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.

Drive Roll

You wouldn't believe the hype around here for Justin Bieber's Believe tour. I've never known so many people to go to one concert, at the same venue and time, and all people who I know. And some even got backstage passes - the opportunity to meet him.

Three friends and I were driven down to Tacoma, a three or four hour drive from here for my mum, with the cost of a hotel to share. Tuesday afternoon, with passports and money secured, as well as the tickets for the show safely stored someplace we would remember, my mum picked us up from school early, and we were off.

Music loud, and sun pouring down, the excitement for the next twenty four hours away built. Brick upon brick, joke upon joke, and tumbling down with pouring laughter.

It was hot in the car, and mum and I constantly fiddled back and forth with the temperature dial, me favouring the red side, where warm air escaped from the vents and blanketed me, and mum the blue, causing my toes to chill as icy particles splintered through my cocoon. The temperature outside read above 15°C, and as we drove mum commented,

"It feels like a May long weekend!"

Just like the days when school comes to the end early, and we all dash off for the weekend as a much needed get away, giving us all that extra push of motivation to carry on working and finish the end of the year.

We've had enough tests this week for it to feel like exam time, I've been swamped every evening, underneath toppled textbooks and scattered pens, creating a jungle around me as I sit wrapped up in slippers and a big sweater, cradling my iPad, and fingers drumming at the keys as I slip into zombie-mode...

Must. Get. This. Done. Tonight.

Until mum shouts out,

"Would you like a cuppa tea!?"

Everyone napped as the car edged through traffic, a stalled stampede through the winding array of businesses as we neared Seattle. Truck and RV vendors lined the highway, as advertisements decked out in quickly fading colours dotted along became blurred swatches of colour as we sped up.

The hotel which we checked into was nothing glamorous, with a double bed for two to share, extra padded as requested for a good sleep, and a TV on the wall. Very American. Downstairs, little girls dressed in purple t-shirts with slogans of

Believe Tour 2012

And,

Justin Bieber We Love You,

Matched with little tutus danced around the foyer in excitement, smiles expanding as the time closed in. 3 hours.

In our room we donned make up and heels, and tried not to laugh at how silly we might look with so many younger kids around, in their pony tails and sneakers.

The venue of the concert was a dome building, with seats up the sides of the stage in the centre. We arrived in the middle of the opening act, Carly Rae Jepson, and the stands were only three quarters full. Many people, like us, thought they had loads of time to wait, as nothing ever starts on time!

I loved the costumes some girls wore, matching pinks and purples, matching hats and shirts, and my favourite, the hot pink skirts that read

'Swaggy'

On the back.

That was Tuesday night, and the last day of what still felt like summer. Today, I watched as rain drops fell down the windows, as if racing each other to the bottom.

I cheered for the underdog, slowly crawling and diagonally approaching the race. Slow and steady. If only I had taken heed of that advice as I cooked, maybe I would have remembered all the ingredients.

Like the butter. Which caused my pastry to resemble a cocoon, protecting the little caterpillar inside.

Although, I can't deny what I learnt from it, watching my little rolls sitting in the oven. I explored another consistency from baking with gluten-free flours, only found from straying from the written and tested recipes. Or forgetting to follow the path completely.

Butter is vital for many baked items, including cookies, cakes and pastries. The richness, as well as its creaminess, improves the texture, flavour, and moisture, as well as even freshness of whatever its used in. Butter, as the preferred fat by chefs all across the world, although I often opt for Earth Balance spread, serves for different purposes depending on the temperature.

Chilled butter, best when stored in the coldest part of the fridge, is specifically used for some pie crusts. Cold butter causes the flour to absorb less of the moisture contained within butter, and results in a flaky, crisper consistency.

Alternately, butter kept at room temperature is usually required for recipes that call for creaming together the butter and sugar. This process involves incorporating air, which helps with the process of rising as it bakes. The best temperature for storing butter at room temperature is between about 18°C and 21°C.

Finally, melted butter is often reserved for cooking sauces, and pan-frying, however sometimes it is used in baking recipes, such as cheesecake crusts. Using melted butter adds small amounts of flavour and moisture to dry ingredients.

So here, with butter this time, are my sausage rolls.

Gluten-Free Turkey Sausage Rolls
Print recipe. 

I really started crying this time, when I chopped the onions I mean. I must have been really upset about chopping up such a beautiful onion. Well actually, it was just really fresh. If this happens to you, causing you to sniffle and tear up while cooking, and forcing odd expressions of shock from those around,

"Whats wrong!?"

Chewing gum is meant to help. Try it!


My first attempt replaced the egg in this recipe with ground flax, preferable if you don't eat eggs or are allergic, however the result was crumbly, and the pastry was extremely difficult to work with. The second time, I completely forgot the butter! Which caused the pastry to resemble a shell-like cocoon, although still tasty. I also found that they took much longer to cook without butter, or any replacement. Finally, I remembered all the ingredients, and worked with proper flours to reach a perfect result.

Make 12 regular sized sausage rolls.

Ingredients

Pastry

3/4 c blanched almond meal
3/4 c potato flour (not starch!)
1 c brown rice flour
3/4 c tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt

1 egg
1/3 c butter, or dairy-free replacement
about 3/4 c chilled water

2 tbsp milk for brushing

Filling

500 g ground turkey

1 carrot, grated
1 apple, grated
1 brown onion, grated
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped finely
2 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely

1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp thyme leaves
salt and pepper to season

Using an egg helps bind together the pastry...

So that this is finally possible!

Directions

Pastry

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

In a food processor combine the dry ingredients, pulse, then add the chilled butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Pour in the egg and mix.

With the motor still running slowly add water until the pastry forms a ball. Remove from the processor, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Filling

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a large bowl for the filling, squeezing the juices from the grated carrot, apple and onion before adding. Stir well, making sure ingredients are spread throughout the entire mixture. Set aside.

Pastry

Remove the pastry from the freezer and cut in half. With one half roll it out on a piece of parchment sprinkled with brown rice flour. Shape into a long rectangle approximately 1/4 inch thick.

Spoon the filling down the centre. Using the parchment paper underneath, fold the long edges over the filling.

Brush milk over the edges to help with sticking, and roll the pastry overtop, cinching the edges together. Place the roll so that the edges are underneath.

Cut into desired sizes, and place on the lined baking sheet. With extra milk, brush the tops of each sausage roll.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Delicious with caramelised onions or ketchup (not Heinz brand!)

To Changes

A typical Sunday around here, after we try to delegate who's turn it is to clean up from brunch with "Well, I set the table!"

Followed by,

"And I put the kettle on to boil!"

Forcing me to reply with,

"I mixed the pancakes!"

And eventually ending up in a shared effort of putting away the condiments, stacking the plates neatly (which don't need to be scraped this time!) by the dishwasher, and wiping down the counter, is then filled with dad building something outside, whether that be replacing our very old and very rotten wrap-around deck, or some other handy-man project, and mum and I working on our own individual "projects" as well. Today, I started this blog. And cooked.

That's our typical Sunday.

And in the middle of this very relaxing-but-very-exciting day sits lunch, later than other days to allow the pancakes to digest (except they don't feel like they're sitting in your stomach like gluten pancakes!). However, eventually everyone begins to need food, which is evident as things begin to annoy us, and nothings goes quite so smoothly as they did earlier in the day.

Like when I got frustrated because I couldn't figure out which button would lead me to publishing my first blog post. Mum can attest to that, as I yelled out in annoyance,

"This isn't working! Again!"

Yep, definitely lunch time. Which was only realized after mum suggested it.

Before I stopped eating gluten, I loved open-faced tuna-melts for lunch. Okay, I still love them, but they're just one of those fantasy things... That is, until I have them with gluten-free bread! They're a comfort food for a cloudy and gloomy day - just like today with the clouds threatening rain all day, and the September chill in the air. As mum suggested tuna-melts, after she scoured the pantry for ideas and coming into the kitchen pleased and excited that she'd found something: we looked at each other and both knew,

Of course, we don't have any gluten-free bread.

Double and triple-checking the fridge and cupboards, we still didn't turn up anything for me to have with the tuna melt. Devastating.

This was a roller coaster few moments for me clearly; I didn't want to be left eating cold beans from the can while delicious smells wafted around the room. No. That's just not okay.

And then the most brilliant idea came to me. Yam.

Or sweet potato. But I'm pretty sure it was a yam.

There, in the midst of the vegetable drawer, covered by the red and yellow peppers, and obscured by the baby carrots, was half a yam left with my name on it. It was quickly microwaved until almost cooked (2-4 minutes), and then my almost famous tuna melt mixture was spooned over top before it went straight under the broiler to melt the cheese to perfection.

There's definitely a recipe coming soon for this.

It tasted amazing, mainly because I love yams so much, but I learned that there needs to be some quick alternative for meals when my parents want bread, and without the drama of trying to find something.

So I decided that today was the day I would finally venture into gluten-free bread making. A recipe which I was scared to try, mainly because of the many stories of horrible results, including clumpy, dry, and distasteful "breads."

My solution? No recipe.

I did my research, reading bread recipes with wheat flour and gluten-free, and choosing from the most reliable ingredients to me (at the moment I'm sticking with eggs because they tend to bind the dough together and prevent too much crumbling), I formulated an easy gluten-free roll recipe.

We had them for dinner, so around three that afternoon I got out my many flours from the cupboard, and lined them up across the counter, labels facing me and ready for measurement time! The funnest part is adding them into a big bowl and seeing all the different colours turn into one big mix.

These babies might turn out purple...

The purple flour I used is purple maize, and even though the mixed together dry ingredients don't appear purple, the addition of any liquid will turn even the tiniest bit a deep purple. I love seeing how things change with the addition of each new ingredient and process. Like rising.

From when I first set the batter out to rise...

To a little over an hour later...

The difference is amazing!

However, while forming my rolls, the dough was extremely sticky, and not at all like dough. I hoped this would mean they'd be moist and delicious once they came out of the oven! But in the mean time, I had to deal with dough stuck to my hands, making it extremely difficult to form perfect little dough balls. But I managed.

Then, lined up perfectly in a little baking pan, I sent my creations into the heat, to be changed again into something wonderful!

... Mmm. Delicious. They ended up tasting like bread, but the texture was more like scones, which was alright by me! But I'll be revisiting this recipe in search of the perfect dinner rolls. Maybe I didn't quite get the proportions right?

Anyways, here's the recipe for my rolls - square shaped - that taste delicious with stews and soups!

Gluten-Free Rolls
Click here for printable version.

It's important to be aware of the amount of liquid you may need to add to the dough, depending on the atmosphere of your kitchen, or the types of flours used, which all act differently, the dough may need different amounts of liquid.

I cooked these for 25 minutes at 350°F, which didn't produce a hollow sound on the rolls when they were tapped, but they were cooked.

Ingredients

1 packet (8g) of instant yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c to 3/4 c warm liquid (equal parts rice milk and water)

1/2 c sorghum flour
1/2 c blanched almond meal
1/2 c arrowroot flour
1/2 c white rice flour
1/2 c purple maize flour
1 1/4 tsp salt

1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

In a small bowl, combine together the yeast, brown sugar, olive oil, and 1/2 c of the warm liquid. Set aside.

Mix together the egg and lemon juice in another small bowl, and set aside.

Combine the flours and salt together, and forming a well in the center, pour in the egg mixture and the yeast mixture. Stir until all ingredients are well blended.

At this point you may need to add more liquid if the dough is not wet. I must note, that the dough should not resemble wheat-flour dough - otherwise you will end up with dry and crumbly rolls! It will change texture as it rises, drying slightly, and binding.

Oil another large bowl, and carefully transfer the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit between one and two hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a square baking pan with oil, and dust with a gluten-free flour.

With your hands, form little rolls and place into the pan.

Cook for 25 minutes, or until tops have set and begin to brown slightly.

Enjoy with butter, and excellent accompanied with any meal!