Gluten Free Sandwich Bread: Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur?

Gluten free sandwich bread: four words that usually trigger immediate panic in bread-lovers everywhere. Most gluten free bread tastes exactly how you think it does: like sadness and disappointment.

Today we’re diving into two popular gluten free bread mixes: King Arthur Gluten Free Sandwich Bread and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Sandwich Bread.

But first, a quick backstory about my gluten-free bread baking saga.

We used to buy gluten-free bread already made (Udi’s, Canyon Bakehouse, you know the ones), and occasionally still do. But why are those loaves always so teeny tiny? Sandwiches end up looking like sad doll food, and the flavor is still dangerously close to cardboard. Plus, those little loaves can cost a pretty penny, which makes me cranky every single time I put one in my cart.

Determined to get GOOD gluten-free bread on our table, I decided I’d become a bread-baking champion. I stocked up on all the gluten-free flours, starches, and gums known to mankind. I bought bread cookbooks, special loaf pans, and spent countless hours testing flour blends, comparing xanthan gum to psyllium husk, and making messes. It got real nerdy, real fast.

The result? A fat hole in my wallet, zero space in my pantry, and still no awesome bread to brag about. At the end of the day, I realized I’m not trying to reinvent bread. I don’t need (or want) 14 random flours cluttering my kitchen.

So, gluten free bread mixes became my new best friend. And thankfully, we finally have a winner. Big slices, fluffy texture, tastes like actual bread: yes, it exists. Let’s dive in and see which gluten free sandwich bread deserves prime real estate in your pantry.

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread Showdown

I followed each bread mix exactly as written. Proofed them both the same way (warm oven trick), cooled them identically, and made sure the water/milk for the yeast hit that perfect sweet spot (between 100-110 degrees). Basically, I controlled every single thing I possibly could, even though these are two totally different recipes. No sneaky shortcuts here.

The one difference I made (and did it by accident) is that I used different size loaf pans. I used a 9×5 for Bob’s and an 8×4 for King Arthur.

Ease of Baking

Bob’s Red Mill: Pretty straightforward overall. Yes, you’re gonna make a small mess, but nothing crazy. What I really love about Bob’s is it’s all in one bag—no measuring or weighing out a million flours. Just unzip and bake. They even toss in a yeast packet, so you don’t have to hunt that down either. Instructions are right there on the bag, and trust me, after making it a couple times, you won’t even glance at them again. Plus, it only requires one proof, which is a nice little bonus. Let me tell you – this thing rose like a champ. Beautiful, plump dough!

My only gripe? You need eggs AND egg whites. Four eggs total. Considering eggs currently cost about as much as gold bars, I definitely threw a tiny eye roll at that. But I figured out I can just buy a carton of egg whites, making life that much easier.

King Arthur: This one comes in a giant bag, so you’ll have to haul out the measuring cups or scale and actually weigh stuff. You’ll also need to buy yeast separately. Annoyingly, the instructions aren’t printed on the bag itself, so you’ve gotta hunt down the sandwich bread recipe online (I’ve got you covered here).

The recipe wasn’t rocket science, but it does require two separate proofing sessions, which means you’re waiting longer for a sandwich. My mixture also never really came together like Bob’s, it stayed kinda crumbly and dry-looking, even after adding all the liquids. Meh. Also, you will need 3 eggs (no egg whites) for this recipe. I didn’t see a huge rise out of this bread, even after the double proof. I did use a smaller loaf pan, perhaps that made a difference in the rise. But wouldn’t you think it would just rise over the top? Hmmmm.

Taste Test and Texture

Bob’s Red Mill: Right out of the oven – Bob’s was super tall and fluffy. I wanted to sleep on it like a pillow but I held back. I popped it out of the loaf pan and set it on the wire rack to cool. Gluten free bread needs some time to “set”. So that means not slicing into it for a bit.

Once I did slice it my heart filled with joy. It was soft, with crispy edges, super tall and so light and airy. It tasted absolutely delicious. We’ve made plenty of sandwiches with this bread and it holds up to the tallest of club sandwiches. It also toasts up beautifully.

King Arthur: Well, this was kind of a bummer. After baking, it wasn’t fluffy at all—just straight-up dense. I knew before I even got it out of the pan that I’d baked a gluten-free brick. I cooled it exactly like Bob’s, but slicing into it confirmed my fears: zero air pockets, heavy crumb, basically sad bread.

To be fair to King Arthur, though, I did use this same mix to whip up some cinnamon rolls, and they were amazing. Soft, fluffy, and totally perfect. So clearly, the issue here was either this sandwich recipe or the lack of egg whites. Or perhaps my yeast was not great.

I read a lot of the reviews on King Arthur’s website, and many people used a bread machine to make the this bread. So, perhaps that would give me a different result.

Price & Value

Bob’s Red Mill: First off, none of my grocery stores even carry this bread mix, which is kind of annoying. So I’m stuck ordering it on Amazon, where a single bag costs a small fortune. Not exactly budget-friendly. Thankfully, I found it in bulk (a box of four), bringing each bag down to around 6 bucks at the time I’m writing this. That’s more reasonable. Now if only the price of eggs would get the memo.

King Arthur: This is clearly the better value. You can get more than one recipe out of this 2lb bag of flour. End of story!

Overall Winner

The overall winner is Bob’s. Despite the price/bag, it’s just the most delicious gluten free sandwich bread we’ve had yet. I’ll be buying this in bulk and on sale when I can! Once you get the hang of it, it’s not hard to whip up a loaf each week or so.

I’ll add that I’m still not convinced that King Arthur is this dense. I’m definitely going to give it another go just to make sure it wasn’t user error. But in the meantime – Bob’s is the winner.

Pro tip: I recommend slicing these breads and storing them in the freezer with parchment between slices. You can remove a slice or two as needed and thaw them or toast them up to revive them. These breads only keep a day or two on the counter (and that’s wrapped up pretty tight).

Which gluten free sandwich bread (homemade, store-bought, bread mix) is your favorite? Drop a comment and let us know!