Monday, May 09, 2016

Gluten free dough and bread.

I usually like to enjoy myself kneading flours of cereals that are called "ancient grains". Namely those cereal flours, einkorn, durum and common wheat as others, who have not been altered and have remained largely the same since their first appearance in fields. They are all cereal flours that contain gluten but often less than cereals called "modern", those currently in use that were selected during the evolution of agriculture.
However, among the flour I have already mentioned on this blog, there are some naturally gluten free. they are teff (Eragrostis tef), buckwheat, quinoa and corn, to name a few.
I started adding some of these flour in the dough made with flour containing gluten, in order to give to bread a particular flavor  and coloring.
Then, as my curiosity was not completely satisfied, I tried to make a bread 100% with gluten-free flours.
In the beginning I was satisfied to get some hardtack and crackers, then seeing that some experiments with my sourdough gluten free QUEEQEG began to give encouraging results, I decided to try to knead a leavened bread.
I admit that before reaching the current results I have collected a number of partial and total failures, but I did not give up. I finally found the right formula to achieve soft, tasty and well-leavened loaves.

4 cereals (teff, buckwheat, corn and quinoa) gluten free buns with hemp seeds.
The several tests I did, were important to the selection of the ingredients that I used in conbination with flour. As many know, in gluten free leavened dough, very often are used some "gum" to replace gluten.
I initially tried with xanthan, then with the guar gum. These two products have not fully satisfied me for several reasons. So I looked for an alternative to them.
After collecting a bit of information I decided to try flour of psyllium husks. Which immediately made me reach a quite satisfactory result. Later I combined the flour of psyllium husks with ground chia seeds. Improving the result further. The basic recipe I use to prepare buns with gluten-free flour provides an indirect dough, which requires the use of a preferment.
Glutenfree preferment after 8/10 hours
Soon on this blog some recipes.  
Stay tuned!

1 comment:

  1. I'm an avid sourdough baker and am just now trying to find a bread solution for someone with Celiac disease. Would you mind sharing your recipe for the above mentioned gluten free leavened bread? Thanks!

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