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Gluten Free Bread

“I can’t eat bread?!?”  This is the most common thing I hear when I break the bad news to a patient who has celiac disease.  We most often associate celiac disease and gluten with not being able to eat bread, even though wheat and gluten is found in many other food products.

Gluten free bread is tricky.  There are some decent pre-made breads that can be found in most grocery stores, but the good ones can be hard to find.  Many need to be kept frozen, some expire quickly, and some frankly just are not that good.

Why is gluten free bread so crumbly?  Ask anyone with celiac and they can tell you stories of crumbly bread that disintegrates when you pick it up. Gluten protein gives wheat containing breads the sticky, doughy properties that we most associate with bread’s texture.  Gluten free flours and starches can be used to make baked goods, but they usually rely on using multiple combinations of substitute flours and xantham gum to obtain that stickiness.  Some gluten free breads are heavy in starch and low in dietary fiber.

There are some amazing gluten free bread recipes on several blogs and in several cookbooks.  Due to the number of ingredients and time involved, they are not always realistic solutions for a mid week sandwich fix in our house.  Using a bread maker and a bread mix seems to hit the sweet spot for our family and gluten free bread.  Store bought is pricey, high maintenance, and sometimes not that good.  Scratch bread takes too long and has too many ingredients.  A gluten free bread mix and a bread machine hits the sweet spot of ease to make and freshness.  It is also not that crumbly and has as much fiber as normal wheat bread.  My youngest kid who does not have celiac requests this bread over wheat bread.

To make gluten free bread all you need is:

  • Pamela’s Gluten Free Bread Mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup of oil
  • Warm water
  • Bread machine (does not need a gluten free setting). Nothing fancy; models less than $70 will do.  A good gift for somebody who is gluten free in your life.
  • 2 cup measuring cup.

The instructions on the package are easy to follow.  I also have a video to walk you through it if you would like to try.

Gluten Free Bread How to Video

I typically wrap the bread in foil or put in a large ziplock bag.  It can be left on the countertop and does not need to be frozen or refrigerated.

Enjoy!

About this blog

I am a board certified gastroenterologist working in Southeastern Wisconsin with GI Associates.  I have a special interest in celiac disease and gluten related issues.

After being in GI practice for several years my wife began having digestive issues. Evaluation eventually led to a diagnosis of celiac disease ( TTG over 100 and severe villous atrophy on biopsy). We were shocked.  As a Gastroenterologist I was knowledgeable about the diagnosis of celiac and I knew that a strict gluten fee diet was needed. I had no idea what it was like for a patient and a young family to navigate the diet and lifestyle. The experience of being on  the “other side of a diagnosis” was difficult. On our journey, my wife taught me so much about handling a difficult diagnosis with grace. We have used what we have learned to share with my patients more practical approaches to handling celiac disease and gluten free diets.  The learning curve can be steep but, we hope that we can ease some of the initial shock and help you to feel empowered to put you on the path to good digestive health.

Overall, this experience has given me a unique perspective.  As a GI specialist, this drives my desire to focus on the latest science and research surrounding celiac disease.  As a supportive family member, it has helped me learn the day to day struggles of living with a chronic GI illness that must be managed with a strict diet.  I hope to share in my experience as both a physician and as a family member.  This blog will focus both on science as well as day to day life with celiac disease and other digestive health problems.