Recipe Review: Bob's Red Mill GF Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix

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As I discussed in the previous post, I am on a mission to find a great go-to gluten free bread recipe. This post is more about a product than an actual recipe. Here, I am reviewing a gluten free baking mix from Bob's Red Mill, called Gluten Free Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix. I saw this mix last time I was at the grocery store and I was tempted to try it because I thought it might be a tasty and easy way to enjoy some great gluten free bread. Here are my thoughts.

Pros:

All you need to make this recipe are the mix, warm water, oil (I used canola oil), cider vinegar, and 2 eggs. It is nice to just buy the mix instead of having to buy multiple types of gluten free flours and other ingredients. Here, all the dry ingredients are prepared ahead of time so there is less to buy and less measuring of ingredients. The yeast is even included inside the bag so you don't need to buy a packet of yeast.

This mix makes a very nice-sized loaf. It fills a regular 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and rises nicely. The slices come out about the same size as regular wheat bread that you would buy at the store. The bread is also hearty and thick, with a nutty and somewhat bitter flavor, similar to pumpernickel bread.

Cons:

This bread takes some time to make. It contains yeast and needs time to rise, so when you include the mixing time, rising time, and baking time, you are looking at over 2 hours before it's ready to eat. It's not something you can whip up in 40 minutes.

This bread has a lot of ingredients, which makes it taste good, but also means that there might be some ingredients that you wish were left out. For example, someone following a strict Paleo diet would probably not be able to eat this bread because it has bean flour, buckwheat flour, and potato starch in it. However, if you are just eating gluten free and are not sensitive to any other types of grains or beans, this bread is a great option.

Conclusion:

Overall, I like to make things from scratch. It's a personal preference, but I like to control the ingredients and know exactly what I am eating. Further, I would like to find a bread that takes less time to make. On the other hand, this bread tastes great and is the perfect sized loaf to have at least a week's worth of sandwiches and toast. I would probably not make this bread every week, but it is a nice treat to make once in a while because it tastes great and has a true "bread" consistency. It does a great job of tricking you into thinking you are eating the real thing!