Gluten-free breads easy to make at home

From the mixing to the baking, there's nothing like fresh bread, but for years Michelle Kelly's son couldn't eat wheat because of a gluten allergy.

"He couldn't go have pizza after a soccer game," said Kelly, owner of Pure Knead.

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So she created Pure Knead, a bakery that steers clear of gluten, dairy, soy, peanut, tree nut and shellfish.

"We're free of seven of the top eight allergens," she said.

Kelly says baking without gluten can be tricky. One secret is use a blend of gluten-free flours.

"For the most part, blends always work better than a single flour," she said.

Another secret is in the oil.

"I love coconut oil. It's got great health properties. It adds tremendous richness to baked goods," she explained.

For a simple flatbread combine potato, tapioca, millet, sorghum, and cornstarch flours. Add some salt, sugar, yeast, and xanthan gum. Mix them, then add warm water and olive oil and mix some more. Spoon the dough into a pan, cover and let it rise for about 40 minutes. Sprinkle olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt on top and bake for about 25 minutes.

Avoid preservatives and additives if you can.

Kelly advised, "Use good quality, raw ingredients."

However, Michelle says don't expect it to taste the same.

"The comparison should not be this is not what I'm used to," says Kelly. "The comparison should be, ‘Wow, this tastes really good.'"

Good and gluten-free!

Kelly says another tip is don't buy mixes of flours, buy base flours instead and then blend them together yourself. So, if you're looking for potato starch make sure there's only potato starch listed in the ingredients.

Gluten-Free Rustic Flatbread Recipe
(Printable version of recipe here)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups Bread Flour Mix A*
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 packet (1/4 oz.) of dry quick-rise yeast granules
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh rosemary
  • Sea salt


*Bread Flour Mix A (makes 3 cups) – 1 cup millet flour, 1/2 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 cup corn starch, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour).

Directions:

1. Spray an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan with baking spray and lightly dust with rice flour or sprinkle with cornmeal.

2. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl of electric mixer. Pour warm water and olive oil into mixing bowl; mix until just blended. Scrape bowl and beaters, and then beat at high speed for 2 minutes.

3. Spoon dough into prepared pan and spread it out to the sides with a spatula. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes. Bread should be approximately double in height.

4. Place rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 400ºF while bread is rising.

5. Sprinkle olive oil over top and carefully spread it into a thin film over the entire surface of the bread (use your fingers to do this for best results). Sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt (or other toppings of your choice).

6. Bake 8 inch bread for 20 to 25 minutes, or 15 to 20 minutes for 9 inch bread. Bread should be medium golden in color and cooked through. Remove bread from pan and cool on a rack for 15 minutes; slice and serve.

For more information on Pure Knead Products, go to www.pureknead.com.