Sara's Gluten-Free (and Casein-Free) Bread

If you have ever tried to go gluten-free, you know the frustrations of finding good bread - and it is even harder to find a good recipe for homemade bread.  I have not found a loaf pre-made at the store that we enjoy, and at $6-7 per loaf, I wanted to make my own.  I found some good mixes, but again, we were talking around $6 per loaf.  I also wanted to make sure I knew that I knew the ingredients because I have a child who is allergic to soy.  So for the past month I have been on a journey to find a good gluten-free, soy-free bread recipe that would not make us regret living without wheat.  

While the children and I like the bread I made last time, my husband just thought it was 'okay' (for that recipe, check my pinterest page:   So I took the package of a pre-packaged bread mix that we enjoyed last week and looked at the list of ingredients in order.  I then attempted to replicate that bread mix, but with a couple of changes and substitutions for my preference (for instance, I don't like molasses, I cannot find sweet rice flour in my local stores, and I have no idea what rice bran is).

Here is a tutorial of the best gluten free bread I have ever had!  If you want the recipe without the tutorial, you can find it on my recipe page.  I am not ashamed to admit I prayed over this recipe.  I desperately wanted a good recipe, but I really did not know what I was doing.  It is only through God's Providence that I got this right!

Before you begin, it is important to gather everything you need.  There is nothing worse than to find out you are out of something or bought the wrong thing after you have started mixing.  Plus, if I don't have everything ready I tend to leave something out.

Everything I need, well... almost!

First, you need to know what is in my bread flour mix.  If you like this recipe and want to make the flour mix to keep on hand, multiply it however much you like, make sure you mix it really well, and store in an air-tight container. Then each time you make bread you will use 3 1/2 cups GF bread flour mix.

A close-up of the flours and starches so you can see what I am talking about.
Don't you love that beautiful green egg?  I just love farm free eggs.
This one was so pretty that the brown egg I laid out decided to hide.
(Oh, that baggie is my sea salt)

GF Bread Flour Mix:
1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup Tapioca flour
3/4 potato starch
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white rice flour
1 TBS millet flour
1 TBS oat flour
3 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp salt

Sift all the above ingredients together to mix well and to make sure there are not lumps.

I am not sure where I heard of 'oat flour', but I am also not really sure what it is.
I use GF rolled oats and my coffee grinder.

After running the oats on the espresso
setting, they look like this.

Make sure you have the whisk
attachment on your stand-up mixer.

Ingredients:
Gluten Free Bread Flour Mix
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 yeast packet)
1 TBS honey
2 large eggs
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups warm water

Put all the ingredients of the GF bread flour mix into the bowl attachment of a stand-up mixer.  

Mix well. You don't want to have a 'pocket' of any one ingredient.

In a separate bowl add eggs, water, oil, and honey.

Use a whisk to blend, making sure to break egg yolks.

Add yeast to dry mixture.

Dump liquid mixture into dry mixture.

Turn mixer on low for about 30 seconds to blend.

Stop and use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom.

Slowy turn mixer to medium high and mix for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile oil your breadpan.

I use olive oil
instead of a spray

and spread the oil
with a paper towel.

The dough should now look similar to a cake batter.

 

Pour the batter/dough into the prepared bread pan and use the spatula to evenly spread batter.

If you want the top smoother,

you can wet your fingers and smooth it out.

(I don't usually care about a smooth top)

Cover with a towel and set in a warm place where the dough can be undisturbed for an hour and a half.

Hmmmm... almost time to take the garbage out...

Now an very important step!  These flours are ground much finer than regular wheat flours and are a pain to get off the floor (they don't sweep up very well, and when you mop the floor... well, think of a sticky, gummy glue - ask me how I know). So now is the time to clean up the kitchen before any of the flour makes a big mess.

My children will gladly put the dishes away
in exchange for the first slice of freshly baked bread!

Your dough should rise to just over the top of the bread pan.  Once it does, turn the oven to 350 degrees.

Carefully place the bread in the pre-heated oven.  You do not want to bump the pan too hard or it will deflate.

After about 20 minutes cover the bread with foil so that the top doesn't burn (another lesson learned by experience).

I don't worry about making it
a tent or getting it just right - 
I want to get my hands out
of the oven quickly.

Bake the bread for about another 40 minutes.  When done then center of the bread should be at least 200 degrees.

I like to put butter over the
top while it is still hot.  However,
while I am spreading the butter
the top tends to cave a little -
I wonder if there is a connection.

Cool in the bread pan for 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

You can see in this picture where the top caved in a little.
The good thing is that does not affect the taste,
and it can still be used for sandwiches.
Oh, and there is my crockpot doing its thing...
making chicken broth.

See... I told you the promise of the first slice of bread would get the dishes put away!

Slice with a serrated knife and enjoy!

The results...

 

My husband had been working in the yard all day, so he declined this photo op, but he gave this bread two thumbs up.  Almost the entire family agreed this is the best gluten-free bread we've had, including the pre-mixed packages and the store-bought gluten free breads.  (While my son thoroughly enjoyed this bread, he thought it was a close second to the the bread I made the other day.)  We all agree this recipe is a keeper!  It is great with dinner or for a sandwich, although I am not sure how peanut butter or other nut butters would spread on this bread.

Now I am off to discover how make a good gluten-free biscuit!