The Best Store-Bought Gluten-Free Bread, According to a Gluten-Free Baker

Recently, I had a gluten-free family member come to stay with me. Years working in restaurants and bakeries prepped me to accommodate allergies, so I felt confident in my ability to feed her delicious and nutritious food. For example, I know how to swap out breadcrumbs for crunchy, roasted chickpeas, or skip the pancakes in favor of buckwheat crepes. Heck, I even have a gluten-free pasta brand I love in case we have a craving for mac and cheese. 

I have one gluten-free weakness, though: bread. I’ve tried my hand at DIY-ing GF sourdough without much luck, and I didn’t have the time to test that process again. I made my way to the market in hopes of scooping up a tasty-looking loaf, where I found the bread aisle packed with so many GF options that I felt overwhelmed!

Luckily, I have an expert on speed dial: Nicole Hunn, gluten-free recipe pro and founder of Gluten Free on a Shoestring. 

The Best Store-Bought Gluten-Free Bread

Hunn has several bread recipes on her site that she makes regularly to keep her kitchen stocked. But when she needs a break from the time-consuming work of bread-baking, she opts for Canyon Bakehouse’s Heritage Style Honey White. “Gluten-free bread has come a long way, and these days, you don’t have to settle for slices that feel like cardboard,” she says. In fact, Canyon Bakehouse’s Honey White loaf is the opposite of cardboard: “It’s the closest thing to traditional sandwich bread I’ve found, it's soft, flavorful, and big enough to hold a proper sandwich without falling apart.’’ 

‘’The biggest challenge when looking for a good GF loaf,” explains Hunn, “is that gluten is what gives traditional bread its stretch, structure, and softness. So many commercial brands struggle to find the right balance of flours and gums to mimic gluten’s properties, but not Canyon Bakehouse.” She praises the heritage-style bread for its texture, moisture, and size: “The full, sandwich-sized slices are soft and flexible right out of the bag and brown beautifully when you toast them.” 

Hunn also opts for this particular loaf because it won't fall to pieces when she's cooking. “I use Canyon Bakehouse bread for everything from sandwiches to French toast,” she says, “Plus, it holds up beautifully for grilled cheese and doesn’t get soggy when you spread on condiments.”

Whether you plan to use the white bread for egg-in-a-hole or avocado toast, Hunn has a storage tip to share: “Keep it frozen unless you plan to use it within a few days. Because it has fewer preservatives, it can dry out faster. Just take out however many slices you need and toast or warm them straight from frozen.”

Look for Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free breads in the freezer aisle at Kroger, Walmart, Whole Foods, and more. Easy and delicious—exactly what I was looking for!