Gluten Free Flour

This is something that never crossed my mind to try before and there is so much to learn!
The first thing I learned (by baking the most disgusting loaf of bread EVER!) is that you have to use an All Purpose blend. Of course you can buy premade blends but we know that buying premade anything isnt really how I roll...so I took the hard road. I bought corn flour, potato flour, white rice flour, brown rice flour and sorghum flour (and theres a lot more types out there too!). I found this AP blend online and it seems to work ok but hubby says the bread leaves a bit of an aftertaste. BUT its edible...yay! It definitely doesnt rise as well as regular bread and has a denser texture. Im also working with no eggs right now and I think if I could use those it would be easier! Adding Xanthan Gum to gluten free recipes is a must for helping the bread hold together...who knew? I had some on hand but I have only ever used it to thicken puddings etc! You can also use Guar Gum but since I have the other stuff in the pantry thats what Im using :)

This recipe is in parts rather then cups. It makes it easier to make as much or as little as you need. If you need more, treat each part as a full cup. If you need less, treat each part as a Tbsp. (just for example but you can use any measurement you want).

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend
3 Parts Brown Rice Flour
3 Parts Corn Starch
2 Parts Sorghum Flour
1 Part Corn Flour

Mix it all together until its all one colour. Dont leave any traces of individual flours. Use on a 1-1 ratio as a sub for flour in your recipes.

Add Xanthan Gum when baking as follows:
1 tsp. per cup of flour for Breads and Pizzas
1/2 tsp. per cup of flour for muffins and quick breads
1/2 tsp. or less per cup of flour for cookies and bars

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Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

BBQ season is upon us and that means for many of us a steady diet of grilled food! I have been pretty good about not buying anything in the bakery section for a long time (except the odd loaf of bread when I forgot to bake some!). I don't want to ruin this wonderful new trend by buying buns. So I found this recipe on Blisstree and it works wonderfully!
Ingredients
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 Pkg Instant Yeast
1 Tsp. Salt
4 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Egg, Room Temperature


Heat the milk, water honey and butter in a small saucepan just until the butter melts. Remove from heat and let cool to at least 120F. This is important or your egg will cook when it hits the mixture!
Carefully beat in egg.
Mix together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast and the salt. Pour liquid ingredients into dry. Add the rest of the flour 1/2 a cup at a time until the dough forms a soft ball.
Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Form into buns. Personally I dont care if they are round so for hamburger buns I roll it out to the thickness I want in a square (remember they will rise) and then I cut them into appropriately sized smaller squares. For hot dogs I do rectangles..roll out into a large rectangle and slice. Its very easy and you end up with consistent sizes.
Let rise for approx. 30 minutes or until about double in size. Let rise with sides touching for soft sides. Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

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!

Flour Tortillas

Fresh tortillas make all the difference whether you are making quesadillas, tacos, burritos or wraps! This recipe is super easy and tastes soooo good!

Ingredients:

2 Cups  Flour

1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder

A pinch of salt

2 Tsp. Oil

3/4 Cup Warm Milk

Mix dry ingredients together. Add the oil to the warm milk. Slowly add the milk/oil to the dry ingredients while stirring. Knead on a floured surface until dough becomes firm and soft. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Note: Dough is resting, not rising.

Form into balls and let rest for 10 minutes

Roll out in a circular shape very thinly.

Cook on a dry skillet on high heat. Turn when bubbles appear.

Cook the other side briefly.

Store on a plate covered in tin foil until you are ready to use them. They will dry out very quickly if left on the counter. You can freeze them in an airtight container for later use. Or make a bunch at once and have them handy to pull out at a moments notice!

Easy Pizza Dough

I can't remember the last time I bought a frozen pizza. This recipe makes pizza making so simple that it's easier to throw together then it is to run to the store for a cardboard crust :)
Recipe originally from Recipezaar
(This is for a double recipe because one recipe just usually doesn't cut it for a full size pizza)

4 Cups Flour
2 Tbsp. Yeast
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1-2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning (Optional)
11/3 Cups Lukewarm Water

Mix 1/2 of the flour with all other ingredients. Gradually add the rest of the flour until it forms a ball. Knead with your hands.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in a bowl covered with a towel to keep it warm. Spread into greased pan and top with your favourite toppings.
Bake at 375 F for approx. 12 minutes. Enjoy!

Experiment! This recipe makes an excellent stuffed crust pizza, or mix all your ingredients into the pizza dough and form it into balls and deep fry at highest setting possible. Dip in warm Marinara sauce and enjoy! Or wrap the dough around chunks of cheese and deep fry and serve as with the pizza balls. So tasty for a movie night!

If you would like to make a whole wheat version, I would suggest starting with a 50/50 mix first. It will take more flour to get a good dough together.

Recipe for homemade pizza sauce to come soon!