Gluten-free bread

Posted by Fidel Gastro on September 09, 2009 in Recipes tagged with Food

Serves: 12
Yield: 1 Loaf
Ready in: 1 hour 10 mins (40 mins Prep - 30 mins Cook)

This golden, crusty loaf has a delicious, moist, close-textured interior. The ingredients are readily available from healthfood shops and the recipe is simplicity itself. Yeast gives a traditional flavour, while bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar help to make the bread rise.

Recipe provided by:

Readers Digest | Beautiful Baking

Ingredients

200g (7 oz) brown rice flour
200g (7 oz) potato flour
100g (3½ oz) soya flour
1 tsp salt
1 sachet easy-blend dried yeast, about 7 g
1½ tsp honey
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
400ml (14 fl oz) hand-hot water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp cream of tartar

Preparation method

Sift the rice, potato and soya flours into a large bowl with the salt. Remove about one-quarter of the mixture and set aside. Stir the yeast into the mixture left in the bowl and make a well in the centre.
Add the honey and olive oil to the well, together with the hand-hot water. Stir the dry ingredients into the liquid to make a smooth, thick batter.
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to allow the yeast to become active. Towards the end of this time, preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF, gas mark 6).
Mix the bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar with the reserved flour mixture, then sift it on top of the yeast batter. Stir gently until combined; the mixture will look foamy. Transfer it to a well-greased non-stick 900g (2 lb) loaf tin.
Bake for 25–30 minutes or until firm, crisp and golden brown. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. This bread can be kept for up to 2 days and is very good toasted.

Each slice provides

folate, copper

Some more ideas

For a dark gluten-free loaf, use just 50 g (1¼ oz) soya flour and replace the potato flour with 200 g (7 oz) buckwheat flour. This loaf has a dark crust and dark, moist crumb, with a close texture. * For a delicious corn-flavoured gluten-free loaf, substitute 200 g (7 oz) cornmeal, 200 g (7 oz) cornflour and 100 g (3½ oz) buckwheat flour for the brown rice, potato and soya flours. Use 360 ml (12 fl oz) hand-hot water. This loaf has a paler crust and a level, slightly cracked top. * For a golden gluten-free loaf, substitute 200 g (7 oz) cornmeal or polenta and 200 g (7 oz) ground rice for the brown rice, potato and soya flours. Use 360 ml (12 fl oz) hand-hot water. This loaf has a light-golden, crazed top and a slightly grainy texture.

Plus points

This loaf is suitable not only for gluten-free diets but also for wheat-free ones. * A mixture of 1 part bicarbonate of soda and 2 parts cream of tartar makes a good alternative to commercial baking powder, which may contain traces of gluten.