Special tools needed:
-heavy duty stand mixer (or a hand mixer will work in a pinch);
-
French bread pan (this really is helpful--keeps the loaves in the proper shape)
-extra pan for water in the oven (I use an 8"x8" glass pan)
-water spritzer bottle
Ingredients 1 C. sorghum flour
1 C. brown rice flour
1 C. tapioca flour
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TBL sugar
2 TBL active dry yeast (I use Red Star)
1 C. warm water (warm but not hot to touch)
1 TBL olive oil
1 tsp. vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
3 egg whites
- in mixer place flours, xanthan gum, and salt. Mix to combine.
- in a small bowl, dissolve sugar and then add and dissolve yeast--wait a few minutes for the yeast to foam (this means that it's working and starts the rising process)
-add olive oil, cider vinegar, and egg whites to the dry ingredients. Add yeast mixture to dry ingredients
-mix slowly to combine
-turn mixer to high and mix for 3 minutes or so
-spoon dough onto the French bread pan in two equal amounts
-shape dough into baguette oblongs
-slash top of each loaf with 3 slashes with a sharp knife or razor blade
-turn on oven to 400 degrees
-place pan with dough on top of stove (I do this so they're in a warm environment)
-let rise for about 30 mins or so (until they are double-ish in bulk)
-while you're waiting for the dough to rise, boil a pan's worth of water
-once dough has risen for 30 mins, place water in an oven-proof pan
-place pan of water on the floor of your oven
-spray oven with a spritz or two of water from spray bottle
-wait for another 5 minutes to let the oven get humid (necessary for a crisp crust)
-lightly brush tops of loaves with olive oil (to make them get brown and crispy)
-place bread pan in the oven
-bake for 30 minutes--until brown
-cool for a few minutes
This bread is best eaten hot or warm--as soon as possible after baking. It's got a nice crispy crust and my family found it to be delicious! I like it best when I tear off pieces with my hand rather than cutting it with a knife.
If you want to go totally crazy, you can make a version of Pain au Chocolate by shoving some chocolate, like chocolate chips, into the middle of a piece of warm bread and eat it that way. Yum....
Store whole loaf on counter in the open and uncovered (covering softens crust). If you have a bread box, that would be fine. Cover any partially eaten loaves by placing a piece of aluminum foil at open end (not over the whole loaf). May be frozen.
