Almond White Bean Lean Loaf Made With A Biga (B&P38)

Quest, circa 1303, "a search for something" (esp. of judicial inquiries or hounds seeking game), from O.Fr. queste (Fr. quête), prop. "the act of seeking," from M.L. questa "search, inquiry," alteration of L. quæsitus, pp. of quærere "seek, gain, ask" (see query). Romance sense of "adventure undertaken by a knight" is attested from c.1384. The verb is first recorded c.1350.

Modern Language Association (MLA): "quest." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 16 Feb. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/quest>.

Each morning, most of us rise, get dressed, guzzle down a cup of coffee or tea and begin our search. We seek income, food, housing, safety, love and more. Each of our quests might not be along the lines a romantic grand tradition, however each one is necessary.

Every day, my husband goes out and seeks to do his best for employer and his clients. Each day, I seek to do my best for my family, whether it is through loving my family, caring for our home, cooking nutritious gluten free food, meeting our Sheltie's canine needs and working on my own endeavors.

Currently at Gluten A Go Go, I seek to bake artisan gluten free bread, and blog my adventure. Each conversion of a bread recipe from the CIA's Baking and Pastry tome, is a new challenge. A new opportunity to find the best artisan gluten free bread, a loaf that is airy, nutritious and doesn't fall apart when you eat it.

My quest can be broken down into smaller pursuits. Each one providing me an opportunity for the thrill of victory, such as getting the yeast to rise or the bread not to crumble. Yet, each of pursuits has the opportunity to fail and each one has at various times. Sometimes these failures have been pretty spectacular and others not so much. Each time I fail, I try again. Although quite honestly I think these basic lean bread recipes have it in for me. I have to remake these recipes more than any of the others in my baking project. This version turned out beautifully and has a fabulous slightly fermented taste. It's reminiscent of ciabatta, a recipe that is coming soon.

I'm slowly working my way through Baking and Pastry. My life doesn't quite accomodate the speed that  Julie Powell was able to generate while cooking through, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It took Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck, years to create Mastering the Art of French Cooking. They didn't give up. They kept seeking the best recipes. They kept cooking until they got it right.

I keep at my quest.  Some days, I find the romance (see my next bread, Cracked Rice and Roasted Potato Baguette). Other days...well...dadgum...if it could go wrong...it did.

At that point, I take a break and think on things. I work on my other pursuits, such as photography. I'm working on adding to my camera equipment, learning how to use it better and acting like bird paparazzi. I'm after a really nice image of a male cardinal and red hawk that are gracing the land around us.

Do you have a quest?

Protein Content

Biga:
Original: 11.05 g
Gluten Free: 12.23 g

Dough:
Original: 16.7 g
Gluten Free: 16.65 g

Biga

16 g brown rice flour (1.44 g)
16 g sweet rice flour (0.96 g)
16 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
19 g almond meal (4.32 g)
18 g white bean flour (4.08 g)
12 g instant dry yeast
50 ml water
15 ml agave syrup

Final Dough

22 g brown rice flour (1.98 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g )
24 g arrowroot starch (0.07 g)
30 g almond meal (6 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.02 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
6 g sea salt
4 g agar agar powder
15 g instant dry yeast
126 g biga (from above)
20 ml agave syrup
128 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)

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.

Final Dough Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with the exception of the salt.  Hold the salt out, so it can be added later in the mixing.  Add the biga, water and 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.
2. 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 10 in/25 cm long and taper the ends. Take a sharp knife and slice a cut across the center of the cylinder at a slight angle. Place matching cuts on either side of the center cut, so there are three cuts altogether. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.
3. 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 450 degrees F/232 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 30 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 Week 18 - Poolishes
Baking & Pastry #34 - Almond Buckwheat BatardBaking & Pastry #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Week 17 - A Sponge and a Poolish
Baking & Pastry #32 - Gugelhopf
Baking & Pastry #31 - Panettone

Almond White Bean Lean Loaf Made With A Poolish (B&P37)

I'm back on the baking trail now that my flours have all arrived. Last week, I was on the hunt for flours when my order went the opposite direction from me. It put a real crimp in my making the January Daring Bakers Challenge. So, I decided to maximize my chances of getting an order by picking 3 different vendors to order from. I was able to get enough flour in to finish the DB Challenge fortunately. However it wasn't enough to go back to baking bread. All the flours finally came in and I've got bread on the menu for today.

It's a truly lovely loaf of Almond White Bean Bread - a lean dough that is egg and dairy free. It has a wonderful flavor that is great as toast with scrambled eggs, a dollop of strawberry jelly or simply for eating plain.

This picture is from the first set I made in early morning light. I was waiting for later in the day, for a second set, when the light would be brighter and warmer through the patio doors. The dining area contains my photo studio in our temporary home, so I got things ready and then went off to take a shower. When I was finished getting ready, I discovered my son in his search for something to eat with his scrambled eggs had absconded with the loaf. A good portion was already gone and my daughter was digging into it to add to her breakfast plate. By the time the afternoon light came around, there wasn't enough of the loaf left to take another picture.

What's coming up next in my bread baking adventure? Bigas...another method of pre-ferment, which was used by Italian bakers. The biga will add a more complex flavor and larger air pockets. Well...I'm hopeful about the larger air holes, because you've got to keep on your positive thinking cap when you bake gluten free bread.  First up will be the basic lean bread, Almond White Bean.Then I'm making a Cracked Rice and Potato Loaf that has the addition of whole grains of rice in it.

If you haven't tried many of the alternative flours, but you'd like to give some of them a try. Check out my latest article for the Daring Kitchen called "Playing With Alternative Flours."  It might help you over the hurdle and into trying out an alternative flour that will add a different flavor, texture or nutrition to your food.


Recipe

Protein Content
Original: 33.8 g
Gluten Free: 33.44 g


Poolish

22 g brown rice flour (1.98 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g)
22 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)
34 g almond meal (6.8 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.45 g)
12 g instant dry yeast
131 ml water
15 ml agave syrup

Final Dough

10 g brown rice flour (.09 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g)
22 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)
35 g almond meal (7 g)
16 g buckwheat flour (2.32 g)
25 g white bean flour (5.37 g)
________________________replaces durum flour
22 g  brown rice flour (1.98 g)
22 g sweet rice flour (1.32 g)
22 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)
30 g almond meal (6 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.02 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
________________________replaces bread flour
15 g instant dry yeast
10 g sea salt
4 g agar agar powder
135 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F)
10 ml agave syrup

Directions for Poolish

Pour all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend together. Then add the water and agave syrup and stir until incorporated. Set the bowl in a warm location to rise for 30 minutes.
 
Directions for Final Dough

1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the poolish, water and agave syrup and blend together 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.

2. 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 10 in/25 cm long and taper the ends. Take a sharp knife and slice a an arcing cut in the center of the cylinder at an angle.  Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.

3. 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 475 degrees F/246 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 20 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 #36 - Roasted Potato & Basil Loaf
Baking & Pastry #35 - Almond White Bean Epi Wreath
Baking & Pastry Week 18 - Poolishes
Baking & Pastry #34 - Almond Buckwheat Batard
Baking & Pastry #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Week 17 - A Sponge and a Poolish

Almond & White Bean Epi Wreath (B&P35)

Winter has barely started and we've got quite a bit of snow on the ground. Every afternoon, I'm outside with the kids and the dog. One day it's a snowball fight, the next day they are battling their way up the hill only to slide back down.

Our dog is always in the middle of the action chasing any flying snow. She plays a mean game of snowball, but she plays as shortstop. Her mission is to jump up and stop the balls before they can hit anyone. 

It's been so cold, we bought her some Muttluks for her feet. She hasn't gotten used to them yet. Poor thing just minces around until she can manage to shake one of them off her feet.

For us, cold days require a bowl of soup served with a crusty roll. After spending a few hours in the cold, there is nothing better to warm your body back up. Well, hugging the radiator works really well too.

This is a wonderful loaf of bread, that smells heavenly while it's baking. It has a crackly crust that snaps nicely when you break apart the leaves. If you don't have any soup, warm your bread and serve it with a variety of cheeses. Delicious.


Recipe
Yield: 1 1-lb epi wreath

Protein Content:
Original Amount: 28.34 g
Gluten Free Amount: 29.708 g

Poolish

16 g brown rice flour (1.44 g)
16 g sweet rice flour (0.96 g)
16 g arrowroot starch (0.03 g)
19 g almond meal (4.32 g)
18 g white bean flour (4.085 g)
12 g instant yeast
90 ml water (115 to 120 deg F/46 to 49 deg C)
15 ml agave syrup

Dough

25 g brown rice flour (2.25 g)
25 g sweet rice flour (1.5 g)
24 g arrowroot starch (0.3 g)
30 g almond meal (7.2 g)
28 g white bean flour (6.02 g)
6 g sea salt
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
130 g poolish
30 ml agave syrup
60 ml water (115 to 120 deg F/46 to 49 deg C)

Directions for Poolish


Pour all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and blend together. Then add the water and agave syrup and stir until incorporated. Set the bowl in a warm location to rise for 30 minutes.

Directions for Final Dough

1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together. Add the poolish, water and agave syrup and blend together until a soft ball forms.
2. 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 15 in/38 cm long. Gently ease the ends of the dough together into a circle. Press the ends of the dough together. Take scissors or a sharp knife and holding them at a 45 degree angle, make diagonal cuts down the center of the ring.  Place each cut piece to the side as you cut it. Then place a parallel slice on either side of the center cut. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 1 1/2 hours.

3. 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 475 degrees F/246 degrees C. Slide the loaf on the parchment paper onto the baking stone. Thenspray water over the oven box and the top of the loaf. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Prop the oven door open and continue to cook the bread for another 5 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 Week 18 - Poolishes
Baking & Pastry #34 - Almond Buckwheat Batard
Baking & Pastry #33 - Stollen
Baking & Pastry Week 17 - A Sponge and a Poolish
Baking & Pastry #32 - Gugelhopf
Baking & Pastry #31 - Panettone

Gugelhopf Crown (B&P#32)

A gugelhopf crown is a rich and moist holiday bread. Filled with raisins and almonds, it has a wonderful flavor and scent.

Serve with your favorite coffee while you sit and enjoy the beauty of a fall morning.

Recipe

Protein Content:
Original Content: 16.38 g
GF Content: 16.07 g

Sponge

20 g brown rice flour (1.8 g)
25 g sweet rice flour (1.5 g)
20 g arrowroot startch (0.06 g)
25 g almond meal (5 g)
30 g white bean flour (6.45 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
20 g instant dry yeast
176 ml milk
7 ml vanilla extract
15 ml agave syrup

Final Dough

20 g brown rice flour (1.8 g)
25 g sweet rice flour (1.5 g)
25 g arrowroot starch (0.075 g)
35 g almond meal (7 g)
31 g white bean flour (6.665 g)
4 g agar agar powder
78 g cane sugar
5 g sea salt
78 g raisins
14 g almonds, chopped
78 g butter, soft
139 g eggs (approx. 3 eggs)
252 g sponge (above)

Sponge Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix well. Cover the bowl and place in a warm location.  Allow the sponge to rise and ferment for 20 minutes (75 degrees F/27 degrees C).

Final Dough Directions:

1. In a large bowl, place the flours, sugar, salt, agar agar, raisins and almonds, then mix together. Then add the sponge, eggs and softened butter. Stir until blended and the dough forms a soft ball.  You may need to add a tablespoon/15 ml of arrowroot starch to help it form a soft ball.

2. Grease and flour a 5 cup gugelhopf pan. Place slivered almonds in the bottom of the pan so that they form a ring or crown.  Pour in the batter and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.

3. Place a bowl of water in an oven proof bowl and set it on the bottom shelf of the oven.  Prehat the oven to 375 degrees F/191 degrees C. Place the gugelhopf on the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.  Cool slightly before inverting and removing the bread from the pan.  Allow to cool on a rack before serving.

White Bean Lean Bread With Pate Fermentee (B&P29)

This is a soft and moist loaf. The interior has a lovely texture and tastes great.  It hits divine status when toasted and topped with a dollop of apricot preserves.

Traditionally, this type of boule is pressed down the center with a rolling pin and then flipped over. It's allowed to rise and then flipped over to bake. I (following the directions) flipped my beautifully rounded boule and immediately realized I shouldn't have done it. Why you ask? Well, that prebaking flip literally beat the air bubbles out of the bread. Next the baking the bread cracked all along the press line and the edges. (See the picture above.) Reminded me of one of those mega disaster movies that were running this week on the Syfy Channel.

Essentially, when you bake gluten free bread you really have to nurture your yeast. You've got to make sure that you feed it with some sugar, agave syrup, rice syrup. This will enable those lovely air pockets to form. Next don't do anything that will pop those pockets like they were the flimsiest of bubbles. The directions for making this loaf, without the prebaking flip, are below.

Before you bake this loaf, make sure you stop by your local grocery store for a nice jar of apricot preserves. You might have to do some more strenuous exercising for the next few days to recover from the indulgence...It's that good.


Recipe

Protein Content:
Original Amount: 36.92 g
GF Amount: 36 g

Dough

45 g brown rice flour (4.5 g)
50 g sweet rice flour (3.0 g)
50 g arrowroot starch (0.15 g)
70 g almond meal (14 g)
7 g chia seed meal (1.47 g)
62 g white bean flour (13.33 g)
20 g instant dry yeast
7 g sea salt
4 g agar agar powder
85 g pate fermentee
283 ml water

Pate Fermentee

60 g brown rice flour (5.4 g)
30 g sweet rice flour (1.8 g)
30 g arrowroot starch (0.9 g)
52 g millet flour (5.98 g)
102 g white bean flour (21.93 g)
6 g chia seed meal
11 g instant dry yeast
6 g sea salt
32 ml agave syrup
223 ml water

Pate Fermentee

1. Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and blend thoroughly. Pour the liquid ingredients in a medium bowl and stir together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend. 

2. Measure out 85 g of pate fermentee and set aside for use in the main recipe.  The excess pate fermentee should be put in a lidded container and stored in the refrigerator until you want to use the rest. 

Note: If you would like to make the next recipe in the Baking & Pastry Project Multigrain Bread with Pate Fermentee you will need to save 66 g of the dough.  The rest can be baked into rolls or a small loaf of bread.  Rise and bake according to the instructions in this recipe.

Dough

1. Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and blend thoroughly. Pour the liquid ingredients in a medium bowl and stir together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend.

2.  On a sheet of parchment paper with arrowroot starch sprinkled on it, place the dough in the center.  Form into a round boule. Using your rolling pin press a line across the loaf that is 2" deep.  Slide the parchment paper onto a sheet pan and then place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours.

3.  Place an oven proof bowl with water in it on the bottom shelf of your oven. Place a baking stone on the upper shelf that is in the center of the upper third of your oven. Then preheat the oven to 460 degrees F/238 degrees C.  Slide the parchment paper with the bread onto the baking stone.  Squirt water on the bottom, sides and top of the oven with a spray bottle. Cook for 15 minutes and then place a wooden spoon in the door. Leaving the door ajar cook for another 10 minutes.  Cool on a rack before serving

Pizza (B&P23)

Baking & Pastry Project #23 - Pizza

We just completed a rushed trip to Virginia. My husband had to work in Rosslyn for a little over a week. It is challenging getting everyone ready for a trip, especially since three of us eat gluten free...well, four if you include our dog.

We always stay in a hotel chain that has a kitchen, plus one that allows pets. So, I take along a bag of supplies and my knife kit. This is what I pack for our trips:

- Cookie Sheet
- Cutting Board
- Baking Stone & Rack
- Knife Kit
- Wooden Spoon
- Wooden Spatula
- Metal Spatula
- Thermometer
- Scissors
- Jar Opener
- Measuring Cup (Metric)
- Measuring Spoons
- Silicone Muffin Cups
- Coffee & Filters
- Tea Bags
- Agave Syrup
- Olive Oil
- White Vinegar
- Vanilla Extract
- An Assortment of GF Flours
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parchment Paper
- Aluminum Foil
- Optional: Escali Scale, Belgian Waffle Iron

I have a note file on my Blackberry that has all our favorite recipes. I've also made another note file that has a shopping list based on these recipes.

Depending on our travel location, I do as much research as I can about gluten free dining out options, along with locations for grocery shopping. This information I keep on my computer, but transfer it over to my Blackberry before we head out.

This was a great pizza and was hotel kitchen worthy as well. It had a fabulous crust and was browned and crispy just like a pizzeria style pizza. This recipe got 4 thumbs up from my crowd.

Recipe

Yield: 2 medium pizzas
Protein Content:
Original Bread Flour: 19.65 g
Original Durum Flour: 14.3 g
GF Bread-like Flour: 19.225 g
GF Durum-like Flour: 14.15 g

Durum-like Flour Mix

70 g brown rice flour (3.18 g)
30 g sweet rice flour (6.18 g)
30 g arrowroot starch (.09 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
10 g sesame seed flour (2.55 g)
______________________
Bread-like Flour Mix

15 g brown rice flour (1.35 g)
18 g sweet rice flour (1.08 g)
20 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)
71 g white bean flour (15.26 g)
7 g chia seed meal (1.47 g)
______________________

28 g instant dry yeast
7 g sea salt
3 g agar agar
177 ml water
10 g olive oil
4 ml agave syrup

Toppings

pizza sauce
oregano
mozzarella
pepperoni
black olives
your choice of toppings

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients from the durum-like flour mix, instant dry yeast and agar agar. In a small bowl, combine the liquid ingredients. Mix the liquid ingredients with the contents of the large bowl. Set in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients from the bread-like flour mix, sea salt and blend together. When the dough has finished rising, add the dry ingredients to the dough and blend well.

3. On a sheet of parchment paper sprinkle sweet rice or corn flour. Place a small bowl of either flour on the counter for sprinkling and dipping your fingers. Divide the dough in half, placing half in the center of the parchment paper. Sprinkle the dough with sweet rice or corn flour and as needed to work the dough. Gently press out the dough with your fingers until you have an even circle of dough.

4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F/260 degrees C. Spread an even amount of pizza sauce over the top of the dough and sprinkle the top with oregano. Top with mozzarella cheese and any other topping you desire.

5. Bake pizza for 3 to 4 minutes or until the top is a golden brown around the edges. Cool before serving. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for the second ball of dough.

Soft Pretzels (B&P22)

Baking & Pastry Project #22 - Soft Pretzels

Holiday weekends are made for savoring. Long sunny days, bbq grills, just picked vegetables, and just a touch of home improvement. Perfect.

These pretzels turned out to be an exceptionally wonderful treat. I served them with a dark mustard, salami and a cold Bard's Tale beer. Fabulous.

Recipe
Yield: 6 pretzels
Protein Content:
Original Version: 40.43 g
GF Version: 40.20 g

Dough

50 g brown rice flour (4.5 g)
40 g sweet rice flour (2.4 g)
40 g arrowroot starch (.12 g)
60 g sorghum flour (7.2 g)
115 g white bean flour (24.725 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
4 g agar agar powder
25 g instant dry yeast
6 g sea salt
270 ml water
16 g butter, soft & cubed
7 g sorghum malt syrup
35 ml agave syrup

Lye Solution

960 ml Water (105 degrees F/41 degrees C)
35 g Sodium Hydroxide Pellets
Coarse Salt, as needed


1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together. In a medium bowl, pour in the water, butter, malt and agave syrup, then blend. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together. Dough should be slightly firm yet still sticky.

2. On a sheet of parchment paper sprinkled with sweet rice flour, divide the dough into 6 pieces of equal size. Beginning with the first piece, work the dough in the sweet rice flour by pressing down and folding over the dough until it has a silky texture. Then roll out the dough into a long tube 12 in/30 cm, it should be tapered at the ends yet still fat in the middle. Cross the ends over each other then twist over once again. Then slide a slotted spatula under the cross ends and flip the twist upside down, so that the ends are now over the middle of the tube. Transfer the pretzel to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with sweet rice flour. Finish shaping the pretzels in the order in which they were divided. Set the pretzels in a warm location and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Prepare the lye solution in a bowl, one that is deep with tall sides. Slide the slotted spatula under the pretzel and then dip the pretzel into the lye solution, while keeping the pretzel on the spatula. Hold it over the bowl for a little bit and allow the excess solutions to drip off. Place the pretzel back on the parchment and allow it to drain. Sprinkle the pretzel top with coarse salt. Repeat with the rest of the pretzels.

4. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F/246 degrees C. Place the pretzels in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the pretzels to cool before removing from the parchment paper. You will need to gently ease the paper away from the pretzel as the lye solution will cause them to stick to the paper.

Crescia al Formaggio (B&P21)

Baking & Pastry Project #21 - Crescia al Formaggio

I never used to mind going to the doctor. Just go when you need to, get a prescription and a couple of weeks later you're well. Then they found breast cancer and everything changed. Overnight I became a pin cushion and every doctor I saw wanted to do some sort of fluid extraction. Most of those requests have come from my internal medicine doctor who just so happens to be a hematologist as well.

A couple of years ago, she gave me a lab sheet that had almost every square checked. The lab visit had me donating 13 vials of blood to the cause. They were milking my veins like they'd hit pay dirt until the vein ran dry 7 vials into it and they switched to the other arm. Fixed up with gauze and band aids, I mumbled less than polite comments under my breath on my way back to the car. At my follow up visit, I told my doctor she had a brilliant future ahead as one of the undead. She laughed and said she knew all the ways to draw blood and every vampire or blood joke out there, so maybe a job as a stand-up comedian might be next.

She knows I like to draw and paint. Up until recently I've been able to hide my addiction to Caran d'Ache watercolor pencils. When she discovered my fine arts hobby, she sent me off to the lab again, this time for an environmental pollutants test. Yeah well, now I get to take more pills because of a few chemicals found in art supplies and solvents flitting around blood supply.

I saw her on Tuesday and we had a great time chatting about the proposed health insurance thingy. While she was filling out my lab sheet, she mentioned that she's concerned about her ability to practice medicine the way she wants to under the changes that are being thrown around. I told her that with her knowledge of alternative health options, how to poke needles into people and a fondness for learning the secrets a person's blood will tell about them, she had a great future in Louisiana. With a keen sense for a joke about to be told, her eyes met mine as she smile and said, "Doin' what?" I smiled back and said, "Voodoo priestess." She laughed and said, "Fancy that...I probably have all the equipment I'd need too!"

That night I fixed a soothe the savage breast type of meal, pasta marinara with a wild green salad and this rich Crescia al Formaggio. It is an Italian Easter cheese bread that can be made in a flower pot or a round shaped loaf with an X cut across the top. For a variation on this recipe, try using a mix of parmesan and pecorino cheeses.

Recipe

Yield: 1 - 12.5 oz/360 g loaf
Protein Content:
Original Version: 18.33 g
GF Version: 18.34 g

15 g brown rice flour (1.35 g)
15 g sweet rice flour (.9 g)
20 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)
20 g pine nut meal (2.8 g)
20 g millet (2.3 g)
45 g white bean flour (9.67 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
2 g agar agar powder
25 g instant dry yeast
75 g grated parmesan
3 g sugar
3 g sea salt
27 ml water
52 g eggs (approx. 1 egg)
39 g butter, softened
20 g egg yolks (approx. 1 yolk)
20 ml agave syrup

1. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients including the parmesan and stir together. In another bowl or batter bowl, mix together the water, eggs, butter and egg yolks. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together.

2. Line a small washed flower pot with parchment paper and place the dough into the pot. Score the top of the bread with an X and then set it in a warm location for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to rise.

3. Place a heat proof bowl filled with water into the oven. Then preheat the oven to 385 degrees F/196 degrees C. Bake for 15 minutes and then prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon and then cook for another 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Brioche (B&P19)

Baking & Pastry Project #19 - Brioche

When my family all gets together...my Dad and I tend to become the fodder of the family snicker...especially at breakfast.

We have a tendency to go on a jam, preserves, jelly or curd adventure. We grab a bunch of spoons and start tasting our way through what ever new or interesting jams we've come across. I have a weakness for lime curd while my Dad has a thing for pineapple preserves. We draw a dividing line in the jar of fig preserves...his side and my side.

I think it's the number of spoons on the counter that starts the snickering. Maybe it's the lack of bread at our little jam fest.

We're not sugar junkies. It's the smooth sugary fruity perfection of the jam. A flavor that is subdued when you add it to bread.

To stiffle some of the snickerers, we picked up some English muffins and I made a brioche. It was a fabulously buttery and rich egg bread. So much so, we all fell into a bit of gluttony when it was cool enough to eat.

Out came the butter and the jam collection to adorn chunks of bread cut by our kids. The smell of the bread was driving them crazy, so they fixed up the bread for us all to try. By the time we were done, there was just a collection of crumbs on the platter.


Recipe

Bread

35 g brown rice flour (3.15 g)
35 g sweet rice flour (2.1 g)
35 g arrowroot starch (.105 g)
60 g almond meal (12 g)
60 g millet flour (6.9g)
52 g white bean flour (11.18 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
3 g agar agar powder
22 g instant dry yeast
38 g sugar
5 g sea salt
170 g butter, softened & pliable
113 g eggs
70 ml whole milk, room temperature

Egg Wash

57 g egg
60 ml milk
smidgeon sea salt

Dough

1. Combine the flours, agar agar, chia seed and yeast. Then add the eggs, milk, sugar, salt and mix. Gradually add the butter to the dough. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl into the refrigerator and chill overnight.

2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place onto a floured piece of parchment paper. Pull off a portion of dough, about the size of 2 golf balls. Gently shape into a ball and then press one side into a point so it makes a soft cone. Shape the large piece of dough into a ball and place into a greased and floured brioche pan (4 or 5 inch pan). In the center of the large ball, press your finger into it and gently work your finger around so it makes a cone shaped hole. Insert the end of the cone of the small ball into the hole. Set aside in a warm location and allow to rise for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 385 degrees Fahrenheit/196 degrees Celsius. Make the egg wash and gently brush over the top of the brioche. Place the brioche pan on a cookie sheet and put into the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

Mixed Berry & Cream Cheese Coffee Cake (B&P18)

Baking & Pastry Project #18 - Mixed Berry & Cream Cheese Coffee Cake


The beach is the place for me. White sand, emerald water and crisp tan sea oats waving in the wind.

Five generations of my father's family can claim the Gulf Coast of Florida home. In the grand scheme of things, they are relative newbies. While my mother's family has been here for millennia. Throughout my travels, I have always called the Gulf Coast home.

Back when I was single, one item on my list of things I'd like in a guy, was a love of white sandy beaches. As I got older, I discovered that everyone doesn't love the beach and there are people who prefer different types of beaches. The khaki sand or rocky beaches of the Atlantic weren't my perfect beach, but they were to someone else. Other people preferred the snowy mountains of Colorado or the grassy rolling plains of Nebraska.

In my late twenties, I was working in Wichita. To my surprise, I found a guy who loved white beaches. He was from Houston and as I got to know him better I found out his background was similar to mine. His mother's family could trace their heritage back to colonial times, while his father's family had been living in Alabama for millennia. He became my best friend and later my love.

Every year, we make our pilgrimage to the Gulf Coast. Rest, relaxation, family, fellowship, lack of sleep and lots of strong coffee permeate our visits. Trips to the beach, favorite restaurants or activities and sundown over the Gulf are things we love to do.

This year my niece stayed on with us after her family headed home to Atlanta. We had lots of fun going places, finding out how much seaweed you could actually get into a swim suit, riding the surf, making tie-dye shirts, taking turns battling each other with the World of Mythology on the Nintendo, caring for my Mom and eating all types of food. The highlight of the week for them was the day at Gulf World Marine Park for Dolphin Day camp.

It was a hands on camp designed to teach the kids all about marine mammals and how the park cares for the animals. Plus an in depth tour of the park facilities...all those cool places only employees get to go. After signing all the check in forms, fourteen totally pumped preteens were ready to follow their teacher Carol all over the park for the next 6 hours.

After signing the kids into their care, my husband and I headed out to Thomas' Donuts on Front Beach Road in Panama City Beach. They make the best doughnuts on the beach and I enjoyed eating them back when I could eat wheat. Our mission was to restock the breakfast doughnut supply for all the wheat eaters. The gluten free folks were going to enjoy the mixed berry and cream cheese coffee cake that I had made the night before. After selecting an assorted couple of dozen donuts, we headed back to the house for some strong Italian roast coffee and a warm slice of gf pastry.

We sat out on the deck and enjoyed the brilliant white sun and true blue sky while slowly working our way through our pastries. The coffee cake had a fabulous taste. The bread had an airy texture that stayed together and the flavor of the filling complemented the taste of it.

Would I do anything different with this coffee cake? Yes...I'd make more. When all the adults in my extended family realized how good it tasted, the coffee cake was gobbled up. When my husband discovered that the container holding the coffee cake was empty, he put his arm around my shoulders, gave me a big kiss and said, "That was absolutely horrible 'hun, how about you make some more?"


Recipe

Makes: 1 coffee cake
Protein Content:
Original Amount: 38.74 g
GF Amount: 38.45 g

Bread

35 g brown rice flour (3.15 g)
35 g sweet rice flour (2.1 g)
35 g arrowroot starch (.105 g)
60 g almond meal (12 g)
60 g millet flour (6.9 g)
6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)
52 g white bean flour (11.18 g)
28 g instant dry yeast
43 g sugar
9 g sea salt
3 g agar agar powder
120 ml whole milk
64 g eggs
43 g butter, soft

Cream Cheese Filling

114 g cream cheese, softened
28 g confectioner's sugar
8 ml vanilla extract
1 g lemon zest

Mixed Berry Filling

284 g mixed berries, fresh or frozen
62 g sugar
10 g cornstarch
60 ml water

Egg Wash

57 g egg
60 ml milk
smidgeon sea salt

Apricot Glaze

64 g apricot jam
45 ml water
64 g corn syrup
11 ml liquor (i.e. rum, vodka)

Fondant Drizzle

1 g gelatin
15 ml water
28 g corn syrup
2 ml glycerin
227 g confectioner's sugar



Cream Cheese Filling

Cream the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in a electric mixer. Blend on medium speed, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the the mixture is smooth and light in color (approximately 5 minutes). Place into a piping bag with a plain tip for spreading it on the bread dough.

Mixed Berry Filling

Work the cornstarch into a small amount of the water until it makes a slurry. Place the mixed berries (and liquid), sugar, water and cornstarch slurry into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool completely before using.

Egg Wash

Combine the eggs, milk and salt into a small bowl and then whisk together.

Apricot Glaze

Combine the apricot jam, water, corn syrup and liquor (I used vodka) in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Use a pastry brush to spread the warm glaze on top of the baked coffee cake.

Fondant Glaze

1. Warm the water in a sauce pan and pour in the gelatin. Let the gelatin sit in the warm water for a few minutes, then stir to make sure it has melted into the water. Take the pan off the heat and then add the corn syrup.

2. In a medium sized bowl, pour in the confectioners' sugar. Then add the gelatin mixture, stirring until it is blended. If necessary, add a little extra water to make sure the fondant is the texture of a glaze.

3. Pour the fondant into a piping bag with a small plain tip. It will be drizzled on top of the baked and apricot glazed coffee cake.


Dough

Combine the flours, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the water, egg yolks and oil together. Slowly add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. The dough should be slightly firm, smooth and slightly sticky.

Shaping Coffee Bread

1. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle it with sweet rice flour. Place the dough in the center of the parchment paper and sprinkle with sweet rice flour. Pat the dough out into an oblong, 10 x 12 in/25 x 30 cm, and 1/4 inch/6 mm thick. Turn the paper so that the short side of the dough is facing you.

2. Spoon the mixed berry filling down the center of the dough. Then pipe a line of cream cheese down either down of the berry filling.

3. Using a sharp knife, make parallel diagonal (45 degree angle) cuts down both sides of the dough. The cuts should be spaced about 1 in/2cm apart. Fold the top left strip diagonally over the top of the filling, then fold the top right strip over and press it gently into the left strip. Continue in this manner, alternating sides so that the top has a braided effect.

4. Slide the parchment paper with the coffee cake on it onto a sheet pan. Brush the dough with egg wash and then set aside in a warm location to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

5. Preheat a convection oven to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C. Brush another coating of egg wash on the dough and then sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake the coffee cake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and shiny.

6. Brush the top of the coffee cake with the warm apricot glaze. Allow it to cool for a few minutes and then drizzle the fondant over the top. Allow to cool on a rack before serving.


Notes:

1. White Bean Flour – You can purchase white bean flour from Barry Farm or you can grind your own using a coffee grinder. Make sure to sift your bean flour before using to make sure any bits that weren’t ground are removed.

2. Chia Seed Meal – You can purchase chia seeds from Barry Farm and use a coffee grinder to turn them into meal.


Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts

Baking & Pastry Project #17 - Braided Challah
Baking & Pastry Project Week 9 - Twisted & Braided
Baking & Pastry Project #16 - Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Baking & Pastry Project #15 - Rustic Raisin Bread
Baking & Pastry Project Week 8 - Raisins & More Raisins
Baking & Pastry Project #14 - Cheddar & Onion Mock Rye Batard
Baking & Pastry Project #13 - Prosciutto & Provolone Bread
Baking & Pastry Project Week 7 - Ham & Cheese


Want More?

You can find me on Twitter at glutenagogo.

Braided Challah (B&P17)

Baking & Pastry Project #17 - Three Strand Braided Challah

It has been a busy summer. We headed to Florida, so I could help my Dad out with my Mom. She had a stroke in October and some of her abilities are still in recovery mode. The doctor believes that she will eventually make a full recovery, but it has been a long road for her.

She wants to return to doing all the things she used to do, like cooking a meal or driving the car. However, the doctor won't allow her to do these things yet. To help out her gross motor skills and balance, my dad bought her a beautiful blue Schwinn Meridian tricycle. (I love this bike!) After my husband put it together for her, we took her outside for her first ride.

Then we all had to take a turn riding her tricycle. It's very easy to ride and steer. It has a great collapsible basket on the back for carrying your shopping. It made me wish our neighborhood was bicycle friendly. I'm a visitor over at Cycle Chic from Copenhagen. How I wish we had bicycle lanes and I could somewhat safely ride to get groceries. Where we live, I'd like to have a Jersey barrier between me and a car or truck before I'd even think about riding a bicycle on the road.

This loaf I set up to rise while my husband was putting the bicycle together. After I baked it and it was cooling, my husband, brother and I took our turn riding the bicycles. We headed out around the neighborhood taking turns riding the tricycle. Afterwards we headed back for a tall glass of iced tea and a warm slice of challah.

This was a wonderful loaf of bread. It sliced up neat and clean, which was great for making sandwiches. The loaf didn't last past breakfast the next day as it was a big hit with everyone.

Recipe

Yield: 1 loaf

Protein Content:
Original Recipe: 38.74 g
Gluten Free Recipe: 38.45 g

Bread

40 g brown rice flour (3.6 g)
40 g sweet rice flour (2.4 g)
40 g arrowroot starch (0.12 g)
60 g almond meal (12 g)
50 g millet flour (5.75 g)
8 g chia seed meal (1.68 g)
60 g white bean flour (12.9 g)
3 g agar agar powder
22 g instant dry yeast
30 g sugar
5 g sea salt
165 ml water
66 g egg yolks (approx. 4 yolks)
28 g vegetable oil

Egg Wash

57 g egg
60 ml milk
smidgeon sea salt


Dough

Combine the flours, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the water, egg yolks and oil together. Slowly add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. The dough should be slightly firm, smooth and slightly sticky.


Shaping

1. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with sweet rice flour. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll the dough into oblong pieces about 12 inches/30 cm long. Make sure each piece is the same length and the center of each should be thicker than the ends.

2. Dust each length of dough and the parchment paper with sweet rice flour. Lay the strands of dough parallel to each other lengthwise on one side of the parchment paper. Begin braiding the challah from the center. When you reach the end pinch the tips together. Taking the edges of the parchment paper in your hands, ease the braid over until the top is now the bottom. Begin braining from the center again and when you reach the end pinch the tips together. Tuck both ends of the braid under the loaf. Sprinkle the parchment paper with sweet rice flour and gently ease the braid into the center of the paper. Slip the parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

3. Preheat a convection oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/177 degrees Celsius. Make the egg wash and brush over the wash over the braid. Place the braid into the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until a dark golden brown and shiny. Cool on a rack before serving.

Notes:

1. White Bean Flour – You can purchase white bean flour from Barry Farm or you can grind your own using a coffee grinder. Make sure to sift your bean flour before using to make sure any bits that weren’t ground are removed.

2. Chia Seed Meal – You can purchase chia seeds from Barry Farm and use a coffee grinder to turn them into meal.


Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts

Baking & Pastry Project #17 - Braided Challah
Baking & Pastry Project Week 9 - Twisted & Braided
Baking & Pastry Project #16 - Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Baking & Pastry Project #15 - Rustic Raisin Bread
Baking & Pastry Project Week 8 - Raisins & More Raisins
Baking & Pastry Project #14 - Cheddar & Onion Mock Rye Batard
Baking & Pastry Project #13 - Prosciutto & Provolone Bread
Baking & Pastry Project Week 7 - Ham & Cheese


Want More?

You can find me on Twitter at glutenagogo.

Prosciutto & Provolone Bread (B&P-13)

Baking & Pastry Project #13 - Prosciutto & Provolone Bread

Happy Memorial Day! This is a four day weekend of us and we're planning loads of home and yard improvement.

We're working on finishing off the carpentry work on our kitchen remodel. Yesterday, my husband and daughter finished off the countertop trim. He was teaching her how to measure and set up the angles for cutting the wood. She got to counter sink the nails and schmear wood putty into the holes.

I was painting the strips for the batten of our board and batten paneling for the walls of the kitchen. There are so many strips that have to be primed and painted before they can be hung on the ceiling and walls. By the end of yesterday, I was covered in little droplets of paint. Our Sheltie had her own streaks of paint since she needed to share some love while I was trying to swing a paint brush.

Our son had his own project, to clean out his small bookcase so we can put a new one in his room. It's time to part with his young reader books to make room for the Redwall and Hardy Boys series he's collecting.

To round out the day, we started tackling our yard. We did a lot of trimming and shifted a few plants around. Due to the long cold winter, we had quite a few things die and others that suffered quite a bit of ice damage. I'm really sad about the loss of our Henry Lauder Walking Stick tree (also called a Corkscrew Hazel). It was a beautiful and unique tree that was remarkably lovely in the fall.

We took a break for lunch, crashing tiredly in the rocking chairs around the patio table. While our Sheltie aimed for the deepest part of the shade cast by the umbrella over the patio. We dined on prosciutto and provolone bread served with rainbow chard salad and a mixed fruit salad. Then we sat and indulged in multiple glasses of iced tea and frosty fruit jucies.

Recipe

Yield: 1 small loaf

Protein content: 23.57 g

1 Tb + 2 1/4 tsp/25 g brown rice flour (2.25 g)

1 Tb + 2 1/4 tsp/25 g sweet rice flour (1.5 g)

4 1/4 tsp/20 g arrowroot starch (.06 g)

2 Tb + 2 1/2 tsp/40 g almond meal (8 g)

1 Tb + 2 1/2 tsp/26 g millet flour (2.99 g)

1 1/4 tsp/6 g chia seed meal (1.26 g)

2 1/2 Tb/35 g white bean flour (7.5 g)

2 1/4 tsp + pinch/11 g instant dry yeast

1/2 tsp/2 g agar agar powder

3/4 tsp + dash/4 g sea salt

7 Tb + 1 tsp/109 ml water

1 Tb + 3/4 tsp/18 g olive oil

1 Tb + dash/15 g butter, soft

4 Tb/56 g prosciutto, diced

4 Tb/56 g provolone, diced

1. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and blend well. Pour in the olive oil, butter and water, then stir together. Sprinkle the parchment paper with sweet rice flour and place the bread dough in the center of the paper. Shape into a round ball and score an "X" in the center of the top of the dough. Cover and allow to rise for 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 435 degrees F/225 degrees C. If you have a baking stone, place it in the oven at the same time on a shelf in the top third of the oven. Gather an oven proof bowl that can hold water and a squirt bottle filled with water for steaming your bread. Place the water bowl on a shelf in the bottom third of the oven.

3. Slide the parchment paper with the loaf onto the baking stone. Squirt the sides of the oven with water and the top of the bread. Then bake for 25 minutes. Prop open the door of the oven and allow the bread to cook for 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven, then let the bread cool about 1 ½ hours before cutting.

Notes:

1. Bean Flour – You can purchase Black bean flour from Barry Farm or you can grind your own using a coffee grinder.

2. Chia Seed Meal – You can purchase chia seeds from Barry Farm and use a coffee grinder to turn them into meal.

3. Agar Agar Powder - Is available from Barry Farm as well.

Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts

Baking & Pastry Project Week 7 - Ham & Cheese
Baking & Pastry Project #12 - Belgian Apple Cider Bread
Baking & Pastry Project #11 - Beer & Cheese Bread
Baking & Pastry Project Week 6 - Beer, Cheese & Cider
Baking & Pastry Project #10 - Sunflower Honey Bran Bread
Baking & Pastry Project #9 - Black Bean Millet Pullman Loaf (mock rye)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 5 - Mock Rye & Sunflower Seeds


Want More?

You can follow me on Twitter, where I'm glutenagogo.

Sunflower Honey Bran Bread (B&P-10)

Baking & Pastry Project #10 - Sunflower Honey Bran Bread

Happy Mother's Day

While my husband and I were engaged, we had a discussion about whether or not we'd like to have children and how many. My husband came from a large family and informed me he'd like to have enough kids for a ball team. Somewhat stunned, I asked him what kind of ball team. He smiled and said, "Baseball." Laughing, I told him I'd agree to enough kids for a beach volley ball team, but not baseball. He smiled and said, "Great! How many people are on a beach volley ball team?" Smirking, I said, "Two."

Mother's Day is a great day for me. We were married for almost 7 years before we had our first child, a son. As soon as he could manage it, he started moving and still is at 13 years old. He's working towards his brown belt in karate now. Three years later, we had a daughter, although my dearest husband was hoping for another boy so he could talk me into having a third baby. She started life by watching her brother move and trying to mimic every physical challenge he made. At 10 years old, she loves to dance, ride horses and is still following her brother by taking karate.

I didn't do the whole pregnancy thing well, needing lots of bed rest, trips to the doctor and the hospital. I got an ambulance ride during rush hour traffic around the beltway in Virginia to the Fairfax County Hospital with our son. Our daughter decided life was quieter and more comfortable inside my body rather than in the labor and delivery room. So she got to spend ten days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while she adjusted to a life of breathing air. When we got her hospital bill, all we could think of was "Thank the good Lord for health insurance."

So today is very special to us, because in spite of all the challenges, we have two awesome kids. We love watching them grow, change and develop inquiring minds. It's shallow of me I know, but I think it's pretty exciting to have another set of muscles in the house. No more cranky jar lids that have to wait for my husband to get home. Not to mention my great joy in finding out that my daughter absolutely loves to wash dishes. I'm sure the thrill of picking up new chores and other odd jobs will fade for the kids, but for us, it's pretty cool.

Today's bread is a delicious Sunflower Honey Bran Bread. It's a very verstile bread, as I've used it for sandwiches, croutons and even as a base for the filling of the breakfast pastry I made for Mother's Day.

This recipe has both roasted and raw sunflower seeds. Grind the raw sunflower seeds to make the meal for this bread. When you grind the seeds, add some of the flour mixture to grinder to help absorb the oil and to keep from making sunflower seed butter.

Originally made with bread flour, the protein content was 47.97 grams per 100 grams of flour. While the gluten free version has 47.75 grams of protein per 100 grams of flour.

Recipe

Yield: 1 loaf

3.1 Tb/45 g brown rice flour (4.05 g)

3.1 Tb/45 g sweet rice flour (2.7 g)

3.1 Tb/45 g arrowroot starch (0.13 g)

4.2 Tb/60 g raw sunflower seed meal (9 g)

3.8 Tb/55 g millet flour (6.32 g)

.47 cup/110 g white bean flour (23.65 g)

1.8 tsp/9 g chia seed meal (1.89 g)

.63 tsp/3 g agar agar powder

2.9 Tb/42 g rice bran

3.1 tsp/15 g instant dry yeast

1.8 tsp/9 g sea salt

2.9 Tb/42 g roasted sunflower seeds

1.59 cup/378 ml whole milk, room temperature

2.1 Tb/70 g honey

1.4 tsp/21 g sunflower oil

1. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Pour in the honey, milk and sunflower oil then stir together. Sprinkle the parchment paper with sweet rice flour and place the bread dough in the center of the paper. Shape into a round ball and score a slash down the center of the top of the dough. Cover and allow to rise for 1 ½ hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 435 degrees F/225 degrees C. If you have a baking stone, place it in the oven at the same time on a shelf in the top third of the oven. Gather an oven proof bowl that can hold water and a squirt bottle filled with water for steaming your bread. Place the water bowl on a shelf in the bottom third of the oven. Brush sunflower oil over the top of the loaf and sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

3. Remove the stone or brick from the oven and slide the parchment paper with the loaf onto the baking stone. Squirt the sides of the oven with water and the top of the bread. Then bake for 30 minutes. Prop open the door of the oven and allow the bread to cook for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven, then let the bread cool about 1 ½ hours before cutting.

Notes:

1. White Bean Flour – You can purchase white bean flour from Barry Farm or you can grind your own using a coffee grinder. Make sure to sift your bean flour before using to make sure any bits that weren’t ground are removed

2. Chia Seed Meal – You can purchase chia seeds from Barry Farm and use a coffee grinder to turn them into meal.

3. Rice Bran - You can purchase rice bran from Ener-G Foods. You could also try the baking aisle at Whole Foods, that's where I purchased my box.



Other Baking & Pastry Project Posts


Baking & Pastry Project #9 - Black Bean Millet Pullman Loaf with Caraway Seeds (mock rye)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 5 - Mock Rye & Sunflower Seeds
Baking & Pastry Project #8 - Cocoa Chia Whole Grain Pullman Loaf
Baking & Pastry Project #7 - Adzuki & Job's Tears Pain de Mie
Baking & Pastry Project Week 4 - Sandwich Breads
Baking & Pastry Project #6 - Garbanzo & Pine Nut Grissini
Baking & Pastry Project #5 - Tepary Almond Sweet Potato Soft Rolls
Baking & Pastry Project Week 3 - Sticks & Rolls