Flourless Buns

Weird huh? All this time I have been trying multiple flours trying to capture the 'real' taste and the best bun recipe I have come across is a flourless one! They have a bit of a different texture, kind of a cross between a popover and a biscuit, but they actually behave like real buns, and by that I mean you can TEAR off a piece rather then crumble off a piece!

I was very skeptical when I came across this recipe at Food.com, but there were enough good reviews that I thought I would give it a shot, and I'm glad I did :)

Ingredients
4 Tbsp. Shortening (Butter works too)
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Yeast
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Potato Starch (or Tapioca Starch)
1 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
2 Tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/2 Tsp. Salt
3/4 Tsp. Vinegar


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine all ingredients and mix well to remove any lumps.
The dough will be more of a sticky batter-like mess. Wet your hands to handle it. To make buns shape into balls or use an ice cream scoop to make them even. Place on greased baking tin, muffin tin or popover tin. OR if you want to make hot dog buns (which is what I did), shape into rectangle-ish shapes on a greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper).
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Let cool, they will fall a little bit as they cool.

I think I'm going to see if I can get this to turn into some sort of pizza dough since it's something I will actually eat! (I just haven't been able to convince myself to eat gf bread/buns on a regular basis, but these are good!)
I'm also hoping the dough might substitute for my Deep Fried Cheese Balls that I used to make! I think this recipe is definitely worth some experimentation, plus it's a really economical recipe as well requiring things you can find in pretty much any grocery store!

Good GF Bread

I know I said I didnt want to use a pre mixed gluten free flour blend but Ive temporarily had a change of heart :) Because we live in a small town all the different flours are not readily available. I decided it might be wise to have a recipe that works well with something locally available so I always have a backup. Bob's Red Mill AP Flour Blend is one that was recommended to me and both our grocery stores stock it!
The following is a recipe called 'Perfect Bread'. I would say its definitely pretty close. One thing Ive learned thus far is to NOT lick the batter...its absolutely disgusting!

Ingredients
3 Cups AP Blend
2 1/4 Tsp. Xanthan Gum
2 1/4 Tsp. Yeast
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 1/4 Cups Warm Water
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1 Tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp. Fine Sea Salt

Mix together the flour, xanthan gum and yeast. In a large mixing bowl mix the water, eggs, oil and vinegar. Add the dry ingredients (but not the salt). Mix on low until incorporated then a minute on medium. Add salt and mix for 2 minutes on medium high.
Grease a loaf pan. Pour the dough in and let rise for about 30 minutes. Do not let it get more then double in size or it will cave in when baked. I like to warm my oven up a bit then let the bread rise in there. Then I dont have to move it after it rises and risk it falling. Preheat to 350° F. (with bread still in the oven if thats where you let it rise). Cook for about 30 minutes (including preheat time), or until the top is a nice brown and you can see the sides are brown and pulling away from the pan.
Cool 5 minutes in the pan. Cool on a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes. Slice the entire loaf. If it wont be used in a couple of days then freeze and defrost slices as necessary. When its a couple days old it tastes much better if its warmed up a little or toasted. But fresh its wonderful warm or cold!

Im thankful that my son is back on dairy and eggs...gf bread turns out so much better when you can use real eggs and not a substitute!

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Sloppy Joes

mmmm Sloppy Joes on a cool fall day...or any day for that matter! We had this for supper tonight except instead of on buns we had it on fresh made bread (I toasted mine!), and it was delicious!
I like the idea of adding lentils in to bulk up the meal. It makes it feel like a package of hamburger meat goes that much further!
This recipe is from BudgetBytes and the only thing I changed was a little less sugar and a little less vinegar :)

Ingredients
3/4 Cup Dry Lentils
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 Sweet Onion
1 Green Bell Pepper
2-3 Cloves Minced Garlic
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 (15oz) can of Tomato Sauce
1 (3oz) can of Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar (I used Demerara)
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder
Bread or Buns to serve it on!

Lentils: Cook them first, you will thank yourself later when you aren't crunching your way through your supper! Boil water and add the lentils. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Test to make sure they are tender and then drain them. Set aside to add to the sloppy joe mixture later.


Chop the onion and green pepper and mince the garlic. Add to the frying pan with the oil and cook over medium heat until soft. (about 5 minutes)
Add the ground beef and continue to cook until the meat is no longer red (about 7-10 minutes)

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, cider vinegar, brown sugar, dijon, chili powder and salt. Stir well and heat through.
Stir in the cooked lentils and heat through if needed. Serve warm on buns or bread.

Egg-Free Bread Take 2

This is my second attempt at egg-free bread, and I LOVE this recipe! It's light, fluffy and holds together, all the things you want in a bread recipe!
Once again from VegWeb, these insightful vegans have some truly inspired recipes!

100% Whole Grain Wheat Bread
(I didn't change a thing so here is the recipe directly from the source!)
Ingredients

    2 3/4 cups hot water
    1/3 cup oil
    1/4 cup raw sugar
    2 tablespoons molasses
    1 tablespoon salt (I use sea salt)
    7 1/2 cups (max) 100% whole grain wheat flour, divided
    2 tablespoons dry active yeast

Directions:

1. Place the first five ingredients in the bowl and mix. Add 2 cups whole grain wheat flour. Mix, then add dry active yeast. If you're not sure about your yeast, proof it in a little warm water first (to make sure it bubbles). Add 4 cups flour, and mix until the consistency is somewhat even.

2. Then continue to slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour, so the bread will be fluffy. Do not exceed 7 1/2 cups wheat flour. I use 7 cups. You can trade 1 cup wheat flour for 1 cup all purpose white if you wish. Don't over mix, or the bread will be tough.

3. When your dough is finished, cover the bowl and let it rise for about 30-45 minutes. The dough will be larger, but it doesn't need to double when using a heavy mixer. Grease two bread pans with nonstick spray. You can also flour the pans to reduce sticking.  Mix again just enough to knock it down at least close to the original size.  Drop the dough on a floured surface so you can work the dough and shape it. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Roll it in the flour and shape it in your hands to make a nice ball, getting enough flour on it so it isn't sticky. Divide the ball in 1/2 and do it again. Shape the loaves by turning the dough under itself over and over. When the dough is shaped right, the sides and ends will be sealed and all you will see is a nice oblong shaped loaf with smooth sides and top.

5. Drop the loaves in your bread pans and let them rise until almost doubled.  Bake for 36 minutes. If you forgot to preheat, 41 minutes. (gas oven). When done, turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. You can eat it right away.  Don't wrap it until completely cooled. (Condensation will make it soggy) Put in tinfoil to store on the counter. If you put it in the refrigerator it will turn into a brick. Enjoy.

If you like fluffy brown bread, this is it. This bread is not heavy like most 100% whole wheat breads.

Source of recipe: This recipe has been in my family for years and we all make it. We make a lot more now that we have powerful mixers and the hand kneeding is bye bye.

Serves: 12, Preparation time: 3 hours

I think this may become my new go-to bread recipe. Because it makes 2 loaves at a time, my Kitchen Aid stand mixer can handle it, therefore no kneading on my part was required. It does have 2 rises, but it went by very quickly (only 30 min(ish) each time), and it cooked nicely in the oven.
I know egg substitutes will work in other recipes, but I decided why try to fix my recipe when I can easily find a vegan one that someone else has already perfected...lazy I know, but also very practical!

Egg-Free Bread

Recently my 2.5 year old son has been having a lot of digestive issues and we are frantically trying to figure out what it is in his diet that is causing it. We have had him completely off dairy since early September, and I have been keeping track of everything he eats. Yesterday it seems like a pattern is developing, and the picture coming through is eggs. Sigh. Eggs are in everything! As of today he is on an egg free, dairy free diet until further notice. We are  hoping it's temporary but in the meantime it's the adjustment period around here!
This complicates a lot of baking, and buying products. I have been slacking off this summer and buying bread, and I thought I was buying a dairy free bread only to read the fine print and it says 'may contain traces of milk products'. My regular bread recipe has no dairy, but 2 eggs. So I went on the hunt for a recipe. I find I'm pretty much limited to vegan recipes at this point. Thankfully he can still eat meat, so at least it's only vegan baking and not completely vegan! I find my grocery shopping is taking forever now due to having to read and re-read labels, hunt for unknown (to me) products and try new weird things!
I tried this recipe today from VegWeb, and it turned out pretty good. It's super easy, no waiting for it to rise and it tastes pretty good. It is a dense bread and it doesn't rise too much, but both my kids gobbled it up! I made it pretty much according to the posters recipe, but I upped the yeast just a little on the advice of some reviewers.

Ingredients
6 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
2 Tbsp. Yeast
3 1/4 Cups Warm Water

In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the warm water, and mix until it becomes a thick batter. 
Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and smooth out the tops. 
Bake at 400F for approx. 45 minutes or until a cake tester/fork/knife inserted comes out clean. I thought they were done at the 30 minute mark but when I stuck a knife in, it came out with batter on it. You might need to cover the tops with foil at about the 30 minute mark as they go quite dark on top in the last 15 minutes. 
Remove from pans and cool on a rack before slicing.  

Even if you are not trying to avoid eggs, this is a great recipe if you want to bake bread but don't have the time for a traditional knead, rise, knead, rise loaf. I think I might try to do 4 cups whole wheat, 2 cups of white flour next time just to see if I can lighten it up a little bit.

I know there are egg-substitute products on the market, I just haven't had a chance to look for any yet. I am starting to appreciate Planet Organic Market in Edmonton a whole lot. They are one of the only places that caters to special diets. I actually managed to get a cream cheese substitute and 'cheese' slices for sandwiches by Tofutti and shredded 'cheese' by Daiya there that taste good! Also powdered Soy Milk which is so handy to have in the pantry for baking. And the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful! Superstore seems to have a decent selection of some things as well. I found plain dairy-free soy yogurt, and a rice vegan cheese that the kids don't seem to mind either.

Anybody have egg allergies/intolerances at their house? Any product recommendations for egg replacements would be much appreciated! I know you can substitute flax and water, applesauce, baking soda/baking powder and a number of other things, but I'm at a loss when it comes to the products sold in the stores for egg replacement!

Bread

This is my mother-in-law's bread recipe. It's wonderful, and the only bread we eat anymore! It's very versatile and you can make it more or less whole wheat and add different flours (12 grain etc.).

Bread
Dissolve:
3 Tbsp. of yeast and 2 Tbsp. of sugar in 1 Cup of Warm Water.
Mix:
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Honey
4 Tbsp. Butter/Margarine
3 1/2 Cups Warm Water
a few sprinkles of salt
Add yeast mixture to above and stir. Then add flour. It takes approx. 13 cups of flour, but it will vary depending on how much whole wheat vs. white flour you use. I usually do approx. 9 cups of whole wheat and 4 cups of white. I like how this combination rises and the size of the loaves that come out. 
Knead on a floured surface
Let rise covered in a greased mixing bowl. 
Separate into loaves. Makes 3-4 loaves depending on the size of your loaf pan and the size of the loaf you make. 
Bake in greased loaf pans at 325F anywhere from 20-40 minutes (depending on your oven of course).


Enjoy a slice warm with butter! Mmmmm fresh bread. One of my huge weaknesses! This bread freezes well. I usually freeze a couple in freezer bags and just pull them out as we need them. I end up making this recipe about once a week because we go through a lot of bread in our house!