Gluten free diets are becoming increasingly popular, with around 1 in 10 people choosing to avoid gluten for medical or lifestyle reasons. This poses a challenge for home bakers wanting to make their own gluten free bread, as traditional bread recipes rely on gluten to help the dough rise and keep its shape. A bread machine can seem like an ideal solution, allowing you to simply throw ingredients in and let the appliance do all the hard work. But is using a bread machine actually a good way to make tasty gluten free loaves at home? Here we’ll take a look at the pros and cons, to help you decide if investing in a bread maker is worthwhile for gluten free baking.
What is Gluten and Why Do People Avoid It?
Before looking at using bread machines for gluten free baking, it helps to understand exactly what gluten is and why some people need or choose to avoid it in their diets.
Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and other related cereal grains. It acts like a glue that helps dough stretch and rise when baking with these flours. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, allowing it to trap the gases produced by yeast during fermentation. This is what creates the airy, chewy texture we associate with many breads and baked goods.
However, some people’s bodies react negatively to gluten. Those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity can experience digestive symptoms like bloating, pain and diarrhea when they eat gluten. A strictly gluten free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease currently. Others choose to go gluten free because they find it helps with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, or because they feel better on a gluten free diet, even if they haven’t been diagnosed with a gluten-related medical condition.
Whatever the reason for avoiding gluten, switching to gluten free alternatives for foods like breads, pasta and crackers is key for those adopting this diet. Using special gluten free flours and starches can create passable gluten free baked goods, although the texture is typically quite different from gluten-containing items. This is where using a bread machine may help those on a gluten free diet still enjoy homemade bread.
The Potential Benefits of Using a Bread Machine
Here are some of the main benefits of using a bread machine for gluten free baking:
Convenience
Just like with regular bread recipes, using a bread maker automates the process, providing convenience and ease for the home baker. You simply add the ingredients to the machine’s bread pan, press a button, and in a few hours fresh gluten free bread is ready. No needing to knead the dough or monitor rising and baking. The appliance does the work for you.
Consistency
Getting consistently good results making gluten free bread can be challenging, especially for those newly diagnosed with celiac disease or trying gluten free baking for the first time. A bread machine helps remove some of the guesswork and provides reliable outcomes every time. The pre-programmed settings are designed to optimally mix, proof and bake loaves.
Customizability
While bread machines come with default settings, many allow you to customize programs to accommodate gluten free flours and recipes. This includes adjusting mixing time, rise time and baking time as needed. Being able to tweak the programs means you can achieve the results you want.
Versatility
Bread machines are not just limited to basic loaves. Many include settings for making pizza dough, pasta dough, jams, and more. So they allow those on a gluten free diet to prepare a variety of items conveniently.
Time Savings
Using a bread machine automates much of the process, saving you time in the kitchen. You don’t need to stand at the counter repeatedly kneading dough or waiting for it to rise. Just prepare the ingredients, turn on the machine, and go about your day while it does the work.
Cost Savings
While gluten free specialty products can be expensive, making your own at home is very cost effective. A bread machine has the potential to save you money on gluten free baked goods you’d otherwise buy in stores.
So in many ways using a bread machine offers benefits of reduced effort and costs, time savings, and great results when making gluten free breads. For anyone managing a gluten free diet who loves bread, these machines seem like an ideal simplification. But there are also some downsides to consider.
The Potential Drawbacks of Gluten Free Bread Machines
Here are some of the cons and difficulties that may arise when trying to use a bread machine to make gluten free bread:
Inconsistent Results
While a bread machine can provide reliable outcomes with conventional bread recipes, gluten free flours may respond differently. Without the gluten, recipes may not rise well or could collapse. The end result may be dense bread with a poor texture. Even with careful tweaking of settings, some machines may struggle to make great gluten free loaves.
Limited Recipe Options
Many bread machines come with suggested recipes using wheat flour. There are usually only a handful of gluten free recipes included, if any. You may have to do substantial experimenting with your own gluten free recipes, including testing different flour blends and hydration levels. Developing recipes that work well can take trial and error.
Over Mixing
One tricky aspect of working with gluten free doughs is they require gentle mixing to avoid getting tough results. But some bread machines aggressively knead for long periods, making it easy to over mix the dough. This can create dense bread with a rubbery texture. Look for a machine with gluten free settings that mix slowly and briefly.
Small Loaf Sizes
In order to accommodate various recipes, most bread machines only make loaves that are 1.5 pounds or smaller. For those that eat a lot of bread, these small loaves may not be practical. You’ll have to bake loaves more frequently.
Specialty Ingredients May Be Required
While you can use basic gluten free flour mixes in a bread machine, you may get better results using specialized binders. This helps recreate the stretchy, chewy texture. Things like xanthan gum, guar gum or psyllium husk powder are often added to gluten free bread. So you may need to stock up on more than just flour.
Altering Recipes Can Be Tricky
Tweaking gluten free recipes requires care to get the right balance of ingredients and hydration for the yeast to rise properly. Because bread machines already limit flexibility with baking, further altering a gluten free recipe to work in the machine may take substantial trial and error.
Expense of Equipment
Bread machines are a specialty item, so buying one represents a notable investment. And not all machines work equally well for gluten free baking. Be prepared to spend $100 or more for a model designed to handle gluten free bread.
As you can see, there are some definite downsides that accompany the benefits of making gluten free bread in a machine. The convenience and automation comes at a cost, and you may struggle with subpar results.
Tips for using a Bread Machine for Gluten Free Bread
If you decide to purchase a bread machine and want the best odds of success with gluten free loaves, keep these tips in mind:
– Look for a bread machine that allows customization of settings like mix time, rise time and bake time. This gives you flexibility.
– Choose a machine with a gluten free setting or cycle designed for these flours. They usually mix doughs gently and briefly.
– Stick with recipes developed specifically for bread machines, rather than normal ones. Or be prepared to experiment.
– Use flour blends formulated for bread, such as mixes with xanthan gum added. Avoid all-purpose mixes.
– Add binders like xanthan gum or guar gum to help mimic gluten’s effects.
– Be willing to tweak hydration and ingredients until you achieve a good rise and texture.
– Accept that you’ll likely get smaller loaves with denser texture than normal wheat bread.
– Consider coating pans with rice flour to prevent sticking.
– Allow breads to cool fully before slicing for the best texture.
While it will require some trial and error, with persistence and the right techniques, using a bread machine can be a worthwhile option for making gluten free bread at home.
Gluten Free Bread Machine Recipe
If you want to get started with a tried and true recipe to make in your bread machine, this simple gluten free bread is a good option to try:
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 cups gluten free bread flour
– 1/2 cup tapioca starch
– 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
– 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
– 1 tablespoon sugar
– 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
– 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions:
1. Whisk together the flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, salt, sugar and yeast in the bread machine pan. Create a well and add the water and oil to the center.
2. Start the gluten free cycle on your bread machine and allow to run until completed, about 3 hours.
3. When finished, remove bread pan, being careful the loaf is fully cooked through. Allow to cool on a rack for 30 minutes before slicing.
This basic gluten free bread recipe uses a blend of bread flour and tapioca starch designed for bread machines. The xanthan gum adds binding to encourage rise. And the olive oil gives moisture and suppleness to the final loaf.
Be sure to check your machine’s manual for how much ingredients it can handle per loaf. You may need to adjust this recipe down.
When first trying out gluten free bread in your machine, watch the dough as it kneads and begins rising. Make sure it appears to increase in size during the cycles so you know the yeast is working properly. Adjust any settings as needed in subsequent attempts to achieve a well risen loaf.
Conclusion
Bread machines can certainly make the process of gluten free bread baking more convenient by automating mixing, rising and baking. For those managing a gluten free diet who love bread but struggle with the effort of homemade, a machine that prepares loaves with minimal hands-on time required may be worth considering.
However, achieving great gluten free results from a bread machine still requires some work. From using the right recipes to tweaking settings and ingredients as needed, you’ll likely need to experiment to create bread you enjoy. And even then the texture will likely differ from wheat-based bread. Smaller loaf sizes may also be frustrating for some.
Take time to weigh the pros and cons presented here when deciding if purchasing a bread machine for gluten free baking is right for your needs. With realistic expectations about the effort required and results achieved, a bread maker can be a useful kitchen tool for those on a gluten free diet. But be sure to choose a model designed to handle gluten free flours and be prepared to put in some trial and error to develop perfect recipes that work for you.
