The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread : More Than 200 Wheat Free Recipes

by Bette Hagman

A breakthrough bread book by the unchallenged expert in gluten-free and wheat-free cooking.

In Bette Hagman's three earlier cookbooks, she worked with gluten-free flours that are safe for celiacs (those who are intolerant to gluten) and for those with wheat allergies, to create recipes that actually taste good. Knowing from her own hard-won experience that bread is the greatest loss for the wheat, oats, rye, or barley intolerant, she has experimented with exciting new bean-based flours and now devotes an entire book to breads. Here are yeast breads, yeast-free breads, muffins, rolls, buns, breakfast breads, and crackers-a veritable cornucopia to be made in the oven or the bread machine for people who cannot buy breads at a bakery or supermarket but must rely on their own kitchens to provide the staff of life.

Along with dozens of great recipes comes a medical foreword by Peter H. R. Green, M.D., of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University; a beginner's guide to understanding and cooking with gluten-free flours; answers to commonly asked questions about baking with these flours; and a source list of where to buy gluten-free baking supplies. Hagman's three previous books are recognized as the best in this special diet category.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Punk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uses at least four custom flour mixes, plus sometimes additional ones for specific recipes. Includes instructions for bread machines. Excellent index. No pictures.

[Alexei · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very thorough guide to gluten-free baking, but I personally don't recommend.

Most of her recipes (about 90%) require her mix of bean flours, and most of the remainder require corn, soy or sorghum flours. Be prepared to buy about 20 ingredients off the bat.

Re the flour mixes: I tried the soy and bean flour recipes and found that they me sick (severe indigestion) and taste awful to me. I can't eat the corn/sorghum flours because I'm allergic to them. First I tried cutting down the xanthan gum and/or replacing it with chia, but still got sick. Then I tried to adapt the recipes with other high protein flours such as nut flours & coconut flour, and subbing arrowroot for the corn, but the adapted recipes did not come out well. So maybe if I didn't have all these food allergies/intolerances the recipes would be ok, but this is obviously not the book for me.

Re the finished products: I find the recipes turn out quite dry and crumbly. As in, I can't get the bread out of the pan, cut a slice or even lift the piece of bread to my mouth without it falling to pieces. And it tastes like a hybrid of bread and gravel. I think this is partially because I changed the flours, and partially because her recipes are very low-fat.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

The introductory essays are interesting, but it's a recipe book first & foremost, and an inspiring one at that. I made Sarah's Bagels (a little too bitter & heavy on the tapioca for my taste "audience") and the "crumpets", which I lumped onto cookie sheets for use as veggie patty buns. I have to try that recipe again, because I started with too small of a base, and then squished them down to make a bigger bun, but they didn't rise after that. Next time I'll start with a larger base & let them rise from that to get larger buns.

In this book, Hagman uses four different flour mixes, only one of which I have the proper ingredients to make. My GF-BFF, for whom I am baking these concoctions, is in love with Bette Hagman's True Yeast Bread, which I found on a website. It uses the original rice-based flour mix, and I plan to figure out which of the author's books use mostly that mix & read them.

Happy Gluten-Free Lammas!

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far the most thorough book about baking gluten free that I've encountered. It takes into account both hand and machine recipes and explains what ingredients particular to gluten free do for the process. One can use it without delving into the complexity of baking just as a recipe cards or one can learn to adjust recipes from its information. Good for beginners and experts.

[Phobean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive and interesting. I found some of the ingredients a challenge to location but, once I got them all, the bread was super-easy to make and bake. My first attempt came out delicious! I look forward to trying more.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bette Hagman books are the best of several gluten free books I've tried. Everything has turned out great and the whole family will eat the foods...sometimes even better than wheat based! Love her flour mixes that I can make in bulk.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure in it's day this book was ground breaking in its approach to GF baking. But since its publication in 1999, so many more simpler approaches have been designed. I did not mark a single recipe here to make. But Bravo to Bette, looks like she was really on the ball and ahead of the game.

[H.L. Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous gluten free breads and squishy buns. I have taken many of these and adapted them for my sister to make breads that are fit for a queen. Living life with celiac is hard enough. This book makes it easier.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read and recipes for the gluten intolerant.

[P.]

The 2 recipes I tried were disappointing - so much so that I did not feel compelled to try any more. Perhaps the mix I was using had too much of a certain flour?

[Artrisha]

Great Recipes!

[Melanie Darrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. Hagman provides the readers with enough information to make informed eating choices. A plethora of recipes is at the reader's fingertips .