Eban Bakery baking up delicious flavors of versatile gluten-free breads

Product: Eban Bakery Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread – $5.99+

Ah…Dayton, Ohio.  I have so many things to thank you for.  First and foremost…Sinfully Gluten Free.  I can’t go to Dayton and not stop in there for a treat, or lunch, or dinner.  It is one of my favorite things in your city.

BUT…that’s not all.  I also feel the need to thank you for this little grocery store chain called Dorothy Lane Market.  If you are unfamiliar with Dorothy Lane Market, you are not alone.  The only reason I took note was that, while driving through Dayton for a chocolate festival, we saw a few of them along the way.  My friend Jenn and I were intrigued, and as lunch was not yet being served at Sinfully Gluten Free, we thought to drop in and check it out.

Dorothy Lane Market is a grocery store that sort of specializes in hard-to-find items and products.  NICE!!  I mean, it has your general produce and brands, but it had a lot of things I had never seen before.  Evidence by the fact that I walked out of there with quite a few gluten-free goodies that were not available in my area.  So much for just checking it out, right?

One very interesting fact was that they had this amazing gluten-free aisle.  And while I was perusing it, an employee came over to talk about the gluten-free items and the fact that a gluten-free tasting fair was coming up.  I would have loved to come back for it, but it happened on the weekend I was going to be running in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  No good.  But I was totally interested in some of the products she was highlighting.

Out in the asile, there was a tray of sample gluten-free bread.  The one that happened to be cut up was the Cranberry Walnut Bread from Eban Bakery.  She mentioned that Dorothy Lane Market often sells products from local businesses, and they had items from Sinfully Gluten Free as well as Tina’s Sweet Treats, among others.  I was overjoyed with the fresh baked items from local bakeries…and ended up picking up a few items.  Nothing from Sinfully Gluten Free, as I was going to do that when I got to the bakery itself.  But, some Sub Rolls from Tina’s Sweet Treats and a loaf of the bread I sampled, Eban Bakery Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread, did make the cut.

With that purchase made, we headed out to eat at Sinfully Gluten Free, enjoy the chocolate festival, and then drive back to Columbus, Ohio.

When it came time to leave Ohio and head back to Indiana, I packed up the cooler with all the gluten-free goodness that I bought from Dorothy Lane Market and Sinfully Gluten Free.  And it came home with me.  And it got cozy…in my freezer.  While the sub rolls were used rather quickly, a loaf of bread sometimes takes some getting around to eating.  And, sadly, this one got buried under a lot of other stuff in my freezer.  It happens.

Until I cleaned it the other day and organized it.  And I knew immediately what to do with this bread.

French Toast.

Oh.  Hell.  Yes.

But first…it had been so long since I had sampled this bread, I needed to have it on its own.  Just to see what all the hype was when I snagged it from the shelf.

Eban Bakery Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread is awesome.  It is a bit dense and heavy, but a lot of gluten-free breads are.  It is just something I have come to expect.  However, slice it up, and the slices feel light.  They are certainly filling.  But the best part is the flavor.  The bread is sweet, with the bits of cranberry scattered throughout.  In addition, the walnuts bring a saltiness to it, as well as add something to the texture of the bread itself.  It is delicious.  And I knew it was going to make really amazing gluten-free French toast.

I sliced four pieces of the bread from the loaf and began to prep the egg with some vanilla and cinnamon.  I even added a touch of nutmeg.  I beat all of that together, then dipped the bread into the egg mixture.  The great thing about this bread was that it absorbed the egg without becoming soggy and falling apart.  Onto the griddle the slices of bread went to brown and crisp up like French toast should.

In the meantime, I warmed up some gluten-free real maple syrup and mixed together some cinnamon and sugar to dust over the top of the finished product.  I flipped the bread over to toast the other side and before I knew it…breakfast was served.  Maple syrup and cinnamon and sugar topped it all off.

I settled in with my roommate for breakfast.  She was halfway through her French toast before I managed my first bite.  She was raving about how yummy it was, so that was a good sign.  She was right.

This bread worked fantastic as a base for French toast.  Being that it was sturdier than regular sandwich bread, the egg wash didn’t make it crumble or become soggy.  Instead it just absorbed it and made it toast up golden and beautiful.  The flavor of the walnuts and cranberries took on a caramelized and toasted flavor which only elevated it to the next level.  It was phenomenal.

On its own or dressed up, Eban Bakery really blew me away with the flavor, taste, and texture of their gluten-free bread.  The Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread is definitely a welcome addition to my kitchen any day.

Eban Bakery is a gluten-free bakery based out of Ohio that specializes in breads, baked goods and sweet treats in small batches that use all natural and organic ingredients, free of gluten, preservatives, and additives.  In other words…no bad stuff goes into their goods.  Ever.  And that is evident with how delicious and amazing their products taste.  Love at first bite.  When I next find myself anywhere with Eban Bakery goods, I’ll definitely purchase some more.  Very impressed.

And thanks to Dorothy Lane Market…I now know of this otherwise unknown gluten-free bakery.  Eban Bakery…you’ve definitely won the heart of this Indiana girl.  When I next find myself in Ohio, I’m seeking out more of your products and going on a tasting frenzy.  The Gluten-Free Cranberry Walnut Bread was certainly a great place to start.