Gluten Free sourdough bread
The quality of commercially available bread is certainly one of the most difficult things to come to terms with when first diagnosed with coeliac disease. The small loaves available in supermarkets that have been frozen and thawed, so technically can't be refrozen, the $12 specialty loaf from the emerging gluten free bakeries that can be hit and miss. And all you want is a simple slice of bread that you can eat fresh in a sandwich or toast for breakfast without it crumbling away.
For a long time this simple request has seemed impossible. But after much trial and error, and to be honest a few tears of disappointment and frustration, the holy grail of a delicious loaf of bread, baked at home has been found!
he quality of commercially available bread can indeed be one of the most challenging aspects to accept when first diagnosed with coeliac disease. The small loaves available in supermarkets that have been frozen and thawed - and thus technically cannot be refrozen - the $12 specialty loaf from the emerging gluten-free bakeries that can be hit or miss. All you desire is a simple slice of bread that you can enjoy fresh in a sandwich or toast for breakfast without it disintegrating.
For a long time, this modest request seemed unachievable. However, after considerable trial and error - and, to be frank, a few tears of disappointment and frustration - the holy grail of a delicious homemade loaf of bread has been discovered!
Sourdough bread does have several steps. These are time-consuming rather than technically challenging, with the loaf needing time to prove. There are three stages: 1. sourdough starter, 2. sponge, 3. dough. The first step is to create a sourdough starter. This process takes five days to develop, but once made, with a bit of love and care, it will last for years. You can use a variety of flours as the base for the starter, such as quinoa, sorghum, buckwheat, or millet. I prefer to use brown rice flour as it is easily sourced and results in a mildly flavoured sourdough.
This recipe is based on one by the English chef, Naomi Devlin. Her recipe includes yeast added to the sponge before incorporating the flours. Personally, I don't believe the bread requires this additional yeast.
Sourdough Starter
Day 1:
• 150 g brown rice flour
• 200 g tepid filtered water
Mix together, and cover with a plate. Leave in a warm place for 24 hours.
Day 2:
• 45 g brown rice flour
• 60 g tepid filtered water
Stir the mixture. Add the flour and water, and stir again. Re-cover and leave for another 24 hours.
Day 3:
• 45 g brown rice flour
• 60 g tepid filtered water
Stir the mixture. Add the flour and water, and stir again. The mixture should be starting to bubble and smell a bit yeasty. Re-cover and leave for another 24 hours.
Day 4:
• 90 g brown rice flour
• 120 g tepid filtered water
Stir the mixture. Add the flour and water, and stir again. Re-cover and leave for another 24 hours.
Your starter can now be stored in a plastic container in the fridge. However, it does need to be fed at least every two weeks by bringing it up to room temperature and adding 90g brown rice flour and 120g tepid filtered water.
On the day you're making bread, add 75g rice flour and 100g warm water to the starter at least an hour before making the sponge. To see how to make this recipe, click on the video link at the bottom of this post.
Makes 1 loafIngredients:
Sponge
• 200 g sourdough starter
• 125 g rice flour
• 25 g buckwheat flour
• 25 g sorghum flour
• 300 ml tepid water
Sourdough
• 100 g potato flour
• 100 g tapioca flour
• 25 g maize flour
• 25 g ground linseed, plus extra for tin
• 25 g salted butter
• 1 large egg
• 15 g muscovado sugar (or dark brown sugar)
• 7 g fine sea salt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 25 g pepitas seeds (optional)
• 50 g pine nuts (optional)
Method:
To make the sponge:
Mix all the sponge ingredients together in a bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 2-4 hours, or in a cool place overnight.
To make the dough:
In a large bowl combine the prepared sponge with all remaining ingredients except pepitas seeds. Mix to combine.
Prepare your loaf tin by greasing well with butter and coating with the extra linseed.
Pour the dough into the tin and tap to level the dough. Sprinkle with pepitas seeds. Set aside in a warm place for 60 - 90 minutes, until the dough has risen by 1/3 and small cracks appear on the surface. Be very gentle with the dough, as a sharp knock to the tin can cause the loaf to collapse.
Preheat oven to 210°C fan/230°C. Place an empty tin in the bottom of the oven to heat up.
Carefully place the loaf into the oven. For the perfect crust sprinkle the top with a bit of cold water. Pour boiling water into the hot, empty tin to generate steam. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C fan/ 200°C and bake for a further 45 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the tin.
Resist the temptation to slice the loaf until it has cooled completely.
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