Before I get started with today’s post, thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the wonderful comments/tweets/emails about last night’s post about acupuncture. After reading some of those comments I am probably going to gear up to do a reflective post about some thoughts that were brought up last night as a result.
I am a “let me be in my comfort zone” kind of girl.
As a tell tale example, I’d like to tell you all about the time when the Husband made me learn how to drive a stick shift. You must know right away, that I am not a stick shift kind of girl. I am an automatic, needs one hand for her coffee, kind of girl. However, while we were dating, the Husband felt it was necessary for me to learn how to drive stick shift — you know, in case someone ever stole my car and I was left with a stick shift in the middle of nowhere (aka: not going to happen). He taught me one afternoon on a side road near my parents’ home. He was a great teacher — was calm and patient, told me exactly what I needed to do. I felt confident and accomplished knowing I learned how to do something I didn’t necessarily want to try.
That sounds like a nice story, right? Boy teaches girl, Boy feels manly, girl swoons for boy — all that mushy gushy lovey dovey stuff.
Too bad that’s not the end of the story.
The story ends with me really being out of my comfort zone when the Husband (then the Boyfriend) asked me to drive said stick shift truck home from Target one afternoon. Mind you, I had not driven stick shift for at least a month and had no idea how to actually drive it. The Husband gave me a few directions on how to get started, but then once we got going, he told me I was on my own. )@#(@#)(!#)(!@#*)(!#%&$#()@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’M SORRY, WHAT?!?!
Apparently I was faking not remembering how to drive the stick shift. The story ends with me killing the truck in the middle of an intersection with a cop behind me and me crying and storming out of the truck until the Husband would take over in the driver’s seat.
There it is.
When I set out to make bread this weekend, I felt as if I were in the middle of a street crying.
Okay, not really, but just follow where I’m going with this one.
Of all the times I have made gluten free bread, I have always used a purchased gluten free all purpose flour because combining flours scares the bejeezus out of me. Whenever I combine flours, the end result is either too dense, too crumbly, too dry, too something that it shouldn’t be. However, I have accumulated at least a zillion types of flours in my pantry that were depressed from being overlooked for too long. I took it upon myself to step out of my comfort zone and just do the dang thing.
End result?
Oh so good.
Best Ever Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
Difficulty: Moderate
Prep Time: 70 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup quinoa flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
- 1 tbsp. yeast
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetend almond milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 flax eggs
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. honey (optional)
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
1. Proof the yeast: Heat up 1/2 cup almond milk and 1 cup water to approximately 105-110 degrees. To do this, I microwaved my liquid for 70 seconds and checked the temperature. Once the liquid is heated, add 1 tbsp. active yeast and 1 tbsp. sugar — give it a quick stir and set aside until foamy (~5 minutes).
2. Make your flax eggs: In a small bowl or mug, mix 3 tbsp. ground flax seed with 9 tbsp. (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp.) water. Give a quick stir and set aside until thickened (~3-4 minutes).
3. Mix your dry ingredients: In a stand mixer bowl, combine 1 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup quinoa flour, 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, 2 tsp. xanthan gum, and 1 tsp. salt. Toss for approximately 10 seconds with a spatula or fork to combine the ingredients.
4. Once your flax eggs have thickened, add 1 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp. honey, and 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar to the eggs. Whisk until ingredients are combined and set aside.
5. Make your dough: By this time, your yeast mixture should be foamy. If not, you might have killed the yeast due to the water being too hot. If this is the case, just start over with new yeast! If your yeast is good to go, pour the yeast and the flax egg mixture into the flour. Using a dough hook attachment, set your mixer to low-medium speed and mix for 3-4 minutes.
6. Let it Rise: Pour your dough into a greased 9×5 bread pan, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it hang out in an UNHEATED oven for about an hour. Once the dough has risen to the top of the pan, take the bread pan out of the oven.
7. Cook to perfection: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit once the dough has been taken out of the oven. Cook, uncovered for 45-50 minutes. The outside should be golden brown. Let bread cool completely before cutting into slices.
Needless to say, I am quite pleased with how this bread came out — even more so, I am pleased with myself for actually making bread that isn’t hard as a rock or gooey and disgusting!
However, none of this means I will ever be driving stick shift ever again. That is still a no go.
{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
how cool! I’ve made gluten free bread once, it didn’t turn out as well as this
How in the world did your loaf stay so full!?! Mine ALWAYS collapses! I’ve got some funky shaped bread in my fridge right now
I don’t know! Try the flour blend I used!
YES. Oh, I am so excited to make this!
I don’t need to make gluten free bread, but my goodness this loaf looks so good I want to make it! The crumb looks heavenly, dense yet light…yum.
And that’s exactly what it is like!
That would be me, crying in the middle of the street. I haven’t been there, exactly, but I’ve been known to throw a fit for my fiance in other situations, haha. I’m so lucky he loves me…I don’t think anyone else would put up with me
.
Um I think we all throw our fits every once in a while - behind closed doors of course.
I’ve been a lazy gluten-free’er. I’ve only made gluten-free bread once and it was straight from a recipe. I think I’m scared for failure but you make it look so easy!
Believe you me I’ve had many failures in my day - this just so happened to be a lucky day!
Yay congrats on your bread success!
My mom tried to teach me to drive a stick shift once… it ended with my crashing the car into the garage door. I haven’t tried since.
So Ive fought with myself for the past few months about whether or not I wanted to admit that I feel terrible when I eat bread/muffins/tortillas etc but I went GF and felt amazing. NO TUMMY ACHES! Then the superbowl happened and the past two days I have been in agony. This bread recipe looks amazing and may help me get over the fact that I “can never eat bread again…” …Thank goodness for your blog or I’d be in a depression over all of this!
Uh oh! I’m sorry about your sad realization, but I’m happy you’ll be feeling better!
Way to get out of your comfort zone on bread making! I always try to make up my own recipe and it fails and i remind myself-this is why their are recipes;-) I am impressed that you even tried to drive a stick shift-I flat out refuse.
I was young and in love - and stupid. Can’t forget stupid.
Hahahaha I have NO idea how to drive stick shift, and I don’t have much of a desire to learn… I like my automatic, why make it more difficult?
That’s what I’m sayin’!
Chelsey, this one is a very nice and fluffy. I am keeping it for my gluten-free friends! Thanks>
Yay - I’m glad it worked out for ya
Haha, I have a VERY similar stick shift story involving my now husband and I on our FIRST date. I told him I was just learning (as in someone had tried to teach me once for like 5 minutes) and so he pulls over and lets me drive. Of course, I couldn’t chicken out b/c it was our FIRST date and all so I get in and start driving. All is well until we get to the end of the road and I have to make a left UP A HUGE HILL. Yeah, stall once. Stall twice. Try again and realize I’m not in the middle of the road with a huge semi coming down at me. Panic, freak out commences and the husband (then not even bf) gets out of the car and waves the trucker down to slow down since there was no way I was getting the car moved in time.
Awesome first date story.
haha well - he married you right?
Ahhh this looks amaaaazing!!
Nobody in my house is GF, but I randomly have all these ingredients. I think it’s a sign that I need to make this because those poor flours have been sitting there for too long.
The signs are pointing in the direction of GF bread!
Baking bread TERRIFIES me!
I also had a horrifying experience in the driver’s seat. I was 15-years-old, and we were headed home from a soccer game. My dad said that I was going to drive - his LEXUS - down the INTERSTATE. I had never driven the Lexus, and I had never driven on an interstate.
It was traumatizing.
Baking bread terrified me up until last year! It’s not as hard as it looks - I promise!
I’m sorry for your traumatizing experience - but at least you got to drive a lexus!
Hey Chelsey, just wanted you to know that your blog has been an excellent resource and served as an inspiration for me during the planning of my New Year Diet. Thanks for all you do.
Jamie
deperatelyseekingfoody.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for the kind words Jamie! Congrats on making healthy changes!
Stepping out of my comfort zone is something I’m working on in 2012! So far so good, but looks like I need a little bread baking in my life!
Vegan baking AND GF baking can be tricky individually, as can bread baking. And you combined all 3 things into one and made it look easy and delish. Way to go, girl!
Why thank you!
I love your stick shift story. My boyfriend wants to teach my how to drive one and I keep resisiting for that very reason, I KNOW I will have a huge freakout in the middle of the road and won’t know what to do. So terrifying!!
Also, your bread looks really good!
Just say no to stick shifts!
This bread looks perfect!! You’re so cool for making your own GF bread, I’m definitely more scared to try that than yeasted breads!
This looks yummy! I am researching going GF, so this will be on my list. Must find flours…
And in my house growing up, my dad had a rule. In order to get your driver’s license, you must first be able to show him how to: 1) change the oil 2) change a tire 3) competently drive a stick. He is my hero, and my kids are going to learn the same way. (And believe it or not, I have been stuck somewhere when the only thing left is a stick!!!)
If you don’t have the flours, dont’ go out and spend all the money - just substitute a good GF all purpose flour instead!
Yay! Your timing is perfect! I was so wanting a recipe to make my own g-f sandwich bread rather than spending a small fortune on the frozen loaves all the time! Thanks Chelsey!
I have such a similar story about driving stick shift! Boyfriend teaches me… I get absolutely frustrated driving home due to continuous stalling… pitch a fit and cry until he takes over!
gf sandwich bread still eludes me. ive done a few that have failed and thus not made the blog, but so i cant wait to try this one out. how necessary is the xanthan gum? i used it in your bagel recipe, but im not sure how i tolerate it so im trying to make a loaf thats as allergen free as possible. ive been having the same flour ratio issues - particularly because all the good ones include garbanzo and fava bean flours which im avoiding. either way thank you for this post!! i hope it works in a bread machine.
I’m not sure - I’ve never done it without the xanthan gum - I guess it’s worth a shot!
I REALLY want to try this.
you REALLY should!
Me and gluten free bread are in love…when warm I smother it in coconut oil and cinnamon and call it a night…so amazing!
I want to try this bread ASAP!
xxoo
you temptress you - i LOVE coconut oil!
This sound easy enough..and really good. I’m scared, but I so want to try it!
don’t be scared! Think about how awesome you will sound when you announce you made homemade bread!
Do you think it would work if I subbed all of those flours for a gluten-free multi-purpose flour?? A friend is looking for a really simple gluten-free bread that doesn’t have multiple flours in it.
Yes! Tell her to do that, don’t use the potato starch like I have - and to still use the xanthan gum. This is a pretty basic recipe, so she can tweak it how she likes!
Wow! Thanks for such a quick response. One more question - how much of that flour should she use? I know she’ll ask, haha.
Your bread looks delicious. And your story had me laughing…I can totally relate!
Haha Loved the story! I have yet to learn stick shift, my boyfriend keeps insisting I need to learn, but I am too scared. And luckily he does not drive a stick shift anymore so I am free from that!
Thanks for sharing!!!
The bread sounds delicious! I am too nervous about this, but think it’s worth giving a shot, trying to reach outside of my comfort zone here!
I am not gluten free but this looks delicious! I need to venture into sanwich bread making. Its the one food I never make from scratch and I need to take the plunge!
BAHAHAH I ruined our stick shift car…I am awful at driving stick. Girl, that bread looks incredible….you are my hero!
I knew I could count on you to back me up on this one!
“even more so, I am pleased with myself for actually making bread that isn’t hard as a rock or gooey and disgusting!” — Haha, congrats!
Oh Chelsey! I heard choirs of angels singing when I saw how light and fluffy your bread turned out! I have no problem baking batches of “normal” bread for my family, nothing is better than that yeasty earthy smell on a Sunday morning, but as you said combining all those flours has a scary quality. I mean, it’s not like I’m doctor Frankenstein and out to create a monster, it’s just food. So I’m taking a leaf out of your book and a step onto the street and I’m going to give it a try! Thanks so much for sharing
This is probably a dumb question but any idea how much less the bread would rise if I omitted the yeast? I’m trying to stay away from yeast right now but this break makes it so difficult! The blend of flours sounds fabulous! Perhaps I could make it in a baking pan for more of a flatbread? What do you think?
Gluten free baking can be such an enigma!!! So glad this turned out well. I’ve been looking for a good gf bread recipe and this one looks pretty easy. Might have to stock the pantry with a few more ingredients first though
That looks so good! You are seriously my new hero for making this recipe.
I can’t wait to try this it looks soooo yummy!
Best bread ever! I don’t eat eggs so it’s hard to find a decent GF bread. I am really impressed with this bread. I’ve made it three times and last night was the first time the center didn’t fall! Probably because I didn’t cut into it right away like the recipe says not to do.
Thank you for bringing bread back into my life!