I've become somewhat of a gluten free (GF) bread connoisseur. It's not that I consume bread regularly. I would blow up to 200 pounds again quickly if I did but bread is definitely one of my "comfort foods" and there are just times when I've got to have it. When I do, it needs to be close to perfect. I mean it should have that gluten bread feel texture and smell otherwise, it's not worth the calories to me. I actually use different types of GF bread for different purposes. I'll feature an entire post on that in the near future but meanwhile, I want to share this fabulous bread I ran across at Auntie Gluten's Bakery in Pleasanton. They offer three different varieties: potato bread, white sandwich bread and hearty mixed grain.
Here are two of the bread varieties
I put this bread to the test. I tried it on a sandwich, as toast and as a panini. I have to say it was fabulous. I picked up a fresh loaf on a Wednesday which is one of the days they usually bake the bread. The other day is Friday. I suggest buying it fresh when it's at its "peak." I thought it had a nice texture and taste on a regular sandwich. I loved the fact that there were no holes in the bread. It is very common, in my experience, for GF bread to have huge holes in it. The slices were also a nice size.
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| Nice size slices with no holes! |
The bread toasted beautifully with a nice crisp crunch as toast should have.
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| Toasted beautifully. |
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The paninis turned out beautiful and tasty. My gluten eaters even said they were good. I've featured the recipe below.
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| Chicken panini with pesto, roasted bell peppers and mozzarella |
Aunti Gluten is selling the bread for $6.75 for a 24 ounce loaf which make is about 28 cents per ounce compared to other brands which sell for about 35 cents an ounce (based on $4.99 loaf price divided by 14.2 oz average size). Not a bad price!
The ingredients are as follows for both the Sandwich and Potato Bread varieties:
Sandwich Bread - Rice Flour, Egg Whites, Modified Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Canola Oil, Potato Flour, Inulin, Sugar, Soy Flour, Salt, Yeast, Lemon Juice.
Be sure to try this bread out and ask for our Thriving GFCF 10% discount!
Auntie Gluten's Bakery is located on Stanley Blvd in a small shopping plaza at Stanley and Santa Rita behind the Wells Fargo bank right at the edge of downtown Pleasanton. They offer a wide selection of gluten free cupcakes and usually have some gluten free cookies, brownies or macaroons on display. Sometimes they will have a vegan cupcake in the case but I usually email or call ahead for my GF, vegan order. You can also order cakes including birthday and wedding.
GFCF Chicken Paninis with pesto, roasted peppers and mozzarella
Marinated Chicken
4-6 boneless organic chicken breasts
¼ cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon grainy mustard (country style)
1 teaspoon of favorite GF seasoning (I use Herbamare) 4-5 minced garlic cloves
3 sliced scallions (green onions)
Whisk together and marinate chicken for 1-2 days.
Grill until 170 degrees.
Roasted Peppers
Cut one yellow and one red organic bell pepper in half and de-seed them. Place on a cookie sheet with the cut side down and brush with olive oil. Place under broiler in oven for about 10 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn completely. Cook them until they have a charred look to them. Take them out of the oven and place them in a paper lunch bag and roll the bag to seal it. They will sit and steam which will help the skin come off easily. After about ten minutes or so, you can take the peppers out and pull the skin off of the outside of the peppers. Set aside. You can buy the jarred type from Trader Joe's to make things a little easier. If you use the jarred version, be sure to pat the peppers dry before applying to sandwich.
Non-Dairy Pesto
3 cups organic fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large, chopped garlic clove
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine in food processor or blender and process until smooth. I use a small scooper to make little pesto balls which I then freeze on a cookie sheet. I then place the frozen pesto balls into a freezer bag or container to use as needed.
To make the sandwiches:
Lightly coat one side of each slice of bread with olive oil or Earth Balance spread. Be sure that the oiled side is the side that gets grilled on the panini grill.
On each sandwich add the following-
non-dairy pesto
desired amount of chicken sliced somewhat thinly (leftover chicken can be used in a salad)
roasted red and yellow peppers
sprinkle of Daiya (vegan and soy free) mozzarella style cheese (optional)
Grill and enjoy.
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| My Breville Panini Maker. Love it! |
