Gluten Free Artisan Bread

After going gluten free, I thought I would never again enjoy a great loaf of crusty artisan bread. Thank goodness I was wrong! This bread recipe is simply delicious! I use my bread flour mix as a base and add in a little extra tapioca starch. It is soft and moist on the inside and crusty on the outside. The dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. The longer it sits the more flavor it develops, almost like sourdough. Make sure your container is large enough to allow for expansion and has a loosely fitted lid, don't snap it shut! This recipe will make one large loaf pictured above or 2 smaller ones.


Ingredients:

• 3 cups of bread flour mix
• 1/2 cup of tapioca starch/flour
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 tablespoon of xanthan gum
• 1 tablespoon of yeast (active or instant)
• 1 1/3 cups of warm water
• 1 egg (room temp)
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil 

Add all of the dry ingredients (except yeast) to the bowl of your stand mixer. On low speed, turn the mixer on briefly to combine the ingredients.
In another bowl stir the yeast into the warm water until it is dissolved. Add in the egg and oil, whisk to combine everything and slowly add this mixture to the stand mixer while running on low speed.

I love my Cuisinart Stand Mixer! I have had this one for a couple years now and can't imagine trying to make gluten free bread dough without it. Click on the photo above to find this one and other brands at Chef's Catalog!

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and turn the mixer up to medium speed and let it run for 3-4 minutes. This will incorporate a good bit of air into the dough making it light and fluffy. It should look like the photo below.

Cover the bowl and let it rest for at least 30 minutes, but up to an hour or two. If your not going to use this dough right away, store it in a large plastic container with a loosely fitted lid for up to 5-7 days. Your nose will tell you if it's been stored too long, it will have a very sour smell!
When you are ready to use the dough, preheat your oven to 450F and if you have one, place a baking stone inside your oven, if not, you can use a heavy baking sheet or even a cast iron skillet large enough to allow it to spread a little. 
Place the dough on top of a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. With very wet hands, but not dripping wet, smooth and shape the dough into a nice round loaf.

Dust the top with flour and allow to rise for 20 minutes in a warm place, even if it doesn't look like it rose much, that is plenty of time. It will spring nicely for you in the oven.

Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife in several places, this allows for it to rise evenly and looks pretty too.

Place the dough still on the parchment, on top of your stone or baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of your loaf. It will be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. I made the large loaf and it was done in 35 minutes. If you have an instant read thermometer, the temp of the loaf should be at least 200F in the center. Place the loaf on a cooling rack and let it cool down to at least room temperature before you slice it.

If storing left-over bread, place it cut side down in a bread box or a cake keeper, like I do. I haven't found a bread box that I like yet. Don't store your bread in a plastic bag, it will soften the crust and make it stale faster.

I hope you enjoy this delicious bread recipe!