Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Really Delicious Gluten-Free Bread!!!

As anyone who reads this blog regularly knows, I am not gluten-free. Not even close. I'll eat a bread sandwich stuffed with breaded and fried bread, so long as it's vegan. But that said, I know a lot of vegans are gluten-free. Not by choice but because their bodies just don't do well with gluten.

It's a fate affecting more and more people, and you know, I used to feel really bad for those people! I couldn't imagine being doomed to a life with crappy, dense, wheat-free breads and sad, gummy cupcakes. But while I'm still grateful that I don't have any food allergies, I'll say that I do believe I could survive gluten-free these days — if my health depended on it. The gluten-free products on the market now are worlds better than they were just a couple years back. BFree Foods is one of those awesome companies making high-quality (just-as-good-as-gluten-based) gluten-free breads. Their products are also free of all other major allergens — wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, and soy. That means they're all vegan too! Yay!

BFree sent a BUNCH of their breads to try, and I was super impressed. Their sandwich breads, bagels, dinner rolls, tortillas, and pita breads are all the best gluten-free breads I've ever had. First, I tried the Sandwich Bread, which comes in Brown Seeded and Soft White.


It's been ages since I've had sliced white bread in my house since I typically buy the multigrain or whole wheat stuff. But I secretly prefer white bread, so I opened that first and made the most delicious Avocado Toast with Cashew Cream and Sriracha. One bite and I knew this was no ordinary gluten-free bread. I seriously couldn't tell a difference between this and regular bread! Plus, I loved the heartiness of this white. It was more like a thinly sliced loaf of a nice French bread.


I also used some of the soft white to make my Fried Green Tomato & Tofu Sandwich — my favorite summer sandwich from my cookbook, Cookin' Crunk. The bread stood up to the greasy, fried tomato, the creamy dijon sauce, and the soft, savory, baked tofu. 


I still haven't opened the brown seeded bread. It's in my freezer until I finish this delectable loaf of white! Next up, I tried the Wraps! There's a Multigrain Wrap and a Quinoa & Chia Seed Wrap.


I busted out the quinoa & chia wraps to make another Cookin' Crunk recipe — my Chickenless, Cheeseless Quesadilla. It's made with Soy Curls slow-simmered in a noochy cheese sauce and a little melted vegan cheese (I used Chao) to help the quesadilla stick on both sides. This hearty gluten-free wrap was the perfect vessel for those tasty curls. Some gluten-free wraps tend to be overly chewy or break easily when folded. But not these! These were soft and pliable.


The Stone-Baked Pita Breads were also soft and pliable, but I did experience a little breakage upon stuffing them. They're also a little small. I think if they were a tad bigger, they might hold more fillings without breakage. That said, this is the first gluten-free pita I've tried (or even seen!).


I used these for yet another Cookin' Crunk recipe (I'm on a roll here!!) — Power Protein Pockets. These have baked tofu (the same recipe from the fried green tomato sandwich), sprouts, avocado, and tahini sauce. Great for hot summer days!

And I used some BFree pita to stuff with my friend Cassi's chickpea salad and kale salad from Pink Diva Cupcakery. I picked up a few containers of her salads at a festival, and I stuffed them into pita for dinner that night.


Okay, I've saved my very faves for the end! My second favorite BFree product were the Bagels! These were soft and pillowy before toasting, and afterward, they were toasted goodness. Of course, gluten-free bagels aren't as chewy as traditional bagels. But these are so good, that doesn't even matter. They come in Plain and Multiseed.


Right away, I used the multiseed to make the most AMAZING breakfast sandwich. LOOK AT THIS! Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg, Simple Truth Organic vegan sausage, Chao cheese, and avocado. Perfection.


I enjoyed the plain bagels last week with Kite Hill almond cream cheese and homemade fig preserves. The plain bagel was lightly toasted, and it stood up well to the soft cream cheese. I'm having another plain bagel for breakfast in the morning (with hummus this time!), and I can't wait to go to sleep so I can wake up and eat it.


I love everything I tried from BFree! But my very favorite BFree product were the Dinner Rolls! That surprised me because I thought dinner rolls might just be a little plain. But nope — these had a rich, naturally buttery flavor, and after toasting in the oven, the inside bread was all soft while the outside got crispy. 


I stuffed both the Soft White and the Brown Seeded rolls with Miyoko's Creamery Cultured VeganButter, and it got all melty inside. So good! These would also be great for sliders.


I actually think I'd buy these over a gluten-containing dinner roll in the future. In fact, I'd buy all of BFree's products again, even though I don't have to eat gluten-free. Sadly, though, according to BFree's product locator on their website, their breads aren't available in the Memphis area. If you can find BFree in your area, send them all to me check them out!

1 comment:

Hillary said...

I agree, I've never had a gluten free bread that was tasty. Everything looks so delicious, especially the breakfast sandwich!!