Gluten Free Multigrain Bread (that rises beautifully!)

For years, I have been trying to find (and make) a gluten-free bread with a deep, rustic flavor, and that actually RISES.   On cold days, I wanted soup and this kind of dreamy rustic bread for a hearty sandwich or just a slab of creamy butter. It was a craving for oh sooo long!  For years, so many loaves of bread ended up in the trash because they either had a beany taste, or they got stale before we got a chance to finish them (they were forgotten about and still aren't worth remembering).  Bean flours. Yuck.  I see them used in many bread recipes that come with a guarantee to rise.  But that bean taste... blah!  I just can't get over it.  I even tried using just 1/4 cup of bean flour (garfava, to be exact) in a recent recipe and I could still taste it at the end.  Bean there, done that?

The funny thing is?  I LOVE BEANS.  Just not in bread.  I love beans so much I used to crave them when I was pregnant with my first daughter; my husband and I used to joke that we'd call her Frijolina.  If you speak spanish, or if you know how to use a handy online translator, you'll know that frijole means bean.  Yes, that was my firstborn's first nickname, when she was about the size of a bean in my tummy when we lived in Beantown (true store, remember Boston?).  See, I love beans!  Just. Not. In. Bread!!!!  Of course, I do have a health conscious husband who's always keeping me up to date on the latest in health news, and he claims (after reading this reputable book)  that beans are actually not all that healthy for you, anyway (and that white rice is actually one of the safer starches... shocker!).  Some folks like to soak beans in vinegar to help get rid of the toxins... but, I digress!  Just wanted to give you the lowdown on beans and my complicated relationship with them.

Now, my health-conscious blog readers, I know!  Dun, dun, dun... I used xanthan gum!  Ack!  Shouldn't I be using something more healthy like chia seed or flax?  Well, truthfully?  I've experimented with them and they alone don't provide enough of the "oomph" required for a generous rise.  So, now you're probably wondering why I'm not using that lovely fiber supplement known as psyllium husk with or instead of the seeds.  Well, I don't plan on co-partnering with Charmin or any of their toilet paper competitors, so I'll just save you and me a few trips to the bathroom and stick with xanthan.  The amount of fiber required to provide the lift I'm looking for is quite high.  A few folks who've transitioned to using fiber as their "gluten-free glue" claim that it takes some getting used to and can cause GI upset.  But, for kicks, I actually tried using acacia fiber which is a fiber I am familiar with, and is similar to psyllium.  It's actually a more "gentle" fiber, in my humble opinion.  I've never had a bad reaction to it.  It did produce a bread with a pretty good rise, but, alas, xanthan is still the best.  Yes, it is a manipulated corn derivative, so use it sparingly--or not at all if you have an allergy, and do opt for the fiber in that case...but I recommend the acacia fiber for starters.  I, personally, do not react poorly to xanthan, and the quantity I use is so small that I don't mind sticking with it, no pun intended...(xanthan makes things so sticky!).

But the beauty of sharing recipes is that YOU can make them your own by experimenting.  Feel free to use this recipe and switch out the xanthan for fiber and let me know how it works!

I will still be experimenting with this recipe myself, but for a good reason.  What is it?  Well, this bread kinda rose so high that it started overflowing in the tiny glass baking dish I used.  Next time, I'll use a standard bread pan (I am so used to gluten free bread not rising that I didn't anticipate the overflow). My bread pan runneth over with gluten-free goodness, does yours? ;)  Also, I wanna try to make rolls with it at some point, but I think that would require a bit less liquid, maybe one less egg.  Anyhow, feel free to experiment with this recipe...but I do recommend trying it as-is at least once, because it would be delicious with a bowl of soup on a cold night like tonight.

I've got some exciting recipes to come! As soon as my kiddos get over the flu, I will be working on a fried chicken recipe.  Yes, the flu!  Dang, and I thought March was a time for flowers and sunshine, and as I write this there's thunder outside, a winter weather advisory in effect, and two kiddos ready to feel better! Last night, after a long day of caring for two sick babes, I needed something sweet and comforting so I made some delicious maple coconut rice krispies treats with the simplest ingredients (we'll just call them brown rice cereal treats ;).  They'll be up next!

Gluten Free Multigrain bread (THAT RISES and doesn't taste like beans! ;)
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup millet flour
2 TBSP almond meal
3 tsp dry milk powder
3 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp fine sea salt

1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

pumpkin seeds, if you want (I topped the bread with a sprinkle of Bob's rice cereal, pumpkin seeds, and poppy seeds for texture)

1 fast acting yeast packet combined with 1/4 cup warm water

1 3/4 cups hot water
3 TBSP grade b maple syrup
2 large eggs at room temperature

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a standing mixer until well combined.  

2. In another small bowl, proof that 1/4 cup warm water with the fast acting yeast.

3. Combine the eggs with the dry flour mixture, add the hot water and the maple syrup.  Mix for about a minute in the standing mixer (at about a medium speed), then add the proofed yeast. 

4. "Pour" batter-like dough into a well-greased bread pan (I used a glass pyrex medium bread pan, but that was a bit small :) -- the bread dough, before rising, already filled the pan.  Next time I'm going to use a pan that leaves about 1/4 in of space from the top).  Smooth top with wet fingers and sprinkle with your favorite seeds/nuts/oats.

5. LET RISE FOR AN HOUR THEN BAKE AN HOUR AT 375 (LEAVE IN OVEN WHILE PREHEATING AND INCLUDE THIS TIME IN THE ‘HOUR’).  

Gluten-free Croissants

Guess who?

Croissants!

little ones...

A letter from the croissants:

"We're finally here! Tasty right out of the oven, warm and buttery. 2 sticks of butter for just 14 of us, so you better believe we're buttery-delicious! You'll love the sweet aroma we give off while we're baking! We taste similar to those Pillsbury ones, except we're

homemade and gluten-free. (Shhh! Don't let our baker know that we told on her--she used to eat those a few years ago, before saying goodbye to gluten!)"

"We're cute and little, and still tasty next morning--no bed head, promise! We just need to warm up to the idea of being eaten the day after baking (that is, if we're still around), so stick us in the micro for 15 seconds and we'll be as good as new. Top us off with fresh strawberry or blueberry jam. We've heard that we're also pretty tasty with cranberry sauce (think Thanksgiving

or Christmas dinner, or even Valentine's Dinner!). Speaking of Valentine's, I bet we'd be delicious with a chocolatey filling!"

"Oh, and if there's a stranger living in your house who's on an anti-carb kick, you can make one extra little for them. See our wittle brother below? He's kinda camera shy--tried to disguise himself in rice flour while we were getting ready for the big photo shoot!"

Gluten-Free Croissants (makes 12-14 little ones)

Bowl 1:

1 cup white rice flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp sea salt

keep on the side:

2 sticks of cold butter

Bowl 2:

1 tbsp sugar

4 tsp yeast

1/4 cup warm water

Bowl 3:

2 large egg yolks (keep egg whites for egg wash)

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup reserved white rice flour (just use it as you need it, don't use it all at once!)

Instructions:

Mix together ingredients from bowl one. Set aside.

In bowl 2, combine sugar and yeast, then add warm water; set aside and allow to proof (should become foamy on top), for about 10 minutes.

Keep on the side:

2 sticks of cold butter

Combine all ingredients in third bowl, set aside.

Now combine the ingredients from the third bowl into the large first bowl (with the flours!). Don't add yeast yet!

Cut up the cold butter into cubes (basically follow the lines on the butter wrapper, then cut them in half, after that so they're in half tablespoon amounts).

Wash your hands, then start adding the butter in, a little at a time. Work the dough with your hands until you've added all the butter. It's ok if there are lumps of butter still.

Now slowly pour in the yeast. Continue working the dough with your hands. Wash your hands. Now shape the dough into a ball, sprinkle the outside of the ball of dough with rice flour, but not all of the reserved rice flour (just so the surface is lightly coated).

Divide the dough in half. Work with half the dough at a time. Set the other half aside and cover with a clean cloth.

Roll the dough into a rectangle, then use a pizza cutter or knife to even out all the edges so it's a clean rectangle. Now you're going to cut out and shape croissants with a knife (like the tutorial) or a pizza cutter. Note: Don't pull the croissants, just roll them. Gluten-free dough isn't as elastic!

Follow this tutorial for how to cut croissants--but don't pull the dough like she does :): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=221rAwr0CWk&feature=related

Let rise for 1 hour, covered with a clean cloth, and kept in a dark warm area. Use pastry brush to lightly brush on egg wash.

You'll end up with 14 croissants. Bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Oatmeal Artisan Bread

Gluten-free artisan bread sounds like an oxymoron. GF bread is usually on the gross, flat-tasting and dry side. Just thinking about gf bread gone bad makes me thirsty.

Sometimes recipes come about by accident, or desperation. I wouldn't say this recipe necessarily resulted from an accident, but I did have a pretty big craving for artisan bread and I usually don't think clearly when big cravings hit. Thinking about which flours to use and how they'd combine to create an artisan-textured bread (is that a term? :) was quite the task.

I decided to stop thinking and jump right in.

So here it is. Tastes like artisan bread and even smells like it. I'm still surprised. I didn't expect it to work, but somehow it did!

I'm finally submitting something to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays! Check out Amy's blog for some might tasty and healthy gluten-free recipe submissions.


How is this only slightly indulgent, you ask? Well, I tried to keep the fiber levels up and the sugar levels reasonable; it's also very lean and butter-free. But then again, I did top my bread slice off with some butter and honey... ;)

Next post... gluten-free fudge brownies with 3 different types of chocolate (made 'em for the hubby's breakfast on Valentine's). Stay tuned for the recipe :)!

Soft and Chunky Gluten-Free Pretzels

It's been so long, I tell myself... so then I wait a little longer to post...

oh, sooo behind on my blog reading--not such a good blogging buddy after all... another reason why I hesitate to post.

But heck, life is too short and eventually I'm gonna run outta time and excuses! So I might as well post today. Want to know what one of my favorite quotes is? Don't put off for tomorrow what can be done today, ironic (well, it goes something like that... :).

I hope you all have been well. I'm mostly crafting these days, but when a craving kicks in... like a craving for pretzels, I find myself covered in flour, in the kitchen once again, like old times. Ah, feels so good.

So here's a recipe for soft pretzels. Soft because that's how I like 'em. The crunchy salty ones make me thirsty! I'm a carb lover because I enjoy sinking my teeth into the doughy yumminess of baked goods -- so, of course, I'm going to make a soft pretzel.

And it's not just soft, it's also gluten-free. And I know what you're thinking... it looks gluten-free :/. It does have that awkward wanna-be pretzel look, you're right... but trust me, the minute you sink your teeth into these gluten free pretzels, right after you've brushed them with butter and sprinkled them with you favorite kind of salt (and there are so many different kinds of salt), you'll find that nothing is missing (except for the gluten, but that's a good thing here :).

The flavor is there, even the aroma... oooh yeah, you know what I mean -- the tasty aroma that hits your nose when warm pretzels are near. And the texture? Like I said, these are soft, soft and chunky. These gluten-free pretzels are the most scrumptious right outta the oven, but you can also enjoy them the next day warm by popping them in your little toaster oven or the micro, just for about 15 seconds (be sure to store in an air-tight container). Yum. Enjoy!

P.S. Ever wonder why the pretzel-pros dip they're pretzel dough into a solution of either lye and water or baking soda and water? Because it helps give the pretzels they're pretty brown color! I didn't know that... but these pretzels aren't meant to be dipped. Instead, gently brush them with the baking soda/water solution (as mentioned in the recipe card below). Happy baking! :)

Stay tuned for next time, when I'll post my gluten-free angel food cupcakes recipe!

Gluten-Free Zucchini Carrot Cranberry Bread

Hello, Fall! Technically, you're still 3 days away but I'm already celebrating your arrival. You are my favorite season, after all! I love you so much that I decided to bake a loaf of gluten-free sweet bread in your honor. And guess what? It actually turned out pretty tasty, even though this is the first time I've made zucchini bread and used teff flour (...will be using it again, it is super-nutritious and scrumptious!).


You've been trying to sneak up on us, but the red and gold leaves rustling in the cool breeze are hinting that you're right around the corner! ... And because this bread was made just for you, it slightly captures your warm shades of earthy orange, fading greens, and even a few sprinkles of red and yellow! Can't wait 'til you're officially here :)! Recipe is below the poem...

And when the silver habit of the clouds
Comes down upon the autumn sun, and with
A sober gladness the old year takes up
His bright inheritance of golden fruits,
A pomp and pageant fill the splendid scene.
There is a beautiful spirit breathing now
Its mellow richness on the clustered trees,
And, from a beaker full of richest dyes,
Pouring new glory on the autumn woods,
And dipping in warm light the pillared clouds.
From Autumn by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Gluten-Free Crackers and Gluten-Free Challah Sandwich Bread

If there's one thing I've recently regretted buying at the grocery store, it's gluten-free crackers. I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed by pre-made gluten-free products, especially the overpriced crackers that taste like cardboard :'(. Yes, it even deserves a little tear.

Guess what, though? We don't have to settle for this any more. It's time for us to make our own crackers! (Who knows how long it'll take the little elves from Keebler to whip up a batch of tasty gluten-free crackers?! Betty Crocker's already done it with cookies, she gets brownie points for that! :)

Even if you're new to gluten-free baking, you can make these crackers in a snap. Adapt the recipe to your liking, maybe even add a little cheese, like Carol Fenster suggests. This cracker recipe is based on Carol Fenster's (I changed the flour mix, didn't add corn syrup and made them with some canola oil instead of using all butter. I also didn't add sesame seeds... looking back, it's pretty different, I guess :P.)

One thing I might change next time? I've gotta admit, I think I might add a bit more garlic salt and Italian seasoning. But they're still tasty and buttery flavored; they kinda me of those Club Crackers by Keebler, except they're a little thicker (I didn't roll them out thin enough :P).

What else is on today's menu? More carbs! OH, HOW I'VE MISSED YOU, CHALLAH BREAD!



Now we can have our gluten-free challah bread and sandwich too... here's a gluten-free challah sandwich bread recipe. It's got a bit of a twist with the added orange zest and brown sugar. Though I like that it came out moist and gluteny in texture, I especially like that it only has one edge of crust! :P. (Shhh... sometimes I still cut off the crust, but now I don't have to. ;)

One thing I've learned about making gluten-free sandwich bread dough is that you want it to be a little more moist than traditional gluteny bread dough. Gluten-free sandwich bread tends to be dry; the many eggs in this recipe make it moist but still firm enough to slice (and the eggs also make it challah-tasting :). Give it a try... and guess what? This is easy to make, too! Throw everything together in about 15 minutes, let it rise for an hour and bake for about half an hour... that's it! :)

Gluten-Free Challah Sandwich Bread
(Large) Bowl 1:
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp orange zest
3 whole eggs
3 Tbsp canola oil

(Small) Bowl 2:
1 cup warm milk (microwave for 30 seconds)
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 tbsp sugar

Fill an oven safe baking dish (like a 9 inch cake pan) with warm water and place it on the last rack in the oven. Now turn the oven on to the warm setting, or to 200 degrees.

Add the sugar to small bowl 2, then add the yeast and the warm milk. Set aside for about 5 minutes or so, while you work on bowl 1.

Combine all the ingredients in bowl 1 (EXCEPT EGGS AND CANOLA OIL). Before adding eggs and canola oil, make sure that it's mixed together well so that everything from the xanthan gum to the salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

Make a little well in the middle of the flour mix in bowl 1, this is where you'll add the canola oil and eggs. Start mixing in the eggs and canola oil, working from the inside out. Then slowly pour in the yeast mix while continuing to stir with a fork. Make sure it isn't lumpy but don't over mix.

Now turn off the oven. Spray a medium-sized bread pan with non-stick and pour the bread dough (it will look like bready/cake dough) into the pan, make sure to smooth out the top so that the dough is evenly spread out on top. I use the back of a spoon or small fork. Next, place the bread pan with the dough in the oven, on the middle rack, above the pan with the warm water. Let it rise for an hour.

After the hour, leave the bread in the oven and turn on the oven to 350, bake the bread for about 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, quickly and gently cover the top with foil (make sure it's loose) so that it doesn't over-brown. Cook for about 25 more minutes. (Bake time is about 35 minutes total.)

Cracker recipe is in the recipe card below:

Big Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits

It's taken me forever to come up with a fluffy gluten-free biscuit recipe. Sure, I made a few tasty ones in the past, but they didn't quite puff up the way I wanted 'em to. Thanks to the Barefoot Contessa (I learned this on her show :P), I discovered what I was doing wrong: melting the butter instead of adding it to the dough as cold chopped chunks. Cold chopped chunks doesn't exactly sound appetizing, huh? But I promise these are quite tasty. In fact, I was surprised to discover that you don't actually need a whole stick of butter to make a tasty and fluffy buttery (flavored) biscuit. You can even get away with using only 2 tablespoons of butter and a bit of canola oil. I've tweaked this recipe quite a bit, making a buttery version and a leaner version that calls for canola oil; both versions are included in the recipe card below.

These biscuits are big, just how big?
My hand isn't huge, but I do have some mighty long fingers, thanks to my mom. These biscuits are hefty, so hefty, I can usually get away with eating just half of one. These biscuits are great to have around for breakfast; forget fast food sausage and egg biscuits... you can make 'em yourself now! (Don't worry, I'll post a sausage recipe soon :).

So how exactly should the butter look when it's thrown in the dough? Just take a look at them chunks!:

How do you assemble the biscuits? Well, xanthan gum tends to make things sticky, so I have a little trick I like to use when working with gluten-free dough. Contrary to what I've read, I actually like to wet my hands/fingertips with a little water so that the dough doesn't stick to 'em when I'm shaping the dough; you could also use melted... butter or a little oil! I shape the biscuits into disks, like this (make sure they're adequately spaced apart, because they expand a lot).:
So other than making biscuits (well, I actually made these nearly 3 months ago, believe it or not!), I've been pretty busy! Hope you all are enjoying the summer!

I won't stay away too long, I've got a recipe for gluten-free crackers that I've gotta share, after all :)!

Gluten Free Condensed Milk & Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buns

Have you ever spotted a recipe that sounded pretty good but then decided not to make it because there were sooo many detailed steps?

I have!

I usually skip a few steps (if I do make it) or I just forget about it altogether, unless I manage to find the extra time to actually follow every step to the letter.

So why the heck did I go into so much detail with these instructions? Because I know I have a tendency of assuming people know what I'm talking about, so sometimes I'll be really vague and, in the end, I leave out a fair amount of significant information. I'm trying to be more detailed, so please don't let the lengthy instructions deter you from making these really good Gluten-Free Condensed Milk and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buns! Sheesh! Even the title takes forever to read ;).

Ok yeah, so I've been a carbaholic lately. I admit this without shame! Proud carbaholic right here. Part of that addiction is due to wanting to perfect some of my favorite treats, with a gluten-free twist of course. Cinnamon buns/rolls were definitely a favorite of mine before switching to a gf diet, so I had to find a way to make them edible (and actually tasty) minus the AP flour.

Sometimes I feel bad for gluten-free foods, they're like the kid who always gets picked last for the tether ball/dodge ball game at recess (did anyone else play tether ball in elementary school?). These gf foods usually pale in comaprison to the star players, the wonderfully elastic and moist glutinous foods that don't contain strange ingredients like guar gum or xanwhatever.

I ate half of this one (so you could see the inside, of course ;).

THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE CASE ANYMORE! I refuse to let it happen, now's the time for gluten-free foods to take center stage without the sweaty palms.

So here they are, the tastiest gluten-free cinnamon buns you will ever eat. I promise, I promise!! They taste like a Cinnabon (oh how I loved eating those when I was little, it made going shopping for hours so worth it), but they also remind me of a bread pudding dessert. Believe me, these were not easy to make. Long before making them, off and on I'd literally daydream about a recipe that would work. This time I used buttermilk and condensed milk -- great partners in crime, both of them equally contributing to my insatiable carb cravings (aren't they the best baking ingredients?).

It only took me about 8 batches to finally come up with a recipe worth sharing! I've included step by step photos too :D!

ENJOY!

See recipe card for the recipe :)

Spread out the filling like this:


Roll it out like this
(see how well floured the outside is, so it doesn't stick):


Cut them out like this
(this is before rising):



After rising for 45 min. but before baking:


After baking and glazing:

Moist and Tender Gluten Free Strawberry Scones

I love berries! Last year we went berry picking in Austin and had so much fun. I've yet to go strawberry picking, but my grandparents had a strawberry plant in their front yard (and my parents had some on our porch, growing up). I couldn't wait to pick each one straight from the vine. I wouldn't even wash them -- that's what t-shirts were for; I'd stuff them right into my mouth. They were very tasty and tart, much smaller than the strawberries you'd find in a grocery store.

Sunshine and berries go hand in hand. Even though it's pretty rainy here, we're still experiencing warm weather -- that always puts me in the berry-eating mood. I'm a tea-drinker, I drink decaffeinated tea twice a day and I love having toast or something sweet and carby with each cup (even when it's hot, I just crank up the AC ;). So these strawberry scones are definitely the kind of treat I'd reach for to snack on with a cup of tea; they'd also be tasty with coffee or hot chocolate.

Oops! Almost forgot to include the pic of how the scones should be placed on the baking sheet :)

Unlike traditional scones, these gluten free strawberry scones aren't as heavy or dry or crumbly -- which is kind of funny considering gluten free baked goods tend to be all of those things. Instead, they're tender, moist and full of berry flavor. Eat 'em up (I ate about 3 within a 12 hour period :P)!

This is my first submission to this month's fruit-themed dessert gluten-free blog event, aka Go Ahead, Honey it's Gluten Free (hosted by Emilia at A Gluten-Free Day). The blogger behind this is Naomi from Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried, check out her blog!

Gluten-Free Hawaiian Bread Biscuits (quick and yeast-free!)

Say goodbye to dry gluten-free bread and crumbly biscuits. This gluten-free Hawaiian Bread is moist and tender! So moist that I didn't even have to cut the biscuits with a knife before diving in! Check out the picture in the recipe card, that is one biscuit, not two!

The baking soda and baking powder worked wonders on these biscuits, they rose beautifully and I didn't even have to use yeast! I just wasn't in the mood to wait around for a couple of hours before having my carb craving satisfied, so I chose to make these with lovely leaveners, the magic ingredients that work wonders in minutes instead of hours :D.

These are fresh outta the oven, enjoy!

Gluten-Free Bread

If you haven't noticed, I kind of have a thing for bread :). Toast with jam is one of my favorite simple snacks. After about 4 tries (I didn't post anything about those 4 tries), I've finally come up with a bread recipe that reminds me a whole lot of honey wheat bread in flavor (see recipe at the bottom of post)! The flour concoction consists of everything from almond meal to corn meal; it might seem a bit strange to see corn meal in a bread recipe, but it totally works here! The texture on this bread is right on too, and the best part? It toasts well! Woohoo!

Gluten-Free French Bread
based on this gluteny recipe
(click photos to enlarge :)

3/4 cup Ener-G Potato Starch
3/4 cup Ener-G Tapioca Flour
1 1/2 cups white rice flour
2 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 cup water
2 TBSP Sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt
reserved 1/8 cup water (and about 1-2 TBSP reserved warm water)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp cornmeal

1. Put your oven on the 'warm' setting.
2. Proof the warm water (1 cup!) with the yeast and sugar!!! (warm up the water in the microwave for 30 secs)
   
3. First combine all of the flours/starches with the xanthan gum and yeast. Mix well, then begin adding the reserved water slowly, folding it in and kneading the dough as you go.
4. Continue kneading for 5 minutes, add a bit more warm water if it is too dry (add 1 tbsp at a time -- though you don't want it too wet, it should be firm). Now add 1 tsp of olive oil and knead for 1 minute more then set aside.
5. Boil about 3 cups of water, and add that hot water to an oven-safe dish; put the water-filled, oven-safe dish on the last oven rack.
6. Now shape your dough into a torpedo shape, place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and drizzle with 1 tsp more olive oil. Rub the olive oil over the surface evenly, then sprinkle the dough with the corn meal.
7. Turn your oven off, then let the bread rise in the oven for an hour. Now set the oven to 375, leave the bread in there (even while preheating) to bake for about 20-30 minutes (I don't remember the exact time :/); it will be slightly golden on top when ready.

Now, the french bread recipe still needs a little tweaking. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty darn good fresh outta the oven; it even smells heavenly while it's baking, just like french bread! But the next day, it was like a brick! So tough and heavy, but I guess that's the case with 'regular' french bread, too. My hubby said I should still post the recipe, because it was pretty yummy, so I'll share it with you -- just be sure you gobble it up the first day.

Also, I apologize for not noting the baking time! I sometimes get so caught-up in the baking that I forget to write down the details (even the important ones ;). I made a somewhat small loaf, so 3 folks can easily enjoy this with dinner the first day -- I recommend serving it warm, right outta the oven, pretty much. You could even make a torpedo sandwich with it (ooh how I miss those things. They are sooo good!)

Creamy Cannellini Spinach Soup and Biscuits

Soup and biscuits: what we've been eating a ton of in order to survive our first crazy-cold Northeastern winter. Well, I like stews too :). I found a recipe in Donna Klein's book, The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, but didn't have all of the ingredients. I changed up the recipe, even added in chicken, so it's definitely not vegetarian anymore. It is beany, full of protein, and only has a tiny bit of dairy, just enough to make it creamy (I used potato flour to make it a little thicker).

If you're gonna have soup, you're gonna need a biscuit, that's the way it should always be...


More biscuits, Sophie?! Yes, I know, I am addicted to carbs... but good ones, especially those awaiting a strawberry jam-smothering. This is why I've been trying to perfect gluten-free biscuits without using a ton o' butter. Applesauce works wonders in gluten-free products, it makes them extra moist. I didn't have this much luck with applesauce when I used it for 'regular' baking (other than muffins), but gf products tend to be a little dry so that's why it works here! YESSSS it does!

You can't tell these are gluten-free. Promise!

Applesauce Biscuits
Makes 6

1/4 cup millet flour
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup corn meal
3 tbsp brown rice flour
3 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp apple sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup and 1 1/2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Just mix it all up, dry ingredients first, and use a big ol' ice cream scoop to measure out about 6 biscuits, then place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

How long to bake? Oh nooo... I forgot to note this! I'd say bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes. (Please check on them at 10 minutes, just to make sure :P...)

Gluten Free Cinnamon Apple Braid/Twists :)

I made these last week and told the lovely Linda from Cooking In Cleveland that I would post the gluten-free version of her tasty cinnamon twists over the weekend, but I was a little sick and couldn't get to it. Of course, I wanted to share them with you all the minute they came out of the oven, all warm and cinnamony!

I'm so thankful that this turned out to be yet another yeast success story! Linda calls these Apple Cinnamon Twists; hers are beautiful glaze-covered twists of honey bread filled with apples and cinnamon and they're also covered in a tasty glaze. (They look like they belong in a bakery!) I took the Daring Bakers braid approach, because I couldn't figure out how to twist the dough properly :P!


You can find Linda's recipe here. I simply made up a gluten-free flour mix for the actual twists and also changed the filling a bit (I also added apple sauce to the dough, since gluten free baked goods tend to be dry). (I forgot to add the glaze :P, so I just sprinkled them with powdered sugar for the picture :)

Dessert Bread Flour Mix (great for a cinnamon roll or twists or braids...or... :):
This recipe makes enough for 2 medium braids.

(NOTE: I CAME BACK AND CLEARED UP THE RECIPE. HERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS. :)

First put your oven on the warm setting.

Next, prepare the 'Yeast Mix'; combine the yeast with sugar and add the warm milk; set aside and this should become foamy on top after 5-7 minutes:
Yeast Mix:
1 1/2 TBSP sugar (I realize this isn't cups but TBSP! This is added to yeast/milk.)
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup warm milk (Heat for 30 seconds on high)


Now, combine theses DRY ingredients in a large bowl (with flours).
Gluten-free flour mix and dry ingredients:
1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour (Bob's)
1/2 cup white rice flour (Bob's)
1/3 cup potato starch (Ener-G)
1/3 cup tapioca flour (Ener-G)
1/3 cup almond meal (Bob's)
1/3 cup corn meal
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt


Next combine theses 'Wet' ingredients in a different medium sized bowl. These are the wet ingredients I used (based on original).
Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup water (or milk)
about 1/8 cup butter (about 2 TBSP; partially melted for 30 secs in micro)
1/8 cup honey
1 large egg
1 1/2 extra Tbsp apple sauce (my addition to the original)


I prepared this filling in a sauce pan over the stove, on medium while gently stirring.
My appley filling:
1 large apple, cut into 1/4 in. pieces
1/3 cup apple juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
(cook this until liquid is thick and syrupy and apples are just beginning to soften; they'll finish cooking in oven.)


I then combined everything but the filling into the large flour mixing bowl, starting with the 'wet' ingredients, then added the yeast mix lastly. I kneaded everything together for about 1 minute.

I then boiled about 2 1/2 cups of water and put that boiled water in a cake pan on the last rack in the oven, make sure there is also a rack in the middle of the oven (where you'll place the twists).

Next, I divided the dough in half; rolled it out (with a rolling pin) into 2 rectangle shapes about 1/8-1/4 of an inch thick (use a few TBSP of rice flour if too sticky). I like to roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper.

Then I added the filling directly down the middle of the rectangle, with the short side perpendicular to me.

Lastly, I made two braids, making sure to seal off the edges (or you can make twists like in the original recipe). For instructions on how to make the braid, see here: click here for an example of how to cut it.

***Forgot to note: It's best to roll out the braids on parchment paper, and when you go to braid it, make sure there is one sheet of parchment paper under the braid so you can gently slide the braid (on the parchment) onto a cookie sheet so that it doesn't come undone.

I turned off the oven completely and put the braids in the middle of the oven rack, above the hot water, and let them rise in the oven for an hour.

Finally :), I baked the braids for about 20-25 minutes at 375, they'll be slightly golden on top when ready. Let them cool and then you can glaze them with the original recipe's glaze (divide it in half, though; I forgot to make the glaze. :)

Gluten-Free Honey and Flax Yeast Rolls!

There comes a time in every young foodies life when, suddenly, the thought of working with yeast sends a tingle of excitement from the pointy end of their elbow right down to their dough-covered fingertips... When, upon waking in the wee hours of the morning, the first thing they think of is inhaling the hypnotizing aroma of this amazing fungi's magical work: beautifully risen and golden freshly baked GLUTEN-FREE yeast rolls!

Oh oh oooooh! The smell of freshly baked GLUTEN-FREE yeast rolls makes me do crazy things... like practically fall off of my chair dancing while listening to a frilly classic tune by the material girl, like blog at unexpected times, like talk about this alllll day because, my dear foodies, this is a very special day, indeed...


Dare I say it? Have I truly mastered the art of inventing gluten free YEAST roll recipes from scratch, no mixes or outside sources involved?!!!! (Well, maybe I did read this and also fell completely in love with ground flax seed thanks to a Baking Beauties' fantastic bread recipe.)

This life-changing event calls for a celebration! Time to get out your favorite preserves and the tastiest sweet cream butter! Time to make warm, honey-sweetened, mouthwatering and completely gluten free yeast rolls (that, surprisingly, remind me of whole wheat rolls!).

Really, I'm so happy I could roll around in rice flour! Baking gluten-free is NOT easy when it comes to breads, and I've failed many many times. But I finally looked my insecurities in the face early this morning. I said, "Yeast, you're just a microorganism, a little fungi I must learn to love and not fear... and gluten, we can do chewy and delicious without you!". Then it finally happened!

Gluten-Free Yellow Cake and Tasty Gluten-Free Bread

When it comes to gluten-free baking 'the basics' aren't so easy, at least for me they aren't. Desserts like muffins and cookies aren't too difficult to create recipes for, but when the topic moves to bread or just a plain ol' cake, it isn't so simple...maybe it's because I remember what the gluteny versions taste like :).


The other day I was craving a simple cake. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting, to be more exact, one of my favorite desserts. It really doesn't get anymore simple (and delicious) than that, at least for me. But I was craving the flavor of all the yellow cakes I'd had before the gluten-free life. Thankfully, the gluten-free yellow cake I made tasted just like the yellow cakes I'd been missing! It was my lucky day, and I got to finish it off with a moist slice of tasty yellow cake!


But what about bread? I usually don't have much luck with yeast breads, but I had luck with Gluten-Free Girl's Sandwich Bread that also tastes delicious as french toast (almost like a glazed donut!). I followed the recipe pretty much to the T, but I... added 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (because I didn't have sweet rice flour), drizzled the loaf with honey, cut the pre-baking rising time to 1 hour, and used a medium-sized loaf pan. Oh, and for some reason, my bread finished baking in 45 minutes :).


I've been in carb heaven all week :)...

Since we're talking about baking, aren't these Sugarbunnies too cute? My Sanrio addiction started in pre-school and I'm not outgrowing it. Hoping to find a few cute images, I looked them up recently and found their Wiki page (Yes, I actually read it :D!). It turns out these bunnies are the stars of an old anime cartoon, where they befriended a girl named Sophia and taught her how to bake! I wonder if the Sugarbunnies can teach me how to bake more gluten-free treats ;)?!