Bread? Why Not?

Bread. It is a staple in our diet. We can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I found out Nate had a wheat allergy, I had to give up bread while I was still breastfeeding. Let me tell you, that was one of the hardest things I have ever done! I never realized how much I loved it until I couldn't eat it anymore.
There are a lot of gluten free bread products out there that I tried during this time. Some are pretty good and others I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. Udi's Gluten Free Foods makes yummy tasting sandwich bread, but the slices are so small I feel like I am eating a mini-sandwich. I would usually eat two sandwiches just to feel full. And while I love using the Egg Replacer* (more on that in a minute) from Ener-G, I do not care for their bread. It tastes like cardboard to me and has a disturbingly chewy texture.

The other problem we were having at the time I wanted to introduce bread was that Nate developed an egg allergy as well. Many of the alternative bread companies made their products dairy free, not all of them take out the eggs. So I had to find another way to introduce him to bread. That is where my mom came in. She suggested King Arthur Flour (KAF)and their line of allergy friendly products that include everything from multi-purpose GF flour to GF muffin and bread mixes. All of the products I have used from KAF are also soy free and nut free, which is important because of Nate's peanut allergy and his sensitivity to soy.

On other occasions when I have made this bread, I used ground flax seed in place of the eggs. While you could use the Egg Replacer* product from Ener-G, KAF recommends the flax seed. It gives it a better texture and has a higher nutritional value.
Nate recently tested negative for his egg allergy, so we have received the green light to make his baked goods with eggs.  I thought I would try them in this new loaf I am making today.

 All you need is a box of the KAF GF bread mix, 3 eggs, 4 tbsp oil (or you can use margarine if there are no dairy allergies in your home) and 1 1/2 cups of water.

 There will be several different stages of allowing the dough to rise. You will have to let it sit in the mixing bowl for at least 30 minutes.

 Then transfer it to the baking pan you will be using, cover it with plastic wrap and follow the instructions on the box. I usually have to let mine sit for about 50 minutes.

 Then you will need to remove the plastic wrap and place it in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Our house will start to smell amazing! There is nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread!

I have had really good results with freezing this bread. You can slice it into sandwich sized pieces, wrap it in aluminum foil and then place it in a freezer bag. Then when you want a sandwich or some toast, you can pop out the slices you need, defrost them in your toaster or on the counter and enjoy!

                       Nathan likes his with some Polaner's All-Fruit Blueberry Spread. Delicious!!!!

*Egg Replacer from Ener-G is made from Potato Starch and Tapioca Flour, along with other leavening ingredients to mimic the effects of eggs in a variety of baked goods. Be forewarned, the texture will not be the same as it would be if you were using eggs, but it definitely gives you more opportunities for baking.