Finding The Best Gluten Free Bread
"I will never eat a good sandwich again!" I thought to myself when I bit into a dry, mealy piece of white gluten free 'bread' for the first time. The bread had a terrible taste, felt like sand in my mouth, and crumbled into pieces with every bite. I thought, "This can't be all there is." and thus began my quest to find the best gluten-free bread. It's been years since that first dreadful bite, and I'm happy to say I've found many good and some even great brands of gluten free bread in the time that has passed. Today, I will share four brands and rank them against one another so I can finally definitively say which gluten free bread is the best. And, so you can avoid some that aren't so great. So, if you've ever asked yourself, "What is the best gluten free bread?" or "Will I ever eat a good sandwich again?" you've come to the right place. You will find the answer to that first question in the coming paragraphs. Regarding the second question, I am happy to say yes, yes, you will eat a good sandwich again!
What is gluten free bread?
Gluten free bread is bread that is made with non-gluten-containing ingredients. Ingredients such as corn and rice flour are naturally gluten free, while wheat flour and barley naturally contain gluten. Gluten free bread is made to look, taste, and feel like gluten-containing bread, but sometimes, it doesn't turn out that way. Luckily, over the past six to seven years, many advancements have been made in gluten free bread, and there are some on the market that are almost indistinguishable from traditional bread.
What is gluten free bread made of?
Gluten-free bread is made from various ingredients, including rice and/or corn flour, tapioca starch, psyllium seed husk powder, and more. However, each brand makes its bread differently and with different ingredients, so if you have any ingredient concerns, check the label of your specific gluten-free bread.
How will the gluten free bread be rated?
For the sake of this post, I will be testing four gluten free breads. These are the four that were available in the supermarkets in my area. Each will be evaluated on price, size, taste, texture, toastability, and sandwichability. Each gluten free bread will be given a rating of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) for each category. The bread with the highest overall score wins. Let's dive deeper into the rating categories.
Price
Maximum 10 points
- How much does the bread cost in my local grocery store compared to the other breads on the list?
- How much does the bread cost compared to similar gluten-containing breads?
Size
Maximum 10 points
- How does the size of the loaf and slices compare to the other breads on the list?
- How does the size of loaf and slices compare to similar gluten-containing breads?
Texture
Maximum 20 points
- Does it crumble when you bite into it when not toasted?
- Does it dry your mouth out?
- How soft is it?
- How close is the texture to gluten-containing bread?
Taste
Maximum 20 points
- Does it taste like bread?
- How does it taste fresh?
- How does it taste toasted?
- Does it taste good overall?
Toastability
Maximum 10 points
- How crispy is it when toasted?
- Does it dry out when toasted or stay soft in the middle?
Sandwichability
Maximum 15 points
- How well does it hold up with sandwich fillings?
- Does it get soggy or stay firm?
- Does it fall apart when you bite into it?
Maximum available points = 80
Bread #1: Carbonaut White Gluten Free Bread
Price
$7.99 - $10.49
- Price compared to the other breads on this list - ⅗
- Price compare to average gluten-containing bread price - ⅕
Price Total Rating = 4/10
Size
- How does the size of the loaf and slices compare to the other breads on the list? - ⅘
- How does the size of loaf and slices compare to similar gluten-containing breads? - 5/5
Size Total Rating = 9/10
Texture
- Does it crumble when you bite into it when not toasted? - ⅘
- Does it dry your mouth out? - ⅘
- How soft is it? - 5/5
- How close is the texture to gluten-containing bread? - 5/5
Texture Total Rating = 18/20
Taste
- Does it taste like bread? - 5/5
- How does it taste fresh? - 5/5
- How does it taste toasted? - ⅘
- Does it taste good overall? - ⅘
Taste Total Rating = 18/20
Toastability
- How crispy is it when toasted? - ⅘
- Does it dry out when toasted or stay soft in the middle? - ⅖
Toastability Total Rating = 6/10
Sandwichability
- How well does it hold up with sandwich fillings? - ⅘
- Does it get soggy or stay firm? - ⅘
- Does it fall apart when you bite into it? - 5/5
Sandwichability Total Rating - 13/15
Total Rating
68/85
Notes
Unlike the other bread brands on this list, Carbonaut is not exclusively gluten-free. Be aware of this when buying their bread, as the loaf you grab may be one of their gluten-containing loaves. Carbonaut has a slight aftertaste when fresh and becomes gummy when toasted and dried out my mouth. This was my first time trying this Carbonaut, and it was the closest gluten-free bread I've had to very cheap white bread. That isn't something I always want, but if I had a craving for that kind of bread, this is what I would eat.
Bread #2: Little Northern Bakehouse White Wide Slice Gluten Free Bread
Price
$7.99 - $9.99
- Price compared to the other breads on this list - ⅘
- Price compare to average gluten-containing bread price - ⅗
Price Total Rating = 7/10
Size
- How does the size of the loaf and slices compare to the other breads on the list? - 5/5
- How does the size of loaf and slices compare to similar gluten-containing breads? - 5/5
Size Total Rating = 10/10
Texture
- Does it crumble when you bite into it when not toasted? - ⅗
- Does it dry your mouth out? - ⅗
- How soft is it? - ⅘
- How close is the texture to gluten-containing bread? - ⅗
Texture Total Rating = 16/20
Taste
- Does it taste like bread? - ⅗
- How does it taste fresh? - ⅗
- How does it taste toasted? - ⅘
- Does it taste good overall? - ⅗
Taste Total Rating = 13/20
Toastability
- How crispy is it when toasted? - 5/5
- Does it dry out when toasted or stay soft in the middle? - 5/5
Toastability Total Rating = 10/10
Sandwichability
- How well does it hold up with sandwich fillings? - 5/5
- Does it get soggy or stay firm? - 5/5
- Does it fall apart when you bite into it? - 5/5
Sandwichability Total Rating - 15/15
Total Rating
71/80
Notes
Overall, this is a great bread with a few minor issues. First, when fresh, it has the strongest aftertaste of all the bread on this list, though, in a sandwich, you would never notice. Second, it often, but not always, feels dry, almost stale to the touch. But again, it isn't noticeable in a sandwich or when toasted. Finally, it has the thickest and toughest crust on this list.
I should note that Costco sells a version of Little Northern Bakehouse Gluten Free Bread, but it is different from what I get at the regular grocery store. The Costco version is more similar to the Schar bread further down this list. It is shelf-stable and really doesn't taste or feel the same as the regular Little Northen Bakehouse bread.
Bread #3: Promise Gluten Free Soft White Bread Loaf
Price
$7.97 - $10.98
- Price compared to the other breads on this list - ⅖
- Price compare to average gluten-containing bread price - ⅕
Price Total Rating = 3/10
Size
- How does the size of the loaf and slices compare to the other breads on the list? - 5/5
- How does the size of loaf and slices compare to similar gluten-containing breads? - 5/5
Size Total Rating = 10/10
Texture
- Does it crumble when you bite into it when not toasted? - ⅗
- Does it dry your mouth out? - ⅘
- How soft is it? - ⅗
- How close is the texture to gluten-containing bread? - ⅗
Texture Total Rating = 16/20
Taste
- Does it taste like bread? - ⅘
- How does it taste fresh? - ⅘
- How does it taste toasted? - 5/5
- Does it taste good overall? - ⅗
Taste Total Rating = 16/20
Toastability
- How crispy is it when toasted? - 5/5
- Does it dry out when toasted or stay soft in the middle? - 5/5
Toastability Total Rating = 10/10
Sandwichability
- How well does it hold up with sandwich fillings? - ⅗
- Does it get soggy or stay firm? - ⅘
- Does it fall apart when you bite into it? - ⅘
Sandwichability Total Rating - 11/15
Total Rating
66/80
Notes
I've been eating Promise Bread for years, and over that time, I've had two main issues with it. First, the packaging is terrible. It is thin, brittle plastic that is not resealable. It used to come with a sticker that you could theoretically reseal the bag with, but I'm not even sure it comes with that anymore. When you buy this bread, ensure you have a large ziplock bag to keep it sealed and fresh. My second issue with this bread seems to have been recently fixed, but I will mention it anyway. Until the last few weeks, the heel of all loaves of Promise Bread were the width of two slices of bread. It was a total waste. As I say, they seem to have fixed this issue now, so if this is a bread you've tried in the past but were frustrated by the heel waste, it might be time to give it another look.
Bread #4: Schar Gluten Free Artisan White Bread
Price
$7.47 - $9.99
- Price compared to the other breads on this list - 5/5
- Price compare to average gluten conatining bread price - ⅗
Price Total Rating = 8/10
Size
- How does the size of the loaf and slices compare to the other breads on the list? - ⅗
- How does the size of loaf and slices compare to similar gluten-containing breads? - ⅗
Size Total Rating = 6/10
Texture
- Does it crumble when you bite into it when not toasted? - ⅘
- Does it dry your mouth out? - ⅘
- How soft is it? - ⅕
- How close is the texture to gluten-containing bread? - ⅕
Texture Total Rating = 10/20
Taste
- Does it taste like bread? - ⅗
- How does it taste fresh? - ⅕
- How does it taste toasted? - ⅕
- Does it taste good overall? - ⅖
Taste Total Rating = 7/20
Toastability
- How crispy is it when toasted? - ⅘
- Does it dry out when toasted or stay soft in the middle? - 5/5
Toastability Total Rating = 9/10
Sandwichability
- How well does it hold up with sandwich fillings? - 5/5
- Does it get soggy or stay firm? - 5/5
- Does it fall apart when you bite into it? - ⅗
Sandwichability Total Rating - 13/15
Total Rating
53/80
Notes
Schar is a strange one. The company makes many great gluten-free products, but its bread has always been a bit weird. It is shelf-stable and tastes, feels, and smells like something that could survive the apocalypse. It's also the only 'white bread' on this list that isn't actually white. When I first found out I couldn't eat gluten, Schar was my go-to bread, but it feels like the gluten-free world has progressed ten years, and Schar is stuck in the past.
The Best Gluten Free Bread is...
- Best Priced Gluten Free Bread - Schar Gluten Free Artisan Bread
- Best Sized Gluten Free Bread - (Tie) Little Northern Bakehouse White Wide Slice Gluten Free Bread & Promise Gluten Free Soft White Loaf
- Best Textured Gluten Free Bread - Carbonaut White Gluten Free Bread
- Best Tasting Gluten Free Bread - (Tie) Little Northern Bakehouse White Wide Slice Gluten Free Bread & Promise Gluten Free Soft White Loaf
- Best Gluten Free Bread For Toasting - Carbonaut White Gluten Free Bread
- Best Gluten Free Bread For Sandwiches - Little Northern Bakehouse White Wide Slice Gluten Free Bread
The Best Gluten Free Bread with an overall rating of 71/80 - Little Northern Bakehouse White Wide Slice Gluten Free Bread
Conclusion
In my opinion, Little Northern Bakehouse is the best gluten-free bread overall. However, you'll be very happy with Carbonaut and Promise Bread as well. The big issue with Promise bread is the price and the packaging. For Carbonaut, they went a little too hard after that cheap white bread taste and feel. Schar, on the other hand, has some work to do. Eight or nine years ago, they were at the top of the pile for gluten-free bread. Now, they are near the bottom of the barrel.
Did I miss any gluten free breads that you think should have been included in this list? Do you have a favourite that I didn't mention? Do you think I got something wrong, or do you feel like I wasn't fair with one of my ratings? Let me know if you have any comments. I will do my best to reply to each and every one.
Thanks for reading
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