up to 6 eggs! If you’re using organic and it doesn’t turn out, it’s a huge waste of money)
But because we are in this together, and you love bread as much as I do, I’ll keep looking. And I’ll share the recipes I create and recipes of others that I’ve tried, because not everyone’s tastes are the same. But, I will always be honest about how I feel about them and why or why not I was or was not impressed.
I tried two “sandwich” bread recipes the other day. One that I created and the other I followed exactly with the exception of 1 ingredient.
We’ll start with the one that I created and I’ll share the other one with you tomorrow.
Sandwich Bread
Out of 1-10 for toast I rate this bread a 7. Toasts well, holds together, nice texture, good taste, still doesn’t taste like “real” bread but it’s totally livable. Again, size is an issue. Don’t burn it in the toaster, it will make your house smell like popcorn.
Out of 1-10 for sandwich bread un-toasted, I rate it a 2-3 because of small size, muffin/banana bread like texture, and crumble
Out of 1-10 for hot out of the oven slathered with dairy free butter, I rate it a 6 because it’s hard to complain about hot bread right from the oven when you haven’t eaten bread in three weeks
2 Cups of Almond Flour, sifted
1/3 Cup Flaxseed Meal
1 Tablespoon of Raw Organic Pumpkin Seeds, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of Organic Chia Seeds
1/2 teaspoon of Iodized Sea Salt
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 Cup of Arrowroot Powder
4 Tablespoons of Dairy Free Butter, melted
3 Organic Eggs
1 teaspoon of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup of Coconut Milk
1 teaspoon of Organic Raw Honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a loaf pan and line bottom with parchment, set aside. Sift the almond flour into a medium bowl and add the flaxseed meal, chopped pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, salt, baking soda, and arrowroot powder. Whisk together and set aside.
In a large measuring cup add the coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and melted dairy free butter and whisk together. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until combined. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.
One Comment on “Forever Searching For That Perfect Sandwich Bread”
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gluten free zen 
You are SO right about the disappointment one experiences when trying various bread recipes. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. In the end I just gave up eating bread except when we travel and I have difficulty finding foods that skirt around my various sensitivities. Most hotel buffets and cafés do have gluten free cardboard these days if I’m really desperate!
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