My Favorite Gluten-Free Bread Recipe

I have been searching and searching for a great-tasting gluten-free bread recipe for years.  Through a little combining of recipes from here and there, plus a good deal of experimenting, I have finally hit upon a family favorite:

Ingredients
2 c. warm water
1/4 c. expeller-pressed canola oil
1 t. apple cider vinegar
3 T. agave nectar
3 T. ground flax seed*
1-1/2 c. brown rice flour*
1/2 c. coconut flour
1 c. quinoa flour*
1/3 c. cornstarch
4 T. Dari-Free non-dairy dry milk
1 t. salt
1 T. xanthan or guar gum
2-1/4 t. yeast

*These ingredients can be made at home with a spice grinder.

Directions

For a bread machine:
Place water, canola oil, vinegar, agave nectar, and ground flax seed in the pan with the paddle already attached.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except yeast, and mix well.

Pour dry mixture into the pan, make a small trough in the dry ingredients for the yeast, place in bread machine, and use the 2-lb, gluten-free setting.  If your machine does not have a gluten-free cycle, the white bread setting should work just fine.

For a conventional oven:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease and flour pan.

Place water, canola oil, vinegar, agave nectar, and ground flax seed in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

Mix the remaining ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.

With the mixer on low, slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.  Mix only until combined, as gluten-free foods are easy to over-mix.

Transfer dough to greased pan, lightly greased with shortening and dusted with gluten-free flour or cornstarch. Place pan into the oven with foil in place, and bake for 50-55 minutes.

Allow bread to cool thoroughly on a wire rack before slicing.  Store in tightly-sealed bags or freeze.

100% Organic Whole Wheat, Dairy-Free Bread

My husband bought me a beautiful Cuisanart bread machine early this year for making gluten-free bread.  While I am still on the hunt for a perfect GF bread recipe, I did come across one that is pretty easy.  It still leaves a lot to be desired in the actual mixing and heaviness departments, but it's working for now.  That process made me consider baking bread for the entire family, and so I began looking for great 100% whole wheat bread machine recipes.

Thanks to a dear friend, I had a starting point.  The recipe she gave me was wonderful, but I have been tweaking it a bit to fit into my non-dairy life.  So, here is my take on the perfect 100% whole wheat, dairy-free bread:

1½ c. + 2 T warm water

2 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

4½ c. 100% organic, unbromated whole wheat flour

2 t sea salt

⅓ c. packed organic brown cane sugar

1½ T dry non-dairy milk alternative

2 t organic vital wheat gluten

2¼ t organic active dry yeast

Place the warm water and EVOO in the bread pan with the paddle attached.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sea salt, brown cane sugar, non-dairy milk alternative, and the vital wheat gluten.  Use a wire whisk to break up the brown sugar and ensure proper mixing of all ingredients.

Carefully pour the dry ingredients into the bread pan, and make a well in the center.  Place the yeast in the well, and set your bread machine to the 2-lb. Whole Wheat setting.  Choose your crust lightness level, and decide if you would like to add mix-ins into your bread.  I like to add 1 t roasted, ground flax seed and a few squirts of organic clover honey.  Experiment and see what you like in yours.

Note: for those not sensitive to milk, cut the flour to 4¼ cups and use 3 T of dry milk.  The rest remains the same.