Crusty, Hearty Gluten-Free Baguette

I am late to the let's make sourdough craze, and honestly, my lifestyle just doesn't seem to allow for nurturing a long-term starter. But daily bread that only takes an hour, is full of fiber and hearty grains, and is actually healthy and gluten-free to boot? Yes, please. 

The trick here is the flour blend I've come up with. We can't eat the regular GF flours because of a tapioca starch allergy, so I had to great creative. I adapted the recipe I found here.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour*

  • 3 tbsps potato starch

  • 2 tbsps psyllium husk powder

  • 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) instant rapid-rise yeast

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ½ cup+ 2 tbsp warm water (118°F)

  • 2 large eggs (at room temperature)

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 1 tbsp olive oil


*GF Bread Flour Recipe:

  • 1 cup brown or white rice flour (brown gives it a wonderful nutty flavor)

  • 1/2 cup sorghum flour

  • 1/2 cup potato starch

  • 1/3 cup buckwheat flour

  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

  • 1 tablespoon sunflower lethicin

  • 1-2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder

DIRECTIONS

  • Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix together gluten-free flour, potato starch, yeast, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined. (Note: These ingredients are in addition to the ones that make up the GF flour, not in place of.)

  • Add warm water, eggs, apple cider vinegar, honey, and oil. Mix on low speed to let the dough come together, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes (this helps thicken the batter), scraping down the paddle and bowl halfway through. The batter will be thick and stiff, but still slightly sticky.

  • On a large greased sheet of parchment paper, shape the dough into a large ball using greased hands. (I use avocado spray, it’s perfect, but olive oil will work in a pinch.) Use a sharp knife to evenly divide the dough in half.

  • Move one half to the side and shape the other into about a 12-inch log.

  • Repeat with the second log and position about 3-4 inches apart. (I have a baguette pan, and I use it for shaping, placing the parchment paper inside the trays, but well-floured towels work, too.)

  • Taper the ends, then use a sharp knife or lame to slash 3 diagonal slits on top, about ¼-inch deep.

  • Move the parchment with the bread to a baking sheet. Place a piece of well-greased plastic wrap over the bread and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 minutes. (I like the microwave.) after 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 450℉.

  • When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap. I put a muffin tin with water in each cup at the bottom of the oven, which helps create a solid crust on the baguettes. Place the bread on the middle rack, and spray the tops with water. Bake for 10 minutes.

  • Loosely tent a large piece of foil over the baking sheet (to prevent the bread from over-browning) and reduce the oven temp to 350℉. Bake for 15 minutes longer.

  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing, about 10 minutes.


    A note about storage - GF doesn’t stand up well to sitting out. If you don’t eat it immediately, triple-wrap it in foil, put it in a ziplock, and freeze it. They thaw and reheat perfectly.

BreadsJ.T. EllisonComment