megalodon bites the bread babes

ok people.

so as you know i was just in denver for an epic weekend.

in my delusional bread babeness, i hoped to show camp1899 the sacredness of the gluten free sandwich bread that i love.  kelli and peter's gluten free flour recipe is a staple in the mullies and i have really gotten into making bread.  new skills turn me on.  i prefer their baguette recipe over the sandwich bread recipe (cuz you only need to use warm water!) and i decided it would be SO FUN to have them buy all the flour... mix up all the flour... and make two loaves of bread.  

NOW.  i was in bread experimental mode.  camp1899 is fully vegan and the cookbook offers an eggless version which simply increases the milk mixture and xanthan gum.  so, this is what we did:

1st loaf=2 c rice milk + 1/2 c light coconut milk

2nd loaf= 2 c rice milk + 3 egg replacer eggs + light coconut milk to equal 2.5 cups

we kept all of the other recipe variables the same like usual.  i make the sandwich bread with eggs and my dairy free milk concoction all the time in my kitchen.  so this seemed to be a flawless plan to see if an egg replacer would be a factor in making better bread.

are you following me? does it even matter if you are!?

both loaves rose gorgeously.  all the way to the top of the pans by the end of the hour of rising.  we had cocktails under their southern style porch, chatted with neighbors and marveled at how cool it was to watch the dough go up up up.

we put it in the oven.

and after a bit this is what happened... sinkage.

and more sinkage!!!!!!

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

well, does it taste good?  yes, but not the texture nor the density that was expected.  oye.

so, our bread babeness bombed.  big time.

the egg replacer was bubkiss... didn't matter a lick.

why did it sink after rising so great!?  did we not cook it long enough?  the inside was super doughy and moist and just turned into a brick.  so, i am ON IT!!!  i will not rest until i figure out how to make a vegan loaf of bread for my bunny and her mate.  peter and kelli, i need help:)  this bread babe adventure is to be continued...

so what happened after that?  after we cried about our failure as bread bakers?

well of course, we turned on a little discovery shark week action.

and got sucked into megalodon.  i'm so mad i could spit.



ps

just found out peter and kelli will be coming out with a dairy free, egg free version of the sandwich bread... oh oh oh oh oh... megalodon!!!!!!!!!!!

bread babe - a baguette pan for me

oh oh oh 

the funny thing is, i could not have identified this pan before my newfound bread making babe-ness.   

i super duper love my new "used" baguette pan!  here are my freshly risen loaves ready to go.

thank you christina!!! i truly heart them and you!!!  they work like a charm and both loaves were gonzos at dinner.  i think this recipe makes the best homemade baguettes ever.  notes:  i add additional scoops of gf flour until it's just tacky to the touch.

i did a little research last night and found my favorite article on why i'm not worried about my family's folic acid (folate) intake being gluten-free.  i had no idea that real food folate is different than supplemental folate (the folic acid that is added to fortify foods like refined wheat).  here is the article that left me smiling afterwards: supplemental folic vs real food folic acid.  it made me realize how much more folic acid we are ingesting than we were 8 months ago and i'm encouraged to keep going up up up with the veggies.   

yet another sweet side effect of going real with our food. 

i couldn't resist this one:  food allergies or just hype?  we all have our own food blueprint ya know:)

humina humina humina

4 more days until food revolution day 2013... the anticipation is killin me smalls!!!!!  

are you coming to party with me or what!?!?  RSVP to a really cool, real food picnic NOW!

ps

and when i say "NOW" you must say it in jack's voice - 24 is coming back!!!  seriously.

bread babe's new pans

aren't they pretty!?!  i love that they are made of natural stone.  and as i use them, the stone's patina will evolve to look even more lovely.  i want stains!!!  i want usage...i want history...i want to hand these puppies down to my kids... thank heavens i won't have to deal with pealing, non-stick surfaces anymore - that was just disgusting.

i've been trying to wrap my head around this question:  why gluten?  why of all the things we removed from abbie's diet, was gluten the clincher?  i've linked to many articles (just search "gluten and adhd" on the right side bar and you'll get a bunch) that discuss the gluten link between ADHD & sensory processing disorders and i just came across this expansive post over the weekend:

what's wrong with wheat?

well that certainly got my foodie-nerd juices flowing.  here are some more that i found and read after my brain exploded:

is wheat genetically modified?

wikipedia on genetically modified wheat


no wonder my belly feels better after i took it out.  here's my real deal:  we cheat a little from time to time...even abbie had a slice of gluten pizza recently (oops), and a few meatballs with gluten on another night with no lasting effects.  i have some too on rare occasion - that is good news (i mean hello, a girl's gots to have her guinness).  but certainly, this revelation will not have me going:  whoo hoo, we can have gluten 100% again!  naahh & eehh.  just not a fan anymore.  we feel better without it as our whole grains staple.  i found something better.  as abbie gets older and more independent, i'm sure she'll experiment with eating differently.  my goal:  to give my kids (and hubby) the awareness and education to become clean & confident foodies who know how to cook and who won't go crazy when they leave my nest.  (and chris, don't you go calling it a nagging nest now mister...)  you love it.  hahahaha.

food perfection is unattainable (if imposed by another) and breeds rebellion=note to mommy dearests.  so instead, we just focus on eating as much real food as we can, and that is that.

i have found something better.

i'm still amazed i can make a gluten free loaf of bread all by myself.  i never ever thought i'd have the gumption to do this.  i'm going to make some more today and see how long it will last me for school lunch sandwiches and breakfast toast.  depending how thick i slice it, two loaves should get me through a full week foh shoh...i'll let you know how it goes. 

so sorry charlies, but i won't be divulging this perfect flour mix creation, it's just not mine to give out on this blog.  however, you can find it in their book here if you want to join in on the fuss.   i originally found them through a glowing, online gluten free cookbook review and the rest is history...

some more seats are filling in:

my hot mama girlfriend/neighbor laura has decided to give gluten free a whirl to see if it will help her family too (oh boy oh boy) - she has already taken out artificial color, preservative and additives...so here we go!!!

...she came over last friday with all of her new flours and we put her first quadruple batch together! 

no need to make the same mistakes that i did, so i explained all the tricks.  the most important tip? 

#1  how to measure flour correctly:  i spoon it in, do not tap or pack and use the back edge of my knife to level it off.  easy peasy.

#2  use a paper towel under the cups as i measure.  i shake and bake the access back into the bag or measuring cup (cuz this flour is like gold).  do i get some cross contamination?...probably...but who cares cuz i'm just gonna make another batch!!  it also helps with the mess:  the first few times i mixed up a batch, it was like a flour bomb went off.  kapoowwww!  cough cough.

wrong side laura!  flip the knife!!!!!  hahahahahaha...

finito!  

she and her hot hubby oliver made crepes this weekend with the new flour.  and of course, with spectacular results:)  hubba hubba.

you and me, let's fly laura!!!

bread babe

holy mary catherine gallagher...give me a SUPERSTAR!!!!  sniff sniff.

see that beautifully risen dough?  it started out filling only half of the pan.  that is how much it rose for me in an hour of sitting in front of the fireplace (seriously, that's where i left it...in front of a nice "warm" place).

i'm the bread babe.

i did it.  i DID IT.

crispy edges, soft-spongy-moist-middle, total-gluten-free-love-fest.

and the kiddos like it.  i'm not holding my breath that they would pick it over their Udi's...but you never know....

so, without further ado, here is the recipe link for the best homemade gluten free bread you'll ever have.  

infinite periods.

no automatic bread maker needed.

this is worlds cheaper than buying an Udi's loaf at $4.99 a pop.  however, can i keep up with demand???...now that IS the question my dear watson.  

grandma dorothy, i DID IT!!!!!!!  thanks for your pep talk, i love you.

home again home again jiggity jig.

ps

after shining so brightly, my bread loaf pan's non-stick surface started to peel on the outside after i cleaned it last night...totally disgusting=in the garbagio.  so, i just ordered these puppies.  i cannot wait to get them:)  they better work.  the bread babe will be back to report.

bread making - am i on candid camera?

is someone laughing at me?  hardy har har.

a loaf of udi's gluten free bread costs anywhere from $4.99 to $4.69 depending on where i get it.  that adds up.  so i am figuring that one can make bread & save moullah...right!?  i have been dragging my feet and i finally found the gumption to try it.

with a bread maker.

and here is my excellent adventure.

i decided to use the sandwich bread recipe from the revised artisanal gluten free cooking cookbook.

the ingredients are so simple:

gf flour mix (golden dust i call it)

organic sugar

butter or margarine

my rice milk/coconut milk blend

xanthan gum

salt

yeast

step #1 read directions on the operation of a borrowed bread maker.

step #2 add ingredients in order to the bowl. 

i put the wet ingredients in first, then added the gf flour blend & other dry ingredients.  i placed tabs of earth's balance soy free spread in the corners and that middle part is the "well" for the yeast to go in. 

so i got everything in the bowl, started the bread maker and then i realized something very important.

see that first line about the milk? "MILK 90-100 degrees"

yup, i put cold freakin milk in the bottom.

that's my super mad face.

so, with a huge pout, i took out the margarine tabs and saved them...and threw everything else out...

i wanted to cry as i tossed my 3 cups of flour out...it still makes me mad...

i nuked the milk a little too long....i only need 100 degrees. 

so i popped it in the freezer and BAM.  

100 degrees.

i  begrudgingly mixed everything back up, placed it all back into the bowl and started my machine

...3.5 hours later....

drumroll please....

yup, that's right...this is what i opened up the lid to:  a mix that didn't get mixed. enter super mad face again.

WHAT HAPPENED!?!?!?  

#1 no bleepin bread.

#2 i'm down 6 CUPS of flour now.

#3 i'm not wasting another 3 cups of damn flour.

so i put it in a bowl (it actually smelled quite nice) & mixed that hot mess up.  with visions of homemade bread in my head, i put my grandma's bread towel over it hoping for some magical rising powers from heaven!

nope, no rising for me.  so what to do with dough...hmmmmm?  the heavens opened up...

grandma:  "MAKE PIZZA DOUGH!!!!"  (which i have completely crashed and burned at since we went gluten free)

surprise pizza night!

and the crowd goes WILLLLLDDDDDDDDD!!!!!

gone.

it was the best pizza yet.

you can imagine how bad my pizza crusts have been...

my words to my kids came flying in my face:

it's not the mistakes you make that count...it's how you fix em.

i have been dragging my feet with bread making because i was afraid of exactly what happened to me:

bread loaf failure.  i will be trying bread again...like the recipe says & not with a bread maker.

and it will be excellent - someday:)