I am so excited to have an opportunity to review the new book Gluten-Free & Vegan Bread, by Jennifer Katzinger. I have literally been chomping at the bit waiting for the official release date. Seriously, if you are vegan and gluten-free (and even if you’re not), this book is fantastic! Kittee and I are doing tag-team reviews again with this book, so be sure to check her review out as well.
I was lucky enough to receive a review copy from the publisher a couple of months back (Sasquatch Books). I had no idea the book was in the works, so when I opened the package, I was super excited. Excited because I had become gluten intolerant and could no longer enjoy one of my favorite things in life… homemade bread. Excited because this book is adorable and filled with lots of beautiful photographs, which you will instantly want to read cover to cover. And, excited because, as I discovered after reading the book cover to cover, Jennifer has a completely new technique for making bread, which is unlike any recipe I have ever seen before.
The first thing that is so different about the author’s bread recipes is that you don’t have the bread do an initial first rise. She has you make a batter-style bread that is immediately put into or on a pan and into a preheated oven. Then the bread bakes for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Yes, you read that correctly. 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I did a double-take when I first read that in the book, but it works. The bread both rises and bakes in the oven during that time. This is pretty ingenius in my opinion, as once you see how well it works, you will wonder why all gluten-free bread isn’t made this way.
Immediately after reading the book cover to cover, I decided to try my hand at one of Jennifer’s recipes. I made the Broa loaf, which is a free-form artisan-style bread. I enjoyed it, especially slathered with melted Earth Balance, and knew that this book was full of promise. I will say that I also made a mistake when making that first loaf of bread, by over baking it. I had read at the beginning of the book that you can insert an insta-read thermometer into the loaf, to tell when it’s exactly done. The issue may have been with my thermometer, as I wound up baking the loaf for an extra half hour, which made the bread much too hard and crispy for my family (although, like I said, I still enjoyed it). After that mishap, I decided to forgo the thermometer, and trust the author’s detailed baking times and instructions. The other breads that I have made since have come out amazing!
I think my favorite bread so far is the Cinnamon Walnut Loaf. I have made that bread at least 4 times already, and can’t get enough of it. I like to thinly slice the loaf after it’s cooled and then freeze it in a Ziplock freezer bag. It toasts up so nicely too, and is fantastic with a little almond butter and cherry jam on top.
Kittee and I had a bread baking day right after I got the book, as we couldn’t wait to see if the breads were as delicious and easy as they sounded. We chose two, making the Cinnamon Walnut Loaf and the Soft Millet Sandwich Bread. Both of them were super delicious, but the Cinnamon Walnut was our favorite. I know that Kittee has gone on to make many more of the recipes since then, and I keep finding myself sticking with my favorite recipe. Not to worry though, I definitely plan to bake my way through this book. There are so many amazing-sounding recipes, like Orange Chocolate Bread, Apricot Kuchen, Swedish Braided Bread, Whole Grain Batons, Caraway Potato Bread, Kalamata Olive Bread, Matzo, three kinds of Focaccia, Quick Anadama Bread and many, many more. This really is a fantastic book, especially if you are gluten-free, and want to be able to bake delicious bread at home.
The kind folks at Sasquatch Books (the publisher of Gluten-Free & Vegan Bread), are generously offering a giveaway for my U.S. & Canadian blog readers. All you have to do is leave a comment below (along with a way to reach you), and tell me what your favorite kind of bread is. I will then pick a winner of this fab book (along with a little help from the Random Number Generator). Now what are you waiting for? Go enter! Good luck everyone!
Oh, and here are a few bread photos for you to drool over…
I’m soo excited to try this book ever since you started posting about it! I miss bread very much!
My favorite bread is sourdough! Your bread photos on this page are making me drool!
That looks amazing! I can’t wait to try the slow bake technique. My favorite bread is actually fresh whole grain dinner rolls that I make often. I like nuggety, chewy hunks of grain in there, like millet or black rice, for extra texture.
Beautiful photos!
My favorite kind of bread is rye! I love sourdough too.
So happy I started following your posts! I just made my second bread ever and would love to make more for the holidays, but I definitely need guidance. I’m such a sucker for a rosemary focaccia or a roasted garlic loaf with some warm Earth Balance spread on it… drool…
Omg…. my fav bread has always been sourdough. 🙂 I havent’ had it in a LONG time…. even before we went gf! And yes, I DO want this book!!!! 🙂
Julie… I love all types of bread…my favorite is anything homemade with “love” as the main ingredient. I would be so excited to receive this book.
My favorite bread is a crusty chewy olive loaf! Nom. I have been gf for about 2 or 3 years now and it is really time to try baking some delicious bread! I need a cookbook like this to inspire me! 🙂
Another bread lover here!Delicious vegan,GF bread is hard to find so I’d love to win this.I love all bread equally!
Thanks for the review and letting us know the book is coming out. It looks like a must-have. I’ve been trying to find a perfect gf sourdough recipe since going vegan. I hope the book includes one. If not, a tasty cranberry bread (“like mom used to make”) to bake and serve at Thanksgiving would be great, too.
A vegan friend of mine on Facebook just gave me the heads up about your post & the book sounds wonderful!
I just moved back to the US from France three months ago, and am trying to re-establish myself here. Thankfully, I am in Colorado, and have access to gluten-free breads like Udi’s, based here in Denver, but at about $5 per loaf, my budget is strained to have toast in the morning. I have weaned myself away from grains and grain-based products before, but since becoming vegan as well, have been utilizing grains again for complete protein meals. Sounds like this is a great book to be both vegan and gluten-free AND make one’s own foolproof bread! I am going to have to get this book.
P.S. You have a new reader now. Your last name is the same as my best friend’s, BTW — hers by marriage. What a fun coincidence. 🙂
You’ll love this book Karin! A very small world too, with your friend’s last name. I am a Hasson through marriage too.
I’ve always loved sourdough bread with polenta and pumpkin seeds. I used to make it at least once every few weeks. Now that I’m going gluten-free I need to find a new favorite. I can’t wait to try out the recipes in this book.
this book really sounds so great! it’s so wonderful that there are finally some meaningful advances in gf bread recipes. I always love really hearty breads with nuts inside. yum!
Sourdough is my favorite and so far, I’ve never seen a GF version of that.
There’s a new retail/cafe/performance space in my town. they would like vegan/gluten-free/NO soy goodies. I’m up for the challenge. Some nice bread with some homemade jam would be a nice thing.
I want this book so so badly!
Any bread that has a crusty crust and is soft on the inside does it for me…Mmmmm
I would LOVE to win a copy of this book! My fiance is gluten-free and we are both vegans. I would love to be able to bring the bread back!
I don’t know what my favorite bread is, I guess french bread, but really I love everything!
Do biscuits count as bread? If not, I would have to say pita, or maybe whole grain sandwich bread.
It’s so hard to choose a favorite. French. Italian. Rosemary. Rye. I love them all. And I’m looking forward to trying the raisin bread!
Nothing like a classic cinnamon raisin!!
Honestly I can’t tell which one my favorite bread is, maybe “Rosinenstuten” (raisin bread)? All kinds of german breads are my favorite. Stuffed with lots of seeds or just a classic dark rye bread with a good crust. I miss it.
My daughter and grandson are vegan and gluten free. This would be perfect for them!!
Do I have to pick one? I love all bread! But maybe sourdough 🙂
This book sounds fabulous! I am not exclusively GF but love to bake and can’t do wheat all the time. I love whole grain breads that are dense and hearty, with nuts and seeds.
Oh, that looks so delicious! I love baking bread for my family and I’ve felt kind of stymied since going gluten-free…..
I love toasted Italian bread drizzled with olive oil and salt…it’s sweet relative would be a raisin/nut type loaf (homemade, of course) with butter or peanut butter.
I want to love GF baking, this would help a lot 🙂
A nice crusty bread still warm from the oven smothered in earth balance is hands down my favorite!
My favorite bread is cinnamon swirl loaf, a holiday recipe my mom used to make every year.
Rye bread with caraway seeds! And olive bread. This book sounds amazing – can’t wait to check it out. Thanks for the review.
Classic French baguette with vegan butter. The perfect side to everything from soup to spaghetti. Love it!
My favorite type of bread is a nice warm loaf of whole grain bread. With a little smear of Earth Balance it makes a great side for a bowl of soup.
I have been looking for a good vegan gluten free cookbook, if I don’t win I will have to put this on my wish list.
This book sounds so good! I recently started omitting gluten from my diet and bread baking was part of my weekly routine prior to that. I look forward to getting and reading this book and getting back to breadbaking as I miss it very much. The photos make me drool.
I would LOVE a copy of this book – it sounds amazing! My fav bread has to be any type with chocolate.
My favorite kind of bread is Pumpkin Bread! Yum!
Dying to try this. Working out what works for my darned Lupus and its hard to find good vegan bread. This looks better than good. It looks delish!
I love a really crusty bread – anything goes but it has to have a thick crust!
I really love focaccia with rosemary and sea salt!
My all time favorite is the Country bread from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. I haven’t had it in a long time since i’ve given up gluten. I would absolutely love to bake tons of new recipes from this cookbook!! Everything sounds so wonderful!
I like banana walnut bread.
Your bread photos make me so hungry.
I would like to know how to make all the breads that you had list.
I love your pictures and review, and can’t wait to make these recipes!!!
I love all bread! but crusty french bread toasted in the oven rubbed with a little garlic, would have to be my favorite…unless it’s the soft dinner roll type!
I have a monthly cooking class for people trying to change to a plant-based diet. We have quite a few gluten free people as well, I would love to share some bread with them!
Anything with a good, strong, crackly crust!
Ooh, I’ve been waiting for this one. I had her first book and have been waiting for her to perfect the bread recipes. I mean, I only want bread a few times a year, I just want it to come out when I bake it like in the “good” old days when there was gluten and before I had to put a katrillion eggs into it. Thank goodness for the people with the time and the will to get it right! laurel van blarcum at sbc global dot net. A favorite bread is so hard but it would have to be a chewy artisinal boule, soft on the inside crunchy on the outside.
Oh! I’d love to win this book! I wait all winter to bake bread…it’s just way too hot in the summertime. My favorite type of bread is anything that is filled with nuts and seeds and has a crunchy top!
I’d love to win a copy. I love all bread, I cannot pick a favorite kind.
My favorite kind of bread? I guess I’d have to say the ezekiel breads – they’re so yummy! Or a good french bread, of course.
I’m drooling over this book. We recently found out that our kids have intolerance to gluten, casein, and eggs, as well as lots of other things. Trying to find food that they enjoy that doesn’t cause problems is difficult. Thanks for a chance to win it.
My favorite kind of bread is any bread that I can eat, i.e. vegan, gluten-free, and preferably homemade! Seriously, all of the bread recipes you’ve mentioned in your review sound amazing, and I would really love to give them a try. Thank you for offering us a chance at winning a copy of this book!
my favorite bread is just regular whole wheat 🙂 but Kalamata Olive Bread sounds awesome!
ohgoodgolly I want to smother those photos in vegan butter and eat the whole loaves…yum! My favorite bread is a toss-up between a superdense moist rich date nut bread and a non-sweet Southern-style skillet cornbread. Thanks for the review and the tempting pix! 🙂
I’m another bread lover. Delicious vegan, GF bread is hard to find so I’d love to win this. I love all kind of bread but especially the one that contains sorgho flour. Thank you for that opportunity to win that cookbook 🙂
Favorite bread is homemade Rosemary bread! Yummy.
Keeping my fingers crossed for this!
~Lolly
My favorite kind of bread is probably pumpernickel, though I don’t eat it enough. The texture on those breads looks great!
Marbled rye, dark rye, light rye…rye!
Rustic French or Italian bread with olives. Thanks for this opportunity. Gluten-free and bread… need one say more! 🙂
Whoa, those breads look amazing! My favorite bread is probably good ol’ white sandwich bread (which I make myself), because it can go on to become almost anything!
We have one of these – just came in from Amazon. The recipes look like fun and good eats. If we’re selected as to receive the book, it’ll go to one of our wonderful kids. I’m guessing Jennifer K is delighted. We’ll jump over and check out her review now. We adore you and your recipes! Mac & Victoria
PS – I checked out the other review and I definitely want a pair of those shoes in the zucchini bread pic for LG! What’s the scoop on those fine steps?
What a wonderful book to have! With some of my favorite people in life being GF I’m always looking for yummy ways to include them in our food-centered gatherings. I am currently in love with sourdough millet bread from a local bakery, but would love to be able to make that kind of thing myself!
My favorite bread is the French baguette tradition… And since I’ve been in the US, I cannot eat it anymore… I must follow a gluten-free diet on top of my vegan diet… But I don’t complain ! I love my way of eating… This is just that I miss so much the bread I was used to eat during my childhood ! This book look awesome. It might be very useful to have ideas how to turn vegan treats into gluten-free.
I LOOOOOVE vegan zucchini bread!!
Hi Julie! I’ve been looking for some yummy, easy, gluten free bread recipes after going wheat-free in May. My favorite bread is schwartzbrot slathered in knoblachbutter that you can get at a Viennese heuriger. I have never found a bread like it here in the States. Maybe if I were to make my own…
So many to choose from! Colleen Patrick Goudreau has a recipe for a delicious fig-date bread! yummy. My Italian mother passed down Panettone which I conveniently veganized..another favorite. And the last of my favorites is Peanut-butter banana bread with Chocolate Chips..it was in Vegetarian times a few years back.
I too have become gluten intolerant. I love a warm slice of Italian bread with olive oil.
Oh, this book looks so good! I love cinnamon raisin bread, with a spread of margarine and a pot of tea. If I win I will share it with my celiac friend Patty.
I really love savory grits. Favorite breakfast ever!
Sorry! Wrong contest. Ooops. :Embarrassed: Favorite bread is sourdough.
This book is very intriguing and I would love a chance to win it. I am not very familiar with vegan bread, but my favorite kind of bread is anything chunky, like country loaves, with a significant crust and a center that releases some nutty flavors. I’ve baked sprouted bread and loved the process.
If I am the lucky winner, you can reach me at solparejo at hotmail.com
BREAD!!! I just love bread, all kinds. I don’t think I’ve met a bread I didn’t like, so far. Now that I’ve been diagnosed with Celiac’s I miss my bread friends and need to find GF new ones!! Would love this book!
ooohh!! Pick me! Pick me! I have been baking good-old glutenous bread for years, sourdough, and selling it at my farmer’s market. I have been afraid to try going gf because I can’t imagine life with out bread. Now I’m considering going gf AND vegan, so then I couldn’t even have butter. Seeing this book gives me hope that I can live xgfx (is that the right term?) so even if I don’t win it, I’m def going to buy it. And buy copies for my gf friends. My favorite bread? Anything right out of the oven. lornasgarden@hotmail.com
Those are some gorgeous pictures! My favorite bread is probably cinnamon raisin.
You make that cinnamon walnut bread sound amazing! My favorite bread is called Nisua, an old family sweetbread recipe. I am curious to see how it compares to the Swedish braided bread, as they might be similar.
I just ordered this book! Your pictures are really insane, they make the bread look so delicious! And I forgot to tell you what my favorite bread is when I first wrote: without a doubt, it’s marble rye! and my second favorite is pumpernickel!! I’m moving towards less and less gluten, so we’ll see how it all goes!
My husband loves all bread-especially bagels. I’m tryig to get him off wheat so I would love to win a copy of the book!
We recently found out that my son is intollerant to gluten. Being that I am already vegan this made some meals hard, but bread has definitely been a challenge. I am excited to find some bread recipes that he will like. Oh yeah, and I would probably have to say that my favorite kind of bread is a good ‘ol standard wheat bread, with lots of seeds!
Hazelnut butter…….Yum!
I have a question on the recipe for oat farls in the book, has anybody made them? The recipe just doesn’t look right somehow. Opinions please
Salivating thinking about these breads. Would love to have the book!
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Do the recipes from this book use a large amount of added starches (as in, more than a 3:1 ratio of whole grain to starch)? Thanks!
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I recently purchased this book, I was once a bread baker before my gluten intolerance took over. But for some reason none of the recipes in this book have worked. The free form loaves were too wet- I couldn’t shape the dough. All the breads have been the consistency of the batter. I have carefully measured and followed the recipes, but they just flop. Any suggestions?