Time to Celebrate - A Bread Recipe That Works!

     

     April for me is the one year mark since all this food craziness started.  In celebration, I'm posting my proudest success - bread! The days of wasting money on flour mixes that don't taste good and trying bread recipes that are total flops, literally are over!  This easy recipe not only tastes good, it has excellent texture and is reminiscent of store bought wheat breads.  The dough will not only rise nicely and hold it's shape, it will make your mouth water as you pull it out of the oven!  When you slice it, you will be surprised at the wonderful airy texture we all crave.  When you taste it, you'll want to break out the real butter and homemade low acid jam.   I will even say that when my husband, who isn't GF, tried a piece he said -  and I quote:  "Wow, this is like... mmm (chewing with mouth full)... better than real bread!  It actually has taste!"  And then he reached for a second slice.  This is from a guy who doesn't like bread!  Now that is truly something to celebrate - don't you think?

Erika's Blessing Bread Recipe

Recipe By:  Erika Harms

Serving Size: 1 slice or 1 bun

Yield: 1 loaf or 10 buns

RISE INGREDIENTS: MIX TOGETHER FIRST IN A SMALL BOWL

2 teaspoons agave nectar (blue) -- can use up to 1/4 cup

1/2 cup distilled water -- warmed to 110 degrees (hot to the touch but not scalding)***

1 tablespoon yeast

MIX TOGETHER IN MIXER BOWL: DRY INGREDIENTS

3 cups all purpose GF flour mix "whole grain" -- or white

1/2 cup powdered milk - without additives -- ***

1 teaspoon baking soda

LIQUID INGREDIENTS: MIX TOGETHER IN SEPARATE BOWL

1/4 Cup canola oil

1 cup distilled water -- warmed to 110 degrees (hot to the touch but not scalding)***

1/4 cup agave nectar (blue)

1 teaspoon pear juice -- or apple juice (not vinegar)

2 eggs

FOR DOUGH: First, in a small bowl mix together the Rise ingredients.  Set it aside to proof.  Yeast should react to the agave and start to foam.  If this does not happen then you know your yeast is not good or your water was too hot. (see photo - live yeast may not proof as much as shown if photo, that is okay as long as it proofs some.) In the mixer bowl, stir the dry ingredients together.  Set a flat beater into the mixing arm and lock bowl into place (or use beaters if you don't have a stand mixer).   In a separate bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients well.  With mixer on low, pour in the wet ingredients slowly.  Beat on low just until blended.  Then add the proofed yeast mixture and again mix slowly until incorporated.  Then turn mixer to high and beat for 3 minutes.

FOR A LOAF OF BREAD:  Preheat oven to 200 degrees and then turn off (this will be a warm place for your bread to rise.)  Grease and flour a 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.  Pour dough into pan and smooth top with wet fingers.  Sprinkle with ground flax if desired.  Bless your bread.**  Set bread pan in oven to proof (rise) for 20 to 30 minutes.  The dough should rise just short of the top of the bread pan at the edges.  Carefully take pan out of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. return and bake the bread for 60 to 65 minutes.  Pull out of oven and place on a wire rack.  Immediately remove bread from pan carefully.  Let cool completely before slicing.  Bread will be a dark brown color.  The bread’s flavor matures with time and tastes best a few hours after cooling.

FOR BREAD CRUMBS:  Follow directions for the loaf of bread.  After you set it on a rack to cool, cut bread into 3/4 inch slices and lay flat on cooling rack.  This will allow it to dry out.  Let it go stale and get crispy.  You can speed the process if desired by baking it in the oven at 200 degress or place in a food dehydrator until completely dry and crispy.  Be careful not to burn it.  Grind the bread into breadcrumbs in your food processor or blender.  Keep breadcrumbs in a tightly sealed jar until ready to use.

FOR ITALIAN SEASONED CRUMBS:   Follow directions for the loaf of bread adding 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning to the dry ingredients.  After you set the bread on a rack to cool, cut it into 1/2 inch slices and lay flat on cooling rack.  This will allow it to dry out.  Let it go stale and get crispy.  You can speed the process if desired by baking it in the oven at 200 degrees or place in a food dehydrator until completely dry and crispy.  Be careful not to burn it.  Grind the bread into breadcrumbs in your food processor or blender.  Keep breadcrumbs in a tightly sealed jar until ready to use.

FOR WHITE BREAD: Follow the directions for the bread dough, substituting the "white" all purpose GF flour mix found on my Pantry Staples page and also use light agave nectar.  Then follow the loaf of bread directions, but let rise for 30 to 40 minutes.

FOR BUTTERMILK BREAD:  Follow the directions for the bread dough, substituting the "white" all purpose GF flour mix.  Also substitute buttermilk powder for the powdered milk. Use a brand without additives - Organic Valley is good.  Also use light agave nectar.  Then follow the loaf of bread directions but let rise 30 to 40 minutes.  As a final step, dust the top of your loaf with additional GF flour before baking.

FOR PUMPERNIKEL/RYE BREAD:  Follow the dough recipe. and add 1 Tbsp. Carob powder*** to the dry ingredients.  Substitute Unsulfured Molasses for Agave.  When dough is mixed, gently stir in 1 Tbsp. caraway or fennel seeds (soaked if desired*).  Bless your bread.** Only let rise for 25 to 30 minutes (the molasses may make it rise faster). Bake as directed.

FOR HAMBURGER BUNS:  Preheat oven to 200 degrees and then turn off. Before dough is mixed,  set 10 greased and floured English muffin rings on a cookie sheet that has also been greased and floured.  If you do not have English muffin rings, you can use tuna or chicken cans that have been washed out.  Try to use the bigger ones if you can that have 12.5 oz of meat in them.  After dough is mixed, spoon it in even amounts into the rings.  Smooth the tops of the dough with wet fingers. Bless your bread.** Set cookie sheet in oven to proof (rise) buns for 20 to 30 minutes for the dough to rise just short of the top of the rings at the edges.  Carefully take pan out of the oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  While oven is heating, beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Very carefully with a pastry brush, brush tops of buns with egg.  Sprinkle with flax or other seeds on the top of the buns if desired.  When oven reaches 350 degrees F. place pan of buns carefully in.  Bake for 20 minutes. Remove buns carefully from cookie sheet to cooling rack and gently remove rings.  Allow to cool completely.  Freeze if you are not going to use them immediately.

FOR HOT DOG BUNS:  Follow the directions for the Hamburger Buns except make oval shapes out of aluminum foil OR you can use a French bread pan and place dough in 4 to 5 inch lengths several inches apart on well greased and floured French bread pan.  If using aluminum foil forms, place them on a greased and floured cookie sheet and grease and flour the forms well too.  Follow cooking instructions for Hamburger Buns.

FOR TURKEY STUFFING BREAD:  Follow the dough recipe but reduce GF flour mix to 2 2/3 cup.  Add 1/3 cup corn meal, 1/3 tsp. xanthan gum, 1 1/2 tsp. celery seed (soaked if desired*), 3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp. sage, 1/2 tsp. peppy*** and 1 tsp. dried basil to dry ingredients.  Replace all water with homemade chicken or turkey broth warmed to 110 degrees F. if desired.  Follow direction for loaf of bread.  Eat as is or cut into cubes once cool and dry in oven at 200 degrees F. or in food dehydrator.  Use as you would a dry seasoned stuffing mix or as croutons for your salad. Note:  I like to make two loaves one with the multi grain mix and another using the white mix with light agave or corn syrup so you have two different colored types of bread cubes for your stuffing mix.

*Note on soaking seeds:  Soaking seeds at least eight hours or overnight reduces the acidity and makes them more nutritious.  If your bladder is especially sensitive, this can be important, but it is not necessary if time is a factor. 

**Blessing the bread - This is an age old tradition in my family passed down to me by my Estonian grandmother.  As a young child, I would spend any chance I could get helping her in the kitchen baking bread.  She would set the dough in a bowl to rise and then ask God to bless her bread by indenting a cross on the dough with her fingers.  At the time I was so young, I didn't understand why she was doing this, but now as an adult it is such a wonderful memory that I apply it to my own bread making practices.  What a wonderful way to bring God into the kitchen!  I share this in hopes that you allow God to bless your bread and pass on this meaningful tradition.  "But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst.  Exodus 23:25

***NOTES on Ingredients:  Distilled water does not have to be used.  Regular tap water will work just fine.  Regular powdered milk works just as well too. And Cocoa powder can be used instead of carob when making pumpernickel.  Pepper can be substituted for the peppy, which is a pepper substitute made from dried papaya seeds.  I personally have to use these specific ingredients for the Interstitial Cystitis diet.

Description:   "This bread has a wonderful soft spongy texture like store bought wheat breads."

Per Serving: 285 Calories; 8g Fat (24.5% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 44mg Cholesterol; 187mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 3 1/2 Fat.

For Optimum Bread Success…

Key flours - My flour mix contains millet & Montina, both of which are important ingredients.  When used in combination they perform miracles.  Both flours add stability in the bread batter and help prevent loaves from being dense bricks and also allow them to rise with stability.  Potato starch (not potato flour wich is different) is also a key ingredient that adds stability. 

Beating the batter at high speed for at least 3 minutes is also essential in the process.  This helps to incorporate air and also helps it to rise.

No Vinegar! - So many recipes call for vinegar, but please don't add it!  Vinegar in combination with baking soda will help yeast free breads rise because there is a chemical reaction that takes place.  However, in addition to it being on the "no" list for ICers, vinegar  retards yeast growth!  If you must add something, substitute it with juice instead.  Pear or apple works well.

Rising - Because the dough is delicate and doesn't have the gluten protein to support multiple risings, it only is necessary to allow it to rise once unlike your traditional yeast breads which rise two or three times.    I also use a combination of yeast and baking soda to help the bread rise with added success and using a little juice supplies the needed acid for baking soda to work correctly.

Consistency - your bread dough will not be like your traditional wheat bread dough.  It will be more of a thick batter.  Like a brownie batter.  This is normal.

Agave nectar - you don't have to use agave, but can use corn syrup, molasses, sugar or brown rice syrup instead. However, agave is metabolized by the yeast at a slower rate than other sugars - thus helping to control the rate at which the bread rises.  If you use other syrups, reduce the rising time by 5 to 10 minutes.  It will rise faster in the oven while baking too, so you may not want it to "proof" as much before baking.

Grease and Flour your bread pans - this is important if you want to get your bread out in one piece.

Blessing your Bread - When setting your dough to rise, make an indentation if a cross in the dough and ask God to Bless your Bread!