& now "The Baguette"

Gluten free and Vegan Baguette

I've been working on this recipe for some time, trying to replicate a traditional baguette. According to the experts a baguette should have a chewy interior riddled with holes, and a crisp, golden-brown crust. Another expert (Eric Kayser, see note below*) said, "you need to smell the baguette. You put it in front of your nose . . . and you see if you can find 200 different flavors . . . more than wine." Further to that a regular baguette is "supposed" to weigh approximately 250 grams and is 65 cm long when baked. Finally there is a proper way to score the bread, apparently many of us get it wrong. Whew talk about a tall order! I spent way too much time trying to match those exact specifications. In the end I decided to go with this recipe not because I've nailed it exactly as the experts prescribe (it is after all a gluten free and vegan baguette), but because it's an excellent start and the recipe turns out a good loaf every time I make it.

This baguette is crisp or crusty as it should be, creating steam in the oven as the recipe states is the key to that lovely crunch. The flavor of the bread and texture of the crumb is great too! The "holes" in the crumb are evenly distributed but not large as in a traditional baguette. It is possible to create large holes by increasing the hydration and perhaps by employing a sourdough method. However increasing the hydration means that the dough will be more difficult to handle and shape, prone to collapsing thereby creating a dense loaf.

My recipe calls for resting the dough, which definitely improves the texture and flavour of the finished loaf. Though I suggested 2 1/4 tsp of yeast you could use less, that way the bread will take longer to rise, which will allow it to develop even more flavour. This principle of resting the dough (and a long fermentation time) is actually used by traditional French and artisan bakers when making their baguettes. It is not uncommon for this process to take days!

All I can say now is give it a go. The experts are correct when they say it takes patience, dedication, and practice to master the art of making a baguette.

*Find Eric Kayser's quote here

If you are having problems with this recipe or any other bread recipe check out my "Troubleshooting Guide For Baking Gluten Free Bread"

Gluten Free and Vegan Baguette

Gluten free and Vegan Baguette Recipe

Ingredients

¾ cup or 72g blanched almond flour (no lumps)

¾ cup or 105g brown rice flour

¾ cup or 69g oat flour

¼ cup or 28g tapioca starch

1 tbsp or 11g psyllium husk powder

OR

1¼ tsp or 3g xanthan gum

¼ tsp sea salt

2 tsp or 10g brown sugar

2¼ tsp or 7g instant yeast

2 tsp baking powder

1¼ cup or 284g warm water (105-115°F)

2 tbsp or 28g coconut oil

½ tbsp vinegar

brown rice flour to dress the baguettes

Notes You can sub the flour, starches with an equivalent amount of a GF bread flour mix i.e. 2½ cups or 285g not including psyllium husk or xanthan gum which you can add on if included in your bread flour mix. I cannot guarantee that the recipe will work in exactly the same way

Directions In a bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients, use only 1/2 tsp (or 2g) of the yeast and none of the baking powder. Set aside

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add 1 cup or 227g of the water and the other wet ingredients (except the vinegar), kneading or mixing until thoroughly combined. The dough should be slightly sticky but holding together and fairly easy to work with. Only if the dough is dry, add more water a little at a time. Otherwise, reserve the 1/4 cup (57g) of water until you are ready to add the yeast, baking powder and vinegar.

Cover the bowl with cling wrap or other and set aside in a cool place to rest for about an hour. Resting the dough improves the texture of the finished loaf. Allowing the dough to slow rise overnight in the refrigerator is also an option

At the end of the rest period add the rest of the yeast (1¾ tsp or 5g ), the baking powder and mix or knead well. Add the vinegar and mix or knead again. If the dough is too dry and shaggy, add water a little at a time. You may need less or more water than the recipe specifies. The dough should be fairly easy to handle and not wet as regular gluten free bread dough. In fact it should feel very similar to regular bread dough (see the videos above). If you have a baguette pan or tray prepare it now. You can also make “sleeves” with foil and parchment paper. The “sleeves” and the tray that it is resting on should be perforated for better results

Prepare a lightly floured surface to shape the dough

Divide the dough in half, keep one piece covered while you work. Roll or knead the dough until it is somewhat smooth then elongate into a torpedo like shape. Place the baguette on the baking tray, cover with lightly greased cling wrap and set aside. Since my dough rises fairly quickly, I do not cover it. I have found that allowing the top of the bread to form a skin is better for scoring. Repeat these steps for the remainder of the dough. Working with lightly oiled or flour dusted hands helps

Allow to rise for 30 - 45 minutes or more until it is just less than double in size. Since the dough has less water than traditional gf bread dough, I find that I am able to let it proof for a little longer (my kitchen is fairly warm at all times so my proofing times are generally far less than 1 hour).

Toward the end of the rise preheat oven to 425°F. Fill a baking dish or tray with water and place it on the bottom shelf of the oven to heat up. Alternately you could add a dish or tray of boiling water at the same time you are placing the baguettes in the oven. In whatever way you can try to create steam which will produce the crunchy exterior of a traditional baguette.

Lightly dust the top of the loaves with flour (I use brown rice flour). Using a sharp knife or lame make diagonal slashes along the length of the baguette. When the oven is ready, bake the baguettes for 20 minutes at 425°F. Remember, try to create steam to facilitate a crunchy crust, spritzing water just before you close the oven door also works as does creating a foil tent over the loaves

After 20 minutes, lower the heat to 250°F. With a makeshift baking sleeve, take the baguette out of the baking dish to bake on the parchment paper for another 5-10 minutes. Bread is done when it makes a hollow sound once tapped and when the crust is firm on all sides

Place the loaves onto a rack and allow to cool

If you are not using the entire loaf right away, wrap the rest of the loaf tightly to maintain freshness for as long as possible and keep refrigerated. However, bread is best sliced, wrapped and stored in the freezer if it will not be use within three days.

My DIY Baguette Tin

Yeasted Chocolate Marble Bread

This is the best of both worlds. I love bread and I love chocolate. So chocolate bread? Yes please! This bread is very lightly sweet. It is not meant to be a sweet bread, just a chocolate flavored bread. Of course you can flavour the bread to your liking. I added chocolate chips because more chocolate is always better for me! Served with a nut butter this is even more indulgent. I would love for you to try it!

If you are having problems with this recipe or any other bread recipe check out my "Troubleshooting Guide For Baking Gluten Free Bread"

Yeasted Chocolate Marble Bread

Gluten Free Vegan Yeasted Chocolate Marble Bread Recipe

Ingredients

¾ cup almond flour

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup oat flour

½ cup potato starch

¼ cup tapioca starch

¾ tbsp psyllium husk powder

OR

1 tsp xanthan gum

¼ cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)

2½ tsp instant yeast

¾ tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp sea salt

½ cup warm coconut milk (105-115°F)

¼ cup of aquafaba** (or more coconut milk)

½ cup warm water (105-115°F)***

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use coconut)

1 tbsp vinegar

2-3 tbsp unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder*

¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)

tapioca starch for smoothing and shaping the dough

*If you are using natural cocoa powder sub the baking powder with 1¼ tsp of baking soda

**Aquafaba is the brine from boiling chickpeas (channa) or the liquid in a can of chickpeas. Learn more

***Have the water ready if you need to add more liquid

Notes

You can sub the flour, starches and xanthan gum with an equivalent amount of a GF bread flour mix i.e. 2½ cups

Directions

Grease or line a medium sized baking tin

Place all of the dry ingredients (except the cocoa powder) in a bowl, mix well and set aside.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, kneading or mixing until thoroughly combined. The dough should be slightly sticky and shaggy but holding together. Add more coconut milk or water if needed

Prepare a floured surface to smooth and shape dough

Separate a portion of the dough, about 1/3, knead on the floured surface until smooth and set aside. Cover the dough while you continue working

To the remainder of the dough add the cocoa powder. Mix or knead until thoroughly combined, adding a little water or coconut milk to achieve the correct consistency (slightly sticky and shaggy but holding together)

To create a marbled effect you can layer the chocolate flavored dough with the unflavored dough, using any technique that is comfortable for you. I divided the chocolate flavored dough into 2 pieces. With my hands I stretched and flattened each of the 3 pieces of dough. On one of the chocolate flavored pieces, I sprinkled chocolate chips and then placed the unflavored dough on top. I sprinkled chocolate chips on the unflavored layer and then layered the last piece of the chocolate flavored dough on top, sprinkling the rest of the chocolate chips. I then rolled the dough all together to form a cylindrical loaf. There is no need for perfection here, you could even spoon alternating pieces of the dough into your baking tin. Working with lightly oiled or flour dusted hands helps

Smooth the top of the dough if you wish and cover the baking tin with lightly greased cling wrap. Allow to rise 45-60 mins or until the dough just crosses the rim of the baking tin. Do not be tempted to let the dough rise further, it can collapse in the oven

Toward the end of the rise preheat oven to 350°F. When oven is ready, bake bread for 40-45 minutes. Bread is done when it makes a hollow sound once tapped. It is entirely possible that the bread may not be fully baked after 40 - 45 minutes. If the underside of the crust feels somewhat firm but you can press it in, your bread is not ready. Drop the temperature to 275°F and bake for a further 20 minutes or as much time as is needed for the crust at the bottom to feel firm. You can wrap in foil to prevent further browning (see my "Troubleshooting Guide For Baking Gluten Free Bread" for more help)

Place the loaf on it's side onto a cooling rack. Cut only when completely cooled. Wrap the rest of the loaf tightly to maintain freshness for as long as possible, keep refrigerated. Bread is best sliced, wrapped and stored in the freezer if it will not be used within three days

Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks or Knots!

Do you miss pizza? I remember frequenting a popular pizza restaurant and ordering breadsticks as a side. I loved the crispiness of the crust, it was a bit oily but that also made it the perfect appetizer. I mean I gave no thought to how healthy or unhealthy it was

Breadsticks were also popular when liming (hanging out) with a group of of friends at home or out. It was just the perfect amount of indulgence and it was filling, especially if you could not stop at one!

I've taken my love of breadsticks and made a gluten free and vegan version. Plus it's baked so you can say that it's healthier. This breadstick is also garlicky and cheesy, nutritional yeast adds the cheese flavor. I serve it with a basic tomato marinara sauce, of course you can use whatever you like.

You are free to add different seasonings and you can most certainly shape the breadsticks in whatever way you prefer

Hope you enjoy it, your feedback is always welcome!

Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

Gluten Free and Vegan Cheesy Garlic Breadstick Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup brown rice flour

¼ cup almond flour

¼ tapioca starch

¼ cup potato starch (not potato flour)

½ tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp instant yeast

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tbsp nutritional yeast*

¼ tsp of dried basil**

¼ tsp of dried oregano**

dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)

3 - 5 finely chopped garlic gloves (to taste)

½ –1 tsp tomato paste

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup coconut milk (more if needed)

2 tsp vinegar

tapioca starch for rolling out the breadsticks

*nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor

**fresh finely chopped basil and oregano can be used

Making the Dough

Mix together the dry ingredients until properly combined. Add in the chopped garlic and mix again

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients all at once. Mix or knead to form a somewhat smooth dough. The dough should be lightly sticky to the touch but firm and easy to handle.

Cover the mixing bowl or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate the dough for several hours or overnight. The longer rest period enhances the flavor of the dough.

After the rest period continue to Shaping the Dough

If you used a longer rest time, when ready remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to warm up a bit if it is too stiff to work with. There is no need to let it come to room temperature.

Shaping the Dough

Line a tray (12” x 8” at least) with parchment paper and set aside

Prepare a floured surface to make the bread sticks. Since the dough is not very sticky, it should be fairly easy to work with and you should not need a lot of flour to roll it out. You can moisten your hands with oil or water, or dust your hands with some of the tapioca starch to help you handle the dough.

Pinch off a piece of the dough, leaving the remainder of the dough covered while you work. I use about the equivalent of a packed ¼ cup by volume for each piece. You can use more or less, the final size (and shape) of the bread stick is up to you. On the floured surface roll out the dough to your desired thickness, length or shape. I roll each piece into a noodle 1/4” or so in diameter. I fold the noodle in half to form an elongated C shape, then I “braid” it into a corkscrew to 4” – 5” in length . I have also used this dough to make garlic knots. The dough is delicate so use a light hand. Even if it breaks you can reattach the pieces or simply start over, there is no gluten to overwork. Persistence and practice will “win the day”. Place the bread stick on the baking tray, cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and continue until all the bread sticks have been made. Set the tray aside to allow the bread sticks to rise a bit.

While the bread sticks are proofing, pre-heat your oven to 425F

When the oven is ready and the bread sticks have puffed up a bit (does not have to double in size), place the tray in the oven.

Bake for 12 minutes. The bread sticks are done when they have browned and have pulled away from the parchment paper (if you shake the tray the bread sticks will move around). You may have to adjust your baking time, depending on the size of your bread sticks.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. If using the same day and within a couple of hours, you can leave the bread sticks on a low keep warm setting in your oven (200F or less and covered with foil).

Best served the same day, otherwise wrap tightly and store in the freezer for an extended period of time

Baked Cheesy Garlic Knots