Q Do you have any suggestions for making the best possible bread to use for run of the mill sandwiches? We do make some lovely GF breads, but they always seem overly indulgent and a little heavy…
Gluten free sandwich bread needs to be soft enough to accommodate a good amount of filling and not so crusty that you lacerate your mouth as you bite into your lunch. Personal preference dictates whether you prefer white bread, seedy bread, pumpernickel style bread or brioche, so I can’t recommend a recipe that will suit everyone’s tastes. I like my sandwiches made with a hearty sourdough bread. However, tinkering with your favourite bread recipes can make them more sandwich friendly.
- If your bread is too heavy, try including more starch in the mixture. It will reduce the nutrient value, but produce a fluffier crumb. Potato starch makes the lightest crumb.
- If your bread is too rich, try using just egg white, rather than a whole egg to bind it.
- Gluten free bread doesn’t need, milk, fat, nut flour or eggs, but breads tend to be softer and richer tasting with these added.
- Include psyllium husk, ground chia seed or ground linseed in your bread. These will hold water in the dough and result in a moister, more open crumb.
- Try baking your loaf with a tray of water in the oven. The crust will be thinner and the loaf will expand more.
OUR EXPERT:
Naomi Devlin
Nutritionist Naomi Devlin is an unashamed foodie, who has been blessed with coeliac disease. After studying native diets around the world, she believes the key to good health is to cook from scratch. Using gluten-free whole grains and sourdough cultures, she teaches people about the possibilities of gluten free grains at River Cottage Ashburton Cookery School, and during bespoke days in her own kitchen. milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.co.uk