Gluten-Free Naturals Multi-Grain Bread Flour FAQ

Back to Main FAQ Page

Q. I followed the instructions exactly. Why did my bread not rise as much as I expected?

A. One problem could be the temperature where the bread is placed for the rise. If your kitchen is cold and drafty in the wintertime it can negatively affect the yeast activity. One thing that has worked for us in a cold and drafty kitchen is placing the loaf in the oven with the oven light on for warmth. Our experience is that the bread rises higher in the summer than in the winter. This is also true for breads made in bread machines.

Another problem could be the yeast. We now include a yeast packet in the bag. The packet's shelf life is appropriate for the product and should work well. But if you decide to use your own yeast, be sure it is fresh. Since yeast freshness is affected by the air, if you are using bottled yeast, you may need to use 1 Tablespoon instead of 2 ¼ teaspoons. In the winter, we have on occasion used more than one packet of yeast to ensure a good rise.

The water temperature you used may be the cause of the problem. If you make the water too hot, you can kill the yeast and render it inactive. If you make it too cold, it will take longer to warm up, so you will have a lot less yeast activity and therefore much less rise. The water should be warm to the touch but not too hot or too cold. The Red Star Yeast website, for example, recommends water be at least 110 degrees if the yeast is placed in the water and at least 80 degrees when using a bread machine.

Cold eggs will also bring the overall temperature down, so you may need to warm them up to room temperature.

Hardness (or softness) of the water could also be a factor. Water that contains a lot of flouride or chlorine could affect yeast activity and you may want to use bottled water instead.

Your bread could deflate if you used a bread machine that has a second punch down cycle. Gluten-free breads need only one rise. The second punch down/rise will knock the air out of gluten-free breads and make your bread flatter. See below for our recommendations for non-programmable bread machines.

Q. Why do you recommend rapid rising yeast?

A. We recommend rapid-rise yeast for a couple of reasons. One is that bread machines have a set rising time that is difficult or impossible to change and you want a sufficient rise in that timeframe. In the loaf pan, a quicker rise is preferable to a slower one.

Also, use of rapid rising yeast did not affect taste or texture in our tests.

(Note: While the packet of yeast included in the package is not rapid rising yeast, we've had good results with it. You can substitute it with rapid rising yeast if your situation requires a faster rise.)

Q. I don't have a Zojirushi Machine, do you have instructions for other manufacturers?

A. There are many models and types of bread machines, and providing instructions on the package would be impossible for all. In our experience, the Zojirushi models are very popular with people in the gluten-free community because they are programmable. The second punch down cannot be eliminated in many machines, and that punch down will deflate gluten-free bread.

If you want to use a bread machine that is not programmable, we suggest you use the dough cycle. After it mixes, let your bread rise in the machine for about an hour. Then choose the baking cycle. Many models only have a 60 minute bake time, so you may have to choose the baking cycle again and let your bread bake another 10 minutes. There are a few bread machines that have a quick bread cycle with only one rise, but you will have to compare the program to what we suggest in order to find out if this will work for gluten-free baking.

Note: GFN Foods, LLC has no financial interest or relationship of any kind with Zojirushi, (nor they in us) nor do we make any recommendations regarding specific products from another company. The bread machine instructions are provided as a convenience to our customers.

If you have a method that works on other popular machines, we would be happy to pass along that information if you decide to share it with us:

For the Cuisinart CBK-200WF: The "Gluten-Free" setting will work. You may wish to add approximately 1 Tablespoon more water and smooth out the top at the end of the mixing stage. (Thanks to Barbara in TX)

For the BreadMan: The Breadman, while a popular machine, does not have settings that work best for our bread flour. As far as we are aware, the longest baking time is 50 minutes, which is insufficient for our bread flour to fully bake.

Q. Why don't you provide instructions for a one-pound loaf?

A. With limited space on the label, it is difficult to provide all of the information needed for every use of the product. To make a one-pound loaf, simply halve all of the ingredients for the two-pound loaf and bake for 60 minutes. This time includes putting the bread in the oven during the 10 minute oven pre-heat.

Q. What about high-altitude directions?

A. Depending on your elevation, you may wish to increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees and/or reduce the amount of water (for a two-pound loaf) to 1 1/2 cups plus 1 Tablespoon. We have had a high altitude customer have success doing both. Another option is to lengthen the baking time while monitoring the brownness of the crust. (Many, many thanks to Joy in AZ who had success with less water and higher oven temperature!)

Q. Should I proof my yeast?

A. Proofing the yeast (placing the packet contents in about 1/4 cup lukewarm water with 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and letting the yeast sit for about 10 minutes, then adding to the remaining ingredients) has been suggested by some as being helpful, and others as not. However, should you proof your yeast, note that the remaining water and sugar amounts to be added should consider the water and sugar used in proofing, (e.g. 1 1/2 cups water and 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar should be added so that having too much water or sugar is avoided).

Q. Can I make an egg-free version of this bread?

A. Yes. Simply omit the eggs. It will result in a loaf that is a little smaller and denser, but it will still prepare somewhat similarly to a loaf with eggs.