And Sometimes I Follow...

 

 "Oh what grief these loaves have caused, but pray I that their sweetness be greater than the weight of their cost."

       That was the Facebook status I posted right before I attempted my latest GF bread experiment. A friend saw several GF recipes in the local paper, and thinking of me, sent the clippings my way. It turned out that the bread recipe she forwarded was from one of my favorite GF cookbooks, "The Gluten Free Girl and the Chef," by Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern. This was one I had copied for my own collection, but to see it turn up in the local small town paper seemed a sign. I thought I'd give it a go, reminding myself that even the worst of my bread endeavors had been edible, (toasted and drowned with enough butter or jam). 

     The ensuing difficulty stemmed not in the complexity of the recipe I had set myself to follow, but the fact that I had in deed decided to follow the recipe, to the letter. That meant no substitutions as I am often wontonly want to do. It meant measuring carefully, as I am frequently lax about. No pinch, dither, and dash, but neatly measured cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons. It meant a trip to several different stores, (gods forbid any one stock all of these things despite frequent begging, read whining), after realizing that while yes I did posses all of the necessary ingredients, I did not have them in the required amounts. By the time the running around was done, (made it to one store with 5 min. to spare before they closed), I had just about lost the steam to bake. But I'd come this far, and knowing myself it was highly unlikely to happen any other night of the week. (I'm lazy as well as reluctant).

       So I gathered my supplies, pulled my instructions close, clipped on my iPod and set to the task of building bread. Now normally I approach baking as a sort of chemistry experiment. Which flours do what, how much liquid is necessary, what fat, sugar, salt, rising agents, binding agents. It can get complicated, but so far even the worst of my failures have been fit for human consumption, and I've seen some of the accidents of others turn into what we now jokingly call food for the gods. But my goal with this particular venture was to follow a recipe exactly and create the "Crusty Bread That Even Those Who Eat Gluten Might Like".

       I'm not going to recount the whole recipe here as I encourage you to find a copy of the book and experience its wonderfulness for yourself. I will tell you that the bread uses potato starch, almond, oat, and millet flours, and has a earthy nutty taste and smell that is a delight to the senses. The honey acts as a natural preservative and if they last the loaves will keep for at least a week in the fridge. My one caution, (that I wish had been in someones instructions), do not try to handle the dough, it's like trying to knead cake batter. I suggest pouring the dough onto your cookie sheet and shaping with a spatula. Otherwise I followed the instructions to the letter. And the result...

       I would follow this recipe anywhere. I've made probably a dozen different types of GF bread at this point. Some fairly close to their original recipes, some so far removed that they have become my own. But at the end of the day all those loaves are pretty standard if not exactly created equal. They make great toast and awesome grilled cheese. They look like bread and cut like bread, and I am happy. But Gluten-Free Girl's loaves kick their little GF buns! This is the bread that I would make fresh to take to a dinner party or potluck. Sliced thin and toasted it makes the most exquisite bruschetta, top with olive tapenade, or slivers of fresh mozzarella and pepperoni... you get the idea. For once there was no accident here.