Going gluten free?

[annekat]

I don't know that there is a 'gluten free' setting on any kind of bread maker. It's in the recipe, not the machine. Although, have a friend who has to be gluten free and he had to buy a new bread maker because the old one had done used non gluten free recipes. Hope that saves you a buck or 2!

Jacquie (Booknut) said that her new Oster bread maker has a "gluten free" setting. My old one has an "express bake" setting that I wonder if could be similar. Her point was that the bread could only rise once and not be punched down, so one would have to remove it from the cycle and put it in the oven. If "express bake" is a faster process, maybe some steps are eliminated that would make it work for gluten-free. I've never used the darn thing, so I don't know. I have a manual but need to find it.

[BookNut]

Thank you SO much Rebekah. And yes - DrZ - the new machines DO have a gluten free setting. And it really makes a difference. At least for the gluten free bread mixes. I have one particular bread mix from Gluten-Free Pantry that I have made the "traditional" way - with a mixer, set it in a warm place to rise, and then bake it. It is very tasty. I borrowed an older machine and picked the setting that was the closest to a gluten free setting, which provides only ONE rise time and it does NOT punch the bread down. There was no way to customize the cycles on the machine I borrowed. The loaf came out edible - but not nearly as good as making it without the machine. So - I ended up buying a new machine with a gluten-free setting. It came out PERFECTLY.

Rebekah - is the bread you make in your machine gluten-free? If you could share the recipe, I'd love to try it. Right now I am sticking to the bread mixes because most of the "from scratch" recipes call for 3 or 4 or more types of flour. I would love something that just takes basic gluten-free multi-purpose flour. I just bought xanthan gum and dry milk powder so I can experiment with making bread without a mix.

Glad you like the picture. I am very fond if it, because it reflects my English background. I don't know if you saw the post where I mentioned that I, and many of my colleagues, dressed up in costumes from the theater department at our high school in honor of Kate and Williams wedding. I conducted a tea party for the kids in my library - complete with china teapot, silver tea service, home made scones and jelly rolls etc. They LOVED it. It is one of my fondest memories now that I am retired.

Tell me about your study abroad trip to England!! I'd love to hear the details. I have not traveled a lot in the London area - but a little bit north of London and mostly around the Yorkshire area. My father was in the British Merchant Marine during WWII. You can read the rather tragic story of my family at:
Never Forget! « Wanderings… Be sure to click on the ppt link.

[BookNut]

Jacquie (Booknut) said that her new Oster bread maker has a "gluten free" setting. My old one has an "express bake" setting that I wonder if could be similar. Her point was that the bread could only rise once and not be punched down, so one would have to remove it from the cycle and put it in the oven. If "express bake" is a faster process, maybe some steps are eliminated that would make it work for gluten-free. I've never used the darn thing, so I don't know. I have a manual but need to find it.

I just read the manual on my Oster about the "express" setting. It only seems to provide and eight minutes of rising time. BUT, it does seem to go directly from rise to bake, so It might work. If you can't find the manual, perhaps there is one on the internet. If not, I could probably figure out how to scan. it and put a link on my blog, so you can read it there.

[rebekah]

Hi Jacquie!

I know your name now… I feel like this is like when I was in band in high school where we all had nick names so no one ever knew each other’s real names. lol The bread I currently make isn’t gluten-free… I just decided today to go gluten free to see if that helps. We’ll see how this goes, I’ll slowly ease my way into going completely gluten-free. The only reason I buy gluten-free bread in the frozen section of my grocery store is because of my soy allergy, and sometimes I just don’t have time (or energy) to make fresh bread. I was looking up some recipes and noticed all the different types of flour gluten-free bread calls for – it’s crazy! Being a college student the easier a recipe the better. If I find a recipe that calls for just all-purpose flour and it comes out good, I’ll be sure to share it with you. I’m planning on buying a new bread machine this weekend (which one do you have?)… having one with a gluten-free setting would make my life so much easier, especially since I don’t have a stand mixer. And my current bread maker doesn't have an "express" setting to try out.

That tea party sounds like it was so much fun! The friends I made from studying abroad keep talking about getting together to have tea and catch up, but it’s so hard with all of our busy schedules. I studied at the University of Exeter this past summer in SW England (3 weeks after getting off Cytoxan… it probably wasn’t the best idea, but I kept busy so all the walking and everything caught up to me once I got back home). It was so nice, especially since the Olympics were going on the same time I was there. I didn’t get to see any events, but the atmosphere of London was incredible. We spent the first 3 days in London sightseeing before going to Exeter. We got to see the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, the London Eye, the British Museum, just to name a few. The university is the most beautiful campus ever with the view of the hills from one of the dorms… although walking up them wasn’t too fun. Everything is just so green. They also had day trips planned to Stonehenge and Salisbury, the Eden Project, Bath, and St. Ives so we could see some great parts of England. Stonehenge was by far my favorite. I got to meet some Paralympic athletes from Ghana since they were training at Exeter, and one of the professors surprised us with one of the Olympic torches during a class. I almost forgot I was there to actually study. I fell in love with England and can’t wait to go back again. I could talk about the experience forever. I actually made a blog so I could look back and remember all the great memories as I get older. Feel free to check it out… A Lady in England

Thanks for sharing the article, I bookmarked it and will read it later. I should probably get back to studying for my major exam I have Tuesday. I’m a typical college student doing everything but studying. Having to read these boring articles just isn't very motivating...

[annekat]

I just read the manual on my Oster about the "express" setting. It only seems to provide and eight minutes of rising time. BUT, it does seem to go directly from rise to bake, so It might work. If you can't find the manual, perhaps there is one on the internet. If not, I could probably figure out how to scan. it and put a link on my blog, so you can read it there.

Well, if your machine has both a gluten-free and an "express" setting, I'm sure the gluten-free is better. But I do have a manual for either the same or a similar machine as mine, and am sure I can find one on the internet, too. The manual isn't lost, just in a huge pile of manuals somewhere. Right now I'm not even close to having the time, energy, or money to try gluten-free bread recipes. By the time I am, probably you'll not only know if you have Wegs or not, but also have gotten your gluten-free website out there! It is all interesting to think about.

[BookNut]

OK - I am working on my gluten-free webpages which will be part of my general website. Here is what I have so far. There is about another day's work on it - but I am done for today. Lots of good resources already - so I figured I'd post it now, even though it is not done.

Going Gluten-Free - Wandering Booknut

[annekat]

OK - I am working on my gluten-free webpages which will be part of my general website. Here is what I have so far. There is about another day's work on it - but I am done for today. Lots of good resources already - so I figured I'd post it now, even though it is not done.

Going Gluten-Free - Wandering Booknut

Wow! Took a brief look and it looks AWESOME. The pictures of the baked goods look scrumptious. I DO NOT have time to play with any of this right now, but am bookmarking it under "health" with best of intentions to make use of the information in the future! Thanks!

[BookNut]

While I was compiling the webpages, the bread maker was busily making this very easy recipe, which uses their gluten free multi-purpose flour.

Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread: King Arthur Flour

It came out very well. It did not rise as much as I expected. It could be because I used yeast made for a bread maker and the recipe calls for "instant yeast". I have also found somewhere on the site, instructions for making their gluten free bread MIX in a bread machine. They suggest adding a tsp of baking powder. So - next time I might experiment with changing the yeast and adding BP.

[KimH]

Do you bake in the oven on a stone to make a crispy crust? I use my bread machine but no crispy crust. Love the crunch.

[BookNut]

From my reading - I don't think it is possible to bake gf bread that tastes like real bread. The recipe I made yesterday. Well...the closest thing I can give as a description is that the crust is very firm crusty and crumbly at the same time - kind of like a biscuit that has been left a little too long in the oven. Actually - the bread itself tastes like a biscuit. And the loaf weighs a ton. It actually tastes OK though. Even with just butter on it. Better with jam or peanut butter though. Eat it fast though or keep refrigerated. I actually prefer the King Arthur bread mix...so think I will stick with that. I have one more "from scratch" recipe that looks worth a try. I will let you know. If you want the taste of store-bought wheat bread - then Udi's is for you. Trader Joes must sell their fairly quickly, because they keep it in with the regular bread. Our major area grocery story - Wegmans - keeps theirs in the freezer. At any rate - it is the best if you want the soft texture of the bread itself. Tastes like the real thing.