Making gluten free breads easier!
There is just something about a home baked loaf of bread, the fresh aroma while it’s baking, the bite of the first slice of warm bread slathered in butter and jam. It makes me feel warm, cozy and puts a smile on my face. One of my favorite memories is traveling to and from Montana with my first husband Chris was stopping at Grandma Bette’s house. (He passed away in 1999.) Chris’ grandmother lived directly off the highway about 30 minutes from our destination, a perfect place to take a break and catch up on grandma time. Grandma Bette was a kind and gentle soul and her greatest joy was serving others. I don’t know how she did it, but every time we showed up to her house she just happened to have a fresh loaf of home baked bread that had just come out of the bread machine, with butter and homemade raspberry freezer jam on the table, ready for us to eat. We would sit around the table and catch up on life and sharing stories while eating warm bread. Grandma Bette was quite a brilliant woman. Sure, she wanted our bellies full with yummy goodness, but I think she did it knowing it brought the guys in off the ranch for a break, and it brought the family together, all sitting around the table and building relationships. I want to be like Grandma Bette when I grow up. I don’t want to be so busy that I can’t stop and just enjoy a few minutes or an afternoon break with the family. I want to pass on the joy of gathering around, sharing stories and filling our stomachs with fresh baked food that is wholesome and good.
I don’t know about you, but my life does get busy. It seems every morning I wake up and start getting busy and before you know it afternoon has arrived and I still don’t have the daily essentials marked off my list, let alone time to sit down and just bake. Now don’t get me wrong, I try to bake regularly. Home baked bread, cakes, cookies and scones are so delicious and so much more healthier than anything we can buy at the store. It has no added chemicals, preservatives and fillers of things we cannot pronounce.
I bake regularly, but sometimes I get so busy that by the time I realize I am hungry for a sandwich, I also realize I forgot to make bread, forcing me to either rely on store bought or change my lunch or snack to something bread free. We do have some brands of store bought gluten free bread in the freezer on hand that are decent, but none of them compare to home baked bread. Unfortunately, home baked bread takes some time. You can’t just snap your fingers and have it made for you, but surprisingly it’s really not that hard to make. So why do I procrastinate making bread? Perhaps it’s because I feel like I need to clean the kitchen before getting started. Are you one of those people too? Or maybe I feel I don’t have time to wait around for it to rise, and then bake. Or perhaps it’s because it’s sometimes a hassle to take the time to measure out all the ingredients and make bread from scratch when you already feel overwhelmed with the days activities. So I decided that it was time to start thinking ahead, so I never run out of fresh baked bread.
PLAN AHEAD GLUTEN FREE BREAD
- Pick 1-3 delicious Gluten Free Mama recipes from her cookbook In the Kitchen with Gluten Free Mama or one of her recipes below.
- Label 6 Ziploc plastic bags with the Bread flavors you will be preparing.
- Open Ziploc bags and place on counter.
- Measure out the dry ingredients for each of the bags according to the recipe. If desired add 1-2 tsp. chia seeds or 2-3 Tbsp. flax seeds to each bag for added nutrition. (Kids won’t be able to tell if the chia seeds are in there and they are high in Omega 3’s. The flax seeds they will notice, but for adults who like a little texture will like them.)
- Seal up bags, removing as much air as possible. Put away.
- When you are ready for gluten free bread, just pull out one of the bags and prepare using your mixer or bread machine.
- Enjoy warm fresh bread, then store rest of the bread in airtight container or Ziploc bag on counter for 1-4 days. By the fourth day, you may want to warm in microwave for 10-20 seconds before serving.
- If you are preparing your bread for the next couple of weeks. Cool bread completely. Evenly slice the entire loaf. Place a small piece of wax paper between every two pieces. Place in Ziploc bag, removing as much air as possible. Place in freezer until ready to use. The wax paper will allow you to easy remove the slices needed for a sandwich without having to pry them apart with a knife. Just a simple trick.
Have more success baking gluten free breads with Mama’s Gluten Free Bread Guide. I have a complete guide on having success baking gluten free breads, what size pans to use, how many rises, how long to bake and bread machine tips. Check them out here.
Click here to order my cookbook that has a variety of bread recipes. Use this coupon code for 10% off. DAILYBREAD (Coupon good until February 28, 2015)
Here are a couple of my published bread recipes.
Sesame French Bread ~ Egg Free & Dairy Free
Sun Dried Tomato Basil Bread ~ Egg Free & Dairy Free
Here is my new recipe for a Basic Gluten Free White Bread. I hope you enjoy!
Gluten Free White Bread
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 Tbsp. yeast
- 2 Tbsp. sugar or honey
[br]
- 3 cups Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
- 1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 tsp. salt[br]
- ½ cup warm milk (dairy, nut, rice, soy) (Microwave for 30-40 seconds)
- ¼ cup olive oil, canola oil or melted butter
- 2 eggs or Flax eggs (Mix together 2 Tbsp. flax seeds with ½ cup water. Simmer until thickened.)
- 1 tsp. cider vinegar
- Mix together warm water, yeast and sugar or honey and set aside until foamy.
- In a mixing bowl add flour, xanthan gum and salt.
- With mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in yeast mixture, then warm milk, oil, eggs and vinegar. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes.
- Spread batter into desired bread pans. Smooth out top, by lightly sprinkling with flour and pressing out the rough edges or running fingers under warm water and pressing out the rough edges. Baste the top with either egg white wash or warm water. If desired sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or herbs. Cover with dry towel for 1 ½ -2 hours in warm place.
- Bake at 400°.
- Loaf Pan: Bake for 1 hour (Cover halfway through baking to prevent over browning.)
- Mini Loaf Pans: Bake for 30-35 minutes
- inch cake pans: Bake for 28-30 minutes
Notes
Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour ~ Yes you can use any gluten free flour, but have better tasting and better texture results using Mama’s Flours! They are the perfect blend, light texture and not gritty! Purchase here!
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