Gluten Free Bread with Pumpkin Seed
1/2 bag or 500g of Gluten Free Flour
1/3 cup of olive oil (or suitable marge) (or the fat from a roast chicken)
1/3 cup of sugar (or less: I substitute apple, orange, wine, or red grape juice for some of the liquid which give sweetness and less sugar)
Mix the above three ingrediants till a smooth crumble.
Add
6 eggs (normal standard-size eggs)
Mix again.
To the stiff mixture add enough liquid to make a batter
this would be 150 ml orange or apple juice, or wine
about 200 - 250 ml of water
peel and slice 4 large Bramley cooking apples
put the mixture into a lined large, flattish baking tin, I use a roasting tray.
Add the sliced apples on top.
OR: Chop the apples extra finely in a food processor and mix them into the rest thoroughly. This gives a different, softer texture.
You can also give it a different, almost oat-y texture by adding a few tablespoonsful of cooked wholegrain brown rice.
Cook Gas mark 6 for about 1/2 hour or until it is cooked but not brown.
1/2 bag or 500g of Gluten Free Flour
1/4 cup of olive oil (or suitable marge)
Mix well.
In a jug, add 5 large eggs, about 300 cc of warm water (not hot) 1 tsp sugar, and a sachet of dried yeast.
Stir gently and leave to work.
Once it has got nice and frothy, add 1 tsp Guar Gum, stir well and IMMEDIATELY (because the guar gum tries to set immediately) add the mixture to the flour mixture. Stir gently - I use the bread hook in a mixer for a couple of minutes - till mixed well, then cover and leave to rise overnight.
In the morning, mix gently to make sure all the mixture is folded in. Add a small handful of pumpkin seeds.
Pour the mixture, which will be like a very soft dough, into a deep flat baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper. Spread it out and scatter another small handful of pumpkin seeds on top.
If there's time, leave it to rise a bit longer.
Put in oven at Gas Mark 5 on lower shelf. It is cooked when it's firm on top - takes up to an hour. Sometimes, if the mixture is too wet, you may have to take it out of the tin, invert it and re-cook for half an hour, to dry out the middle and lower parts. It should have a fairly "bready" texture.
Gluten acts as a binder, so it is necessary to use something that will do the
same job. You can add any one of these binders as an additional ingredient
to a cake recipe.
•
1/4 – 1/2 cup apple puree/sauce. Apples contain pectin which helps bind
the flour and holds onto moisture (it’s a win-win ingredient).
•
Eggs. The yolks in the eggs create richness and moisture which we need more
of in gluten free baking. The egg whites are drier, however when they are whipped,
they create a lot of air and can be folded into the cake mixture.
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup of flour used. Note
that you will only need to use this if the flour blend you are using does not
contain it. Use with caution however, as some people react badly to this ingredient.
(Usually it's made from corn, but some versions contain wheat. Check with manufacturer.
Sainsbury's is made from corn.)
•
Additional moisture (after the apple sauce). Gluten free fours tend to soak
up every last bit of moisture, so you could also add additional moisture enhancers
in the form of other fruit or vegetables (pureed pumpkin, pureed peaches, grated
zucchini etc.)
• Baking soda creates lots of air bubbles which gives our gluten free
baked goods lots of lift, helping to create a fluffy and light texture. If baking
soda is used, add a dash of vinegar to the batter.
•
Other fats such as olive oil are great for adding moisture and keeping cakes
light.
•
If non-dairy of course, no butter, just add the oil to the flour and mix thoroughly.
•
Potato starch is pretty unique in providing lightness/fluffiness. Cornstarch
can substitute in some recipes, but not all.
•
Arrowroot is possible to mix in but use half quantity as it makes stuff sticky
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1and 1/2 cups brown rice flour
About 2 large scoops of olive oil
if not included in your GF flour, your recipe, 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, 1 teaspoon
baking soda, and a dash of vinegar
I use cooked apple (cooked to a pulp) and mashed tinned peaches. Blueberries
help give some flavour and consistency. I don't add any sugar apart from
the fruit.
Mix the oil with the dried goods, finally adding vinegar, fruit and berries.
Bake in a deep, lined tin on about 180 degrees until well browned.
Sita December 30, 2022