I have sampled and experimented with gluten free foods of all sorts from many different manufacturers, but I chose to launch my reviews with Franz's new GF sandwich bread. I've been eating this since it was first released last year. This bread comes in two styles: Mountain White and 7 Grain. I have tried both and while I generally find the 7 Grain to be moister and to have better flavor, but when I get a Mountain White loaf that is extremely fresh, I actually prefer it to the 7 Grain.
If you have been GF for more than 10 days, you have likely suffered through eating many foods that are labeled "bread" but in reality are some dry, terrible-tasting concoction that is impossible to stomach without being toasted. Franz's has rescued us from this fate. Of the dozens of different kinds of "bread" I have tried, this is the only traditional sandwich bread I've found that is actually worth eating. It actually tastes better untoasted!
Pros: The bread is moist but it is not gooey or excessively brittle. The scent and the flavor are both excellent. For me, the ultimate test for sandwich bread is a PB&J and Franz passes the test with flying colors. It is widely available in the Pacific Northwest (Franz is based in Portland, Oregon) and I now see it in virtually every grocery store that sells Franz products. The 7 Grain has a little nuttiness to it and has an excellent mouth feel. It also makes excellent bread crumbs.
Cons: Like most GF sandwich bread, the loaf is very small and quite expensive (Market of Choice = $6.50, Walmart = $5.48). I find it is a little tough as toast, but that doesn't stop me from toasting it. It is so good that it can be scarce sometimes, although it looks like Franz has finally worked out their distribution challenges.
Overall: I strongly recommend this bread. Can't buy it in your area? Find a friend in the Northwest who will ship some to you! Call the company and see if they ship!! Yes, it really is that good. I've only found 3 GF bread products that I really like and this is one (Against the Grain bagettes and Chebe Bread being the others). I give Franz Bakehouse GF 7 Graind sandwich bread a solid 4 1/2 stars. It's probably as close to perfect as we GF eaters will ever have.
-Carl
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