Gluten free bread recipe I’ve been working on

[MTCee]

If anyone is interested. I’m posting a recipe for gluten free bread that doesn’t taste of cardboard. Its actually really enjoyable and tastes like real bread. Since I don’t eat much bread, I slice it after letting it cool and then pop it in the freezer. I then separate a few slices for toast whenever I fancy.

The recipe makes 2 small round cute loaves that are very crunchy and chewy on the outside and doughy on the inside....like regular bread. I’ve created a simplified version of the recipe, based on an internet version. It’s tried and tested. It uses yeast and takes about an hour and a half to prove before baking.

Ingredients

6 tsp active dried yeast

40g (4 tbsp) superfine/caster sugar

600ml hand warm water, to be divided into 200 and 400 ml portions, make using 150ml hot water and 450 ml cold water

35g psyllium husk (rough husk

640g Doves Farm gluten free plain flour

2 ½ tsp salt

4tsp apple cider vinegar

Method

Make the warm water

.......pour 150ml boiling hot water into a jug then add cold water up to the 600ml mark. Stir to mix.

Divide the warm water

Pour 200ml warm water into a small jug for the sugar and yeast. First add the sugar stirring until dissolved, then add the yeast and mix well. Set aside for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the mixture starts frothing.


Pour the remaining 400 ml water into a separate jug and add the powdered psyllium husk, mixing well. After about 15 – 30 seconds, a gel will form.


Make the dough

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt, until evenly combined. Make a well in the centre. 


Add the yeast mixture, psyllium gel and apple cider vinegar to the flour. Knead the dough by hand in the bowl, until smooth and coming away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 – 10 minutes. Place onto a clean surface and form into a smooth round ball.
Halve the dough ball into two equal halves using a sharp knife and form each half into a round loaf shape.

Place each loaf cut side down into 2 separate bowls, and cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1½ to 2 hours until doubled in size.


Start warming the oven to 250 °C about 15 mins before needed. Have a baking tray ready with silicon paper for the bread and a metal dish filled with hot water to go underneath to create steam.


Turn out each loaf onto the silicon lined tray and score the top with a pattern of choice (the easiest pattern is a cross, about ¼ – ½ inch deep), using a sharp knife. 


Bake at 250 ºC with the steam from below for 20 minutes – don’t open the oven or the steam with escape and don’t use the fan mode.


After 20 minutes, remove the bottom tray with water from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 230 ºC and bake for a further 50 minutes.

The final loaf should be of a dark golden colour. If the loaf starts browning too quickly, cover with a piece of aluminium foil, shiny side up, and continue baking until done.


Transfer the loaf onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.


Storage: The gluten free bread keeps well in a closed container or wrapped in a tea towel in a cool dry place for 3 – 4 days. Alternatively, slice and store in the freezer.

[nellie237]

I want that warm with some olive oil & balsamic - looks terrific.

[MTCee in reply to nellie237]

It really is. You need a good sharp bread knife to cut it because it’s so crunchy on the outside. But since that’s such a rarity for gluten bread I don’t see it as a negative....😄 I usually have the first fresh slice with some butter while it’s still warm. It’s a real treat.

[Hidden]

Looks fab. Well done, and thanks for sharing. When I look at the simplicity of your ingredients and the masterpiece you've created, and then look at the 10 mile long list of additives that go into commercial GF bread that tastes minimally interesting, I wonder what's going on.

[MTCee in reply to Hidden]

Indeed. I don’t touch the stuff. Even the best shop bought bread tastes of glue or is dry and tasteless. When I first went gluten free, I didn’t eat bread for a few years because it was so dreadful. Maybe the producers could avoid a lot of those terrifying additives by just keeping the bread in the frozen section?

[Hidden in reply to MTCee]

The only reasonable GF bread I've had that impressed me was Schlar white rolls that were in the freezer section. You're right - trying to recreate GF along the same storage lines as normal bread maybe just doesn't cut it. When I use GF bread I tend to toast it to liven it up a bit.

[MTCee in reply to Hidden]

Same. I toast mine too. It’s only good for a sandwich on the day it’s made. You can’t treat gluten free bread the same as wheat bread. It’s a different beast.

[MTCee]

Just to add to this post, I recently bought a new recipe book called, How to make anything gluten free by Becky Excel. I tried her bread recipe and it’s even better. She adds a couple of egg whites and some xanthan gum plus some buckwheat flour and the result is a lighter texture. It’s much the same method apart from the psyllium husk is added to the dry ingredients not made into a gel and added afterwards and the mixture is a much wetter batter rather than a dough.

[tmoxon]

Hi thank you for your recipe, the bread looks great. I've just been looking for the psyllium husk on amazon. I've not bought it before so wasn't sure which one of the various ones on the site are rough husks? thank you

[MTCee in reply to tmoxon]

I bought it as a 500g tub of psyllium husks from Amazon. It looks a bit like Ready Brek 😄 if you ever used to have that when you were a child. It’s transformed the bread I make because it acts as a gluten replacement...not exact but near enough. I hope you find what you’re looking for.

[tmoxon in reply to MTCee]

Thank you, did yours specifically say it was rough husk? Do you know the make of yours please? Sorry to be a nuisance, its just ive spent so much on foods in the past that ive thrown away

[MTCee in reply to tmoxon]

No trouble. I know exactly what you mean. I got a tub of 500g Psyllium Husk from naturalhealth4life.co.u.k. The brand is Nutters whole foods. Hope the image helps.

A tub of psyllium husks

[tmoxon in reply to MTCee]

Thanks very much, hope my bread looks as good as your in your photo.