Product Review: Katz Gluten Free Large Braided Challah Loaf

Product: Katz Gluten Free Large Braided Challah Loaf – $35.00

Let me tell you…I adore products from Katz Gluten Free.  I have been pimping the quality, taste, and everything about their variety of products since I have tried so many of them.  However…in order to make a gluten-free breakfast bread pudding with a friend of mine…I needed some gluten-free challah.  And I knew the only place to get it was from Katz Gluten Free.

I debated for a long moment over whether to go ahead and order the very, very, very pricey Large Braided Challah Loaf…or just skimp on that line of thinking and get either the sliced challah loaf or the rice challah.  I debated.  Price had a lot to do with it.  I mean…holy gluten-free gods…$35 was a lot to spend on a loaf of bread.  But…I figured I wanted to go for quality of what we were making and opted to go ahead and place an order for Katz Gluten Free Large Braided Challah Loaf.  I just hoped it was worth the $35 I was spending on it.  Oy!

A few days later, the loaf arrived via UPS…and I was really excited to take a look at what a $35 loaf of bread looked like.

Little did I know that when the loaf is called a large braided loaf…it really is LARGE!!  Seriously…the size of two of my heads put together.  That is not an exaggeration!

I only hoped the Large Braided Challah Loaf was worth the investment in the end.  I’d find out on Sunday morning…after a short run…when my friend, Jenn, and I raided her kitchen and began working on a recipe for Gluten Free Morning Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel.  We had the recipe picked out prior to the get-together weekend…and I told her if she got the rest of the ingredients, I would get the bread.  And with both of us following through on the deal…it was time to open up this monster loaf and see if I made a wise investment.

The bread smelled fantastic the moment I got that plastic wrap off of it.  I mean…almost like it was fresh out of the bakery.  So amazing.  I sniffed the air quite a few times, ignoring the slight hunger rumbles in my belly. There was a lot of time between this moment and breakfast time…so I had to focus on getting it made if I wanted to get myself fed.  I sliced off the end piece and, instead of using it as the center of the bread pattern as suggested by the recipe…we cut it up to sample.

OMG…it was good.  It was really, really good.  I loved the taste of the crust and the actual challah bread itself.  The sesame seeds that are scattered on the top of the loaf are a brilliant touch and a very tasty addition.  I wouldn’t have though that those little seeds could be so important, but the taste and texture was only elevated with their presence.  I was impressed.  And, let me tell you…this is one very soft and fluffy loaf of bread.  You’d never guess it because it feels so heavy…but you slice into it and it is just super airy and light.  It’s so weird, I know…but that’s the truth.  It didn’t crumble or fall apart as I sliced into it, as so many loaves of gluten-free bread can do.  And the taste was out-of-this-world delicious.  It tasted like it had just been made and pulled out of the oven.  It didn’t even need a reheat to make it taste edible.  It can go straight from the freezer to the counter top with only a quick defrost.  Amazing.  Totally worth all $35 I paid for it.

I don’t know how this ranks nutrition-wise as no nutrition information is available on the site.  Just know this bread loaf is HUGE!!  HUGE!!  The recipe we were making called for about 12 ounces and I used less than 1/3 of the loaf.  Honestly.  The rest is sitting in my freezer until my next culinary adventure arises.

I can, however, list off the ingredients that Katz Gluten Free uses to make its legendary Large Braided Challah Loaf.  This gigantic loaf is made from a mix of gluten-free flour (white rice, tapioca, arrowroot, corn, soy, and potato), fresh eggs, palm oil, brown sugar, honey, xanthan gum, yeast, salt, flaxseed, and apple cider vinegar.  Mine came topped with sesame seeds, however you can choose to purchase the loaf without the seeds on top.  However, if you don’t have an allergy…I highly recommend keeping them on there.

This bread was amazing in the bread pudding that we baked up for breakfast.  It’s amazing on its own.  It’s amazing with a little butter schmeared on it.  It’s amazing with pizza toppings cooked on it.  It’s awesome as a grilled cheese sandwich.  It holds up to anything and everything.  It won’t fall apart on you.  The flavor is amazing.  The texture is more than superb.  And the versatility this loaf offers is unmatched.  And you’ll want to use it in a variety of ways…since there is so damn much of it.  Not a complaint anymore.  One of my favorite gluten free breads I have ever eaten.  I will definitely spend another $35 in the future without a second thought.

Thanks Katz Gluten Free…for this amazing addition to my gluten-free menu!!