As a gluten and dairy-free blogger, one of the perks of my job is having the opportunity to sample new-to-me products and discover new companies. Recently, Simple Kneads extended an offer for me to try their gluten-free breads, and given the opportunity to taste test sourdough-type breads I couldn’t say no. 


Simple Kneads was founded in one father’s pursuit of delicious gluten-free bread for his son. Finding only subpar options at stores, he turned to real ingredients to see if he could make a bread that was hearty and delicious while being nutritious too. 

The resulting breads are top eight allergen-free, and arrive looking and smelling like they were baked that morning in a local bakery. I was definitely sold on the story behind the bread and couldn’t wait to see how their taste and texture measured up.

Simple Kneads is a company based out of North Carolina where each loaf is baked and packaged in dedicated gluten-free baking facilities. Unlike most other gluten-free breads on the market, the breads are not “loaf” shaped, and instead are boule-shaped, which is a delightful difference that gives the bread an added sense of “realness.”


The bread has a nice shelf life of about two weeks, which also differentiates it because you do not have to freeze it right away. It was nice to take a slice or two at a time without having to chisel out a slice from a frozen loaf.

The first loaf I tried was the sourdough loaf. Right out of the bag, the bread smells delicious, but is a little fragile and crumbly. The bread is dense and a tad dry when eaten plain, so it’s not a great choice for making sandwiches. I did enjoy this bread untoasted with soup however.

Toasting the bread fixes all of the texture issues of the untoasted bread, making it soft, yet crunchy. The bread certainly lives up to the “sour” in its name, and is biting, but nice when paired with creamy peanut butter. I liked how the bread slices were very wide, which allowed a big enough canvas to play around with toppings. 

The second loaf I was sent was Simple Kneads’ quinoa power grains loaf. It had some of the same crumbly and dense issues as the first loaf, but was softer and I had an easier time eating it untoasted. 

As with the first loaf, toasting does something magical to the slices, bringing them to life in a tantalizing way. I enjoyed eating this loaf as avocado toast because it had a less intense flavor than the sourdough bread and had a milder level of sourness. Of the two, I would order this loaf again because I liked the nutty flavor and inclusion 

Although I don’t think Simple Kneads will supplant my go-to everyday gluten-free bread, I will keep it in mind to order it when sourdough cravings strike. While the loaves were not perfect, toasting the slices really brought them to life and they make a wonderful canvas for whatever bread-based creations you want to make. I like that Simple Kneads uses whole, ancient grains and thoughtfulness to approach gluten-free bread making.

Disclaimer: This review is current to the original publication date. Updates will be noted. Ingredients and manufacturing processes can change without notice. Each product should be reviewed for individual nutritional needs. Feel free to to contact me with any questions or comments.Simple Kneads sent me samples free of charge for review purposes, but the review is a reflection of my personal opinion.