Not always do we want our bread to have the same taste. Whole wheat or white breads are the most commonly consumed breads. Rye, rice, or oat flours are some alternatives to wheat or all-purpose flours. Rice flour is commonly available in two chief varieties: white and brown rice flour. Brown rice flour is heavier and more fibrous than white rice flour. Whereas, white rice flour has a longer shelf life. They vary in their taste and texture too. So, the choice of flour depends on our taste and liking. Some people are allergic to all-purpose or wheat flour used for making bread, while some restrict the consumption of bread due to diabetes. Bread made from rice flour is a healthy option to the age-old white bread. Rice bread is gluten-free, and thus, healthier than white breads. Gluten imparts gumminess to the dough. Baking a bread without using gluten can be a difficult task as the texture of the bread needs to be maintained. In absence of gluten, use a binding agent 'xanthan gum' to retain the texture of the bread. It is important that the dough is kneaded well for it to rise evenly. Given below are a few easy gluten-free rice bread recipes. ♨ Preheat the oven to a temperature of 300^oF. Measure and keep aside all the ingredients. ♨ Pass the flour through a sieve or strainer to check for any impurities. ♨ Put the rice flour and baking powder in the mixing bowl. Add salt and mix them thoroughly. ♨ Add butter to this mixture and blend the mixture well. ♨ Add sugar and egg yolks. Mix well until the mixture has a smooth consistency. ♨ Once the mixture is ready, fold the eggs into it. ♨ Grease the baking pan. Add the mixture to the pan. ♨ Bake the bread for about 50-55 minutes increasing the oven temperature to about 425ºF. ♨ Take the bread off the heat. Keep it aside for about 10-15 minutes. ♨ Place the bread on a cooled sheet, cooling rack, or a chopping board. ♨ After about 35-40 minutes, take it out of the cooling rack. Cut the bread into thin slices. ♨ Preheat the oven to a temperature of 300ºF. Measure and keep aside all the ingredients. ♨ Add water, honey, and eggs to milk. Add vinegar to this mixture. Pour this into a mixer for blending. ♨ To the rice flour, add salt and butter. ♨ Add the flour mixture to the liquid in the mixer. ♨ The dough must be mixed well until a smooth texture is visible. ♨ Grease the baking pan. Add the mixture to the pan. ♨ Cover the baking pan with its lid. Keep it aside for about an hour to allow the dough to rise. ♨ Bake the bread for about 35-40 minutes at 300ºF. ♨ Take the bread off the heat. Keep it aside for about 10-15 minutes. ♨ Place the bread on a cooled sheet, cooling rack, or a chopping board. ♨ After about 35-40 minutes, take it out of the cooling rack. Cut the bread into thin slices. ✧ Sifting of the flour is essential before mixing the ingredients. ✧ Make smaller breads such that it is easier to make the batter. ✧ The baked bread being gluten-free may not rise well. Instead, use healthy substitutes for gluten. ✧ Make sure you use the flour stored in an airtight container or brought fresh from the store. ✧ Eggs add moisture to the bread. Vary the number of eggs as per your choice. ✧ Mixers can be used to blend the mixture if needed. ✧ When using yeast in place of gluten, use vinegar (½ tsp. for 2 cups of rice flour.) This helps the bread rise better. ✧ Butter can be replaced by margarine. Similarly, eggs and milk can be substituted by egg replacer and coconut milk, respectively. ✧ While baking, insert a knife to check if the bread dough sticks to the knife. If it doesn't, the bread is ready. Otherwise, continue baking the bread. While it is pretty easy to bake a rice flour bread, ensure that you use the freshest of flours for a fluffy and tasty bread.