Bread making and other culinary pursuits!!

I decided that I wanted to try my hand using the bread machine to make bread today.  I bought this machine about 6 months ago but haven't done much with it but times they be a changin'.  I went to the store the other day and a loaf of good gluten free bread was $8....errrrr...I don't make enough on my disability to eat that costly of a bread so I decided to try to give it another try. btw if you want good bread go to Jason's Deli and buy their gluten free bread because a loaf twice the size of the $8 loaf only costs you $11 and it is much better tasting.  A loaf lasts me almost a month.

The bread machine is put out by WestBend and when I bought it off of Amazon the description said it has a specific gluten free setting but when it came and I looked at the book it was primarily just a basic bread setting.  The first loaf I made with the machine was such a fiasco I got on the line and chewed on Amazon for awhile and they turned me over to the people who actually sold me that machine...no good there either cause if I can't read then it isn't their problem.  Well that's more or less what she said!!!

Anyway here is the bread maker

of course you can't expect the same hi-rise with gluten free bread as you get with gluten bread but I was hoping it would be higher then some of the breads I have made in the past.

 Here is a picture of the uncooked bread.  This machine has two beater blades and it seems to stir the ingredients equally.

I wasn't real happy with the way the bread baked because it seemed to be over baked and when I cut into the loaf it was actually browner on one end then the other and whereas it didn't taste 'burned' it looked over done.  The crust was a little chewy but overall the bread was tasty!

Bread is a little brown and crusty!

The bread when sliced shows a good 'bready' look and crumb.  I still have issues getting over the eggy texture almost all gluten free bread has.  I guess it is a choice between adding the egg or having a heavy dry loaf of bread.  I will eventually get used to the egg!

Here is the recipe!

Gluten-Free Bread, 2 lb. 

Adapted from the WestBend Bread maker recipe

For preparation in a bread maker with traditional shaped, horizontal bread pan.

• 3 large eggs beat well
• 16 oz. lukewarm water, 90°F (1 cup + 2 tbsp.)
• 4 tbsp. melted butter or canola oil (do not use margarine)
• 1 tsp. cider vinegar
• 2 cups white rice flour
• ½ c sweet rice flour
• ¾ cup potato starch flour
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• ⅔ cup non-fat dry milk
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• ¼ c honey
• 1 tbsp. zanthan gum
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp. active dry yeastProof yeast by taking 8 oz water and sugar and put yeast in it and let set 10 minutes.  
  Update:  a friend just told me that you don't proof yeast in a bread machine you just throw it in and it does the rest...okay next time I will try that and see what the difference is.  Think I will fiddle with some of the settings too!

1. In mixing bowl thoroughly combine eggs,  8 oz lukewarm water, melted butter or oil and cider vinegar with a wire whisk or fork. Pour mixture into bread pan.
2. Measure and blend together all dry ingredients, except yeast, with a whisk or fork. Place into bread pan on top of liquid ingredients. Add yeast mixture. on top of dry ingredients. Lock pan into bread maker.
3. Program for Basic, Basic Rapid, or Basic Specialty bread setting, 1 ½ lb load size and Medium crust color. Press Start/Stop button to turn on. When mixing action begins, use a rubber scraper to assist in mixing for a few minutes. The machine will then mix the thick batter by itself. The mixture will not form into a ball of dough, but will be a thick batter that will take on a swirled appearance on surface after about 10 minutes of mixing. After mixing, the bread will go through the rise cycles and bake.
4. When the bread is done, remove bread pan using oven mitts. Invert pan to remove loaf and cool completely on rack before slicing. This recipe makes about a 2 lb loaf of bread that will be about 5 inches high.

I also made gluten free hamburger buns and homemade gluten free chili today but I think this is enough for one blog post.  Stay tuned they will be posted soon!