Wheat Free Bakery

I had heard of the Wheat free Bakery on Facebook with excellent reviews, and decided to try some of their breads.

They are a small, independent, family owned bakery, specialising in gluten and wheat free products, based in Scotland.

They have lots of bread and bread rolls to choose from, as well as an egg free section and cakes, sweet treats and mixes.

I have made a few orders now, generally bloomers, and their bread is amazing. I really love it!!!
The crust is a bit crusty without being too hard and there are no holes in the bread. It is very soft and moist and just generally gorgeous. You can see the full list of ingredients for each product in case you have a problem with something else.

As well as the bloomers, I have also tried some rolls, which are of the same high quality and the eclairs which are very nice too.
And they've always include a freebie in all the parcels I've received so far (hot cross buns for Easter, very spicy, very gorgeous).
They charge £5.95 for delivery (for parcels up to 20 kg), which is what they pay the couriers, but as the bread itself is cheaper than supermarket alternatives I'd say it evens out on price for a higher quality product.
All the bread I bought has arrived in excellent condition, and very fresh, as they dispatch it the day they bake it.
I normally buy 3 bloomers & an assortment of rolls.
I slice the bloomers and freeze them in small portions, and it's as good defrosted as the day it arrives. I put them directly from the freezer into the toaster, and they are good to go.
I only wish that I had a bigger freezer ;)

For more information visit their website:
Wheat Free Bakery
http://www.wheat-freebakerydirect.co.uk/

Beyond Bread

Beyond Bread opened it's doors in 2015, to much anticipation and following on social media.

It is amazing to find any cafe or restaurant where gluten does not dare to go, and Beyond Bread is one of them, where everything is gluten free and cross-contamination is not an issue.

It is open during the day, closing at 5pm during the week and at 4pm at weekends so keep this in mind if you plan to visit.

They offer a variety of cakes, breads, sandwiches and lunch options, and for me, their bread shines above anything else.
When I visit I always have one of their tasty filled baguettes, and so far I have never been disappointed.
I've also recently tried their multi seeded loaf which is by far the best multi seeded I've ever tried.

Their danish pastries are also good, but, although I have not tried their cakes myself, I've head mixed opinions.
So, my advice if you visit?
Choose bread, bread or bread!

Beyond Bread
http://www.beyondbread.co.uk/
2 Charlotte Place, London W1T 1SB
Tube: Goodge Street
Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 4pm

Udis Gluten Free breads

I had already tried Udis bagels, and I was curious about their Tiger bread, spotted at the Allergy Show.

I was lucky to get a sample pack and another one of their multi seeded rolls.

There was some Tiger bread to taste at the stall, but I think it might have been cut a while ago, as it felt a bit dry.

Nothing to do with the lovely sample pack I got. It was very soft and very nice, and I've been eating it for the whole week afterwards, only being a bit crumbly towards the end.

What I'll do next time I have a packet is to freeze half so that even if it's just one of me, the second half will be as lovely as the first.

I also got some of the multi seeded rolls to try, and they were very very nice. I toasted them and had them with some ham. A fantastic treat!

The Tiger bread is available at large Tescos (£2.50) and online during their Lifestyle Food fair (till end August, 4 for 3 offer).
 Hopefully if there are enough sales they'll keep them going forward.

Tiger bread ingredients: Tapioca Starch,Water ,Rice Flour ,Potato Starch ,Rapeseed Oil ,Humectant (Glycerine) ,Psyllium Husk Powder ,Egg White Powder ,Yeast ,Thickener (Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose) ,Dextrose ,Potato Fibre ,Salt ,Sugar ,Preservative (Calcium Propionate)

Multi Seeded Rolls ingredients: Maize Starch, Water, Mixed Seeds [10%] (Sunflower, Linseed, Poppy), Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Yeast, Black Treacle, Rapeseed Oil, Thickeners (Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum),Psyllium Husk Powder, Potato Protein Isolate, Humectant (Glycerine), Sugar, Salt, Potato Fibre, Preservative (Calcium Propionate), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid) May contain Egg

Happy to recommend both products.

Marks and Spencer new Gluten Free products

 A few new gluten free products have appeared on Marks and Spencer shelves!

A very tasty looking Chocolate Birthday cake and some more bread varieties, ciabattas and baguettes.
They all look worth tasting, so one to try soon.

There are also a good amount of gluten free choices in their food to order section for when you need to entertain:
http://www.marksandspencer.com/l/food-and-wine/food-to-order/solutions-for-everybody/gluten-free

Udis Plain Bagels Gluten Free

I've wanted to try these Udis bagels for a while, but although I've had an eye out for them, I couldn't find them in any of my local stores. Finally I found them in Tesco last week.

They are actually very nice bagels, there are four in a pack and cost £2.30. They say they'll keep for 2 days, but I've had them in the fridge for around a week and they are still good to eat. I love them toasted with some tuna mayo.  There are two more varieties, cinamon and raisins and savoury (with a hint of onion), all at the same price.
Ingredients: Water, Tapioca Starch, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Egg White Powder, Resistant Corn Starch, Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Humectant (Glycerine), Thickeners (Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum), Yeast, Pea Protein Isolate, Sugar Beet Fibre, Salt, Preservative (Calcium Propionate).

Helen gluten free bread mix

 Finally!!! I have never been very good at using yeast, I always blame it on my drafty kitchen, so I've always been a bit irritated by my lack of success at bread making, but thought there wasn't much I could do.

On a recent visit to a large Sainsbury's I found Helen's Brilliant Bread mix in the free from section and decided to have another go at bread.

I must say the instructions at the back of the pack are brilliant, perfect for someone like me who has not made bread before.

On reflection the tip seems to be using the right temperature for the water in the mix (200ml cold from the tap + 100ml hot from the kettle to make the tepid water) and the way to keep the mix while it raises.

The pack recommends to keep the bread tin inside another tray filled with warm water, but just warm from the tap and not from the kettle.

The photos on the right show the mix as first in the bread tin, after raising and as it comes out of the oven.
In the oven I had it at the correct temperature but did use the fan, and I think it has burned slightly on the outside. When I do it again I probably won't use the fan.

Today it is already the third day after baking and the bread is still good to eat, nice and soft.

I would definitely recommend this mix and I'll be buying again.

Waitrose Gluten Free Petit Pains

These bread rolls are just lovely, crunchy exterior but not too hard, heavenly soft interior ... who needs gluten?
They go very well with a soup or just anything really.

The ingredients list is quite long, here they are: water, tapioca starch, rice flour, potato starch, sunflower oil, yeast, humectant vegetable glycerine, psyllium husk powder, corn dextrose, stabiliser hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, dried free range egg white, polenta, maize flour, salt maize starch, preservative calcium propionate, rice starch

Each pain weights around 40-50 gr, has 137 calories of gorgeousness and are best heated in the oven for 5-6 minutes.
There are two petit pains in the pack, and you can get them from Waitrose for £1.54.

Genius Gluten Free Spicy Fruit Loaf

What a nice fruit loaf, thanks Genius!
I love the taste, there are so many raisins, it's so sweet and moist, and the flavours of the mixed spice go very well together in this loaf.
The consistency is quite light, just as I like it.
The slices are thinner than in a normal loaf, so be careful with the time you put it in the toaster, I've burned a couple as I didn't change the setting, not that they went to waste ;)
I'm not sure it needs butter, it's very yummy on it's own.

Beiker bread rolls - Purchased in Spain

I love these bread rolls (panecillos in Spanish), they are by far the best gluten free "bread with crust" that I have tasted, even better than Sainsbury's freefrom baguette.

Unfortunately I have not seen this brand in the UK, I bought this packet when I was in Spain over Christmas.

How can I describe it? The middle is soooo soft and fluffy, and the crust is crusty but not too much. It reminds me of those French breads made with milk in the dough, just a tiny bit sweet and very moorish.
Doing a bit of online research it seems that this brand is Dr Schar line of products for the Spanish and Portuguese markets, so definitely not available in the UK.

Battle of the baguette

There are so many gluten free products appearing on supermarket shelves, that is difficult to keep up. A few baguettes have got my attention recently so it was time to compare them.

In December I reviewed Warburtons baguettes but realised later that I had not followed the instructions and did not put them in the oven.

Anyone who knows me knows that following instructions is not my thing, but I've done it in the interest of research.

Warburtons baguettes are definitely better warm, although for me the crust was not crusty enough and I was still feeling they were a bit gummy.

It would have been a good option if I hadn't found another one that is much better on many fronts....

Sainsbury's freefrom range baguette, that is something else!

It also goes in the oven for a few minutes for best results, and it's all that I remember gluten bread to be. The crusts has got a brilliant consistency, very crusty and tasty, and the insides are white and fluffy. It reminds me of rustic bread, lovely.

Someone please stop me from buying more or I won't ever fit though the front door again!!!!!

Newburn Bakehouse Gluten Free Baguette

I was very excited when I saw these baguettes in the supermarket, would they taste like real bread?

When I took them out of the packet two thoughts came to mind, first that the consistency was nice, quite sturdy little things, secondly that they have a somewhat plastic feel...

Cutting them in half and they still look good, nice texture, and the taste is OK.

I decided to have one of them grilled with some grilled ham as filling, and there is where disappointment begun. They got completely flat and really hard, as when you iron something with a synthetic fibre and it melts and get all burned....

Overall the taste is OK if you can get over the plastic look, but definitely one to eat cold!

Update: Oops! After tweeting about it, I've been told there were some instructions to be followed to get a golden crispy baguette, so will have to try them again and will update ;)

M&S Gluten Free Products

It's nice to see the selection of gluten free products at Marks and Spencer. There are quite a few of them, including sponges, biscuits, crackers, muffins, crumpets, shortbread and a few breads.
They also have some gluten free pasta, if I remember correctly in the pasta section.

I particularly love the white bread, which they call sliced white boule, super soft and spongy with poppy seeds, so yummy I always try to find an excuse to have one more slice ;)

Genius Multiseed Loaf - gluten, wheat and dairy free

On the same visit to a large Tesco I found my favourite supermarket bread. I know it doesn't taste like the home baked one, but I haven't managed yet to get a decent loaf out of my many experiments, so for now, I have to make do with what is available in the supermarkets. I like the flavour, not too bland and with lots of seeds. It's a bit of a delicate bread, as it tends to break quite easily, so you have to be careful not to squash it, or you won't get a complete slice out of the packet. Not that I'm talking by personal experience... ahem. It costs £3 for a 560 grams loaf. Unfortunately it is not available in my local Sainsburys, so it's one of those things I dream about when I write my gluten free wish list.