Gluten Free Multigrain Bread

I have grown to absolutely love this bread. It is light, earthy, and delicious. It makes a nice loaf, great burger buns, and next week I am going to try to make it into garlic bread sticks. I'll let you know how it goes.

I have been grinding my own grains now that I splurged on a Vitamix blender a few months back. It is wonderful to be able to take a whole grain, grind a flour and use it immediately to produce a bread. I usually stay away from bread because I don't like the idea of flour that sits on the shelf exposed to air and high temperatures for who-know-how-long. But this bread I feel good about. It showcases grain diversity, using millet, brown rice and amaranth, as well as a healthy does of omega-3 rich flax seeds.



I highly recommend grinding your grains and flax freshly if possible. If not, you can find many of these flours by Bob's Red Mill at your local co-op. This is how I purchase my tapioca flour, which is not possible to grind fresh. For optimum shelf-life and nutrition, store flours in the freezer to minimize oxygen, heat and UV exposure. The other possibly-unrecognizable white powders in this recipe include arrowroot (a less refined cornstarch alternative) and xanthan gum (a thickener often used in gluten free baking). Both can usually be found in the bulk or gluten free section at any natural food store.

Gluten-Free Multigrain Bread
Serves 8

Ingredients
1/4 cup water (105-115 degrees)
2 1/4 tsp. yeast (one packet)
1 tsp. unrefined cane sugar

1 egg
1 egg white
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. honey
1/2 cup water

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp. unrefined cane sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot
1/4 tapioca flour
1/4 amaranth flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
2 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Mix 1/4 cup warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in a small bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved and let sit in warm spot for 10 minutes, until foamy. If mixture does not foam, the yeast is not active and should be replaced.

In a medium bowl combine egg, egg white, oil, vinegar, honey and water. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients (flours, arrowroot, sugar, flax, xanthan gum and salt), stirring to combine.

Add wet ingredients and yeast mixture to dry mixture. Using a large fork, stir briskly for 4 minutes.



Place dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Shape into a rustic loaf, or 8 circular buns. Alternatively, you can use an oiled loaf pan to make a structured loaf. Let rest in a warm place, covered, for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If baking a loaf, bake for 65 minutes, placing tin foil over the top after 45 to prevent over-browning. If baking buns, bake for 20-30 minutes, checking after 15.

Let cool, slice and enjoy!




UPDATE:


Here are some pictures of my garlic breadstick experiment. I followed the same recipe, except the day before I slow baked a head of garlic cloves in 1/2 cup of olive oil (I stuck it in with my slow roasting tomatoes, fennel and leeks at 250 degrees) for an hour or so. I used that garlic infused oil as well as chopped the golden garlic and threw that in as well. Shape them into long oblongs instead of buns, sprinkle with a little extra garlic salt and you are in business.



Relax. Eat Well.