Product: Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Bread Mix – $3.99+
Let’s here it for the power of Hodgson Mill. I have to hand it to this company. When they set out to put out a line of gluten-free products, they really worked hard to get it right. I’ve pretty much enjoyed everything in the Hodgson Mill gluten-free line. I might still be on the fence with the apple cinnamon muffin mix…but for the most part, this company has far exceeded my expectations when it comes to its gluten-free products.
I happened upon a box of Hodgson Mills Gluten-Free Bread Mix at the grocery store awhile back. It was on the Manager’s Special table. The top of the box had been taped together, but the contents inside were not touched nor opened. In fact, the box hadn’t been opened either. It just got a little crunched in shipping. And that’s what happens at my grocery store when that happens. So, with everything still sealed and safely contained, I figured I’d pick it up and give it a go.
That was a very long while ago. And with the expiration date looming, my roommate did a full gluten decontamination on my bread maker to make it a dedicated gluten-free bread maker and I got back into baking bread again. I tried a mix from Pamela’s Products and it turned out really well. Let me tell you…I had a lot of doubts with Hodgson Mills Gluten-Free Bread Mix from the start.
But…looks can be deceiving.
Starting from the original way to make the bread. This involved melting down 1/4 cup of butter while warming up some milk (I used my unsweetened almond milk) to 110 degrees on the stove. Then…once the milk is at the temperature (SO glad I got that kitchen thermometer!), you combine it with the melted butter, two room temperature eggs, and 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar. Mix these contents together and pour into the bread maker. Then add the dry mix and place the yeast packet’s contents on top. Since I do not have a bread maker with a gluten-free setting, I set it for Basic, Medium Crust, and let it run.
At first, the mix was a gooey, oozy, porridge looking mess. I wasn’t impressed at all. No clean dough ball that was being kneaded by the hook. Just a glop of bread mix goo. I was having my doubts, but I let it play on. I mean…why not at this point? I never should have doubted. Within the last hour of baking, the loaf was taking shape. And within 30 minutes of being done, my apartment smelled amazing and the crust was browning to golden perfection. I was beginning to feel better about the situation. The timer ran out and out came a perfect loaf of gluten-free bread.
I allowed it to cool before giving it a slice (because we had to try it, you know…just in case it only looked impressive!). It sliced beautifully. And the crust was a crispy brown delicious coating to soft white bread on the inside. I was already a happy girl. I sliced the end piece in half and my roommate and I gave it a taste. It was really good. It tasted like freshly baked bread. So, that was a good thing. The loaf definitely felt heavy, but the slices of bread weren’t dense or heavy tasting at all.
Tonight, I sprayed a slice with olive oil and seasoned it with garlic powder and salt. I placed it into the oven to lightly toast and out came another round of gluten-free toasted goodness. Seriously. It toasted up so well. The crust got crispy and the inside was now a light golden brown but still soft, but toasted. It was amazing to pair with my gluten-free macaroni and cheese, let me tell you!
Hodgson Mill has a large variety of whole grain bread mixes on the market. So, I should have known to trust this mix as it was baking in the bread maker. This gluten-free variety is formulated with brown rice grain and is composed of a variety of flours including garbanzo bean flour, corn starch, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, fava flour, rice starch, and then some seasonings. It is actually a fantastic option for anyone with a gluten intolerance.
Trust me. I usually can’t have bread so when I do I’m going to be honest with you. It’s really, really good. And so far…this has certainly baked up my favorite yet. SO good.
And don’t worry if you don’t have a bread maker…the box comes with directions for oven baking as well. Gluten-free bread baked right in the comfort of your own kitchen. Takes all the guess work out of whether it’s safe or not. Not only is this mix made on dedicated equipment…it is completely safe. So bake up some fresh bread at home tonight. It can be back on the menu…and you can take credit for it.
Thanks for not letting me down, Hodgson Mill. I love you from the bottom of my gluten-free heart!
The Celiathlete 