February 19, 2010

Cracked Rice & Potato Bread Made With A Biga (B&P39)


Baby Steps

When you first start baking gluten free, there is a steep learning curve while you learn the differences between baking with and without gluten. You take baby steps towards your goal of making edible gluten free food. Then you get the hang of it and you're making breads, cakes and cookies.

Later you want to spread your wings and try different recipes or convert a wheat recipe to gluten free. Once again, you're taking baby steps and discovering the joys and sorrows of gluten free baking. I felt so bad about the food I was wasting, I took a detour into learning how to compost. However, truthfully nothing takes all the sting out of having to throw out a baked good with a lot of expensive nut meal in it, not even knowing you're feeding the earth and it's critters.

Those baby steps are taking me towards my goal of baking artisan gluten free bread. They took me into the romance of my quest to a glorious crusty loaf of bread filled with cracked wild and brown rice and yukon gold potatoes. Utterly delicious...satisfying.

What do you need to enjoy this loaf? Maybe warm the loaf a little and add some butter. Better yet, grab a loved one and a bottle of red wine, then share the romance.

Enjoy!



Recipe

Protein Content
Original: 15.81 g
Gluten Free: 15.40 g


Biga

5 g brown rice flour (0.45 g)
2 g sweet rice flour (0.12 g)
2 g arrowroot starch (0.006 g)
2 g almond meal (0.4 g)
5 g white bean flour (1.075 g)
1 g instant dry yeast
10 ml agave syrup

Soaker

6 g cracked mixed brown rice varieties
6 - 8 ml water

Roasted Potatoes

65 g potatoes
olive oil, as needed
sea salt, as needed
cracked black pepper, as needed

Final Dough

16 g brown rice flour (1.44 g)
10 g sweet rice flour (0.6 g)
10 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
15 g almond meal (3 g)
15 g white bean flour (3.225 g)
________________________replaces the bread flour
10 g buckwheat flour (1.45 g)
10 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
15 g almond meal (3 g)
________________________replaces the whole wheat flour
3 g cocoa powder (0.57 g)
3 g arrowroot starch (0.009 g)
________________________replaces the medium rye flour
22 g instant dry yeast

55 g biga (from above)
65 g potatoes
74 g soaker (from above)
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
45 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
15 ml agave syrup
3 g sea salt

Biga Directions

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flours, water, agave syrup and yeast. Mix together, making sure the mixture is smooth. Cover the mixture or transfer to a container and allow to ferment at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C for 18 to 24 hours.  When the biga is ready to use, it will have risen and receded, yet also look bubbly.


Soaker Directions

Place the assorted brown rice and wild rice mixture (Lundberg Family Farms) into a clean coffee grinder. Pulse until the the majority of the grains are cracked. Pour the cracked rice into a container and pour the water over it. Cover and set in the refrigerator to soak for 8 to 12 hours.


Roasted Potato Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C. Place the cut potatoes in a cookie pan or a rectangular baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and using a spoon or your hands coat the potatoes with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake  for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and stir the potatoes. Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Allow to cool. Cut the potato wedges into bite size pieces.


Final Dough Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with the exception of the salt and yeast.  Hold the salt out, so it can be added later in the mixing.  Place the yeast into a small container, add the water and a little bit of the agave syrup. Stir to ensure the water mixes through the yeast.  Allow the yeast to proof for 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the yeast mixture, biga, potatoes, soaker and the rest of the agave syrup and blend together. Just before the dough comes together, sprinkle in the salt and then continue blending until a soft ball forms. If the dough is still too soft, add arrowroot starch by the tablespoon (1 Tb/15 ml) until the dough firms up.

3. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently roll the dough into a cylinder about 12 in/30 cm long. Gently curve the dough into a horseshoe shape. Take a sharp knife and slice down the center of the cylinder. Place two small slices of potato at the top of the horseshoe. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.

4. Place an oven proof bowl filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Then place a baking stone on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 435 degrees F/224 degrees C. Place the loaf in the oven and spray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 10 minutes. Remove the loaf and allow it to cool before serving.


What's Going On?

I was a very lucky woman and received a copy of the Culinary Institute of America's Baking & Pastry book along with their DVD's from my family for my birthday. After watching all the DVDs, I decided to work my way through the CIA's Baking and Pastry book - of course making it gluten free. There were so many skills that I wanted to develop and work on. I hope you will be interested in sharing my journey with me.


Want more?

You can follow me on Twitter and on Flickr.


Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts


Baking & Pastry #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Week 19 -  Bigas
Baking & Pastry #37 - Roasted Potato Basil Loaf (Poolish)
Baking & Pastry #36 - Almond & White Bead Epi Wreath (Poolish)
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes

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