Bread Wars

My baking career started in the spring of 7th grade in Home Economics with Ms. Candy Sober. (I have her to thank for teaching me how to spoon and scrape for an accurate measurement of dry ingredients, which really comes in handy when baking with heavier gluten free flours.) We made biscuits, and mine turned out pretty tasty in class. However, when I tried to make them at home, the story had a much less delicious ending...

The Scene: Our kitchen on Kraft Lane. The Year: 1996 (In the background you can hear Aeroplane by Foo Fighters playing on 101X...)

Lindsay (to herself) - "Baking powder or baking soda? Hmm, sounds the same. Now was that supposed to be teaspoons or tablespoons? Oh well, more is always better!"

I have come a long way from those salty, dense, nasty little rocks. Poor Randy, I think I made him eat one. Sorry!

Anyway, I never would have guessed that I would one day be baking at least two, sometimes three loaves of bread a week from scratch. But I do.

To start this adventure, I bought a loaf of pre-made store bread at a very expensive natural food store. Because that's what you do when you are completely overwhelmed, you throw money at the problem.

The most popular GF sandwich bread is about $6 for a teeny little loaf of something like 10 slices. It's an 8"x4" loaf. And I think the predominant flour is tapioca flour, which makes me shudder, literally, to think about. It's kinda, um, squeaky in your teeth. I'm seriously still shuddering. Anyway, I figured, I don't have to eat it, and as long as Kate doesn't mind, I'll just buy it and send it for her school sandwich and we just won't ever eat bread again.

So that lasted about a month, but Kate didn't really like that bread either. It got soggy in her lunchbox and it was not good toasted. And I really wanted to eat a piece of toast or have a sandwich. We went to a friend's house for a GF play date. She baked a lovely little loaf of bread in her fancy shmancy Zogamathingie bread maker and I tried a piece. I could have cried, it was actually really good! So she shared the recipe with me, along with one other recipe.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/05/how-to-make-gluten-free-sandwich-bread-recipe.html

and

http://glutenfreemommy.com/baking-gluten-free-bread-millet-oatmeal-bread/

So I went home with Stephanie's recipes and little tips and dove in.

And I learned that I do not like the aftertaste of millet flour. It's a little metallic and a lot bitter, and it didn't help that it was the loaf when I forgot the xanthan gum. I had two little loaves of REALLY expensive brick-like bread that tasted good until you swallowed. So I never tried it again, but try it if you want! Some people LOVE millet, they all say it is so mild tasting, so maybe it's just me. Stephanie says this bread is her favorite.

So then I tried to make the first recipe and it was much more successful. And cheaper, easier, and totally kid/family friendly. Every time I made it I made little adjustments here and there, so here is my new and improved recipe as of today:

Lindsay's House GF Sandwich Bread- adapted from Elizabeth Barbone's Gluten Free sandwich bread recipe

Dry Ingredients
1 packet yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp sugar (to proof the yeast, could use honey instead or omit)
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup dry milk powder (or dry milk substitute)
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 tsp unflavored gelatin (sold in the boxed jello or the canning section, little boxes with 5-6 paper packets, each packet holds roughly 2 tsp.)

Wet Ingredients
1 3/4 cup warm water
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
2 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Run the tap water until hot and fill a small ovenproof bowl with hot water. Place in bottom rack of oven. Then turn on oven to 200 degrees. When temperature is reached, turn off the oven, keep the door closed.
2. While oven is heating, fill a 2 cup measuring cup to 1 3/4 cups with WARM water, not hot, you will kill your yeast. Around 105 degrees is good. Add yeast and sugar to water, then set aside. Your yeast should grow and foam if it is alive, if it does nothing, it's time for new yeast.
3.While your yeast is proofing, measure out the remaining dry ingredients into your mixing bowl. By now, your oven should be warm and steamy, which will help the bread rise. Don't forget to turn it off before your put your bread in the oven!
4.Turn your mixer on low to combine dry ingredients, then add in yeast mixture, egg and egg whites and oil. Mix all ingredients together on low until combined, then turn to medium high and beat for 5 minutes or until the batter looks like stretchy thick cake batter. If it looks too thick, add more water one tablespoon at a time. If it looks too thin, add more rice flour one tablespoon at a time.
5. Grease a 9x5 inch bread pan, then scrape the batter into the pan. It will be sticky. You can smooth it with a greased spatula to make it pretty, but I don't!
6. Place in muggy oven and cover lightly with a clean, lightweight dishtowel. Close the oven door and let rise for 1 hour. MAKE SURE YOUR OVEN IS OFF!
7. When bread is about an inch above the top of the pan, or about an hour later, remove the bread from the oven, keeping it covered. REMOVE THE BOWL OF WATER FROM THE BOTTOM RACK. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees, and when it is ready, remove the dishtowel and place in the oven.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until the internal temperature is 210 degrees. It should sound hollow if thumped. Remove from oven and immediately remove from pan to let cool. This will help keep it from getting soggy and give you a nice crust. I lay mine on its side on a wire rack.

*Let it cool completely or until a little warm to the touch before slicing or it will be crumbly. This is good for sandwiches, warm and cold, and toasted with butter. I really do love this bread!
*The gelatin is my newest addition. I'm trying to figure out what it is I like about it. I think it makes it a little fluffier, which also makes it a little more crumbly, but not in a bad way.
*Stephanie also adds a tablespoon or so of flax for fiber.
*You could probably substitute potato starch or tapioca starch (if that's your thing) for the cornstarch.
*Today I ran out of brown rice flour, so I used about 1 1/3 cups brown rice flour and 2/3 white rice flour. It turned out a little lighter and had a milder flavor.
*I have only ever made this with a stand mixer, if you use a hand mixer you will have to beat your ingredients longer to get the same results.

If anyone tries it, let me know how it turns out, and let me know if you have any suggestions.