Focaccia (B&P42)

For the last three months, we've been living and working out of a temporary home in Michigan. My husband's on location contribution to a project here is nearing it's end. So, we've been trying to cram in all the Great Lakes tourist destinations that we can manage.

This past weekend, we headed off to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan.  We had a lot of fun climbing hills, falling into the snow, banging up our knees, and taking pictures.  Then we headed off to the lakeshore to look for rocks and fossils, plus seeing the lighthouses. Last, we cruised the coastline of the Grand Traverse Bay and looked at all the different birds frolicking in the frigid water.

I do have to admit that our little trips have been a bit challenging to coordinate. When you travel with  kids, our dog and our various food issues, it can feel like a major war campaign just to go on a weekend getaway not to mention the two week vacation. We've been spoiled by the abundance of pet friendly hotels that are abundant on the eastern seaboard and in the south. Little did we realize that heading out into the forest lands of Michigan, that our hotel search would be more troublesome than our gluten free food planning.

I did use a couple of resources for this trip that proved to be pretty helpful, the Bed Bug Registry and Trip Advisor. I even used Google images to check for pictures of hotels, motels, plus bed & breakfast locations. After a great deal of searching, I located a family and pet friendly hotel in Traverse City, the Baymont Inn & Suites. It was a perfect lodging point for our trip and there were plenty of restaurants to try and negotiate a gluten free meal. 

If you come out to Michigan to visit the Great Lakes, be aware that many lodging locations and tourist destinations are closed for the winter. The National and State Parks are mostly open, but have limited accessibility due to heavy snowfall. If you are interested in cross country skiing, snow shoeing or snow mobiling these are great destinations. Otherwise, you'll need to wait until there is enough of a thaw to allow for easier access to the trails.

To get us on the road, I made a loaf of focaccia drizzled with olive oil. fresh oregano and dotted with Kalamata olives. It was the perfect type of road food, easy to handle and not messy to eat. Delicious!

Enjoy!

Recipe

Protein Content
Original Amount: 43.94 g
GF Amount: 43.302 g

Biga

15 g brown rice flour (1.35 g)
14 g sweet rice flour (0.84 g)
14 g arrowroot starch (0.042 g)
22 g almond meal (4.4 g)
20 g white bean flour (4.3 g)
1 g instant dry yeast (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)

50 ml water
10 ml agave sweet

Final Dough

50 g brown rice flour (4.5 g)
40 g sweet rice flour (2.4 g)
40 g arrowroot starch (0.12 g)
73 g almond meal (14.6 g)
50 g white bean flour (10.75 g)
6 g chia seed meal
4 g agar agar powder
12 g instant dry yeast
7 g sea salt
126 g biga (from above)
15 g agave syrup
23 g olive oil
135 ml water (120 - 130 degrees F/48 - 54 degrees C)
Optional Toppings: fresh herbs, olives, roasted tomato slices, sauteed garlic or onion slices.


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 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 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add the yeast mixture, biga, 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. Note: This dough should be a little looser than other types of doughs.

3. Place the dough in the center of a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with arrowroot starch. Gently pat the dough out into an 8-inch/20 cm circle and brush with olive oil. Slide the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet and place in a warm location to rise for 2 hours. Brush the focaccia with olive oil again and cover with your choice of toppings.

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 460 degrees F/238 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 15 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 culinary dvd's from my family for my birthday and our anniversary. 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
Index of the Baking & Pastry Project

Baking & Pastry Week 21 - A Biga & A Sourdough Starter
Baking & Pastry Project #41 - Ciabatta (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #40 - Rosemary Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 20 - More Bigas
Baking & Pastry Project #39 - Cracked Rice & Potato Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 19 - Bigas

A Biga & A Sourdough Starter - Baking & Pastry Week 21

A Sour Story

This week I'm wrapping up my exploration of bigas and moving on to sourdoughs. I'm going to make a couple of different types of sours, starting with one that is light colored and mild flavored like one made from bread flour.  The second will be stronger in flavor more like a rye flour. The final sour will be a whole grain style made with a stronger alternative flour, i..e. buckwheat, amaranth, teff, etc.

This first sour is mild and slightly colored and flavored with corn flour or an extra fine ground corn meal. It will take five days before your sour is ready to be made into a loaf of bread. When you measure out your flours to begin the starter, go ahead and measure out the rest of the flours for each feeding. Then your feeding process will be quick and easy.

If you are having trouble getting your culture started, you can add a grape, apple slice, onion or potato pieces. You can even use the water from boiling potatoes for your water in the recipe. I like using a mixture of flours in my sourdough starters, as I think you get a more vibrant culture. 

Once your sourdough culture has been established, you will need to feed it again once the dough has risen and then recedes from it's previous feeding.

Enjoy!

Sourdough Starter Recipe

Day 1 & 2

60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)
13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup

Mix the ingredients together and then cover.  Allow to sit for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C. On Day 2, check to see if the water and flours have separated. If they have stir them together, cover and allow the sour to sit another 24 hours.

Day 3
Note: The image above is of this starter at Day 3.

60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
56 g sour (from Day 1 & 2)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)

13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup

Take 56 g of the sour from Day 1 & 2, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the first feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C.

Day 4

60 ml water (80 degrees F/27 degrees C)
113 g sour (Days 1 - 3)
10 g brown rice flour (0.9 g)

13 g sweet rice flour (0.78 g)
10 g corn flour (not corn starch) (0.81 g)
13 g almond meal (2.6 g)
10 g white bean flour (2.15 g)
2 ml agave syrup

Take 113 g of the sour from Day 3, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the second feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 24 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C.

Day 5

120 ml water (60 degrees F/16 degrees C)
56 g sour (from Day 4)
35 g brown rice flour (3.15 g)
35 g sweet rice flour (2.1 g)
30 g corn flour (2.43 g)
40 g almond meal (8 g)
30 g white bean flour (6.45 g)
2 ml agave syrup

Take 56 g of the sour from Day 4, discard any excess sour. Add the water and the flours for the first feeding combining thoroughly. Cover and rest for 4 hours at 75 degrees F/24 degrees C, before using this sour to make a loaf of bread.



What Am I Baking?

Focaccia made with a biga (egg free & dairy free)

Brown Rice & Corn Sourdough (egg free & dairy free)


Shopping List

Brown Rice Flour (Fine or Superfine Grind)

Sweet Rice Flour (also called glutinous rice flour)

Arrowroot Starch

Corn Flour

Almond Meal

High Protein Flours, such as: Soybean, White Bean, Black Bean

Whole Grain Flour, such as: Buckwheat, Millet, Sorghum, Quinoa, Teff
Instant Dry Yeast
Binding Agents, such as: Xanthan or Guar Gum, Chia Seed Meal, Agar Agar Powder
Olive Oil


Resources

Flours & Binding Agents: Authentic Foods, Barry Farm, Bob's Red Mill
Instant Dry Yeast: Barry Farm
Agave Syrup: Wild Organics, Native Seeds


Equipment

Cookie Sheet
Parchment Paper
Baking Stone


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 culinary dvd's from my family for my birthday and our anniversary. 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

Index of the Baking & Pastry Project
Baking & Pastry Project #41 - Ciabatta (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #40 - Rosemary Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 20 - More Bigas
Baking & Pastry Project #39 - Cracked Rice & Potato Bread (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project #38 - Almond & White Bean Batard (Biga)
Baking & Pastry Project Week 19 - Bigas

Sourdough Pizza - Gluten Free

For thousands of years people around the globe have been eating flat breads with a variety of toppings or fillings. The Indians have paratha, the Germans have flammkuchen or tarte flambee for the French, but flat breads like pizza come from the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Etruscans, Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Turks all had their versions of flat bread. In the remains of Pompeii, archaeologists found the remains of shops that look like the modern pizzeria.

The most important innovation which led to the modern pizza was the addition of a fruit from the New World, the tomato. Brought back to Spain, the tomato was originally considered to be poisonous, but by 1540 it was in cultivation. The Spanish helped to spread the tomato across Europe, the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

By the late 18th century the poor people of Naples added tomato to the yeasted flat bread, creating the first pizzas. With the migration of Italians, the United States saw the first pizzas in the late 19th century. They were sold from street carts in Italian neighborhoods in large cities such as San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. By the end of World War II the popularity of pizza spread across the United States by returning veterans from the Italian campaign who developed a fondness for the bread.

Pizza was the first thing I thought of when I received my diagnosis for gluten sensitivity. My first attempts at making a gluten free pizza were not memorable. Time and experimentation have led to more successful gluten free pizza recipes, although to date this one is the best. The sourdough lends a soft and slightly tangy taste to crust. The crust turned out a crisp bottom that will allow you to hold and eat a slice of pizza. The gluten free flour combination and agave syrup provide a healthier crust that is also lower on the glycemic index.

Crust Recipe

1 1/2 cup Sourdough Starter
1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup Corn Flour
1/2 cup Arrowroot Starch
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tb Olive Oil
1 Tb Agave Syrup
1/2 cup Water (dough may need 1 or 2 Tb more)
1 1/2 tsp Kudzu Powder, dissolved in the Water

Pizza Toppings

Pizza Sauce
Fresh Basil
Mozzarella Cheese
Sage Sausage
Any Topping You Like

Equipment Needed: A plastic or wooden spoon, a large glass, plastic or wooden bowl, pizza pan or pizza stone.

1. If you have a sourdough starter already, bring it out and let it come to room temperature. If you don't have a sourdough starter, then follow the directions on making a sourdough starter which is on my post for Sourdough Waffles.

2. In a large glass mixing bowl, dump in the first six ingredients and stir together.

3. Pour in the agave syrup and slowly start adding the water until the dough forms a moist soft ball. Depending on your baking conditions, you may need to add one or two tablespoons of water more to the dough.

4. Cover and place in a warm location for 1 hour to rise.

5. Cover a pizza pan with parchment paper. Pour out the pizza dough into the center of the pizza pan. The dough will be very soft and bubbly. Sprinkle corn flour over the top of the dough and dip your fingers into the flour to keep them from sticking. Pat out the dough into a circle using the corn flour as needed.

6. While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and gather your pizza toppings.

7. Spread the pizza sauce over the top of the dough then sprinkle with fresh basil sliced into fine strips. Then place the mozzarella cheese around the top and sprinkle with sage sausage.

8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and the cheese is bubbly. Allow to cool and then slice.

What did my family think about this pizza? They all thought that this was the best gluten free pizza I had ever made. I agreed, the crust was light and soft and the bottom crisp. The slices held together beautifully while you held them to eat. This is a keeper.

Sourdough Oat Waffles - Gluten Free

I have a gluten free sourdough starter sitting in my refrigerator and it likes to be fed about once a week. Since it was feeding time and my new Villaware waffle iron arrived, it was time to start baking. I wanted to have a more robust style of waffle with grains in it, so I chose to use gluten free oat flour and rolled oats.* The waffles turned out fluffy and delicious, with a hint of sourdough flavor.

The process of making sourdough starter and the sourdough waffle batter will take some time. Try making your starter several days before you want waffles. Then put together the waffle starter the night before you want to make them.

Waffles, pancakes, and crepes can all be part of the Bread Baking Bonanza for World Bread Day and National Celiac Awareness Month. Follow the link to find out how to participate and bake along with us.

Sourdough Starter Recipe

Equipment Needed: Plastic or Wooden Spoons and Glass, Plastic or Wooden Bowl

1 cup water
1 1/2 cup brown rice flour*
2 packets RiZE yeast or other gluten free yeast

1. In a medium sized glass, plastic or wooden bowl, pour in the water and heat it until it is between 110 & 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Dump in the yeast and brown rice flour, then using a plastic or wooden spoon stir until the ingredients are combined together.

3. Cover and place in a warm location for 1 1/2 to 3 hours. If you don't have a warm location, preheat your oven for about 5 to 10 minutes or until it is slightly warm, but not warm enough to cook. Then place your starter in the oven to rise.

4. When the starter is ready to use and you remove some for your recipe, it will need to be fed. To feed it, pour in 3/4 cup of water and 1 cup of brown rice flour.

Now you are ready to make the sourdough oat waffles recipe and have a starter that will make other wonderful gluten free sourdough breads.

Sourdough Oat Waffles Recipe

Equipment Needed: Plastic or Wooden Spoon; Plastic, Glass or Wooden Bowl

1 cup Sourdough Starter
1 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cup oat flour**
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup rolled oats**
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tb agave syrup

1. In a medium sized bowl, dump in the sourdough starter, coconut milk and 1/2 cup oat flour. Stir together and then cover.

2. Put in a warm place to ferment for 8 to 24 hours. The longer this batter has a chance to sit the stronger the sourdough flavor will become.

3. When you are ready to cook the waffles, add the next seven ingredients. Stir to combine and then allow it to sit for a few minutes.

4. Preheat the waffle iron, when it is ready pour in the recommended amount of waffle batter for your type of waffle iron. Spread the batter to the edges and cook until a golden brown color.

5. Remove the waffle from the iron. Serve with your choice toppings. Makes 4 Belgian waffles.

What did my family think of the sourdough waffles? Everyone thought they were great, especially when served with warm maple syrup.

Notes:
*You can use other gluten free flours to make your starter and other flours to feed it. If you are allergic to rice or you do not have permission to eat oats, feel free to substitute another gluten free flour.

** If you have your doctor's okay to consume oats, you can find certified gluten free oats at: Bob's Red Mill, Cream Hill Estates, Gifts of Nature, Glutenfree.com, Glutenfreemall.com, and Glutenfreeoats.com.

In Celebration of Bette Hagman - Gluten Free Sourdough Bread

Recently Bette Hagman, one of the pioneers of gluten free cooking, author of six cookbooks and a founding member of the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), passed away. Her contributions will be missed by all those who have benefited from her cooking and her activism for the gluten free community.

When I was first diagnosed, I realized I was going to need some help converting my kitchen and my cooking to gluten free. So, I swung by the library to see what they might have on gluten free cooking. The librarian where I could find all types of special diet cookbooks and told me I ought to try out the books by The Gluten-Free Gourmet. She mentioned that Bette Hagman's books were some of the most popular in this category. I gathered up Living Well Without Wheat and The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread, ready to figure out how to change my cooking.

Bette's books guided me through my journey in learning how to cook gluten free. I made many of her bread recipes from The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread and other recipes from her books The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Food and Living Well Without Wheat. It felt like Bette was there guiding and teaching me. Bette's books built my confidence and knowledge so that I was able to begin experimenting with my own recipes. She gave me the knowledge that enabled me to be the adventurous cook I had been prior to my diagnosis.

I made Bette's Sourdough Bread recipe from her book Living Well Without Wheat. It's a fun and enjoyable recipe where you begin by making your sourdough starter. Once it has fermented nicely, you start your bread. While it's rising, you feed the sourdough starter, so it can keep growing. While the bread was baking the aromas were so heavenly and the flavor of the bread was wonderful. And the sourdough starter? It's sitting quietly in the refrigerator until it can break free and go wild in another loaf of bread.

Thank you Bette for all your hard work in making these cookbooks. They are a gift that will keep giving not only to me, but to the gluten free community for years to come.