It was not the Memorial Day weekend when I noticed this but actually right after I switched to gluten free, but I like bread. I really like bread. And now for the most part I can't eat it. Yes, everyone gluten free has encountered this. I have been trying to find some good alternatives, and I am sure that there are many people out there who have actually found them. Tips in the right direction are always welcome, yet in the meantime here are thoughts on some products I have encountered so far.
First, I just want to say that Legal Seafoods does a good job with gluten free. They have a lot of options that can be prepared that way, including a good fish and chips. On a warm Summer day sitting at the outdoor tables feasting on fish and chips just says Summer. Legal could work on expanding gluten free options in their drinks menu, but that is a problem most restaurants have. The biggest compliment to Legal Seafoods is they will serve gluten free bread. They have gluten free rolls they bring to your table as you order that taste really good. There is a bit of a cornbread taste to it, so the dough must be heavy in the mix with corn flour, but when it comes out hot it is nice. It is a good alternative to the focaccia type bread other places offer in that it is more light and airy, similar to gluten riddled dinner rolls.
Restaurant shout-out aside, a good bread is hard to nail down. So far two brands seem to do alright - Udi's and Rudi's. Now for the most part all the gluten free bread products I find are frozen. I cannot recall finding anything fresh. Actually that is not true - Schar puts out non-frozen bread products.
I did not like these at all. They tasted bland, dry, and had an odd consistency. If I can talk about food this way, it seemed more functional than good. Schar does have some Entertainment Crackers that can serve in a pinch for snacking but otherwise I avoid this bread based on what I got in a sandwich roll.
Udi's and Rudi's are frozen. Preservatives must not react well with non-wheat flour doughs. Once thawed out these manufacturers make a good product. The bread gets to a decent size. I have noticed that since the gluten holds in the gases released by yeast allowing bread to get big and fluffy the lack of gluten limits how big a load of bread will get. Rudi's bread has a hearty rye bread feel and texture to it. That's good for substantial sandwiches, but for kids it's a big change from the WonderBread type bread. Rudi's can get a little dry, perhaps that was just thawing it out too fast.
I prefer Rudi's bread to Udi's. They are both very similar, but Rudi's seems lightly less dry. And dryness has become a big factor in what makes good bread for me. Something too dry just feels crumbly as well as falling apart when eaten. Udi's does make good bagels though. These toast up well and have a good amount of chew without having to really work at it.
Udi's also makes hamburger and hot dog rolls. Memorial Day made the bread problem all the more poignant. Cheeseburgers and hot dogs on the grill are necessary for Summer. I think it's a law or something. The gluten free complications are felt most for these rolls. They are just plain more dense and dry than the hamburger and hot dog rolls I remember as a kid. Hot dogs rolls especially had a light fluffy texture that worked well, both steaming like at a ball game or toasted on the grill. Gluten free rolls just do not have that moist texture. I will spare the tirade on how they are not made split top New England style, hot dog rolls that is - it would be pretty stupid to have split top hamburger rolls. Udi's hamburger rolls are good. The dryness is noticeable but is not as egregious as the hot dog rolls. That's mostly just due to the nature of the types of rolls.
Now there are a couple of other bread stuffs that I should mention. Baguettes. Nice crusty outside, soft tasty inside. Remember when I said gluten free bread just doesn't get as large as regular bread? That's more true of things like baguettes. I had some in a restaurant in New York, and they seemed like really fat bread sticks, not proper baguettes.
Against the Grain makes a proper baguette. It is a decent size and tastes good. I thawed a loaf out and eventually made a good garlic bread out of it. Again it is frozen so there is some planning involved to eat it, but there's a bit of planning involved for gluten free anyway so it really isn't bad.
Lastly, doughnuts. I desperately miss doughnuts. Easing that pain, I like Kinnikinnick's frozen (again?) donuts. I found two flavors, cinnamon and sugar, and chocolate covered. If you remember the DunkinDonuts brand Ol' Fashioned flavor doughnuts then you know how these feel to eat. They are good, and I didn't read it on the box but a few seconds in the microwave will thaw them out fast.
My bugaboo about the frozen is that once thawed the breads do not seem to last as long as regular breads, and since I am not sure I will go through a whole loaf of bread or box of donuts (who am I kidding, I will go through a whole box). I hate to thaw out a whole package just to risk wasting any. But so far all these products work out well. And I found all of them at my local super market, or at Whole Foods. If more stuff like this hits the shelves of non-specialty stores then gluten free eating at home will get even easier, and tastier.
