Baking Bread

Baking bread used to be my "speciality." My sister would come home expectant of a freshly baked loaf a few days after she came off the plane.

It was always something I loved. Kneading, rolling, patting, the smell of a warm loaf, and the delicious flavour of wholesome bread. Therefore, it became something I missed.

I used to play with baking breads, adding chopped olives or a blend of freshly chopped herbs and just imagining the warmth and flavour of a warm loaf from the oven with a variety of concocted tastes. But when I tried this same approach baking gluten free, they either didn't bake - an overlooked shell with a mushy, sticky centre - or sometimes, they would bake well, but just one bite would notify our tastebuds (and salivary glands) to over-work, it was gonna be one dry mouthful.

So it took a little more playing around. And I've finally found the best gluten free bread recipe as of late. Quick. Easy. And fool proof. A moist and flavourful roll. Fresh rosemary and garlic? It just makes me want to heat a big pot of soup on the stove and quickly make myself some rolls for dipping, and enjoying. Bean shepherds pie soup from last night sounds delicious, a wonderful mix of hearty beans and the flavour of tarragon, blended with potato, carrots, and a dash of coconut milk to create a creamy and wintery soup. Or perhaps, a bowl of Sweet Cumin Carrot Soup would be more suiting to bring us into Spring (although its still dark despite being only five o'clock). I also recommend dipping the warm rolls into some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Or a bowl of mussels, a delicious complement to the rosemary and garlic flavours of the buns.

When you pull bread from the oven, you are reminded of the best part of baking gluten free; seeing perfectly round little bread rolls, a tad risen, and the steaming aroma of herbs that escapes from the oven makes you feel the emotion in successful baking. These are soft, moist, and everything homemade bread should be.

Some days, baking bread takes a little nudge, and some days, with the rain pouring down and washing away all of our footprints and any trace of activity outdoors, we remain pulled by the warmth of the fire and the heat of our ovens. On those days, we take to our kitchens, and after, sit at our tables with a plate of delicious baked goods to write up recipes, jot down notes, and detail the experiences. So using whole food, we cook. Together, but also secluded in the clatter of pots and pans in our kitchens.

Some days good food is the effect reason to remain at home - you deserve a rest - while somedays it is the inspiration of a photo on Instagram or Pinterest, or maybe someone's conversation on your way home. Or it is the memory of good food from days past, that meal you enjoyed utterly, chewing in silence and sharing the enjoyment of flavours, that really does make the difference, and replenishes your motivation to cook again, to replenish your energy.

Because we are all much happier, and much healthier, with good food in our bellies, and a good mood as a result, sometimes all we need is a reminder of what we enjoy most, and what makes our lives a little bit better. A little bit happier.

Rosemary Garlic Bread Buns
Print recipe here.

I made this recipe twice over two days, eating the buns with soup, and with oil for dipping, for three meals in a row. They're perfect for breakfast with eggs or almond butter and jam, or for lunch and dinner with soup or as sandwiches. Since they are so quick and easy to make, I recommend you take out your mixing bowl and bake a few buns right now!

You may need to add more flour if the mix has too much liquid. The first time I made these rolls the quantities below were perfect, my kitchen was very cold, however the next day, after the house was warm from the blazing fire, the mixture required nearly double the amount of flour. Just make sure you don't add too much - you still want a bit of stickiness to end up with lovey and moist rolls! Have fun playing with quantities, these are almost guaranteed to taste delicious.

Makes 5 - 6 dinner buns.

Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:

4 eggs
3 - 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider
3/4 tsp xantham gum
1/4 cup coconut milk

Dry Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup chia seed flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp fresh or dried rosemary, chopped finely
1 large clove of garlic, minced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients, beating until combined completely.

Add dry ingredients and beat again.

Drop the mixture onto the parchment paper, and form into small round buns.

Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Allow buns to cool for 5 minutes before serving - the centres will be hot!

Delicious when dipped into olive oil.

Enjoy! xx S

Bring Me Tea, Then We'll Bake Bread

After a relaxing day spent in the kitchen yesterday, Roasting Brussels sprouts and mixing Aioli, today we decided to abandon the laziness of being at home and spend the afternoon wandering a new shopping scene on Main St. and the elegant little tearooms which sit beside them, stopping to sit among antique arrangements of tables and chairs in a pattern around large bay windows.

We sat around a large wooden table as our pots of tea remained tucked in the warmth of woolen tea cozies, and the lady from behind the counter brought over a petit vanilla macaroon speckled with lavender seeds. It was eaten too quickly for any photographs to be taken, the flavours melting in my mouth with each nibble, a sweetness so delicious with the pairing of an aromatic vanilla spiced black tea.

I remember the days when Bowen had a little tea shop, and during afternoons mum and I would venture down to a snug little table decorated with a crocheted white table cloth and freshly picked flowers. It was situated right in the middle of all the activity that went on in the town, a picturesque white cottage, complete with shutters around the windows and a flower box with yellow petunias. It was during this time that we would enjoy the warmth in sharing a pot of tea and a plate of delicate shortbread biscuits between us; this remained our special treat, and even now we fall into bliss when hands tightly hold a freshly brewed cup, and light chatter follows in ease.

The tearoom which we sat became the sort of place where patrons would enter to assess their mood with questions posed by the lady behind the counter,

"Do you feel like a spicy drink? Would you like something with a perfume essence?"

And in turn they would reply thoughtfully, thinking of the past events of the day and their current mood;

"I think I'd like something with cinnamon."

The woman would know just what to prescribe, and would reach behind her to a wall filled with shelves, each one lined with large glass jars filled with all different types of tea.

"What do you feel like?"

The tea suits your mood.

So when these were pulled from the oven in anticipation and in a certain eagerness only a little gluten-free chef about to discover the best dinner roll recipe would have, I was thrilled when a little tap on the top of the rolls sounded hollow, and later when I pulled them from the muffin tray they seamlessly left it behind.

The seamlessness of such an enjoyable day and this adventure of baking gluten-free bread has left me in a hopeful and enthusiastic mood.

I couldn't help but dance around the kitchen for a bit.

And then a bit longer.

"They worked! They worked! I did it!" I cried out, so immensely joyful.

So here it is, my own wonder-bread.

Pumpkin Maple Dinner Rolls
Print recipe here.

I was so excited to find this recipe, I knew the rolls would turn out moist and delicious even by looking at the ingredient list; with the addition of the pumpkin purée, a tried and tested ingredient in my Pumpkin Pie Loaf, the rolls hold all the ingredients together nicely and has a delicious wintry flavor.

These little gluten-free rolls are perfect for dinners or lunches with a side of soup, or can be sliced in half as a sandwich and tucked into a lunch bag.

Makes about 15 dinner rolls.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups warm water, divided, plus extra
1 tsp coconut (palm) sugar
1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast, this is equivalent to 2 instant yeast packets

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, plus 1-2 tbsp as a garnish (optional)
1/2 cup corn flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 tsp guar gum

1/4 cup pumpkin purée
2 eggs
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp grape seed oil for dusting pan

Directions

In a small bowl stir together 1 cup of warm water, coconut sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes and allow the yeast to bloom. (If the mixture does not become frothy, resembling the foam on top of a beer, the yeast could be inactive or expired and you will need to repeat this step with new yeast)

In a food processor, pulse pumpkin seeds until finely ground. Add corn flour, gluten-free oats, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and guar gum. Pulse until the oats are finely ground.

In a separate bowl, stir together yeast mixture, pumpkin purée, remaining 1/4 cup of water, eggs, olive oil, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar until completely combined.

Pour until flour mixture in food processor and mix on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and blend for 1 minute. The dough should resemble the consistency of a thick muffin batter; if not, add another 1/4 cup warm water and mix on medium speed for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Coat the inside of 2 muffin tins with a light greasing of grape seed oil and flouring of corn flour. Tilt the pan upside down over the sink to pour out any extra flour.

With a large spoon, portion the dough out into the muffin tins. Cover with towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to allow the yeast to rise. Let the buns sit until they double in size, approximately 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush each bun with a light coating of water and sprinkle with a few whole pumpkin seeds if you choose.

Bake in the centre of preheated oven u Til the buns begin to turn a golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, this should take approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Allow the buns to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Notes*
I used maple syrup in this recipe, because I like the rich flavoring it adds to breads, and that blends perfectly with pumpkin. Honey can be substituted instead, although it will have a less detectable taste.

Quinoa flakes can also be substituted for the gluten-free oats, especially if you cannot tolerate oats.