Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

 Since I realized I had to completely cut gluten out of my diet, I have been enjoying this gluten-free sourdough bread a little too much! I looked at several recipes. This one from Rachel Conners at Bakerita is my favorite! I have adjusted her original recipe to make a larger loaf. I use only organic ingredients and a high quality salt. I shop for the ingredients at Thrive Market, iHerb and Vitacost. (If you sign up with iHerb and Vitacost, they often send emails announcing up to 20% off orders!)

EQUIPMENT

Scale

Quart Mason jar

Large bowl

Medium sized bowl

Dough whisk

Whisk

Sieve or small bowl

Linen or tea towels

Preferment

195g active gluten free sourdough starter

130g filtered water

105g white or brown rice flour

Liquids

30g psyllium husk (not powder)

400g filtered water

20g olive oil

Flour mixes

105g potato starch

85g tapioca flour or arrowroot flour

105g sorghum flour

105g white or brown rice flour

20g good quality salt

WHAT YOU DO:

To make the preferment

~In a quart mason jar, mix together 195g active starter, water and rice flour. Mix until smooth, then cover and leave on counter for 4 to 18 hours. 

To make the dough

1) In a medium size bowl, whisk together the psyllium husk, water and olive oil. Let gel while preparing the flour mixture

2) In a large bowl, combine all the flours, startchs and salt. 

3) Pour the preferment into the psyllium gel mix and whisk until well blended.

4) Add the wet ingredients from step 3 into the large bowl of flour from step 2. I use a dough whisk to combine as well as I can. Then I use my hands to mix more thoroughly until a smooth dough forms.

5) Line a sieve or bowl with a tea towel. Dust with rice flour. 

6) Transfer the dough into the lined sieve or bowl, smooth side down. 

7) Cover with a tea towel and let proof for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. If you are proofing your dough in the refrigerator, take it out an hour or two before cooking. 

To bake

1) With your Dutch oven in your oven, preheat to 450°. 

2) When your oven is preheated and your dough is well proofed, carefully flip the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Dust the top with rice flour and score as desired.

3) Remove your Dutch oven carefully from the oven. Carefully lower your loaf into the Dutch oven, replace the lid and put your bread in the oven for 50 minutes.

4) After 50 minutes of baking, remove the lid and bake for an additional 35 minutes. 

5) Remove bread from oven. Carefully flip onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing.

This bread is definitely the tastiest on the day it was baked. However, what bread we don't eat in the first two days, I slice and put in zip-lock bags and store in the freezer. From the freezer it is fabulous for toast or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Einkorn Sourdough Bread (rough draft)

I'm just giving this written recipe a shot. Watching someone guide you through the process is very beneficial. I learned from the wonderful Min Kim. Her True Sourdough Bread e-book is worth purchasing. Here is a YouTube video that may be helpful. The process seems complicated. But, once you've gone through it a few time, it's simple! Here are the written instructions. (And, I'm trying to learn how to post photos so you can see the tools and flours needed. I'm techy-challenged😉)


Waking up starter (if my starter has been in the refrigerator):
Using a 1/2 gallon glass canister or a quart Mason jar, add
65 grams starter
65 grams organic all purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill or Whole Foods brand)
65 grams filtered water
Mix well with spoon
Cover with dish towel and set on counter
Feed once or twice a day
(3 feedings are recommended before making bread if starter was in the fridge)

Feeding my starter:
To starter add
50 grams all purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill or Whole Foods brand)
50 grams water
Mix well with spoon
(I feed my starter every evening. In warmer months it's recommended to feed twice a day. If I have more than 2 cups starter, I start dumping some out, or it can be used in recipes that call for starter)

Making my levain:
In pint Mason jar add
30 g starter
75 g Einkorn all purpose flour
75 g water
Mix well with spoon
Cover with dish towel and let sit on counter until it doubles or 2 1/2 times in size, usually 8 to 10 hours
(I put a rubber band around where the starter is to see how much it rises. I make my levain in the mornings, so I can build my dough in the afternoon/evening)

Building my dough:
In large glass bowl add
770 g water (in cooler weather I add a bit of water that's been boiling)
165 g of levain (the levain should float)
Mix with dough whisk
Add
300 g Einkorn all purpose flour
300 g sprouted spelt (or rye or Korashan)
Mix with dough whisk
Add
500 g Einkorn all purpose flour
30 g sea salt
Mix well with hands and talk to God and thank Him for the bread and for the people who will be eating it
(Since I am usually building my dough in the afternoon or evening, I leave it on my counter, covered with a dish rag until bed time)
Cover with plastic wrap and leave on counter for 12 hours or more. It usually doubles in size by the morning and smells wonderfully yeasty!

Shaping my dough:
I place lots of Einkorn all purpose flour on my butcher block counter
Scoop out the dough onto the floured surface
Separate the dough in half with bench knife
Using the bench knife fold into a ball
Stretch and fold to make a taut ball
In a brotform bowl or other bowl, place a cloth napkin in it and dust it with a mixture of 1/2 white rice flour and 1/2 Einkorn all purpose flour
Add the dough ball, seam side up
Repeat with other 1/2 of dough
Cover both bowls with cloth napkins
Let sit for an hour, then place in refrigerator until it's time to bake
(I am usually shaping my dough in the morning. So I can be baking my bread in the late morning. But, usually my two bowls sit in my refrigerator until late afternoon so we can have hot bread with dinner!)

Baking my bread:
Set Dutch Oven (with cover) in oven and preheat at 500º
Once oven reaches 500º take one of the shaped doughs out of fridge and dust with rice/Einkorn mixture
With mitts that can withstand 500º (super important as the pot and lid are extremely hot) remove lid
Turn dough upside down into pot and dust top
Using a sharp razor blade, score the dough
Place lid back on and put in oven
Bake at 500º for 20 minutes
Decrease oven to 465º, remove lid and bake for another 10 minutes
When baking is done, carefully remove bread from pot and place on rack to cool

Let cool for a few hours on wire rack (I've been known to wait a few minutes). Slice or tear off chunks and enjoy with LOTS of raw butter!

Sample time frame:
If my starter has been in the refrigerator and I want to bake bread for Friday dinner...
Monday evening: take starter out of fridge and follow directions for waking up starter
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings: feed starter 50g all-purpose flour and 50g filtered water
Thursday morning: make levain
Thursday afternoon (about 8 to 10 hour later): build dough
Thursday evening before bed: place plastic wrap over bowl of dough
Friday morning (12 or more hours after building dough): shape dough
1 hour later: place the two proofing bowls in fridge
2 to 6 hours later: bake bread!

Banana Bread

My husband, Greg, found this recipe from Dr. Axe. Wow! Good job, my love!

What you need:
 5" X 9" glass baking dish
 4 eggs
 3 medium very ripe bananas
 1/4 cup honey
 1/4 cup coconut milk
 1 tsp. vanilla
 2 tsp. baking soda
 2 1/4 cup almond flour
 1/2 tsp. sea salt
 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

What you do:
 Preheat oven to 350º (While oven is heating, place a good amount of butter in baking dish and place     in oven to melt, but be careful to not burn)
 Mash bananas in bowl, then add eggs, honey, coconut milk and vanilla
 In separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients
 Combine both mixtures and stir until well incorporated
 Place in baking dish and bake for 35 to 50 minutes
 Serve with LOTS of butter from grass fed cows or honey/yogurt cheese
 Enjoy!

Seedy Crackers

I have been on the hunt for a healthy cracker for some time. The rice crackers from TJs contain soy. (And since it is not organic soy, it is probably genetically modified.) Annie's Crackers are made from organic rice, but the rice is not properly prepared. I found an organic sprouted seed cracker at Jimbo's that I like, only too expensive and the crackers are very thick. My thoughts on crackers....They are just transportation to my mouth of some delicious fat, such as grass-fed butter or raw cheese! After several attempts, I found and adjusted a very simple recipe I like from Angela at Oh She Glows.

What you need:

1/2 cup chia seeds
3/4 to 1 cup filtered water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup sprouted sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/8 small onion, grated on a zester
3-4 garlic cloves, grated on a zester

What you do:


Place the chia seeds, 3/4 cup water and salt in medium glass bowl
Cover and let soak overnight or for at least 8 hours
Preheat oven to 350º
Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl of soaked chia seeds.  Mix well. If the mixture seems too dry, add water to get a moist, but not too wet, consistency
Spread mixture out on parchment lined baking sheet, spreading with spatula to a consistent 1/4 inch
Bake for 30 minutes
Flip over to another parment lined baking sheet
Using large knife, cut into bite size pieces
Bake for another 20 minutes and check for doneness (Should be slightly browned)
Cook longer if needed
Separate and enjoy!

These crackers are delicious right out of the oven, topped with grass-fed butter!

Blueberry Almond Bread

This recipe is an adaptation of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's grain free bread recipe found in her book, Put Your Heart in Your Mouth. Ali came up with the idea of cooking our bread without raw honey in it, as heat destroys some of the nutrients. We add the honey and cultured butter after the bread is baked!


What you need:
 3 eggs
 2 1/2 cups almond meal
 1 tsp. sea salt
 1 tsp. baking soda
 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
 1/2 cup apple sauce
 zest of 1 lemon
 juice of 1 lemon
 1 tsp. vanilla
 4 oz. blueberries

Equipment:
 Mixing bowl
 9" X 5" glass loaf pan

What you do:
 Preheat oven to 300º
 Melt small amount of butter, ghee or coconut oil in loaf pan
 Beat eggs
 Mix in almond meal, salt and baking soda
 Mix in melted coconut oil
 Mix in apple sauce, lemon zest and juice, vanilla
 Mix in blueberries
 Bake for 50 minutes and check for doneness. May be quite jiggly in middle, but will firm up
 Serve with lots of butter and raw honey or homemade cream cheese/honey spread (recipe coming   soon)
 Enjoy!

Rosemary Garlic Parmesan Bread

Every now and then my family and I crave some type of bread to go with our soup. This recipe is an adaptation of the one found in Put Your Heart in Your Mouth, by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. (If you haven't heard of her, google her now!) Just what the doctor ordered!

What you need:

 3 eggs

 2 1/2 cups almond meal

 1 tsp. sea salt

 2 tsp. garlic powder

 1/4 cup melted ghee or butter, plus a little extra to grease the pan

 2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary (if available)

 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra to go on top

 Equipment:

 8" x 4" loaf pan (I use glass)

What you do:

 Preheat oven to 300º

 As oven is preheating, melt a small amount of butter in loaf pan

 Whisk eggs in mixing bowl

 Mix in almond meal, salt, garlic

 Add melted ghee and mix
 Add rosemary and Parmesan cheese and mix

 Press into loaf dish

 Top with extra grated Parmesan cheese

 Bake for 50 minutes

 Serve warm and with LOTS of cultured butter!

Though this is a gluten free bread, it is not something that should be consumed often. A few times a week is more than enough. (My friend, Kim, would tease me...but this almond meal is not made from "properly prepared" almonds.)

Food for thought on removing gluten from your diet:

From Natufian Porridge to Donut Holes, by William Davis, MD
How do Grains, Legumes and Dairy Cause a Leaky Gut?, by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD
Frequently Asked Questions, David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM