Gluten Free Seeded 100% Whole Grain Bread

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear   

     I have been trying recipes from a recently published cookbook Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zöe François.  The authors have come up with a bread baking method that is easy, convenient and creates amazingly wonderful gluten free breads and bread like baked goods.

     There are some basic flour blends that you mix up.  Then you make a batch of dough from the basic flour blends.  The batch will make about 4 loaves of bread.  No mixer needed, the bread texture is great with just hand stirring.  You can easily halve or double the amount of dough or flour blends that you make.  You keep the batch of dough in the fridge for up to 5 days and make baked goods from the dough as you want it.  The “bread in five” minutes refers to the time it takes to form a loaf as you need it, not the mixing, baking and rising times. That said, it is great to have fresh bread at whim.

     The book includes instructions for replacing ingredients, so if you don’t eat dairy or eggs or some of the flours or gums you can still make the recipes.

     I love the texture of the breads.  So far I have made a half batch of the Master Recipe dough and baked two bâtards, which are French breads that are wider than a baguette, more like Italian bread. The crust is crisp and chewy and the center is soft, like I remember Italian bread was like.  

A bâtard.

     I have also made a half batch of the Seeded 100% Whole Grain loaves.  I was in heaven eating this bread.  The crust was amazing, chewy and crisp.  The center was soft yet slightly dense.  The bread was delicious, hearty and satisfying.  I prefer whole grain type breads and this was perfect.  I made one loaf as a boule and one I shaped into a fat short log so that I could make sandwich slices.  So good.  It was like a whole grain artisan bread from Whole Foods, only gluten free.  

     I made a half batch of the Challah dough. I intended to make one loaf of Challah bread and one batch of cinnamon rolls.  I made the cinnamon rolls first.  OMG!  Soft and delightful.  The wheat eaters gobbled them up and were raving about how delicious they were.  I was just so thankful to have a real cinnamon roll again.  They stayed soft when cold and one day old.  They did not get past that day.  The only reason any lasted more than the first day was that I made one more batch of the cinnamon rolls instead of the Challah bread.  

Cinnamon Rolls.

     I recommend that you get this book.  The bread has the texture of real bread.  So satisfying and enjoyable.  The dough is easy to make.  The ingredients are easily found.  It is a great concept to mix up a batch of dough and keep it in the fridge until you want to make a loaf.  Sort of like having the convenience of pre-made refrigerator rolls only you do need to allow for rising time as well as baking time.  The book includes recipes for many different types of breads, pizza, and pastry items.     

     They have a website with the Master recipe and flour blend, so you can try it before buying the book.  The website also answers many baking and substitution questions.

     I am posting my favorite, so far, the Seeded 100% Whole Grain Loaf.  I have written the recipe for one and two loaves; in case you want to try to bake a second one in the five day period and get an idea of how convenient it is to make bread when you have the dough in the fridge.     

    This recipe is posted as I made it.  There are some substitutions that are given in the book, but I did not try them.  You can substitute ground psyllium seed instead of xanthan gum by using 4 Tbs. for 2 loaves and 2 Tbs. for 1 loaf.  You can substitute molasses or agave for the honey in the same amounts.  

Gluten Free Seeded 100% Whole Grain Loaf

Ingredients

2 LOAVES	1 LOAF
125 gm/9 oz.	62.5 gm/4.5 oz.	Brown Rice Flour (extra fine grind)
125 gm/9 oz.	62.5 gm/4.5 oz.	Sorghum Flour
125 gm/9 oz.	62.5 gm/4.5 oz.	Teff Flour
125 gm/9 oz.	62.5 gm/4.5 oz.	Certified GF Oat Flour
2 Tbs. + 1 tsp.	1 Tbs. + 1/2 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
1 Tbs.	1 1/2 tsp.	Ground Flax Seed
2 Tbs.	1 Tbs.	Sesame Seeds
1/4 cup	2 Tbs.	Shelled Pumpkin Seeds or Pepitas
1 1/2 tsp.	3/4 tsp.	Yeast Granules
3/4 tsp.	3/8 tsp.	Sea Salt
2 cups/455 gm	1 cup/228 gm	Warm Water (100 - 110℉)
2 Tbs.	1 Tbs.	Honey
2 large	1 large	Eggs
1 Tbs. per loaf	1 Tbs.	Corn Meal for ‘flouring’ the parchment paper

Directions

FIRST MAKE THE DOUGH

1. In a large bowl mix all the flours, xanthan gum, salt and yeast.  Mix with a whisk until very well combined. 
2. Add the seeds and mix again.

   

   Dry ingredients and seeds.

3. Add the water, eggs and honey and mix well with a spoon.

   

   Wet ingredients added to the dry ones.

   
   

   

   Dough after hand mixing with a wooden spoon.

   
   

   

   Dough with top smoothed out ready to rest for 2 hours.

4. Cover loosely and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough doubles in bulk, about 2 hours. 
5. At this point you can store the dough in the fridge for up to 5 days until ready to bake the loaf or you can make a loaf immediately.

   

   
   Dough after 2 hours at room temperature. 

WHEN READY TO BAKE THE BREAD

1. If you made enough dough for 1 loaf use all the dough, if you made enough for 2 loaves use half of the dough.  
2. ‘Flour’ a piece of parchment paper with corn meal.
3. With wet hands, take the dough, place it on the prepared parchment paper and then shape the dough into a boule or a fat log (good for sandwiches) or whatever shape you like.
4. Wet your hands again and smooth the top of the loaf.
5. Make a few slashes across the loaf with a serrated knife.  This keeps the bread from cracking in an uneven manner.

   

   Dough on parchment paper "floured" with cornmeal.
   The dough has been smoothed and shaped with wet hands.
   The top has been slashed with a serrated knife
   after an egg white wash and sunflower seeds were put on top.

6. If you like, brush the top with egg white, oil or water and sprinkle with some seeds such as sunflower, sesame, pumpkin or any others that you prefer.
7. Loosely cover the loaf with plastic wrap or a large bowl and allow to rest for 1 hour.
8. 30 minutes before baking, place a rack in the center of the oven and place a pizza stone on the rack.  On a rack below, place a broiler tray or other oven safe pan. Preheat the oven to 450℉.
9. After the dough has rested and the oven is preheated to 450℉, slide the loaf, still on the parchment paper, onto the pizza stone in the oven.  Pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray or the other oven safe pan.  The moisture from the steam helps the bread to rise and bake in the oven.
10. Bake about 45 minutes, until the loaf is nicely browned or until the internal temperature is 210℉.

    

    Baked bread cooling on a rack.

11. Allow the baked loaf to cool on a rack.  Do not slice the bread when hot or you will have a dense gooey loaf.  Be patient and allow the loaf to cool, the results are well worth the wait.  Slice the cooled loaf with a serrated knife.  Enjoy.

Gluten Free Seeded 100% Whole Grain Loaf Ingredients 2 LOAVES 1 LOAF 125 gm/9 oz. 62.5 gm/4.5 oz. Brown Rice Flour (extra fine grind) 125 gm/9 oz. 62.5 gm/4.5 oz. Sorghum Flour 125 gm/9 oz. 62.5 gm/4.5 oz. Teff Flour 125 gm/9 oz. 62.5 gm/4.5 oz. Certified GF Oat Flour 2 Tbs. + 1 tsp. 1 Tbs. + 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum 1 Tbs. 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Flax Seed 2 Tbs. 1 Tbs. Sesame Seeds 1/4 cup 2 Tbs. Shelled Pumpkin Seeds or Pepitas 1 1/2 tsp. 3/4 tsp. Yeast Granules 3/4 tsp. 3/8 tsp. Sea Salt 2 cups/455 gm 1 cup/228 gm Warm Water (100 - 110℉) 2 Tbs. 1 Tbs. Honey 2 large 1 large Eggs 1 Tbs. per loaf 1 Tbs. Corn Meal for ‘flouring’ the parchment paper Directions FIRST MAKE THE DOUGH In a large bowl mix all the flours, xanthan gum, salt and yeast. Mix with a whisk until very well combined. Add the seeds and mix again. Add the water, eggs and honey and mix well with a spoon. Cover loosely and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough doubles in bulk, about 2 hours. At this point you can store the dough in the fridge for up to 5 days until ready to bake the loaf or you can make a loaf immediately. WHEN READY TO BAKE THE BREAD If you made enough dough for 1 loaf use all the dough, if you made enough for 2 loaves use half of the dough. ‘Flour’ a piece of parchment paper with corn meal. With wet hands, take the dough, place it on the prepared parchment paper and then shape the dough into a boule or a fat log (good for sandwiches) or whatever shape you like. Wet your hands again and smooth the top of the loaf. Make a few slashes across the loaf with a serrated knife. This keeps the bread from cracking in an uneven manner. If you like, brush the top with egg white, oil or water and sprinkle with some seeds such as sunflower, sesame, pumpkin or any others that you prefer. Loosely cover the loaf with plastic wrap or a large bowl and allow to rest for 1 hour. 30 minutes before baking, place a rack in the center of the oven and place a pizza stone on the rack. On a rack below, place a broiler tray or other oven safe pan. Preheat the oven to 450℉. After the dough has rested and the oven is preheated to 450℉, slide the loaf, still on the parchment paper, onto the pizza stone in the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler tray or the other oven safe pan. The moisture from the steam helps the bread to rise and bake in the oven. Bake about 45 minutes, until the loaf is nicely browned or until the internal temperature is 210℉. Allow the baked loaf to cool on a rack. Do not slice the bread when hot or you will have a dense gooey loaf. Be patient and allow the loaf to cool, the results are well worth the wait. Slice the cooled loaf with a serrated knife. Enjoy.