The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagman

As I write this book review, I am enjoying a steaming slice of crusty French bread made from page 74 of Bette Hagman’s,  The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread. I’ve had this book for quite a while and decided to remind myself why I used to use it so much by baking a bread recipe that I had folded down, New French Bread. There was a choice to make a small loaf or a large loaf. I opted to split the difference and make a medium loaf, but I now wish I had gone with the large. It’s tasty stuff. I was expecting it to be light and airy, but the consistency is dense and it is very flavorful. The crust is very non-glutenfreeish – crispy and beautifully golden.

This is one of the first books I bought when I began gluten free baking a few years ago. The first thing I made was Sarah’s Bagels on page 197, and I remember being pleasantly surprised at how good they were.

The book has several sections: yeast breads, sweet yeast breads, yeast-free loaf breads, rolls and buns, specialty breads, muffins, breakfast breads, crackers and leftovers.

Each recipe has 4 or 5 variations and bread machine directions, as well as standard cooking directions. As I have purchased newer cookbooks, this one slipped behind the rest, but as I eat this yummy French Bread, I think I’ll begin using it more frequently!

Note: Not every recipe is gluten free. All are wheat free and most are gluten free.