Just made bread using gluten / wheat free flour - where did I go wrong?

[SachaF]

I have just managed to extract a flat loaf from the bread machine in several bits! At £1.99 a bag of flour which only makes 2 loaves I'm not sure I want to experiment too much with this stuff! Mind you it tastes much nicer than the £1.50 pre-made loaf I bought last week! but it has ended up as chunks of bread rather than a sliceable loaf.
I followed the instructions on the packet of flour (Doves). I am using soya milk rather than real milk and 'no egg' instead of egg. I used dried fast action bread yeast (which I previously used in the bread machine with wheat flour) and the recipe said vinegar so I used a tsp of balsamic vinegar.
Please, let me know how you manage to make a useable loaf with this stuff! I am willing to do the traditional 'bake in oven' method if that is what it will take for me to be able to eat bread! (bf'ing ds with allergies, I'm fine with wheat!)

Okay - is there a gluten free setting on your bread machine? I think ours has one. I wouldn't use balsamic vinegar, although I don't think that accounts for what happened. Xantham gum is apparently a very good thing for gluten-free bread as well.

Sacha - I don't think the oven will do the trick either, it didn't for me. Xantham gum seems to be the way forward. I haven't tried it yet.

are you using doves bread flour rather than plain flour?

This is my recipe with doves (and a standard loaf setting on a bread machine)

3 cups (american cups- not any old cup) flour
2tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

in one bowl

3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup goats milk

in another bowl

wet ingredients in first, then dry on top then packet of bread machine yeast on top of that.

Did you use bread machine yeast (those granule things don't work).

If you're not using specific bread flour then you need to add xanthan gum.

doves bread flour already has xanthan gum added to it.

terence conrans bread - ocado/waitrose and tescos gf english muffins and breakfast rolls are ok toasted

Thanks,
No gluten free setting on bread machine. As per the instructions I stopped it after a few minutes and scraped the dough back down in to a ball.
Using Dove's flour. I've just checked and yes it contains Xantham gum (what on earth is it and where would I get it?)
I used the fast action bread yeast that comes in individual 7g sachets - but only a tsp and not a whole packet. I shall try Gess's recipe as that is slightly different to the one on the packet (although again I will be using egg replacer and soya milk).
Have now gone and bought malt vinegar! (Although I agree with tribpot it prob won't make any difference).
I am wondering if the age of the machine makes a difference - but 4 years isn't old for a bread machine is it?

I used vinegar (tsp) sometimes- doesn;t make much difference.

The bread machine age dooesn;t make much difference- but the thermostat does, if that's buggered no chance (I used cheapo hinari one at the moment- no problem).

I think you'll struggle without eggs. How about trying soda bread instead?

I have a reipe for microwave bread that doesn't use eggs as well. (never tried it).

xanthan gum can be bought from health food shops.

So that means if you want bread you can either be egg intolerant or wheat intolerant but not both! Oh well...
I have no idea if my thermostat is broken on machine but when making normal bread they were getting flatter and flatter - I will try oven baking at the weekend! I think I will also have to go to a health food shop as no idea about soda bread flour as an alternative - but hopefully I will get e dietician referral when I see GP tomorrow to help me out.
Must remember this is all for the good of ds and breastfeeding is such a short time to give foods up for in the scheme of things....

I have recipes for rolls that are gluten and egg free.

Oooh, yes please!!!!