Product: Bob’s Red Mill Homemade Wonderful Gluten-Free Bread Mix – $3.99+
When a company names a gluten-free bread mix “Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix” then it needs to live up to the standards set forth by naming it as such, yes? Well, that was the challenge before Bob’s Red Mill when I picked up the Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix from Hobby Lobby awhile back.
Here’s the thing with my gluten-free bread making. It’s been fair to middling. I’ve been trying different bread mixes in my dedicated bread maker, but…nothing has just stood out and wowed me. Everything has baked up flat, dense, and just…eh. No pop. No rise. No…wow factor.
Yes…when it comes to gluten-free bread…there must be a wow factor.
Well, with the expiration date nearing on the bag of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix…I decided to put the name of the bread to the test. Except…I was really, really going to test it. The ingredients to add to this bread mix is simple, really. 1-2/3 cup warm milk (I used unsweetened almond milk), 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 tsp cider vinegar, the yeast packet (included), and 1 egg plus enough egg whites to get it to 3/4 cup. This is where I changed things up. I hate separating eggs, so instead, I used enough apple sauce to get it to 3/4 cup as the egg white substitute. Of course, I was a little concerned about whether this would affect the bread at all…but this is how we learn in gluten-free baking, right? I added all the ingredients per the instructions in my bread maker, set it for basic with a medium crust…and let it bake.
When I finally got around to sneaking a peak at the bread…it was already rising. And this was the first time I ever had a gluten-free bread mix in that bread maker that actually domed up like my regular bread used to. This was already making me a very happy girl. I was just hoping my applesauce substitute wasn’t going to destroy this amazing looking loaf of gluten-free bread. As it baked, the crust began to brown and it looked absolutely fantastic. When the bread maker signaled that it was done, I pulled out the container, eased the bread out into the cooling rack and let it cool for a bit.
It looked and smelled fantastic. Like I said, most bread mixes I have used haven’t risen to dome up at the top. They are flat. Not Bob’s Red Mill’s bread mix. This one looked amazing.
So, after giving it some time to cool, I couldn’t resist a taste. I grabbed my knife and sliced off the very end. I gave it a small spread of strawberry preserves and a sprinkling of honey. Then…my first bite.
I was blown away. This was gluten-free bread? Really? I checked the bag again. It was. My roomie, who can eat regular bread was eating the other half of the slice that I cut. She said it reminded her, taste and texture-wise of regular wheat bread. It was absolutely fantastic. Not too dense, airy without holes, moist, and gluten-free bread perfection. And it rose!! IT ROSE!
It’s the little things in life when it comes to gluten-free baking. Trust me.
Anyway…I have since toasted up slices in the oven with a spray of olive oil and a dash of garlic powder…and it still rocks. Bakes up to a nice crust on the outside…soft on the inside. Just gluten-free bread heaven. I’m beyond impressed. And my substitute did nothing to change the way the bread came out. It rose, it set without falling. It’s a work of bread making art if I do say so myself!
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix is definitely my choice for gluten-free bread making at home. I’m beyond impressed. I’m sold for life. Really delicious. Really amazing. Really wonderful.
The Celiathlete 