Recently, I’ve been adding more carbs to my diet, as carbs help me stay warm. As a result, I’ve been experimenting with baking with grains. After not being able to eat grains for several years, being able to return to grains has really opened up my options.
I discovered a wonderful gluten-free flour mix called Better Batter. It is the best textured gluten-free baked goods I’ve ever had! Breads stay soft and flexible after baking. No more cardboard!
You’ll see me using Better Batter in more recipes going forward on the blog. I now order it twenty pounds at a time and it our main flour for baking.
This is a hearty bread, more hearty than my sandwich bread (which I will be posting soon) and it will hold up to heavy toppings while still being sliced rather thin, especially if the bread is two or three days old.
As this bread ages, the texture becomes better. I like to cook it the day before and allow it to sit on the counter, sealed in a plastic bag to have it ready to eat the next day.
The other benefit of this bread is that it doesn’t require a second rise, so you mix, shape, rise and bake. It only takes about fifteen minutes of hands-on time to get loaves into the oven.
This recipe does require a stand mixer to handle the batter. And because you beat the batter on high, I recommend you use a 6-quart mixer to avoid batter flying everywhere.
Supplies:
6-quart or larger stand mixer
2-quart or larger saucepan
Two 8×4 one pound loaf pans- Norpro or USA Pan
rubber spatula
Cooking spray
plastic wrap
sharp knife or lame
Cooling rack
Serrated knife or electric knife
airtight bread container
Ingredients:
2 cups left-over cooked rolled oats or quick oats – use only certified GF oats!!
1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
6 Tbs butter, coconut oil or dairy-free margarine
1 cup water
3/4 cup milk or dairy-free milk alternative (or use more water)
3 Tbs sugar or rapadura
1 Tbs salt
2 packages active dry yeast (or 4 teaspoons bulk yeast)
475g to 570g (5-6 cups) Better Batter Gluten Free Flour (20 ounces, 5 pound or 20 pound sizes available)
Grease two 8×4 loaf pans and set aside.
In the bowl of a 6-quart or larger stand mixer, combine the left-over oatmeal and the apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
in a 2-quart or larger saucepan, melt the butter. Add the water, milk, sugar and salt. Place over medium heat and heat until the mixture reaches 110 degrees. Remove from the heat.
Whisk in the yeast. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast becomes foamy. Pour the milk and yeast mixture into the mixer. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add 475 grams of the Better Batter flour mix. Cover the mixer, turn to high and allow to beat for 4 minutes.
Uncover the mixer and turn it to low. The dough should look like chocolate chip cookie dough minus the chocolate chips. If it does not have that texture, leave the mixer on low and add one tablespoon of the remaining 95 grams of flour mix at a time until it does look like cooking dough. Turn the mixer back on high and run 30 more seconds to ensure all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to your greased loaf pans, using a gram scale to divide it evenly between the two pans.
Push the dough into the corners and flatten the top of the batter. With a thin, oiled spatula or wet fingers, pull the top edges of the batter towards the center of the loaf to form a rounded edge, then smooth the top of the loaf. With a sharp knife, slash the top of the loaf into four diagonal cuts.
Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, and place over the two loaf pans. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to one hour, until the top of the bread is even with or slightly higher than the top edge of the loaf pan.
Place into a 375 degree oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to sit, undisturbed in the bread pans, for ten minutes. Then turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack and place on their sides until completely cool.
Once completely cool, you can slice the bread. Slice with a serrated knife. An electric knife is perfect for this.
Store in an airtight container or zip top bag. If you wish to freeze this bread, slice it then wrap individual or paired slices in plastic wrap. Freeze in a rigid freezer container for up to one month.
