Replacements for Wheat Bread in a Gluten-free Diet
"How am I going to live without bread?" is one of the first questions asked by someone who finds themselves faced with a gluten-free diet.
The answer is, there is no need to live without bread.
There are options. The key to a successful transition to a gluten-free diet is to stop expecting gluten-free options to replace wheat products seamlessly and start appreciating them for what they are: something totally different.
Commercial, pre-made gluten-free breads are available in many grocery stores. These breads are often made primarily of rice flour. While expensive, these loaves of bread are convenient. They may also be comforting to someone who is giving up wheat bread for health reasons.
These commercial breads nearly always taste best toasted. Their flavors vary widely, with the more expensive breads having tastes closer to wheat bread.
There are gluten-free bakeries popping up all over the place these days, with more and more people realizing they feel better without wheat. These companies have bakers who work hard on developing good tasting alternatives to wheat bread. Gluten-free bread tastes best when eaten very fresh, and gluten-free bakeries make it possible to do this without having to bake yourself.
If you want to try gluten-free baking at home, many companies offer bread mixes that have pre-measured and blended flours as well as a binding agent. As with commercial pre-made bread, the flavor profiles of these products are varying. Try them until you find one you like.
Once you become more comfortable with gluten-free baking, you might like to try your own recipes or following recipes out of a book. You can blend your own flours for these, or buy pre-blended flours that replace wheat flour cup-for-cup in recipes.
If the whole idea of gluten-free bread is just too daunting for you, or you find yourself wanting a quick substitute, you can try corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free, taste great and have a flavor that blends well with many cuisines.
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