DELICIOUS GLUTEN FREE WHOLE GRAIN SANDWICH BREAD

December 8, 2014

My sandwich bread recipe is a staple in my family, sandwich bread that doesn’t fall apart in your lunch box by lunch time is really coveted by gluten free folks.  It took me about 4 months to perfect this bread.  You will be very happy with this recipe and so will your kids.  It’s also full of fiber and protein.  Once you have made it a few times it’s truly very easy to do!  We usually go through about 2 loaves of sandwich bread a week.  I bake the 2 on Sunday, and freeze one for when we need it.  This bread will stay tasty in the refrigerator for up to 3 full days, but then it starts to get stale and eventually it will get crumbly.  If you only eat one loaf a week, slice the bread before you freeze it so you can defrost only what you need.    

 

Recipe is for 2 loaves

3 cups tapioca flour/starch
1 ½ cups Plus 3 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 cup Plus 2 tablespoons potato starch
½ cup Plus 1 tablespoon teff flour
½ cup flax seed meal
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
3 teaspoons salt
1 ½ tablespoon baking powder

2 cups warm water
½ cup sugar (saving 1 tablespoon to proof the yeast) (I also use organic brown sugar, white sugar is a bit sweeter so use a bit less)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 large eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil 

Directions

Start by proofing the yeast to make sure it's still good. Heat the 2 C water to about 105 degrees, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of yeast, stir and let sit to make sure it foams up.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a standing mixer bowl, mix it up a bit. Add all the wet ingredients except for the yeast water to the dry and put the mixer on low and start mixing.  Slowly add the yeast water to the mixer scrapping from the bottom to make sure there isn’t any flour stuck to the bottom.  Once it's all combined I turn it up and let it mix for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Xanthan gum takes the place of the gluten so allow it to mix really well. The consistency of this bread is like a very thick cake batter. A spoon, when inserted, should easily stand up.

Take half the mixture put it in a well-oiled metal loaf pan, and do the same with the other half. It will be all lumpy on the top, so use a wet hand or spatula to make it nice and flat in the pan. Let it rise for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes depending on the room temp. It should rise a bit above the top of the loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for an hour. I always let it rise on top of the oven when it's heating up and cover it with a dish towel. Yeast is happy in a dark warm place.

When the bread is done baking, remove from the oven but also remove the loaf from the loaf pan quickly. If it stays in the pan during cooling, it will sweat and you will have mushy bread, not much fun to eat :) I let it cool on a cookie rack. Make sure it's good and cooled before you try to slice it; I know it's hard to wait!

One thing you should know about baked gluten free bread and baked goods is they will go stale quickly, most likely because they aren't filled with preservatives. As soon as they are sliced I place them in the refrigerator or freezer, depending on how soon I will use them. They stay fresh in the fridge for about 3 days. If you won't use them that quickly, slice them, put them in a zip lock bag, freeze them and use them as needed.