Certainly everyone reading this article knows the treatment prescribed for a person diagnosed with celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis: strict adherence to a gluten-free diet for life. This requires excising the common grains wheat, barley, rye, and usually oats from the diet and using other grains or foods as substitutes. For most celiacs, rice and corn products quickly become mainstays in the diet, as these are the most ordinary, easy to obtain alternatives to the taboo grains. Soy enters the diet not only as an alternate flour but also as a replacement for dairy products for celiacs who are also lactose intolerant. What happens, then, when a person who is allergic to rice, corn, and soy discovers she must also cook and eat gluten free? Suddenly, the limits of the gluten-free diet are more constrictive than ever, and usable recipes and grocery products become nearly as scarce as falling stars on a cloudy night.

Without turning my kitchen into an experimental lab, I was at a loss to help a relative who was suddenly faced with such a predicament. Certainly other people have faced this problem, I thought, and have learned to deal with multiple allergies plus celiac disease. With that in mind, I posted a request on the Celiac List discussion group for corn, rice, soy, and gluten-free bread recipes. Within a short time, I received a number of responses. Other people had indeed faced and conquered this problem.

Some people had found bread mixes that met all the dietary restrictions. Several people highly recommended bread mixes from the company Breads from Anna. One responder wrote that her “8-year-old celiac and non-celiac husband will eat [the bread] out of the breadmaker.” Another person pointed out that Chebe Bread mixes and doughs do not contain gluten, corn, rice, or soy.

Other people had discovered substitutes that worked well in recipes that called for allergy-triggering ingredients. While some suggested using tapioca flour when recipes called for cornstarch, other cooks advised using arrowroot or potato starch in place of cornstarch. Many people recommended sorghum flour as a replacement for rice flour, but one person warned that people who are allergic to corn may also be allergic to sorghum. There were several people who avoided the grain problems altogether by using nut flours exclusively. They pointed me to the Web sites pecanbread.com and scdiet.org for bread recipes that use only nut flours.

Several people offered links to recipes for breads that closely matched my requirements. One noted that Twin Valley Mills' Web site, has a recipe for Sorghum Bread at its recipe link. The recipe calls for cornstarch, but the responder substitutes arrowroot. Another mentioned recipes for yeast bread and biscuits from The Gluten-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook. The person submitting this said that she makes the bread dairy free also by substituting milk powder with 1.5 times the amount of potato flakes. She wrote, “The bread I make keeps fresh and spongy for days.” Someone else directed me to two gluten/corn/rice/soy-free flour blend recipes on Carol Fenster's Web site, along with the recipe for Sandwich Bread that uses the blend.

Finally, Francie Kelley reminded me that Alamo Celiac GIG member Denise Cleveland had a recipe for sorghum bread that she shared with the group several years ago. Denise graciously gave me permission to reprint her recipe, and it is given below. Her recipe for Angel Biscuits and Sorghum Pizza Dough, as well as several sorghum cookie recipes, are in The Alamo Celiac Cookbook.

What seemed at first as nearly an impossible task – finding gluten-free bread recipes that were also free of corn, rice, and soy – turned out to be not nearly as daunting as I had expected. With the help of other celiacs, I discovered bread mixes, ingredient substitutions, and a number of recipes to try. I'm ready to start baking.

Denise's Sorghum Bread

From Denise Cleveland

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sorghum flour
• 1 3/4 cups potato starch
• 1 cup tapioca starch
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flaxseed meal (optional)
• 3 packets gelatin powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons guar gum or xanthan gum
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups water, warmed

Put eggs in mixer bowl. Whip until frothy. (I use the wire attachment for this. Replace with regular beater before next step.)

Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl.

Add butter to eggs and begin to mix.

Add dry ingredients a bit at a time, alternating with water. Hold back some of the water to be sure the dough is not too wet.

The dough needs to be just barely pourable, but not runny like pancake batter. You may need more or less water depending on how dry your flours are.

Pour into 20 greased hamburger/English muffin tins, or greased 2 loaf pans (see notes.), or greased muffin pan. Use oiled or greased hand to flatten and even out the tops. I like to use large cookie scoops to make rolls.

Let rise, covered with a light towel, for 30 minutes. Do not let them over-rise, or they lose their shape.

Bake buns for about 12-15 minutes at 400°. Remove from pan(s) shortly after taking out of the oven and allow to cool on wire rack.

Notes. My family likes this best made as buns. It is less crumbly that way, but it also works okay in loaves. I use hamburger pans purchased from King Arthur flours. I also use waxed paper inside loaf pans for easy removal.