Coeliac disease has become increasingly common over the last few decades with the level of diagnosis increasing significantly along with there being many people wanting to move to a gluten-free diet for health reasons. One of the first things that you will need to change in your diet is bread. So does gluten-free bread taste different from regular bread?
Gluten-free bread does taste significantly different from regular bread and also has a distinctly different texture that is generally heavier than conventional wheat-based bread. And most people that eat it prefer wheat brands for the texture and taste. So moving to gluten-free bread is one of the most significant dietary sacrifices that is made for a gluten-free diet.
The texture of most gluten-free bread can be described as being similar to a heavy mud cake that Is much drier and crumbly in texture. So in a lot of ways gluten-free bread is like eating bread wheat bread that is relatively stale. The simplest and easiest way to improve the texture and flavor of the bread is to toast it.
My wife who is a coeliac never eats the bread fresh and will always toast bread even when she’s making a salad sandwich for lunch because it has such a significant effect on the flavor and texture of the bread.
As a result of the dense nature of coeliac bread, the loaves are usually significantly smaller than wheat bread but they will still feel you up in a similar way to wheat bread. Additionally, due to the specialist nature and the fact that the flours that are used to make them are more expensive you can typically expect to pay 2 to 3 times the cost for a loaf of gluten-free bread.
Are All Brands Of Gluten-free Breads Exactly The Same?
All gluten-free bread does have a distinctly similar taste, however, there are certain brands on the market that are significantly better than others. Generally, the difference is that those companies that are able to produce lighter fluffier loaves produce a significantly more appealing product than those that do not.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to give you a definitive list of the very best brands because in every region around the world there are different producers that use different recipes and have different brands. So generally speaking it is important if you are going down the path of a gluten-free diet that you try out all the different loaves of bread available on the market.
In Australia where I live generally the best quality gluten-free brand is Helgas which produces several different types of loaves which includes white and multigrain. However, even the very best quality loaves require toasting to make them taste better.
Can You Make Gluten-Free Bread In A Bread Maker?
It is possible to make gluten-free bread at home at your own place using pre-made mixtures that can be purchased from places like Amazon where there is a wide variety of options available which includes conventional bread and things like corn bread. To see the options available click on the link from Amazon.
Generally, speaking if you do make the bread loaves at home you will get the benefit of getting a much fresher product that can in some cases be eaten fresh but within a very short amount of time you will need to toast it as you do with the commercial bread that is available. However, in terms of cost, these pre-made loaves are generally still relatively expensive to make compared to wheat bread.
What Are The Alternatives To Eating Gluten-Free Bread?
If you don’t like gluten-free bread even if it’s toasted you may be wondering what else can I use for things like sandwiches and lunches at home. The alternatives that are available are to use wraps, crackers, or crispbreads.
The wraps that can be purchased gluten-free commercially, at least in the region where I live, Australia, are generally not great primarily because they are relatively small and when they are folded over around the filling they tend to crack fairly easily. This means it can be a little bit more challenging today to eat with them. Additionally, the texture of the wraps is generally quite dry and I have two celiacs within my house one of which will not eat wraps at all because she simply doesn’t like them.
The next alternative which I think is a better alternative is to use crackers which you will need to look in the gluten-free section of your grocery store to find. These crackers generally are smaller in size than their wheat counterparts and are relatively dry but have a nice crunchy texture. This means that if you select the right types of toppings you can adjust for that characteristic. So crackers are not a bad alternative
The third alternative, which I personally think is the best, is to use crispbreads. The crispbreads have quite a similar flavor to wheat crispbreads and are one of the few types of products where it is not noticeable that the product is actually gluten-free. To find the crispbreads in your local grocery store you will almost certainly have to go to the gluten-free section as the majority of the crispbreads that are made for the general market do contain gluten.
What Else Can You Do To Make Gluten-Free Bread Taste Better?
Making gluten-free bread taste better is relatively challenging. The important thing to focus on is the quality of the things that you use on top of the bread and always toast the bread. Like most bread, they taste much better with fat on them of some sort whether that be butter or oil.
If you’re feeling really decadent on a particular morning try making gluten-free french toast, which is something that you really won’t notice much of a difference between normal bread and gluten-free bread. It is a terrific treat for any coeliac in your house
I hope you found this article useful and have great success finding just the right type of bread to eat for the coeliac or non-gluten eater in your life. Remember to try all the different brands that are out in the market and find the best one.
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