Is Bread Really Worth It?

My experience with gluten-free bread has ranged from "not awful" to "it tastes like poison--ack, ack, ack." Mostly, I have just avoided bread and eaten a variety of vegetables, fruits, and meats, but every once in a while you really want to have a grilled cheese sandwich with fresh tomato soup or french toast for a special breakfast. I have bought several different brands of bread and have found Udi's to be the least bad. The major problem comes when you read the label and see that it is made of all kinds of rice, starch and tapioca--not all that healthy.

This recipe is one that I got out of The Wheat Belly Cookbook by Dr. William Davis. (His original book, Wheat Belly, is a must read if you want to start a gluten-free lifestyle--you will never want to eat wheat again!)

Basic Bread

1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
1/4 cup ground golden flaxseeds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 tablespoon xylitol or 4 drops liquid stevia or to desired sweetness

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan.

In a food processor, combine the almond flour, garbanzo bean flour, flaxseeds, baking soda, cinnamon (if using), and salt. Pulse until well blended. Add the egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, and xylitol or stevia and pulse just until blended.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Pour into the flour mixture and pulse until the egg whites are evenly distributed, but do not run the machine at a constant speed. Spread into the pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a rack.

My Take: I didn't use the cinnamon, but I want to try it again with the cinnamon and some raisins, just cause I love cinnamon raisin toast. I didn't have any buttermilk and didn't want to buy a quart just for one tablespoon, so I used regular milk. I did use the xylitol. The texture of the bread is a little moist and spongy, because, let's face it--gluten is amazing and makes bread taste and feel great, but this was not awful. We tried it as toast with homemade raspberry jam and it was even better. The next morning, we tried french toast and it was very good. I sliced the entire loaf and put it in the freezer with the four other half loaves of store-bought, gluten-free bread that I never eat. The good news is that I didn't feel guilty eating it, because I knew it had good things in it and it is there waiting for me whenever I need it.