Gluten Free Bread: Arepas

(Cornmeal Griddlecakes)

Arepas are a sturdy peasant food so tasty and satisfying; made from corn or maize which is the native cereal of Central and South America.  Arepas are the traditional flat bread of Venezuela, Columbia and Peru.

Arepas are eaten at anytime of the day.  According to my friends, everybody’s mother bakes the “best arepas.”  There are two distinctive ways to cook arepas and various ingredients that can be combined to make them.  One way to cook them is griddle fried only and the other is griddle fried and then put into the oven for 15-20 minutes.  You will have to choose your style of cooking, either way they are delicious.  In and of themselves, arepas don’t have much flavor, but that is their beauty.  As a perfect foundation for a great sandwich they can be paired with meats, beans, cheeses, eggs etc.

Ingredients:

1 cup pre- cooked Instant masa flour

1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

1 1/2 cup boiling water

1 Tbs butter

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal and salt and butter. Pour in the 1 1/2 cups boiling water and mix well.  Cover and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

Take 1/4 c of dough and place into slightly wet hands and form balls of dough, flatten using your hands and form a cake 3-4  inches wide and approximately 3/4 ” thick.  (I use more if I want to make a larger sandwich approx 1/2 c dough per cake.)  Note: if the cake cracks at the edges, mix in a little more water and smooth.

After forming all of the cakes brush a griddle or a large cast-iron skillet lightly with oil and preheat over medium-low heat. Fry as many arepas as will fit, until they are soft within and golden and slightly crusty on the outside, about 5 - 7 minutes per side until they are done (when you tap on them and hear a hollow sound , they are done,) do not let them burn.  You may then transfer them into a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  (I eat them right out of the frying pan, I am too impatient to bake them.)

You can eat them plain with butter or cheese of your choice.  I often use them as bread for sandwiches with fillings such as: Chicken salad and avocado slices, turkey and Provolone cheese, Shredded pork or beef and cheese, etc.  They can also be made smaller and served as appetizers at a party with various toppings; cheese, crab salad, chicken salad.  Serving them with eggs for breakfast is also delicious. Serve with soup as an alternative to bread or crackers.

Options: add 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella, Gouda or white cheddar cheese to the cornmeal mixture.

Arepas can be made ahead of time, wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Arepas freeze well if frozen while still warm. Freeze in layers separated by plastic wrap. Reheat frozen arepas wrapped in aluminum foil in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.

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Gluten Free Bread: Arepas (Cornmeal Griddlecakes)

Gluten Free Bread: Brown Bread Faux Wheat

Gluten Free  Bread: One always crave the sweet taste of whole wheat bread.  This one has all of the flavor and no wheat.

Ingredients:

1 cup Buttermilk

3/4  cup sourdough starter

½ cup olive oil

2 eggs, slightly Beaten (reserve 1 Tablespoon)

¼ cup Honey

1½ tsp Xanthan Gum

1 tsp Yeast (for flavor, leavening is provided by Baking powder)

½ tsp Celtic sea salt

1½ Tbs baking powder

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup sorghum flour or 1/2 cup teff flour

½ cup tapioca flour

1 3/4 cups Kinni Kwik bread flour

1/3 cup flax seed meal

1 tsp sunflower seeds

1 tsp milk (for egg wash)

Directions:

In mixer, combine sour dough starter, buttermilk, oil, egg (reserve one Tablespoon for egg wash), and honey; mix.

Whisk together Xanthan Gum, yeast, salt, baking powder and flours.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix thoroughly. Place dough in greased standard-sized (9″ x 5″) bread loaf pan.  ( I usually have extra dough, I put it in a large juice can and it makes a mini loaf..see picture.) Use reserved egg and milk to brush the top of the loaves  and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes to let it rise some.

Bake 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes

Remove from oven.  Remove bread from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool.

Serve with Chicken Salad or other sandwich fixings.

Gluten Free Bread: Sourdough Starter

Combine the following in a 4 cup glass container.

Ingredients:

1 cup water (105-110 degrees F.)

2  1/2 tsp yeast

1 1/2 cups rice flour (white or Brown).

Stir together, this will be a thick paste.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place.  Stir 2-3 times daily and it will be ready to use in 3-4 days.  You will notice that the mixture will rise and fall throughout the

day.  The starter will often have a clear liquid on the top of it.  Stir this into the mixture thoroughly before using in a recipe.

Always be sure to leave at least 1 cup of the starter as the basis  for your next batch.  Add 1 cup of warm water and 1 1/2 cups of rice flour.  Cover loosely and let sit for at least 1 day before using in a recipe again.    Starter can be placed in the refrigerator to use at a later time.

I must admit that I am a huge fan of sourdough.  I add it periodically to just about everything.  I love the texture that is derived from using it and I like the tangy taste.  Sometimes, it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.  I keep it in the fridge until I want to bake with it.  I take it out of the fridge.  Let it sit for a few hours.  Replenish the flour and water and leave it sit overnight.  The next day it is ready to bake with.

2009 worldwide copyright http://glutenfreebreadworld.com

Gluten Free Bread: Sourdough Starter

Gluten free Flour Formulas:

If you are new to the world of gluten free baking you might want to keep this information on hand to substitute cup for cup of all purpose wheat flour in your favorite recipes.

You will find specific gluten free bread recipes  in  separate posts.

1 cup brown rice flour  (best to keep refrigerated.)

or

1 cup rice flour

1/2-3/4 cup potato starch

¼ cup tapioca starch/flour

or

1 cup rice flour

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup tapioca starch/flour

1 Tbsp. potato flour

Gluten Free Bread Flour Multi - Grain

2 cups cornstarch

2 cups potato starch/flour

1  3/4  cups brown rice flour

1  1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour

1  cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup teff flour

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour for Cookies, Quick Breads:

2 cups brown rice flour

2 cups plain white rice flour

1 cup sweet white rice flour

1/2 cup teff flour

1  1/3 cup tapioca Starch/flour

2/3 cup gluten free corn starch

1/2 cup organic cold milled flax seed or rice bran

2 tsp Xanthan gum

Mix flours well and store until you need them.

Store all flour mixtures in a container with tight-fitting lid. Stir mixture before using.

2009 copyright http://glutenfreebreadworld.com

Gluten free bread/gluten free flour formulas

Gluten Free Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Kinni-Kwik Bread & Bun Mix

1 Cup Tapioca Flour

2/3 cup milk

2 tsp coconut oil melted

1 tsp Xanthan gum

¼-1/2 cup Rice flour for rolling out bread dough

Mix all of the dry ingredients above (minus the rice flour) then add coconut oil and stir in wet ingredients.

Mix until you have a ball of dough that is firm but sticky. (The dough ball will pull away from the sides of the bowl and not flop back to the sides.)

Spread some rice flour on your counter and dump the dough onto the flour.

Knead and roll the dough until it forms a soft ball of dough.  Place ball of dough into a clean lightly greased bowl and let rest for 1 hour or so.

Form ball into a log and cut into 8-10 equal sized pieces. (It helps to grease your hands with a little butter or oil and roll on a cutting board.)

Roll each of the pieces into a rope approximately 6-8 inches long.    Transfer ropes into a bowl containing the following ingredients:                      

3 Tbs olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

1 Tbs melted Butter

Carefully, tie each rope into a knot. Place on stone or lightly buttered baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes or until golden brown.

(Lightly brush the rolls with leftover oil mixture or butter when they come out of the oven.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Option:

Add 1 ½ tsp fresh chopped rosemary or 1 ½ tsp of Italian herb seasoning to oil and butter mixture.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese when you take them out of the oven.

These gluten free Garlic Salt Knots are best when served warm from the oven.

Gluten Free Bread Machine Recipe:

I have tried many gluten free breads and this is one of the best.

INGREDIENTS :

1 egg

1/3 cup egg whites

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey or Agave nectar

1 1/2 cups warm skim milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon xanthan gum

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/4 cup millet flour

1 cup white rice flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

DIRECTIONS

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select cycle; press Start. Five minutes into the cycle, check the consistency of the dough. Add additional rice flour or liquid if necessary.

2. When bread is finished, let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan.

original submission by Alison

Gluten Free Bread TIP:

When you add a small amount of vinegar to a mixture containing yeast, it acts as a catalyst to make the bread much lighter. Even if a yeast bread recipe does not list vinegar in the ingredients, add between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp. of vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar as it is gluten free) to the liquid ingredients for each cup of flour mixture called for in the recipe.

Options:

I was able to make this without a bread machine by mixing wet and dry ingredients separately, then folding the dry into the wet, and baking at 350 until browned.

I adjusted the flour as follows: I only had Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour and brown rice flour. I used 1 3/4 C. Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour and 1 1/2 C. brown rice flour. The bread came out beautifully.

Or

Since I did not have Gluten Free millet flour, I doubled the tapioca flour. I also added about 1 tbsp of flaxseed meal for some BAM!

Or

one easy addition was swirling raisins, cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar into it.

or

this makes great pizza bread. We spread it in a jelly roll pan, brush with a little olive oil.

2009 copyright http://glutenfreebreadworld.com

Gluten Free Bread/Gluten Free Bread Machine Recipe

Gluten Free Bread/Gluten Free Bread Alternative Flours

This is a list that I had copied to my computer. I did not keep the accompanying info because this was the info I was after. When I was trying to make substitutions I never knew what to substitute and therefore had a lot of flops. When I read this info I copied it (because I was unable to keep it straight in my head), I added pictures so I would know what to look for when shopping. Now,  I share it with you,  with a full disclosure that I did not write any part of this and I would like to credit the person who wrote it if you know who they are.

Potato Starch / Flour  

click on photo to learn more:

This is a gluten free thickening agent that is perfect for cream-based soups and sauces and in combination with other flours in gluten free bread all purpose flour mixes. Mix a little with water first, then substitute potato starch flour for flour in your recipe, but cut the amount in half when substituting for wheat flour. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Tapioca Starch / Flour  click on photo to learn more:

A light white, very smooth flour. It makes baked goods impart a nice chewy taste. Use it in recipes where a chewy texture would be desirable. It would work nicely in bread recipes such as white bread or French bread. It is also easily combined with cornstarch and soy flour. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Soy Flour   click on photo to learn more:

This nutty tasting flour has a high protein and fat content. It is best when used in combination with other flours and for baking brownies, or any baked goods with nuts or fruit. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Cornstarch  click on photo to learn more:

This is a refined starch that comes from corn. It is mostly used as a clear thickening agent for puddings, fruit sauces and Asian cooking. It is also used in combination with other flours for baking. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Corn Flour 

click on photo to learn more:

This flour is milled from corn and can be blended with cornmeal to make cornbread or muffins. It is excellent for waffles or pancakes. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Cornmeal

click on photo to learn more:

This is ground corn that comes from either yellow or white meal. This is often combined with flours for baking. It imparts a strong corn flavor that is delicious in pancakes, waffles, or simple white cakes. It can be purchased in a health food store.

White Rice Flour

click on photo to learn more:

This is excellent basic flour for gluten free baking. It is milled from polished white rice. Because it has such a bland flavor, it is perfect for baking, as it doesn’t impart any flavors. It works well with other flours. White rice flour is available in most health food stores, but also in Asian markets. At the Asian markets it is sold in different textures. The one that works the best is called fine textured white rice flour.

Brown Rice Flour

click on photo to learn more:

This flour comes from unpolished brown rice. It has more food value because it contains bran. Use it in breads, muffins, and cookies. It can be purchased in a health food store.

Quinoa Flour 

click on photo to learn more:

Quinoa is pronounced “Keen Wa” and it’s actually a South American word. This grain is a real gem in the gluten free diet because it’s protein rich. It can be purchased in a health food store.

T’eff Flour  click on photo to learn more:

Teff is a very versatile grain. None of the nutrients are lost when it is ground into flour.  Teff flour can be used as a substitute for part of the flour in baked goods, or the grains added uncooked or substituted for part of the seeds, nuts, or other small grains. Due to it’s small size, only 1/2 Cup of Teff is needed to replace 1 cup of sesame seeds. It is a good thickener for soups, stews, gravies, and puddings and can also be used in stir-fry dishes, and casseroles.

Coconut Flour 

click on photo to learn more:

A delicious alternative to wheat and other grain flours. It is very high in fiber, low in digestible carbohydrates, and a good source of protein. It gives baked goods a rich, springy texture but needs a lot more liquid than other flours. Replace up to 20 percent of the all-purpose flour called for in a recipe with coconut flour, adding an equivalent amount of additional liquid to the recipe. You will not need as much sugar when using this flour as the coconut has a natural sweetness.

Sorghum Flour  click on photo to learn more:

sorghum is an annual grass originating in Africa and a popular cereal crop worldwide. It has a higher protein content than corn and about equal to wheat. It is neutral in flavor, which allows it to absorb other flavors well.

Almond Meal /Flour click on photo to learn more:

Made by grinding blanched almonds (skins removed) into a fine powder. The consistency is more like corn meal than wheat flour. You can find extra fine Italian almond flour, which has more flavor but can be very pricey. Baking with almond flour requires using more eggs to provide more structure. Use it in cakes, cookies, and other sweet baked goods. You can make it yourself by grinding blanched almonds in a high-speed blender.

Substituting Gluten

Wheat flour contains gluten, which keeps cookies, cakes and pies from getting crumbly and falling apart. It is what makes baked goods have a good texture because it traps pockets of air. This creates a lovely airy quality that most baked goods possess when baked with traditional wheat flour. In order to help retain this structure when using non-wheat flours, gluten substitutes must be added to a gluten-free flour mixture. For each cup of gluten-free flour mix, add at least 1 teaspoon of gluten substitute. Here are three very good substitutes for gluten.

• Xanthan Gum click on photo to learn more:
  

  This comes from the dried cell coat of a microorganism called Zanthomonas campestris. It is formulated in a laboratory setting. This works well as a gluten substitution in yeast breads along with other baked goods. You can purchase it in health food stores.

• Guar Gum click on photo to learn more: This is a powder that comes from the seed of the plant Cyamopsis tetragonolobus. It is an excellent gluten substitute and it is available in health food stores.

• Pre-gel Starch/Xanthan Gum
  

  This is an acceptable gluten substitute. It helps keep baked goods from being too crumbly. This too can be purchased at most health food stores.

Substitution is the solution

If you are ready to try some recipes, start with recipes that use relatively small amounts of wheat flour like brownies or pancakes. These turn out lovely and the difference in taste is minimal. Here are two gluten-free flour mixtures that are suitable for substituting wheat flour cup for cup.

1. Gluten-Free Flour Mixture I

   1/4 cup soy flour
   1/4 cup tapioca flour
   1/2 cup brown rice flour

1. Gluten-Free Flour Mixture II

   6 cups white rice flour
   2 cups potato starch
   1 cup tapioca flour

The above mixtures can be doubled or tripled. Another option is to purchase a gluten-free flour mixture at a health food store to avoid the guesswork involved in substitutions. This flour mixture can usually substitute wheat flour cup for cup, but read the package directions to be sure. Keep these flour mixtures stored in containers at room temperature and keep them on hand to simplify your baking routine.

Gluten Free Bread/Gluten Free Article

People with diagnosed celiac disease and many who choose to live the gluten free life avoid eating wheat, rye, or barley whenever possible. All three grains contain the protein gluten, unhealthy for the Celiac. A few years ago, this diagnosis meant a life of restriction; eating no bread, and no pasta. Now we can eat all of these, thanks to the profusion of new gluten free products.

In not quite 1 percent of Americans, consuming gluten damages the small intestine and impairs its ability to absorb nutrients. For such people, whose condition is known as celiac disease, doctors prescribe a gluten free diet. Some allergies can be excruciatingly painful or even fatal. Sometimes it is a case of ignorance but too often there is condescending annoyance, especially in the food world.  For many others the gluten free lifestyle is a choice. In fact, surveys show that about 15 to 25 percent of consumers report looking for gluten free products.

For those who have a clear medical need for gluten free products, the surge in options is a boon. To me gluten free food used to taste like sawdust. Now, tasty options abound. According to research, the number of newly introduced gluten free products has skyrocketed from about 135 in 2003 to 832 that debuted in 2008, and the forecast is for steady growth in gluten free product sales in coming years to reach 15-to-25-percent.

THE GLUTEN FREE PANTRY makes shopping for flour for baking your own gluten free bread; pre-packaged foods; and gluten free kitchens “must haves” or cook books just a click away. At one time, I could spend hours searching all over town to find a gluten free product that I had read about in an article or saw in a recipe and most of the time to no avail. THE PANTRY brings all of it right to your doorstep.

For people who have Celiac disease, the plethora of new products makes adhering to doctor’s orders easier. Following a strict gluten free diet allows their small intestines to recover and significantly extends their lifespan. Chronic health problems such as osteoporosis or intestinal cancer, and less chronic health problems such as vitamin deficiencies often plague those who follow a normal diet.

While awareness of celiac disease is rising, most people who have it—perhaps 95 percent of them—don’t realize it. Even people who do have symptoms—often diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating—may have a hard time getting diagnosed; the average delay is 11 years, (it took 12 for me,) and doctors often misdiagnose celiac disease as irritable bowel syndrome, unrelated anemia, or stress. Going gluten free without consulting a doctor is discouraged, since it further raises the likelihood of misdiagnosis.

To make matters more complicated, some people who test negative for celiac disease nevertheless seem to feel better when they go gluten free. As much as 15 percent of the population may fit into this category, which doctors call “gluten sensitivity.”   Unfortunately large pockets of the food world still treat food allergies and intolerance’s as a fad.

2009 copyright http://glutenfreebreadworld.com

Gluten Free Bread/Gluten Free Article

Gluten Free Bread/Gluten Free Bread Recipe/ Millet & Rice Flour

This gluten free bread is light and fluffy and will be sure to please most everyone. This bread can be served warm or cut for sandwiches or toast.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup quinoa flour

3/4 cup millet flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/3 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 flax seed meal

1 Tablespoon xanthan gum

3 eggs at room temperature

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon yeast

1 tsp of white sugar for yeast

1/3 cup sourdough starter

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 Tablespoons melted coconut oil

1/4 cup plus 1 cup heated water

DIRECTIONS:

Make sure all of your dry ingredients (and eggs!) are at room temperature. Grease the bottom of two 8 inch pans. Heat the oven to 200 degrees and then turn off the oven and open the door for 3-4 minutes and then close it. You can also use a warming oven on high for 10 minutes then turn off. Use the same procedure as above.

In a small bowl, mix the yeast and one teaspoon of sugar. Add 1/4 cup of the heated water to the yeast mixture. Let the yeast sit for 10 minutes. It should be growing small bubbles on the top.

Sift together all of the dry ingredients. I think this is especially necessary when you are using your own all purpose flour.

In a separate medium bowl, mix eggs ( if you forgot to take them out in advance, like I usually do, mix them with a little of the warm water to bring to room temperature), sour dough starter, apple cider vinegar, and melted coconut oil together.

When your yeast is ready, add it to the egg mixture and then add to the dry ingredients.

Gradually add the balance of the warm water to the dry ingredients and egg mixture.

The dough should be like very stiff cake batter.

** more rice flour can be added to get the required consistency.

Scrape the dough into your prepared pan and when fairly level gently sprinkle cornmeal on top, place a towel over the pan and put into the warm oven to rise for about 40-45 minutes.

Once the dough has risen to the top of the pan, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Take pans out of the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes on cooling rack. Brush with butter and gently loosen edges of bread from pan and turn over. Place bread right side up on cooling rack for 20-30 minutes.

Options:

Pour batter into greased muffin tins and let rise.  Bake 20 mins or until brown.  brush with butter and remove from muffin tin.

2009 copyright http://glutenfreebreadworld.com

Gluten Free Bread-Millet & Rice Flour

Gluten Free Bread/Article

This is my very first actual post. Please be patient as I am still learning my way around the blog world.  I will be getting links set up shortly so come back often and check out my progress.

Here you will learn about gluten free bread recipes (bread is a loosely used word on this blog) and some other interesting and delectable recipes will be added from time to time. You will see tips on how to prepare gluten free bread recipes in your home as well as other helpful information surrounding this subject.

I am looking for additional input regarding gluten free bread recipes especially for each holiday and for every other day of the year.  Lets improve our living,  one gluten free bread recipe at a time. Feel free to share your experiences and recipes in the comment section.

Since my diagnosis of celiac disease I have scoured blogs and other gluten free websites in search of gluten free bread recipes as well as combed through books at the local library and even stole some of my friends recipes as well as tweaked some of our family heirloom recipes. You will find the culmination of my searches here on my blog.

I have adapted some of the recipes and because I was only looking for recipes to try I did not always note where they came from and who posted them. After all of this time some of them are so badly stained with flour, cooking oil or other nameless ingredients that I can hardly make out my own writing.

It is not my intention to “steal another s’ works” so I apologize to the originators of the recipes if I do not give them the credit they deserve. It was their unselfish giving that got me through the painstaking trials of living gluten free. If you know to whom the credit is due on any of the recipes or articles not cited, please feel free to contact me.

Bread is the one thing that I knew I would miss the most living the gluten free lifestyle and that is what has brought me to my very first blog.

Speaking of Firsts:

What was your FIRST job?

What was your FIRST car?

Who was your FIRST grade teacher?

Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane?

Who was your FIRST best friend, and are you still friends?

Who was your FIRST kiss?

Who was your FIRST date?

I digress…..onward and upward into Gluten Free Bread world.

2009 copyright http://Glutenfreebreadworld.com

Gluten free bread/Article