Category: Bread

Bread, pizza and more!

Gluten Free Tiramisu Stuffed French Toast

Dessert for breakfast!  Take ordinary French Toast to the next level with a vanilla cream cheese stuffing that has hints of rum, espresso and chocolate.  This stunner of a recipe will be a special treat for you and the one you love. ♥ It’s easy to prepare, but for extra convenience the filling can be made the night before. 

Inspired by ©MARILYN’S TREATS Tiramisu French Toast

A recipe within a recipe, I started with a loaf of my homemade Gluten Free Millet Bread.  Get the recipe here.  It’s a soft, enriched gluten free bread with just a hint of sweetness, I always keep some on hand in the freezer for making French Toast!

From there, it’s an easy pan cooked French toast recipe, with a big finish of WOW from the cream cheese filling, that is positively divine!

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Breakfast for two

Ingredients:

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  • 4 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tbsp. vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp. sugar (or stevia)
  • 1 tsp. rum (or 1/2 tsp. rum extract)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

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Preparation:

Whisk together the stuffing ingredients (softened cream cheese through vanilla extract) until smooth and lump free.  You can prepare this the day before and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, espresso powder and sugar.  Dip the bread (one slice at a time) into the egg wash.

Melt butter in a large, nonstick skillet and cook the bread slices until browned on both sides.

Layer the filling between 2 slices of French Toast.

Slice diagonally and stack pieces one over the other.  Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder and sift over the top.

Drizzle with real maple syrup.

What do you think friends, does this plate say love???  Perfect for brunches, Valentine’s Day or just an amazing breakfast for your someone special ♥

Notes ♪♫ Originally titled Tiramisu French Toast, this recipe was adapted from the blog of Marilyn Lesniak a/k/a ©MARILYN’S TREATS.  Marilyn’s blog is no longer active, but over the years she has inspired many a cook with her creativity in the kitchen.  I hope my readers will enjoy this gluten free adaptation of her recipe.  Marilyn, thank you for the inspiration!

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Cassava English Muffins

Cassava is a gluten and grain free flour made from the root of the yucca plant.  A while back I made a Sweet Potato Flat Bread using cassava flour.  It was delicious, and ever since that post the thought of experimenting more with cassava has been on the back burner.

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So now that the holidays are behind us and I’m getting back into my normal baking routine, I want to tell you all about this new recipe.  A light, crispy English Muffin made with cassava flour and arrowroot starch.

There is so much to like about this recipe.  First, look at the ingredient list.  Unlike most of my gluten free breads, this one does not have a mile long list of ingredients!  You will also notice that I stirred everything together with a dough whisk, no mixer needed.  Last and most important, they look and taste great!

Note that you will need a set of muffin rings for this recipe.  The batter is too thin to hold its shape without them.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350º.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray the inside of 4 muffin rings with cooking spray and arrange on the baking sheet at least 1″ apart.  Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. of cornmeal into each ring.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and melted butter (be sure the butter has cooled first, you don’t want it to cook the egg).

Use a dough whisk to stir the dry ingredients into the wet.  You should have a smooth, thin batter that can be poured, like pancake batter.

Spoon the batter into the muffin rings.

Take a closer look.  The batter is thin enough to pour but not so liquid as to leak through the bottom of the muffin rings.  Sprinkle the remaining corn meal over the top of each muffin and bake for 8 minutes.

The muffins will be set, but not fully cooked.

Use tongs to carefully remove the muffin rings.

Use tongs or a spatula to gently turn the muffins over and bake for another 6 minutes.

Remove from the oven and turn them right side up.  Cool in the pan for five minutes.

Like all gluten free bread, it needs to set completely before slicing.  Cool on a rack for at least an hour.

I was very happy with the appearance of the English Muffins right out of the oven.  Of course, it’s not a success until you slice it open and taste it.  Here’s how they looked before toasting, light with a nice open crumb.

Now for the taste test, I toasted for 5 minutes and served with a simple pat of butter.

The verdict, I’m quite pleased with how this recipe turned out!  The English muffins were mild tasting and light.  As you can see they toasted up beautifully with edges nicely browned.  I also got a thumbs up from my husband, who does not have to be gluten free.

I recommend that the English Muffins be frozen if you are not going to eat them within a day.  Just wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag.

Notes ♪♫ Cassava flour has been touted to behave like wheat flour in gluten free baking, a one for one substitution.  In my experience thus far, it can definitely cut down on the ingredient list, but still performs best when blended with another starch.

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Gluten Free Blueberry French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole is my favorite thing to make for brunch.  I have been making some version of this dish for years, even before my Celiac diagnosis.  This Easter, I decided to change it up with a blueberry cream cheese filling and it was so delicious!  Just prep the night before and bake in the morning, a real time saver when you are having company!

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At the heart of the recipe are those sweet, enriched bread cubes, but don’t use any old gluten free bread.  Ingredients matter, and that cardboard loaf you got at the supermarket is not going to do this casserole justice!

A recipe within a recipe…

The secret to this dish is my Gluten Free Millet Bread.  I make this bread specifically for French toast and it is amazing!  Bake it two days before, and you will have more than enough for this French Toast Casserole.

If you are going to buy the bread, choose a good quality gluten free enriched loaf, like a brioche or challah.  But I do hope you will give this Millet Bread a try, I promise you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients:

  • 9 slices gluten free millet bread, cut into cubes
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 4 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries, divided use
  • 9 large eggs
  • 1-1/2 cups 1% milk
  • 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup real maple syrup
  • pinch of nutmeg and cardamom
  • powdered sugar, for dusting

Preparation:

Two days before, bake the Millet Bread.  Cool completely on a rack and store it at room temperature for 24 hours in a plastic bag.

The night before, coat a 2-quart square glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread half of the bread cubes in an even layer.

Mash the softened cream cheese and vanilla yogurt together with a fork until well blended.

Distribute the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bread cubes, like this.

Top with 3/4 cup of the blueberries.

Finish with the remaining bread cubes.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, nutmeg and cardamom.  Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and press down with a spatula to be sure all of the bread cubes are moistened.

Cover tightly with foil, be sure to mist the foil with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick.  Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, take the casserole out of the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before baking (so the dish doesn’t shatter in the oven).  Preheat the oven to 350º.

Bake for 30 minutes covered, then carefully use tongs to remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and keep warm until ready to serve.  Top with 1/4 cup fresh blueberries and dust liberally with powdered sugar.

This beautiful casserole is dense and filling.  And with that sweet blueberry cream cheese filling, it’s almost like eating dessert!

I served it with maple syrup, but honestly it doesn’t need anything additional.  We had a little left over, and it was just as good the next day!

Notes ♪♫ Would you be surprised to know that the inspiration for this dish came from Allrecipes? And the original casserole was not gluten free?  In many cases, changing one or two ingredients is all you need to convert a recipe to gluten free.  So don’t hesitate to check out traditional recipes and make substitutions.  Always check labels for gluten containing ingredients.  In this recipe, pay particular attention to the cream cheese, yogurt and powdered sugar as some may contain gluten while others do not.

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Corn Bread

Traditional corn bread gets all dressed up for autumn with the addition of pumpkin and spice.  Wouldn’t this Gluten Free Pumpkin Corn Bread be a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving breadbasket?  Not only have I made it gluten free, but it is also lower in fat, sugar and sodium so that most folks will be able to enjoy a small, diet friendly square with their meal.

16 Servings

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through ginger.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, egg through sour cream.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring together just until moistened.

Line an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with parchment and scrape the batter into the pan, smoothing it with a spatula.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350º.

Lift the bread out of the pan and carefully remove the parchment.  Let it cool slightly before slicing.

Cut into 16 squares and serve warm or at room temperature.  Store at room temperature for up to 2 days (it won’t last that long!).

Notes ♪ I use a coffee grinder to grind flax and chia seeds into a meal for baking.  Typically, 1 tbsp. of seed does not equal 1 tbsp. of meal.  For recipes, measure 1 tbsp. of meal after grinding.

Notes ♫ Did you know that both baking powder and baking soda contain sodium?  I reduced the sodium in this recipe by using a lower sodium baking powder.  I have been using it with great success in my bread recipes.  Check it out!

Notes ♪♫ Nutritional values are approximate and based on 16 servings.  May vary depending on ingredient brands used or changes to serving size.

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Sweet Potato Flatbread

This delicious flatbread recipe features sweet potato and cassava flour.  A must have in your gluten free pantry, cassava flour is made from the root of the yuca plant.  The entire root is grated, dried, and ground into a mild tasting flour that is both gluten free and Paleo friendly.

This gluten free, grain free flat bread was a nice change from my usual potato side, really different from anything I have ever made.  To achieve the same results, I recommend weighing your ingredients.

6 Servings

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Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato, about 12 oz.
  • 1/2 cup cassava flour, about 2.2 oz. plus more for dusting
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. gluten free Italian seasoning
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3/4 cup grated cheese such as parmesan, gruyere etc.

Preparation:

Peel the sweet potato and cut into chunks.  I used 1 sweet potato for this recipe.  After peeling, it weighed 10 oz.

Steam the potato until very soft, 25-30 minutes.  Remove the potato and add to the bowl of a stand mixer.

Beat with the paddle attachment until smooth.  Whisk together ½ cup of cassava flour with salt and Italian seasoning.  Add to the bowl and mix until a soft dough forms.  The dough will be heavy and clinging to the paddle, like this.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper.  I used a pie dough roller and floured fingers to gently roll and press the dough into a 1/4″ thick round.  Use a spatula to neaten the edges.

Slide the parchment onto a pizza stone.  Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with more seasoning and the grated cheese.  I used Parmesan and it browned up nicely, but Romano, Gruyere or even cheddar would be fine.  Use your favorite, or whatever you have on hand.  Bake at 375◦ for 25 minutes, then broil on high for 5 minutes.  The cheese should be melted and starting to brown, the edges crispy.  Watch that it doesn’t burn!

Use a large spatula to slide the flatbread off the parchment onto a cutting board.  Slice into wedges and serve.  You should hear a nice crunch when you cut into it.  Once the flatbread begins to cool it will soften up, so it is best eaten immediately.  Leftovers can be reheated on a pizza stone.

The verdict, everyone loved it!  Potato lovers, change up your menu with this easy, gluten free side.  Everyone will want a slice, so be ready to share!

Notes ♪♫ Cassava flour is quickly gaining popularity in gluten free baking.  If you can’t find it at your supermarket it is widely available online from sites like Amazon.

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Gluten Free Hamburger Buns “BYOB”

Summer is in full swing, and with it the long-awaited cookouts and neighborhood barbeques.  A burger on the grill is one of life’s simple pleasures, but when you have Celiac disease, an invitation to the family cookout usually means “BYOB” – Bring your own bun!

It’s all part of gluten free living, but that doesn’t mean settling for the frozen cardboard buns at the market.  Instead, enjoy that burger on an awesome, gluten free bun that you made from scratch!

I’ve gone through the trial and error of testing endless grain combinations to create the most delicious gluten free hamburger bun.  It holds together beautifully, no crumbling! It’s delicious toasted but doesn’t need toasting, and the taste is amazing!  The other guests may be jealous, so be sure and make enough to share 🙂

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6 buns

*Contains Oats – see notes

Ingredients:

  • 2-1/4 tsp. yeast (1 packet)
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/2 cup 1% milk

………………………………………….

**(Note: If you are avoiding oats, substitute 50 g. sorghum flour for the oat flour in this recipe.  You can also try buckwheat or millet flour)

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  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 3/4 cup water

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  • 1 tbsp. milk
  • tbsp. sesame and poppy seeds (optional but good)

Gluten free dough really does benefit from the support of a bun pan to help keep its shape as it rises.  Mine is from USA Pan.  You can also use muffin rings or even canning jar lids.

Preparation:

Microwave 1/2 cup milk for 30 seconds.  Stir in the yeast and sugar and let it proof 15 minutes while you gather the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg, canola oil and honey with the proofed yeast mixture.  Switch to the beater attachment and add the dry ingredients with 3/4 cup water on low speed until combined.

Beat for 6 minutes to form a wet dough that clings to the beater like this.

Gather the dough together in the mixer bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it rest for 15 minutes.  This will give the dry ingredients a chance to hydrate.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and sprinkle with more flour.  The dough will look shaggy, like this.

Use a bench knife to divide the dough into 6 even pieces.  Sprinkle generously with more flour.

Use floured hands and bench knife to gently roll and pat each piece into a ball.  Handle the dough with a very light touch and apply as little pressure as possible.

Spritz the bun pan with cooking spray and gently transfer the formed buns.  Cover with oiled plastic wrap and proof for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 400º, and lower to 350º just before baking.  Brush milk over the tops of the buns and sprinkle with seeds if desired.  Use a paring knife to score each bun down the center.

Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack.  Spray the sides of the oven with water and quickly close the door.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200º (use a thermometer).  Turn the oven off, open the oven door slightly, and leave the buns in for 5 minutes longer.

Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.  Don’t slice until they have completely cooled.

The rolls are perfection, they have a nutty, bready aroma and a soft crumb!

Toast them up or not, they are great either way!

They are the perfect accompaniment to all your summer burgers and lunch sandwiches!  For something different, try them with my Gluten Free Salmon Burgers.

Notes ♪♫ Rather than stock oat flour in my pantry, I buy old fashioned rolled oats and grind them in a coffee grinder when flour is needed.  In doing so I always have oats on hand for breakfast, adding to recipes in whole form or to grind for small amounts of flour.  For best texture and nutrition, I use old fashioned rolled oats, not instant.  Of course, ALWAYS choose certified gluten free oats and for extra peace of mind buy Purity Protocol Oats.  My favorite is Bakery on Main.

Notes ♪♫ Oats continue to be highly controversial when it comes to celiac disease.  For myself, I have decided to only use gluten free oats processed under a purity protocol, such as Bakery on Main.  As always, consult with your own medical team for advice.  Whether or not you continue to consume oats is a personal choice.

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Gluten Free Millet Bread

I have my favorite toasting breads for breakfast.  They are dense, hearty seeded loaves that hold up well in the toaster like Mighty Tasty Toasting Bread and Millet and Buckwheat Toasting Bread.  But as much as I love their texture, sometimes I’m craving a soft, enriched bread to make sandwiches, or maybe French Toast?  This Gluten Free Millet Bread fits the bill.  It has a soft, cake-like crumb with just a hint of sweetness.

I used Bobs Red Mill whole grain millet in this recipe.  The loaf pan is from USA Pan, made in the USA!

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I used freshly ground millet in this recipe.  Milling your own flour is a great way to add fresh, nutritious whole grains to your baking.  Learn more about using a grain mill here.  Feel free to use purchased millet flour, if you can’t find it in stores it is widely available online.

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Whisk together the dry ingredients, millet flour through salt and add them to the bowl of your stand mixer.  In a separate bowl, microwave 1 cup of milk for 30 seconds.  Whisk in the yeast and honey and let it stand for 10 minutes until bubbly.

Whisk the eggs, canola oil and cider vinegar into the yeast mixture.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually pour in the wet ingredients.  Once incorporated, increase speed and beat 3 minutes with the paddle attachment.  The dough will be heavy and clinging to the paddle.

I baked this loaf in a 9″ x 4″ x 4″ pullman pan, the higher sides support the loaf as it rises.  I always line my loaf pans with parchment paper, to easily remove the finished loaf.

Scrape the dough into the pan and use a wet spatula to smooth it out evenly.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Let it rise for 1 hour.  I set my pan on top of some padding, so that the pan wasn’t resting directly on the cold counter surface.

Preheat the oven to 350º.  Just before placing in the oven, mist the top of the loaf with water and quickly mist the sides of the oven.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  The internal temperature should be between 195-200º.

Look at that beautiful loaf!  I was worried that the dough hadn’t risen much but look at the oven spring!  The high sided loaf pan definitely helped with that!

Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

This is exactly what I was hoping for.  It looks like French Toast is back in the breakfast rotation!

Notes ♪♫ Need more inspiration?  Check out this French Toast Casserole with Blueberries and Cream Cheese, or this delectable Tiramisu French Toast!  Both were made with this Gluten Free Millet Bread!

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Gluten Free Old Fashioned Buttery Dinner Rolls

Gluten free baking is a labor of love.  Where my pantry once held just a few types of flour, there is now an array of grains, flours and starches.  Yes, you know I use gluten free all-purpose flour, but sometimes I get the best results by mixing my own flour blend from scratch.

Today’s featured ingredient is Arrowroot, a staple in my gluten free pantry.  One look at these rolls and you will see why I love this starch.  They have the soft, buttery texture of old-fashioned pull apart dinner rolls and you would never guess that they are gluten free.  I loved them so much that I decided to make them a part of my holiday breadbasket.

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Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. canola oil
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 1 egg
  • additional sweet rice flour, for sifting
  • 2 tbsp. melted butter

Preparation:

Line a 1 lb. loaf pan with parchment paper.

Microwave the milk for 30 seconds, then add the yeast and sugar.  Set aside to proof for 10-15 minutes.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients.  Place the egg, canola oil and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk in the proofed yeast.

Switch to the paddle attachment and gradually add the flour mixture.  Beat for 3 minutes.

Fill a flour sifter with sweet rice flour and keep it handy.  Generously flour a cutting board, turn out the dough and sift more flour over the top.

Using a bench knife, divide the dough into 8 pieces.  Roll each piece of dough in the flour to form a ball.  Arrange in the loaf pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls proof for an hour.  Preheat the oven to 350º and brush the rolls with 1 tbsp. of melted butter.

Bake for 24 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175º.  Check with a thermometer.  Brush with the remaining tbsp. butter.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift up the sides of the parchment and place the rolls on a cooling rack.  Rest for 5 minutes, then remove the parchment.  Let the rolls set for 10-15 minutes before pulling them apart.

They are best served immediately, but leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for several days.  They freeze beautifully, so this is a great recipe to make ahead for the holidays.

Notes ♪♫ Arrowroot is a starch, like potato or tapioca that works well in gluten free baking.  It also makes a great roux, never lumpy!  You can likely find it locally, sold as arrowroot starch, or arrowroot powder.  If not, you can get it here on Amazon.

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