Creative Commons photo credit, below.
Making gluten free bread is an exercise in creativity -- all those mysterious yet exciting flours that were completely unknown to many of us even five years ago: millet, sorghum, garbanzo, amaranth, quinoa, tapioca -- even split pea. Yet combining them all to arrive at a delectable gluten free bread that has actually risen (as in, the yeast has not burned through the sugar too early, the loaf is almost grazing the lid of the bread machine) is no mean feat.
In what I have termed "Gluten Free 2.0," the "meatier" flours, such as garbanzo, quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, and almond -- are combined with the lighter, airier flours (potato starch, tapioca, white rice flour are some examples) so that the bread has density as well as lift.
Making one's own bread is great fun, and allows greater latitude and creativity. It also requires an investment. Anyone perused the gluten free flour shelves at the store, recently?
One would be correct in noting that one of the flours listed above -- almond -- is over $10.00 per pound! No, there was no accidental extra zero inserted. Huh. Well, now. Those loaf mixes on sale for $5 or so are starting to look pretty good.
Yet, there is another alternative. Finally . . . we're getting to the coffee grinder. If one is lucky enough to live near a health food store where one can buy gluten free grains in bulk, then one can quickly "grind" one's own flour. For instance, take millet, which I used in the bread I made last night (I'll share the recipe as soon as I get it down pat -- it was a little moist in the middle).
The millet "grain" looks a little like quinoa: little round golden, well, grains. But one can't use the actual grain when one makes bread. One needs flour. Enter the coffee grinder. Just throw in some grains of millet, quinoa, whatever -- and grind it. Voila! Flour. And, here's the kicker. Millet "flour" in a package at a well-known national health foodie type store? $2.99 per pound. The millet grain I purchased in bulk at another health foodie type store? $1.29 per pound. The differences between amaranth grain and flour are similar.
So, get out that coffee grinder and bake away! You can find some recipes for gluten free bread on this site (hint: check out the index).
In what I have termed "Gluten Free 2.0," the "meatier" flours, such as garbanzo, quinoa, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, and almond -- are combined with the lighter, airier flours (potato starch, tapioca, white rice flour are some examples) so that the bread has density as well as lift.
Making one's own bread is great fun, and allows greater latitude and creativity. It also requires an investment. Anyone perused the gluten free flour shelves at the store, recently?
One would be correct in noting that one of the flours listed above -- almond -- is over $10.00 per pound! No, there was no accidental extra zero inserted. Huh. Well, now. Those loaf mixes on sale for $5 or so are starting to look pretty good.
Yet, there is another alternative. Finally . . . we're getting to the coffee grinder. If one is lucky enough to live near a health food store where one can buy gluten free grains in bulk, then one can quickly "grind" one's own flour. For instance, take millet, which I used in the bread I made last night (I'll share the recipe as soon as I get it down pat -- it was a little moist in the middle).
The millet "grain" looks a little like quinoa: little round golden, well, grains. But one can't use the actual grain when one makes bread. One needs flour. Enter the coffee grinder. Just throw in some grains of millet, quinoa, whatever -- and grind it. Voila! Flour. And, here's the kicker. Millet "flour" in a package at a well-known national health foodie type store? $2.99 per pound. The millet grain I purchased in bulk at another health foodie type store? $1.29 per pound. The differences between amaranth grain and flour are similar.
So, get out that coffee grinder and bake away! You can find some recipes for gluten free bread on this site (hint: check out the index).
RSS Feed
