Before I get started with today’s post, thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the wonderful comments/tweets/emails about last night’s pos t about acupuncture. After reading some of those comments I am probably going to gear up to do a reflective post about some thoughts that were brought up last night as a result.
I am a “let me be in my comfort zone” kind of girl.
As a tell tale example, I’d like to tell you all about the time when the Husband made me learn how to drive a stick shift. You must know right away, that I am not a stick shift kind of girl. I am an automatic, needs one hand for her coffee, kind of girl. However, while we were dating, the Husband felt it was necessary for me to learn how to drive stick shift – you know, in case someone ever stole my car and I was left with a stick shift in the middle of nowhere (aka: not going to happen). He taught me one afternoon on a side road near my parents’ home. He was a great teacher – was calm and patient, told me exactly what I needed to do. I felt confident and accomplished knowing I learned how to do something I didn’t necessarily want to try.
That sounds like a nice story, right? Boy teaches girl, Boy feels manly, girl swoons for boy – all that mushy gushy lovey dovey stuff.
Too bad that’s not the end of the story.
The story ends with me really being out of my comfort zone when the Husband (then the Boyfriend) asked me to drive said stick shift truck home from Target one afternoon. Mind you, I had not driven stick shift for at least a month and had no idea how to actually drive it. The Husband gave me a few directions on how to get started, but then once we got going, he told me I was on my own. )@#(@#)(!#)(!@#*)(!#%&$#()@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’M SORRY, WHAT?!?!
Apparently I was faking not remembering how to drive the stick shift. The story ends with me killing the truck in the middle of an intersection with a cop behind me and me crying and storming out of the truck until the Husband would take over in the driver’s seat.
There it is.
When I set out to make bread this weekend, I felt as if I were in the middle of a street crying.
Okay, not really, but just follow where I’m going with this one.
Of all the times I have made gluten free bread, I have always used a purchased gluten free all purpose flour because combining flours scares the bejeezus out of me. Whenever I combine flours, the end result is either too dense, too crumbly, too dry, too something that it shouldn’t be. However, I have accumulated at least a zillion types of flours in my pantry that were depressed from being overlooked for too long. I took it upon myself to step out of my comfort zone and just do the dang thing.
End result?
Oh so good.
print this recipe!
Best Ever Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
Difficulty: Moderate
Prep Time: 70 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup quinoa flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
- 1 tbsp. yeast
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetend almond milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3 flax eggs
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. honey (optional)
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
1. Proof the yeast: Heat up 1/2 cup almond milk and 1 cup water to approximately 105-110 degrees. To do this, I microwaved my liquid for 70 seconds and checked the temperature. Once the liquid is heated, add 1 tbsp. active yeast and 1 tbsp. sugar – give it a quick stir and set aside until foamy (~5 minutes).
2. Make your flax eggs: In a small bowl or mug, mix 3 tbsp. ground flax seed with 9 tbsp. (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp.) water. Give a quick stir and set aside until thickened (~3-4 minutes).
3. Mix your dry ingredients: In a stand mixer bowl, combine 1 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup quinoa flour, 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, 2 tsp. xanthan gum, and 1 tsp. salt. Toss for approximately 10 seconds with a spatula or fork to combine the ingredients.
4. Once your flax eggs have thickened, add 1 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp. honey, and 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar to the eggs. Whisk until ingredients are combined and set aside.
5. Make your dough: By this time, your yeast mixture should be foamy. If not, you might have killed the yeast due to the water being too hot. If this is the case, just start over with new yeast! If your yeast is good to go, pour the yeast and the flax egg mixture into the flour. Using a dough hook attachment, set your mixer to low-medium speed and mix for 3-4 minutes.
6. Let it Rise: Pour your dough into a greased 9×5 bread pan, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it hang out in an UNHEATED oven for about an hour. Once the dough has risen to the top of the pan, take the bread pan out of the oven.
7. Cook to perfection: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit once the dough has been taken out of the oven. Cook, uncovered for 45-50 minutes. The outside should be golden brown. Let bread cool completely before cutting into slices.
Needless to say, I am quite pleased with how this bread came out – even more so, I am pleased with myself for actually making bread that isn’t hard as a rock or gooey and disgusting!
However, none of this means I will ever be driving stick shift ever again. That is still a no go.
Before I get started with today’s post, thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the wonderful comments/tweets/emails about last night’s pos t about acupuncture. After reading some of those comments I am probably going to gear up to do a reflective post about some thoughts that were brought up last night as a result.
I am a “let me be in my comfort zone” kind of girl.
As a tell tale example, I’d like to tell you all about the time when the Husband made me learn how to drive a stick shift. You must know right away, that I am not a stick shift kind of girl. I am an automatic, needs one hand for her coffee, kind of girl. However, while we were dating, the Husband felt it was necessary for me to learn how to drive stick shift – you know, in case someone ever stole my car and I was left with a stick shift in the middle of nowhere (aka: not going to happen). He taught me one afternoon on a side road near my parents’ home. He was a great teacher – was calm and patient, told me exactly what I needed to do. I felt confident and accomplished knowing I learned how to do something I didn’t necessarily want to try.
That sounds like a nice story, right? Boy teaches girl, Boy feels manly, girl swoons for boy – all that mushy gushy lovey dovey stuff.
Too bad that’s not the end of the story.
The story ends with me really being out of my comfort zone when the Husband (then the Boyfriend) asked me to drive said stick shift truck home from Target one afternoon. Mind you, I had not driven stick shift for at least a month and had no idea how to actually drive it. The Husband gave me a few directions on how to get started, but then once we got going, he told me I was on my own. )@#(@#)(!#)(!@#*)(!#%&$#()@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’M SORRY, WHAT?!?!
Apparently I was faking not remembering how to drive the stick shift. The story ends with me killing the truck in the middle of an intersection with a cop behind me and me crying and storming out of the truck until the Husband would take over in the driver’s seat.
There it is.
When I set out to make bread this weekend, I felt as if I were in the middle of a street crying.
Okay, not really, but just follow where I’m going with this one.
Of all the times I have made gluten free bread, I have always used a purchased gluten free all purpose flour because combining flours scares the bejeezus out of me. Whenever I combine flours, the end result is either too dense, too crumbly, too dry, too something that it shouldn’t be. However, I have accumulated at least a zillion types of flours in my pantry that were depressed from being overlooked for too long. I took it upon myself to step out of my comfort zone and just do the dang thing.
End result?
Oh so good.
Best Ever Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
Difficulty: Moderate
Prep Time: 70 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Instructions:
1. Proof the yeast: Heat up 1/2 cup almond milk and 1 cup water to approximately 105-110 degrees. To do this, I microwaved my liquid for 70 seconds and checked the temperature. Once the liquid is heated, add 1 tbsp. active yeast and 1 tbsp. sugar – give it a quick stir and set aside until foamy (~5 minutes).
2. Make your flax eggs: In a small bowl or mug, mix 3 tbsp. ground flax seed with 9 tbsp. (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp.) water. Give a quick stir and set aside until thickened (~3-4 minutes).
3. Mix your dry ingredients: In a stand mixer bowl, combine 1 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup quinoa flour, 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, 2 tsp. xanthan gum, and 1 tsp. salt. Toss for approximately 10 seconds with a spatula or fork to combine the ingredients.
4. Once your flax eggs have thickened, add 1 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp. honey, and 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar to the eggs. Whisk until ingredients are combined and set aside.
5. Make your dough: By this time, your yeast mixture should be foamy. If not, you might have killed the yeast due to the water being too hot. If this is the case, just start over with new yeast! If your yeast is good to go, pour the yeast and the flax egg mixture into the flour. Using a dough hook attachment, set your mixer to low-medium speed and mix for 3-4 minutes.
6. Let it Rise: Pour your dough into a greased 9×5 bread pan, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it hang out in an UNHEATED oven for about an hour. Once the dough has risen to the top of the pan, take the bread pan out of the oven.
7. Cook to perfection: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit once the dough has been taken out of the oven. Cook, uncovered for 45-50 minutes. The outside should be golden brown. Let bread cool completely before cutting into slices.
Needless to say, I am quite pleased with how this bread came out – even more so, I am pleased with myself for actually making bread that isn’t hard as a rock or gooey and disgusting!
However, none of this means I will ever be driving stick shift ever again. That is still a no go.