Category: Bread

Bread, pizza and more!

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 Peasant Loaf

Years ago I loved making peasant style country loaves like this one.  I made them so often, I didn’t even use a recipe!  We would have bread with dinner and leftovers were saved for toasting in the morning.  This Gluten Free Peasant Loaf is a throwback to those days and to my ongoing attempts to recreate my old breads.

I have tweaked this recipe again and again, always changing a little something to improve the taste and texture.  Ingredients are key, but sometimes using the right tools will make a difference.

The baking dish you see in this post is from King Arthur (not a paid link), it works well with gluten free bread as the round bowl helps the dough keep its shape as it rises and bakes.  I seasoned it with olive oil and then lined it with parchment paper.  About half way through baking I removed the parchment to crisp up the bottom of the loaf.

Unlike most of my gluten free breads, this one is also dairy free.  The flour blend of brown rice and sorghum is reminiscent of a country wheat loaf with a crisp crust and soft center.  In the world of gluten, this would be called a no knead bread.  But really, all gluten free bread is no knead bread so I’m just calling it a peasant loaf!

Yield: 1 small loaf – about 8 slices

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast and sugar.  Proof 15 minutes while you gather the other ingredients.  Measure the dry ingredients (rice flour through salt) and whisk well.

Oil the baking dish, line with parchment and sprinkle with corn meal.

When the yeast has bloomed, whisk in 1/4 cup egg whites.  With the beater attachment, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix for 5 minutes to form a smooth dough.  The consistency will be like that of mashed potatoes, and the dough will cling to the beater, like this.

Scrape the dough into the prepared baking dish, then use a wet spatula to smooth the surface into a ball shape.

Invert the mixing bowl over the top and let the dough rise for one hour at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400º.  Place the racks at top and center.  Place a pizza stone on the middle rack.  Dust the top of the loaf lightly with rice flour and slash the top in a cross or a # pattern.

When the oven reaches full temperature, place 2 cups of ice cubes in a pan on the top shelf to create steam, and place the pan with the bread on top of the pizza stone.

Bake for 45 minutes.  About half way through baking carefully remove the parchment (use tongs and gloved hands) to get a good crust on the bottom.

Transfer to a rack and cool the loaf completely before slicing, at least 2 hours to allow the bread to set.  If you slice it too soon, the center will be gummy.

Serve with dipping oil, or use it to soak up whatever sauce you may be having for dinner!  Leftovers, if you have any are great for toasting!

Notes ♪♫  If you don’t own a baking bowl, you can use any stoneware pan, pizza stone, glass baking dish or baking sheet.  The loaf will likely spread out a bit more on a flat surface.  I recommend using parchment paper with any of these options.

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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

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**(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. This one, from USA Pan is perfect.  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.

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 Italian Bread

Homemade, hot out of the oven Italian bread.  Dipped in olive oil, or slathered with garlic butter and toasted.  Cutting off “the heel” to make a meatball sandwich!  Mastering gluten free bread has been an ongoing challenge for me, so when I manage to create an amazing loaf I want to tell everyone!  I’ve been playing with the grain blend and adjusting the amount of water in the recipe, and this was my best attempt yet!

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Ingredients:

…………………………………………………………………….

  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil

…………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………….

Preparation:

Microwave 1-1/2 cups water for 30 seconds.  Pour 1/3 cup of the water into the bowl of a stand mixer with the yeast and sugar.  Proof for 10 minutes.

Line a half sheet pan (18 x 13″) with parchment paper and sprinkle cornmeal down the middle.  Whisk together the dry ingredients.

When the yeast has bloomed, add the egg and olive oil and whisk well.

Gradually stream in the flour mixture and remaining water with the paddle attachment on low.  Increase the speed and beat until the dough is very smooth, 2-3 minutes.  It will have a wet, sticky consistency like mashed potatoes.

Set up a bowl of warm water.  Dip a spoon and your fingers in water, and drop the dough by spoonful over the cornmeal in a loaf shape.  Keep wetting your spoon and fingers to help handle the sticky dough.

Now dip a spatula in the water, and use it to smooth out the surface of the dough.

Mist a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the dough.  Let it rise for 30 minutes.  While the dough proofs, preheat the oven to 400º.  Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven, and a second rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack.

Now for the reality of gluten free dough, it doesn’t hold its shape.  You can see how mine has spread out considerably.  Maybe not an issue if you want ciabatta bread, but I was going for more of a traditional Italian loaf.  So I lifted it up, parchment and all onto a curved loaf pan.  The sloped sides will provide support for the bread as it bakes.

The loaf pan goes back onto the sheet pan.  Yes, I used a lot of pans!  Check out the photo below to see how I arranged everything in the oven.  The risen loaf is resting on a layer of parchment, in a curved loaf pan, on a baking sheet.  It all goes on top of a pre-heated pizza stone, with another sheet pan below where I added a cup of water for steam.

Each layer serves a purpose, shaping and insulating the finicky gluten free dough as it bakes.  Without that protection, you might have a loaf that is singed on the bottom but not cooked through in the center, a common problem with gluten free bread.

As soon as you place the loaf in the oven, pour 1 cup of hot water into the bottom sheet pan to create steam,  then quickly close the oven door.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375º.  Tent the loaf with foil and continue baking for an additional 18 minutes.  The internal temperature should be 190º, do check it with a thermometer!

Take the loaf out of the oven and slide it onto a rack to cool.  Gluten free bread needs several hours to set properly, so resist cutting into it while it’s still hot.  It smells so good, you will have a hard time waiting!

This bread was amazing!  Even my gluten eating family said it was great, look at that crumb!

Like all gluten free bread, this one is best the day it is baked.  Leftovers (if you have any!) are great toasted.  Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate to be used in the next day or two.  You can also freeze it.

Notes ♪♫  Gluten free dough cannot be baked directly on a perforated loaf pan, it would seep through the holes.  A sheet of parchment will keep everything in place until the loaf has partially baked, and if you like you can slide it off for the last 10 minutes of baking for a crisper crust.

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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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