Recipe: Gluten Free Soda Bread

Finding a tasty bread when you are gluten free can be a challenge. I’ve tried so many kinds, all of them small, all very expensive compared to regular bread, and frequently hard to find.

One thing I learned is to totally forget what bread tastes like and stop comparing bread to gluten free bread. It is what it is, and I have to learn to live with it.

I basically cut bread out totally from my daily food, but every now and then I get the urge for a lovely slice of bread and butter or a mouth watering piece of toast. So I set out on a search for some recipes to make my own. This can also be very expensive but satisfying when you find something you can enjoy.

In March I used a recipe from The Gluten Free blogger with just a couple of changes. The recipe called for xanthum gum, which I didn’t have and couldn’t justify spending a lot of money on if it wasn’t going to get used much. I searched out substitutes for it and found that cornstarch, unflavoured gelatin (double amount of xanthum gum) and psyllium husk can be used. I settled for the gelatin (because I had it in my cupboard, and it was recommended for baking)

My first attempt seemed wet, so of course I tried leaving it in the oven a bit longer but the bottom crust got really hard and it dried out too much. My second attempt used a bit less flour, a bit less liquid and less salt as I found the first one too salty. I rarely use salt so tend to notice it a lot more in cooking. Much better.

Ingredients:

• 400 gm plain gluten free flour
• 1 tsp salt (I used less)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 1 tsp unflavoured gelatin (this is double the amount of xanthum gum called for in original recipe)
• 1 large egg, lightly whisked
• 200 ml natural yoghurt
• 100 ml milk (I used lactose free)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (I used freshly squeezed)
• gluten free flour for dusting

Instructions:

• preheat oven to 375 F
• line baking sheet with parchment paper
• mix yoghurt, lemon juice, and milk (lemon juice will curdle milk a little)
• mix well flour, salt, gelatin, sugar, baking soda
• pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients, add light whisked egg
• mix with wooden spoon till a soft, sticky dough
• sprinkle flour or work surface, turn out the dough
• dust hands with flour, mold dough together into ball, don’t overwork it
• form into circle shape, place on lined baking sheet
• score X on top of dough, lightly sprinkle with extra flour if desired
• bak in centre of oven about 30 minutes till golden brown
• remove, cool, slice, serve

This isn’t a bread I would bake all the time, but it sure is delicious on the times I’ve made it.

My cooking is always gluten free. Find a yummy recipe to cook.

Now spring is here, not really warmed up a lot yet, but enough to get me out and walk around in the garden.