Gluten Free Five: Breads

Welcome to our newest series on the blog: Gluten Free Five! In this series, we will take a look at the top 5 products or companies in a designated category. All five will be, you guessed it, gluten free. We hope that this series will help you learn about lots of different products that are out there and see how they stack up. For our first Gluten Free Five post we will be taking a look at a product that is always a hot topic in the gluten free community: bread.

Andrew and I have sampled many different bread companies, all with many different types of bread. Some are fantastic, while others fell short (with a hard thud I might add). Here are our top five gluten free bread companies:

5. Udi's

Everyone in the gluten free community knows this name, and all of them seem to have very strong opinions about them. You can find them in almost every single grocery store you set foot into these days, and because of that accessibility, Udi's has snuck its way into the Gluten Free Five.

Found in the freezer section, these bread products range from a simple small loaf, to buns for your summer grilling. Udi's produces a wide range of bread based products that are very easy to find in most areas. Even BJ's Wholesale has started to stock this product. While this product is easily accessible, we found its quality to be a little sub par. 

The smaller loaves are, frankly, quite small. Our deli meats and cheeses often overwhelm the small slices, and that's after you have found one in the loaf that doesn't have an air hole baked into the middle of it. The larger pieces, while more accommodating for deli meats a cheeses, will end up costing you a pretty penny. We did not find these deluxe loaves to be worth their deluxe prices. 

Their burger and hotdog buns were probably our biggest disappointment. We tried microwaving, grilling, baking, and just plain old thawing of these buns and could not get a desirable texture out of them. What should act as a supporter of whatever savory delight you are choosing from your grill quickly becomes the only thing you can taste. We found ourselves taking our burgers off the bun and finishing them with a fork and knife instead. 

That being said, please do not knock out the Udi's company all together. While we are not pleased with their bread products, we can promise that you will be seeing this company return to a later Gluten Free Five where they will hold a much more prestigious spot. 

4. Against the Grain

If you are looking for a tasty baguette or a hearty dinner roll, look no further than this delicious brand! They are based out of Vermont, and put lots of love into each one of their unique products.

Found in the freezer section, Against the Grain makes a decent variety of delectable bread products. Their baguettes, dinner rolls, and bagels are available in a number of large chain grocery stores. Amy is particularly fond of their rosemary rolls, and will often use them as a bun for a grilled chicken sandwich. 

Their bread products are flaky, flavorful, and are accessible in a handful of large grocery store chains. The price of these products, however, are what keeps us from having these items on a more regular basis. We do feel that they are worth the price tag when we are looking to splurge on a savory treat!

We recommend the rosemary rolls, as well as the baguettes. We found that letting them come to room temperature on their own was the best way to thaw them. If you decide to toast or bake them, make sure to keep careful eye on your bread as we found it could get over cooked very easily. 

3. Goodman Gluten Free

Have you spotted Goodman Gluten Free in your local grocery store yet? Based out of Connecticut, this company is fast growing, and there's no question in our mind as to why! Bob Goodman has created a line of delicious breads that we find hard to match in quality.

We first found this brand at Gluten Free Allergy Friendly Expo in Worcester MA, but have been seeing it show up more and more at stores like Hannaford and Shaws. We were instantly taken aback by how fluffy Goodman's white bread was. This was a bread worthy of a delicious sandwich, or a hearty Saturday morning French toast. We were even more excited to find out that Godman makes not only more bread flavors, but also buns, bagels, and many other bakery products.

We recommend thawing these loaves to room temperature, and then preparing the bread product to your liking. These products are very versatile, and we have found to work in each of our bread recipes perfectly without any trouble

2. New Cascadia Traditional

If you are looking for a delicious crusty bread with a soft, fluffy center than look no further than new Cascadia Traditional. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small shop is bursting out of its walls and shipping their amazing bread products all over the country. We had the opportunity to try this bakery in person during our recent trek across the country, and were devastated we could only smuggle one loaf, and a dozen bagels back in our carry on bags.

You can now get your hands on their phenomenal products by ordering online. They are currently shipping bread loaves, buns, and rolls. They will soon be shipping out their bagels as well. As if being gluten free wasn't enough, many of their products are also vegan! But wait there's more! Did anyone say Kosher? New Cascadia makes an amazing gluten free Challah bread, perfect for your Friday night Shabbos! Shabbat shalom!

Our favorite product, so far, is the Rustic Italian loaf. Our favorite use for it was tearing it up and dipping it in a warm bowl of soup! Make sure to take a peek on their website to see what delicious loaves you can add to your dinner table.

1. Canyon Bakehouse

If you follow us on Instagram at all, this number one slot should be no surprise. To say we love Canyon Bakehouse would be an understatement. Based out of Colorado, Canyon Bakehouse is a gluten free, dairy free, non GMO company that will knock your socks off!

First and foremost, these products are extremely accessible. Locally, we have found their products at Walmart, Target, and Market Basket. Some of the products are available in the freezer section, while others are kept on the shelf. Where ever you find them, we promise you won't be disappointed.

Amy has quite the soft spot for the Honey White Heritage loaf. The pieces are large, fluffy, and have a slightly sweet taste. This loaf is perfect for everything from a delicious sandwich, to a hearty piece of french toast. Amy's favorite use of this loaf is avocado toast. Andrew is a mega fan of the Deli Rye Style. Yes, you read that correctly. RYE BREAD. Canyon Bakehouse has found a way to make a delicious Rye style bread without the risk of any cross-contamination. Andrew loves the flavor so much that he will eat it toasted with nothing on it. It's just that good!

Their burger buns were the perfect vehicle for our delicious BBQ goodies during our 4th of July celebrations. They were sturdy enough to hold up our burgers and toppings, while still being soft and delicious. We also recently got to enjoy their english muffins. You have not had a gluten free english muffin like this before! It had all the delicious nooks and crannies to hold your spread, and had amazing texture.

We could spend paragraphs going over all the amazing flavors of Canyon Bakehouse, but we won't. We will encourage you to go out to your local grocery store and by yourself a loaf. We promise that you won't regret it!

That's it! That's our Gluten Free Five! We hope that you enjoyed our list, and found something new and exciting to try! What would you like to see for our next Gluten Free Five? Let us know in the comments!