8 TIPS for using a Gluten Free Breadmaker and 2 RECIPES: Make it easy

This guide contains 8 Gluten Free Breadmaker Tips to help if you (1) can’t quite get the perfect gluten free loaf or (2) just opened the box and thought oh god, where do I start?!

I HAVE GOOD NEWS!!! ITS EASY and the results are honestly amazing. It makes the house smell delicious, you can cut yourself a nice big chunky doorstop slice and you’d never ever know it was gluten free.

Here’s my top tips to make the whole process easier.

FIRST UP: My Breadmaker

This is the one I’ve got: PANASONIC SD-YR2550SXC Breadmaker – Stainless Steel

It was kindly gifted by Panasonic but all the views/pics/thoughts here are my own and as ever, I’ll be very honest about it! They haven’t asked me to write this, I just thought it might be helpful as I was daunted when I first opened the box, asked google for help and found very little!!

It has 4 gluten free settings: bread, cake, pizza & pasta. I know… it doesn’t just do bread! It also makes jam, compote and I was told someone’s even used it to make lasagne before!!!

How it works:

1. You put all of the ingredients into the bread tin (which is the thing I’m holding up in the picture below)
2. Click the setting you want (for bread, you just click setting 14 and pick either medium/dark crust – for gluten free you’ll always want dark as the loaves have a tendency to come out quite pale)
3. Click go
4. It goes through rest, knead, rise and bake stages – all on its own, you haven’t got to do anything
5. Once its reached the end of the process, it beeps and you can remove the bread pan, tip out the loaf, wait for it to cool and EATT!!!!!!!

TIP 1 : Follow the packets instructions

Turns out all the packets of bread flour come with instructions on exactly how to use it. Each brand needs handling differently so make sure you follow these instructions to the letter – you can add bits (more about that in tip 5) but you can’t just go online and find a “white bread recipe” and use this flour (annoying, I know!)

Its also completely different to the process for baking in the oven so make sure you follow the MACHINE/BREADMAKER instructions rather than the Handmade Loaf.

That includes the order you put things into the machine (usually oil/water/wet ingredients and then the flour/yeast/dry ingredient).

TIP 2: How to pick which bread flour/mix to use

The ones with “gluten free wheat starch” work the best but sadly, in the UK the only two I’ve found are (1) Juvela which is only available on prescription which isn’t available in my area. (2) Glutafin but its only available by subscription box so you end up having to buy other goodies too and it works out quite expensive. It also contains milk.

If neither of them are appropriate for me, the next best I’ve found is FREEE White or Brown Bread Mix. “FREEE white bread mix” is better than the “FREEE white bread flour” because (1) there’s less other ingredients to add (with the flour you need vinegar, yeast, etc etc) and (2) it creates a better loaf in my opinion

TIP 3: Scrape round the sides of the pan

Gluten free bread dough is not like “normal” bread dough…its really wet and almost like cake batter. During the kneading stage, any bits you add into the loaf (choc chips/fudge pieces/fruit etc) can get pushed to the outside of the bread pan.

Once the bread machine has moved onto the rise stage, open the lid and scrape right around the outside of the pan, bringing all the bits into the middle.

TIP 4: Let it cool completely before slicing

I know its SO tempting to slice it up whilst its still warm but YOU’LL RUIN EVERYTHING!!!!! The loaf is still cooking inside whilst its cooling, so if you cut it up early, itll still be too doughy inside.

TIP 5: How to flavour it up!

• Replace the oil – most recipes ask you to add oil so you could use a flavour – walnut, garlic, or even the oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes!
• Add herbs/spices with the flour
• Add a wet ingredient like pureed fruit or mashed banana – replace 1:1 with any water required in the replace
• Swirl in extras like chocolate spread during the rise stage

TIP 7: Slice and freeze what you’re not going to eat

Unfortunately, like all things gluten free, it doesn’t last long from fresh. It usually keeps for 2 days but its best eaten on the day you’ve made it. If you know you won’t be eating the whole thing in that time frame, slice it up as soon as its cool and freeze what you’re not going to use. Its much better than freezing it on day 2 or 3.

TIP 8: Don’t forget the blade

Ok… this sounds SO silly but the very first time I made a loaf in the machine, I didn’t realise you needed to add a blade to the bread pan. Don’t do that, it doesn’t work!!!!!!!

Final quick note: I have saved all of my stories about the breadmaker into a highlight on my Instagram. Honestly, if I’d have know it was that good I would have bought one wayyy before Panasonic sent me one.

My breadmaker: PANASONIC SD-YR2550SXC Breadmaker – Stainless Steel

RECIPE 1: BANOFFEE LOAF

Want to make this? Its a banana, toffee and chocolate filled loaf (not banana bread – which is actually a cake!!)

Its delicious on its own, toasted or used as french toast!

Steps below.

*Note: The loaf is best eaten on the same day but will keep for 2 days on a tightly sealed container

RECIPE 2: PIZZA LOAF

This bread genuinely tastes and smells like pizza. Its my favourite thing ever!!!

How about a chunky doorstop slice with lashing of butter, toasted with cheese, used to make a sandwich or even dipped into soup?