Gluten-free Vegan French Bread Recipe
March 1st, 2010 yum
Posted in Baked Goods, Breastfeeding for Allergic Baby Recipe, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Rice Free, Soy Free, TED Elimination Diet, Vegan | 26 Comments »
It makes me mad when I hear relatively recently diagnosed Celiacs talk about how they haven’t had pizza or bread since diagnosis… or that when they have had it, they didn’t enjoy it. It is not that I am mad at them- far from it! No, I’m mad at a society that equates bread products with gluten, and mad at companies that create allergen-free bread completely lacking in taste or appeal that scar these poor souls so dreadfully that they vow off bread entirely.
Oh, I know there is a school of thought that says breads are over-rated, and what we all need to do is go back to the basics. Protein, Vegetable, Fruit, crunchy grain that looks like bird seed (preferably boiled). I suppose that might be healthy and good for the body, sometimes. And this diet certainly simplifies life when you are first overwhelmed by a bewildering new diagnosis. But all the time? Forever and ever? No! Just say no, I say. Because toothsome, luscious, crunchy bread and supple, seductive pizza is something I would never want to live without… and all of us gluten-sensitive people don’t have to. And… furthermore, let me tell you a secret. Even if you can’t have dairy, or eggs, or soy- you can still have amazing bread that kicks all those lead weight gluten-free breads to the curb.
I’ve finally gotten to the point with my darling baby Yum where I can have enough ingredients to make some really tasty baked goods. Karina the gluten-free goddess showed me the ropes there, to the joy that is rice-free, dairy-free, egg-free baking. But glorious and abundant as her site is- there are still things I want to eat that haven’t been created yet. And so, this week I turned my sights to french bread. Ah, french bread. I’ve long had an affair with Bette Hagman’s classic white rice-tapioca rapid rise french bread. But, its reliance on eggs, flirtation with dairy, and rice-heavy base just doesn’t work for me these days. My spiced basil-balsamic dipping oil recipe was getting dusty… and so, I wiped off my beloved Kitchenaid and started experimenting. This loaf was the incredibly satisfying result.
We took this loaf on a car-picnic to the drive-in movie with Baby Yum. Basil dipping oil? Check. Caraway and fresh Beet vinaigrette salad? Check. And the bread? With its crunchy exterior and soft center, it was wonderfully rippable, and made up for my long lost rice french bread big time.
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Gluten-free Sorghum Rosemary french bread recipe
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Ingredients
Special equipment *french bread pan- worth every penny!
spectrum shortening (or other palm oil shortening, or coconut oil) Millet grits (or cornmeal if corn is not an issue for you) 1 1/2 cup sorghum flour melted Soy-free dairy-free earth balance margarine
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Grease TWO SIDES of french bread pan with shortening or coconut oil and sprinkle with millet grits or other gritty gluten-free substance like cornmeal. (Recipe makes two french bread loaves) Do NOT line french bread with aluminum foil or anything like that- the holes are there for a reason and the dough is thick enough that it will not leak out the bottom. Combine dry ingredients (through 1st egg replacer) in a medium mixing bowl of a standing mixer and fold together. Put sugar and lukewarm water in a small bowl and add yeast. As it starts to puff up, add the yeast water to the medium mixing bowl. Add olive oil, egg replacer “Eggs” and vinegar and mix on medium for 3 minutes. Carefully scoop out your dough and make TWO bread shaped ovals in your french bread pan. Baste with melted margarine and make a few slightly slanted decorative slices in the top. Sprinkle with crushed rosemary and flaked kosher salt. Let rise for 20-30 minutes or until about doubled in size.* Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bread sounds slightly hollow when you tap it and is a nice brown color. |
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March 1st, 2010 at 6:04 pm
that looks great! kudos to you for making it happen!
March 1st, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Wow, this looks good!
French bread has been one of those missed foods, but I think with some minor tweaking for my diet you have just reintroduced it.
Thanks for sharing :)
March 1st, 2010 at 6:57 pm
“Incredibly satisfying” indeed. It looks just plain incredible to me! Major kudos, Sea. I’ll be sending more egg-free, dairy-free rice-free group members and gfe readers your way for this one. :-)
Shirley
March 1st, 2010 at 10:11 pm
OMG! That looks soooo good, can I come over? :-)
March 1st, 2010 at 10:44 pm
I’ve decided I can’t wait – I’m making this right now! It looks so delish.
You are a rockstar!
March 1st, 2010 at 10:50 pm
That looks GORGEOUS! I will definitely be making it soon.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:39 am
Thanks for sharing this! It really is good to see how breads can still be a part of our lives.
One thing that has helped me is to look for breads that are *naturally* gluten free – that have been since their “creation” by people who ate them without even thinking of the lack of gluten. One example is a kind of flatbread made from millet and sorghum flours. Nothing else, just some water and a pinch of salt. Yes, its challenging to roll this bread out and cook it evenly on the stovetop, but this is something that takes practice for anyone, and its delicious when done. Another thing I’ve learned is to make real corn tortillas – nothing but the corn and the water. Again, naturally gluten free breads without thinking of it. I make a kind of steamed rice bread – rice flour, baking powder and baking soda, salt, and some spices to taste. Steamed in a kind of muffin tin thingy, the bread comes out soft and spongy, perfect to soak up a good stew/soup.
The other advantage is exploring the cooking of different countries. The millet/sorghum flatbread comes from my own family’s background, as does the rice bread, but I’ve found numerous other breads that I am learning about in this gluten-free life.
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:30 am
Wow, does this look good! I wanted to ask if it tastes as good the second day, and then realized it probably didn’t last a whole day.
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:35 am
This looks excellent!
I agree that it can be frustrating when people assume you don’t eat anything that tastes good when you’re gluten free. You’re definitely proving them wrong!!!!
March 2nd, 2010 at 6:01 am
This looks beautiful! I’ve made your pizza crust several times (the adaptation of Carol Fenster’s recipe), and it is wonderful. By far one of the best I have ever had!
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:01 am
Aww, thanks everyone!
Learner- I really like that approach to gluten-free dining. I love finding naturally gluten-free breads in other cuisine traditions (like India- so rich!). Flatbreads are really yummy… corn, sorghum, millet all make great bases, and I love idli/dosa batter and the like. Very yummy.
Heather- i’m on a rotation diet so was not *allowed* to eat this loaf the next day, but all of these photos are taken on day #2. When i cut the bread it still seemed very springy and lovely. I had made another (different) sorghum-millet-arrowroot french bread/baguettes recipe a week or so ago and found that it froze beautifully and was just as good re-heated. This was not the case with the Bette Hagman white rice bread, alas- it did not freeze well. Anyway, I’ll let you know but I think this bread does keep well. Of course all bread, even gluten bread, is generally best the first day, and fresh out of the oven. :)
Aubree- I don’t worry about those people, I usually just invite them to my house for dinner and they stop feeling sorry for me. haha.
Metta- Thanks! I’m glad you enjoy the pizza. I have been working on a new formula so stay tuned. :)
-Sea
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Wow – I could go for this, a bit of wine, and a nice picnic blanket, and spend a warm spring day with it! Yum!
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:37 am
This looks great. However, I have a problem with yeast. This is probably a stupid questions, but the yeast is required even with the xanthan gum?
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:28 am
Hi Kristen,
Yes, the yeast is required for this recipe. In this recipe, the yeast makes the bread rise, adds flavor and strengthens the dough. Xanthan gum does not help bread rise, but strengthens the dough, adding elasticity. Without yeast though, you’d have a very flat, heavy bread. There are substitutes to yeast, but you usually have to take a quickbread approach and use baking soda or baking powder for that rising action. I would start with a non-yeast recipe. Karina the gluten-free goddess has some nice soda bread recipes that don’t call for yeast. Bette Hagman also has chapters in her cookbook for yeast-free bread. Good luck!
-Sea
April 8th, 2010 at 6:07 am
Is there anyway around the egg replacer I can’t have eggs. The ingredients on the egg replacer look yuck I have some.
The bread looks awesome though. I don’t have millet flour but have coconut flour instead ?
April 8th, 2010 at 8:46 am
Hi Lori,
The egg replacer doesn’t flavor the bread- it just helps with leavening and texture… so it doesn’t really matter how it tastes. It is basically glorified baking powder/soda, so it might help to think of it as that sort of ingredient. Some people use flax seeds as an egg replacer, but you’re not going to get the fluffiness with that substitute. Since you have some in your pantry- I would just try it using the egg replacer.
Instead of using coconut flour which will give you a coconut flavor to your bread and sop up moisture like crazy, I would just use more sorghum flour. I’ve made the bread that way and it is terrific. :)
Happy baking!
-Sea
April 29th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Sea, I’m feeling really sorry for myself today, and french bread is the one thing I miss the most since going GF. I want to make this, but I do not have a pan like that yet. Could I make it in a dutch oven or cookie sheet?
April 29th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Laura,
I’m sorry you’re feeling down. I have days like that, too.
I have made this on a cookie sheet, and it is good (but not quite as great texture wise). You can also make this as baguettes or little rolls. It is probably a good idea to line the cookie sheet with parchment paper for ease of removal. When you feel like a (minor) investment, you can get french bread pans through Amazon or a gourmet cookery store. I bought two over ten years ago and LOVE LOVE LOVE them and use them all the time. in fact, I probably make french type bread way more often than any other! It is surprisingly easy and rewarding.
All my best,
Sea
May 8th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Sea, I’m late to this party, but do you have to let this bread rise at all, or does it just go straight into the oven?
May 8th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Hi Gaile, thank you for asking- the bread should rise for about half an hour with rapid rise yeast. Oops! I have edited instructions to include this info. :)
-Sea
May 9th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Thanks Sea – I am going to try this recipe today. Thank you for sharing it, and happy Mother’s Day to you!
June 5th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Just a note: if you don’t have a french bread pan and are freestyling this, french bread pans come with at least two slots, so, yes, you make TWO skinny loaves. Second- don’t let the bread overproof! If it will overflow if it doubles in height, use common sense and make a second or even third loaf.
-Sea
July 2nd, 2010 at 4:46 pm
I just made this almost exactly as you said (the only difference was that I used honey instead of sugar in the yeast and as you suggested arrowroot) anyway, it rose well but came out really gummy. The only other thing I can think of is that maybe it was like that b/c I baked it in a 9 x 13 pan because that is how my mom makes french bread (non-GF anyway) and it tastes great. Would it really have made that much difference though just because of the pan? It’s so gummy! :( Help?
July 3rd, 2010 at 8:56 am
Hi Ari,
I’ve made this recipe many times with arrowroot starch, and never had it come out gummy, so I don’t think that is the problem. I suspect the honey. According to some research I did,
“Honey is a good substitute for granulated sugar on a one-to-one ratio by weight. However, one must reduce water or other liquids in cookie recipes by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.”
Did you reduce the liquid? Honey tends to make things more moist, which is not always desirable. It might be ok with some modifications (altering liquid).
Tapioca starch gives a more robust bread that would be less inclined to be gummy, and you might have undercooked the bread depending on how your oven runs.
I haven’t tried to make french bread in a 9*13 pan for many years (only had to when we lived in Japan and my french bread pan wouldn’t fit in our tiny oven). It doesn’t work as well for our gluten-free flours as a french bread pan. Gluten-free dough, especially this dough, is more runny than gluten dough and can use the support of the shaped pan. The holes in the pan add extra crunch to the exterior.
I hope you’ll give this recipe another try, ideally with sugar, or at least modifying the liquid ratio. You might need to have baked it for a longer time, also. Don’t take it out of the oven until the exterior is golden brown and it sounds hollow when you tap it.
If you can tolerate tapioca, you might try that next time as well, especially if you are experimenting with honey.
Egg replacer can yield gummy results, but I’ve made this bread recipe many times successfully without it being a problem so I don’t think that is it.
Good luck!
Let me know how it goes.
All my best,
Sea
July 5th, 2010 at 7:03 am
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! My wheat-sensitive, egg and dairy allergic nephew LOVES you! However, I had to use all sorghum since he cannot have millet either, and my dough came out incredibly loose and sticky. I could not shape it into loaves without adding another 3/4 cup of sorghum flour. Any ideas why? Thanks so very much for this wonderful recipe.
July 5th, 2010 at 9:19 am
Hi Lyn,
I also had to stop using millet flour because it seemed to bother Baby Yum, and so I make this with 2 cup sorghum and 1 cup arrowroot all the time. The dough IS loose and sticky, so you have to spoon it into the french bread pan. It is not the same texture as a gluten bread. It should not be liquid (i.e. runny like crepe batter or something) but I suspect that it was the texture that it should be, and you could have baked it without adding more flour. I’m glad your nephew enjoyed the recipe!
My most recent post was for a sorghum-tapioca roll without millet. It is also egg-free, but uses flax seed. Take a look!
-Sea