Product Review: Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread

Product: Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread – $4.99+

For all those different gluten-free bread needs, I often turn Schär.  Not only has Schär put out a variety of bread products on the market, they make sure that the products that they do put out are up to their high standards.  This is why when I need sandwich rolls or ciabatta or even baguettes…I head to the gluten-free bread section and pull one of these products off the shelf.  Yes.  Not frozen.  I get so tired of having to thaw out my bread…but without preservatives and the like, gluten-free products don’t keep for long if they aren’t refrigerated.

Schär specializes in the development and production of foods for people with special dietary needs, with a goal of becoming a leader in that field.  They have very much established themselves as a leader in the gluten-free foods out on the market.  They are certainly one brand that I never hesitate to purchase, even if I’ve never tried the product.  And since Schär guarantees the highest safety standards in the manufacturing of their products, you can rest assured that you won’t have any contamination from their products.  They aim to produce quality and delicious products that ensure the consumer a balanced nutrition and quality of life through their restrictive diet.

In the past, I have often used Schär Gluten Free Baguettes, Ciabatta Rolls, Sandwich Rolls, Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, Table Crackers, and even some of their sweets, like their Chocolate Hazelnut Bars.

So, when my roomie and I spotted a loaf of the Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread at Wal-Mart on sale, we couldn’t pass up that deal.  So…we purchased it.  And I was already coming up with ideas for sandwiches and the like.  I was excited to try it.  Honestly.  I had my usual brand (Rudi’s Gluten-Free Multigrain Bread) already open, so I didn’t immediately break into my loaf from Schär.  Until last night.

You see, last night the Series 8 premier of Doctor Who was playing at my local movie theater.  I wanted to keep dinner light and easy so we could get out the door and get to the theater in time.  So, I opted to make one of my vegan gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches.  Yummy.  I try to enhance the sandwich by adding items to it.  No time to get really creative, so I sliced up the rest of a tomato and added it to the sandwiches.  I spread Earth Balance onto the slices of bread, put the cheese and tomato on and placed it in the skillet to toast.

The first thing I noticed about the Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread was that the slices are very small.  If you are familiar with Udi’s Gluten-Free Bread…then think about slices about that size.  I’ve grown used to this when I branch away from my standard bread…so…I won’t hold it against Schär.  It toasted up nicely on my skillet and the vegan cheese melted as well as vegan cheese can melt.  Once each side was toasted, I served up one sandwich to my roommate and one for myself.

She took the first bite and I asked her what she thought of the Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread.  She said it was “pretty good.”  I think she did actually like it, but prefers our usual Rudi’s brand when it comes to sandwich bread.  And…I agree.  However, that’s not saying that the Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread isn’t good.  It is.  In fact, one aspect of it that I did quite enjoy was the wholesome flavor that came with each bite.  It almost reminded me of wheat bread, back when I could eat it.  I don’t think my sandwich was the best vehicle to test this bread out on, however.

So, tonight…I gave it another test run.  And this time, I used it as a base for a Gluten Free Avocado Bruschetta with a Green Sauce (which I made from kale, fresh basil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and some salt and pepper).  Oh…oh…this was a game changer.  I toasted the bread, dry, in the oven for about 10 minutes.  It came out a gorgeous golden color…not burned or charred on any of the edges.  Perfect.  I put the Green Sauce on the bread then topped it off with the chopped avocado.  My first bite…and…oh…oh yes!  YES!!  This was brilliant.  This was what that bread was made for.  And it turned out the smaller size was perfect for the amount of topping and chopped avocado that I had.  Each bite had every flavor and the savoriness of the bread just elevated this dish even higher.

It was the more complex dish that truly won me over with the Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread.

So, let’s talk ingredients, shall we?  A loaf of Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread is made from water, corn starch, rice flour, rice starch, soy flakes, potato starch, buckwheat flour, soy bran, rice syrup, soy protein, palm oil, psyllium seed husk (vegetable fiber), millet flakes, yeast, beet sugar syrup, sugar, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (emulsifier), apple extract, salt, calcium citrate, citric acid, tartaric acid, folic acid. This loaf of bread is gluten-free, wheat free, lactose free, dairy free and egg free.  It is also cholesterol free.

As far as nutrition goes, a serving of Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread is 1 slice of bread.  One slice of bread provides you with 80 calories and 1 gram of fat.  In addition, you will be consuming 125 mg sodium and less than 1 gram of sugar.  Love those stats.  Finally, you will be taking in 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein.  The bread won’t leave you feeling full…but it won’t make you feel like you hardly ate either.

So, while it wasn’t exactly love at first bite with Schär Gluten Free Multigrain Bread, I came around.  It just took a second tasting to really value the texture, flavor, and overall feel of this bread.  Yes, the slices are small, and yes…it can be tough without some toasting or warming…but in the end…a definite quality product I would be proud to purchase again!