I love bread. Good bread. Don’t bother wasting my time with store-bought, wimpy, disgusting bread. I want it homemade!
In the 1960’s and 70’s, my mother baked bread several times each week. She used an awesome metal-bucket-bread-maker with a handle that cranked the dough hook.
We would get home from school and beg for a small taste of the bread dough. I actually would have eaten the entire batch of dough, but Mom always warned us that yeast would make the bread dough rise in our tummies. In my fertile imagination, I pictured little Carlotta floating, like a balloon, away into the blue sky with a tummy full of raised bread dough. I wonder if that would have happened….
(That’s my big sister and I cleaning out every tiny scrap of bread dough from the bowl in 1964.)
We went to school with brown bag lunches every day. A sandwich made of Mom’s homemade bread with peanut butter and brown sugar was my favourite. BUT I have to admit that I sometimes envied Nancy’s WonderBread sandwiches with grape jelly that would ooze and stain the bread purple.
While visiting Sweden, I eat bread at every meal. And some times between meals for “fika”, which is the amazing Swedish coffee break. But at home, I can go for months without a slice of bread. UNLESS there is homemade bread. Nothing beats the smell of baking bread, and nothing beats the taste of really good bread.
Going gluten free created some challenges in the my bread world. The GF bread from the store is super-expensive, and some brands of bricks have been accidentally mislabeled as bread.
I’m glad to have found a recipe that works with my life, and makes delicious and moist bread. I make it dairy free, and egg free would be a breeze. As someone who lives a crazy-busy life (who doesn’t these days???) I actually measure all the dry ingredients, minus yeast, into ziploc bags and toss them into the freezer. Then all I have to do is add the liquids (and yeast) and throw it all into the mixer for a quick spin.
Gluten free bread requires several flours. This recipe uses brown rice, tapioca (purchased in bulk at the local coop, NOT from the box), and sorghum flours. These flours are easy to find, and make up my gluten free flour mix. Other flours would probably work just fine, but I haven’t taken the time to experiment. I just want to eat bread!
Xanthan gum is an ingredient underfire. I have no issues with it, but there are many opinions online. Some times I substitute psyllium husk powder, chia or flaxseed meal (just whir some seeds in your spice/coffee mill to make the meal).
Versatility is a gift. This basic white sandwich bread can be simply turned into a herbed bread. Just add 1/2 head of roasted garlic, and dried parsley, dill, and caraway. That’s usually my choice for sandwiches, toast, croutons – basically everything except for french toast and peanut butter. 🙂
Make sure the milk (I use rice milk), yeast, and eggs are at room temperature. Using a spoon, measure flours and level off. Put flours, xanthan gum, sugar, salt, and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, give them a quick spin so they are well-combined.
Heat the milk in the microwave until quite warm, but not hot. (This takes just 1 minute in my micro.) Stir in the oil, vinegar, and eggs.
While the mixer is on low, stream in the liquids. Once combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer on high for 3 minutes. The dough will be smooth and stretchy-looking, but not nearly as thick and sturdy as regular wheat bread.
Scoop the dough into a greased bread pan that’s about 8 inches by 4 inches. (Remember? I don’t like to measure!) Place in a warm, draft-free place to raise for a half hour, or so. (I have a bread-proof setting on my oven, but it also works to put it in the oven with the light on.)
Before the bread is completely raised – and spilling over the sides of the pan – preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (Get the dough out of the oven first – not that I’m speaking from experience!)
Bake the bread for 1 hour. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack under a dishtowel. Make sure it is completely cool before slicing.
I usually bake 4 loaves at a time, because it makes sense in my world.
Print
Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 mins
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c brown rice flour
- 1 1/4 c tapioca flour
- 1/2 c sorghum flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar (or 1 Tbsp fructose)
- 1 Tbsp xanthan gum (or psyllium husk powder, chia or flax seed meal)
- 1 Tbsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/3 c milk (rice milk is what I use), warmed
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- (For herb bread, add 1/2 head roasted garlic, 2 Tbsp parsley, 1 Tbsp dill, 1 Tbsp caraway)
Instructions
- Combine all dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Combine warmed milk, egg, oil, and vinegar, stirring well
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ones, then scrape down the bowl
- Mix on high speed for 3 minutes – dough will be smooth, sticky, and stringy
- (If making herb bread, add garlic and herbs for the final 30 seconds of mixing)
- Scoop dough into well-greased bread pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula dipped in cold water
- Brush the top with olive oil, and let rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place (the oven with only the light on works)
- Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour
- Turn out onto cooling rack, cover with a towel, and allow to cool completely before slicing
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
