Gluten-free Bread

There are many people who benefit from a gluten free diet. Whether it’s because you are a coeliac or just gluten intolerant going gluten free may be a great way to improve your health and wellness. Baked goods are loved by humans all the world round. There’s nothing better than the smell of a freshly cooked loaf.

What is a gluten-free replacement for bread? If you’re not able to make your loaf with gluten flour what are you going to use? Well it’s not just wheat that contains gluten. In fact many of the grains we know and love contain it - spelt, khorasan, oats etc so just being wheat free isn’t enough. The main gluten free flours used for gluten free baking are rice, corn and buckwheat flour.

People often ask what does gluten free bread taste so terrible?

Well it used to - a while back gluten free loaf of bread was a very uncommon product but nowadays owing to the increasing popularity of gluten-free diets there are more and more makers and bakers of gluten free food products. In fact gluten free products are one of the fastest growing sections of the food economy.

What gluten free bread tastes the same as regular bread?

The short answer really is none. This is because gluten is the very thing binding the flour together after it has risen in the oven and keeping its fluffy shape. Most wheat flour breads can transform from a small ball of dough into a loaf many times the original size whilst bread made using gluten free flours doubles in size during the baking process. This means that they are naturally denser than loaves made with gluten.

How are they bound together if they don’t use gluten?

Well there are a lot of other natural agents that are used in the natural chemistry of baking a gf loaf. It’s the reaction between yeast or sourdough bacteria, sea salt and oil (olive oil or sunflower oil are both ok) and a starch or flour (potato starch, corn, buckwheat, white or brown rice flour) that comes together under heat in the oven to produce the magic of rising and setting. Xanthan Gum is used in a lot of recipes especially the egg free breads.

This doesn’t mean that they are necessarily any less tasty. You just have to think of them differently. This is why many great tasting gluten free bread recipes focus of adding all sorts of yummy bits to make the bread enjoyable for the user.

Grain breads and seeded breads are especially popular, expect to find all sorts of yummy things like flax seeds, pepitas, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruits and nuts. A lot of them are also nut free, dairy free, yeast free, egg free, vegan breads and therefore suitable for people who are nut or dairy intolerant too!

What’s the best gluten free bread brands you ask?

In our opinion the best gluten free bread Sydney has to offer is Nonie’s. Nonie’s is an artisan bakery that is gluten and dairy free and am packed full of a great variety of tasty tidbits, it really shines amongst the crowd. The bread itself is also fantastic and excellent crust and beautiful flavour.

Although it’s not organic Nonie’s is made by hand, using thoughtfully chosen ingredients, with no gums or preservatives. It’s only sold frozen but can be thawed for eating either fresh or used straight from the freezer as toast.

Another one of the popular gluten free bakeries is Venerdi. It’s a little fluffier than most which is what drives it popularity. These are sold either frozen or fresh and are super popular as they are well-priced and have 3 great varieties to choose from.

They also make a great range of other gluten free treats which has grown to include Paleo Bread, Crackers and Burger Buns. Their organic sourdough range is also gluten-free! Click here to visit their website.

If you’re looking for an organic gluten free bread then there’s the perennial favourite Naturis. They’ve been baking for 20 years and use only purified and the finest natural and organic ingredients. Free of preservatives, sugar, dairy products, animal fats, commercial bread improvers, colouring or additives of any kind. Their breads include - a rice, a corn and a fruit & nut but it’s buckwheat bread which is a standout with this loaf outselling any other by 3 to 1. Naturis’s website link is here.

Can I make my own gluten free bread?

Of course you can, many people decide to skip the premade option and make their own gluten free bread at home. A great piece of advice is to start simple. Make the basic loaf before moving onto something like a cinnamon raisin bread. 

If you have a bread maker and think you can try your hand at a few loaves we stock a full range of gluten free flours as well as lots of seeds, nuts and dried fruits to add to your creation. If you don’t have a bread maker make sure you preheat your oven sufficiently and when baked make sure you allow the loaf to cool completely in the tin before removing. Enjoy the freshly baked difference.