All month I have been hearing how terrified people are of the holiday food scene after having worked so hard to clean up their diets – almost resigning themselves to bad food choices. Well hears a gluten-free twist on a Christmas morning favourite – real kneaded raisin bread. It is the latest from Ali at nourishing meals.com and it is well worth the work. I just bought all the ingredients on amazon.ca.
Enjoy!
Here’s the whole recipe:
Yield: 1 loaf of bread or 1 dozen rolls
Contrary to its name, buckwheat has no relation to wheat. It’s a grain-like seed and is gluten-free. Be sure to purchase the raw groats (amazon.ca), not the roasted variety. This is very important, as roasted buckwheat flour (the kind you can buy in the store) will NOT work in this recipe as the two behave very differently in baking. Raw buckwheat flour also has a very mild flavor compared to the traditional roasted buckwheat flour you typically find in the store.
It is also important to purchase buckwheat that is certified gluten-free as some brands may be contaminated with wheat berries from growing, harvesting, or storage. Bob’s Red Mill buckwheat groats are gluten-free and organic. Grind the buckwheat groats in a hand grinder (that has never been used for wheat), a coffee grinder, or a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix (this is what I use). Chia seeds can be ground to a fine meal in either a coffee grinder or high-powered blender as well. Serve rolls with honey and butter (or coconut butter for a dairy-free option). .
Wet Ingredients:
2 ½ cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
1 teaspoon maple syrup or organic cane sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
4 tablespoons maple syrup
? cup ground chia seeds
? cup psyllium husks
Dry Ingredients:
3 ½ to 4 cups freshly ground buckwheat flour
½ cup arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ to 1 cup raisins
Place the warm water in a bowl or 4-cup liquid glass measure. Add the yeast and the teaspoon of maple syrup or sugar, whisk together. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to activate the yeast. The mixture should get foamy or bubbly. If not, dump it out and start over.
While the yeast is activating, mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (start with 3 ½ cups of the buckwheat flour).
After the yeast is activated whisk in the olive oil or butter, maple syrup, ground chia seeds, and psyllium husks into the water-yeast mixture. Let stand for no more than a minute or two to let the chia and psyllium release their gelatinous substances. Whisk again. If you let the mixture rest too long, you run the risk of it absorbing too much liquid.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together with a large wooden spoon until thick. Turn dough out onto a floured wooden board. Add more buckwheat flour, a little at a time, until the dough holds together and isn’t too sticky.
For a round loaf, form dough into a ball and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Score the dough in a cross pattern to help control how the bread expands while baking later. You can also form the dough into a log and place into an oiled 9×5-inch glass bread dish. To make rolls, form dough into twelve equal-sized balls. This is the time to let children each knead and shape their own ball of dough. Place the balls into two oiled 9-inch pie plates. Cover with a damp towel and place into a warm spot to rise. Let dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes. Rising time will depend on the temperature of the environment around the dough.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake bread for 55 to 60 minutes. Bake rolls for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes and then serve.
