Best Gluten Free Rice Bread

Dry Ingredients (Mix thoroughly):
(You can pre-mix this to have on hand)

2 cups/320g        white rice flour
; prefer Goya Enriched
(can sub another flour: up to 1/2 by Weight)

1 cup/122g         tapioca starch or 1/2&1/2 with Expandex*


½ cup/62.5g       cornstarch 


2/3 cup/45g        powdered dry milk


½ cup/112.5g     sugar
1/2 T                  salt (=1.5 tsp)

Add just before making and mix in thoroughly:
1/2 T                xanthan gum


1/2 T                guar gum*

1 tsp                 psyllium powder*(or Metamucil)

1.5 Tbs            dry yeast 


Liquid (Mix separately and thoroughly):

4/200-230g        eggs, large, beaten well (weigh eggs)


1.5 cups/354g    warm water

3-4 T                  corn oil (It’s still good without)


1 tsp                   vinegar

• Use a good stand mixer, oven thermometer and instant-read thermometer.
• Weigh dry ingredients (and eggs) instead of using volume measures!   
• All ingredients at room temperature.
• Mix liquids thoroughly and add to thoroughly mixed dry ingredients.
• Whip until stiff peaks form: 10 minutes (can’t overmix)
• If it’s too thin to whip properly add a bit more starch.
• Put into greased regular bread pans.  It will fill the pan.
• Level with a wet spatula; spray with oil to keep top moist.
• Let rise until just domed; it will rise a lot in the oven.  If it over-rises it will overflow! Re-mix and replace in the pan to re-rise.
• Bake 50+ min. at 350 degrees. When making multiple loaves gently rearrange for even baking.
• Bake until the middle is 205F. If it gets too brown, cover with foil.
• Close to the end of baking turn it on its side to set the middle. 
• Remove from the pan and leave in the oven on its other side so it will cool slowly.
• If thermometer or probe shows a wet interior, leave in oven on 250-300F for a while; retest until drier.
• Makes good rolls! Cook on parchment or greased pan.

April 2013 Notes:

• You can substitute almost any other GF Flour for the rice flour up to 1/2 by Weight.  Teff flour makes it 'wheatier'.
• I haven't yet tried substituting other starches, but you could try the same thing: 1/2 by weight.
• Expandex may not be necessary. Experiment!
• Goya brand is the only Enriched Rice flour I have found. Iron deficiency often goes with Celiac.
• Beating into whipped cream texture is KEY!  See the pictures.
• Pans with just crisco work well, rarely stick.
• Don't let it over rise!  It doesn't help the texture.
• I have had to extend the baking time
• I've been making 'mixes' of the dry ingredients so I can throw together a couple loaves quickly.
• Add the gums and yeast just before you make your loaf, not to any 'mixes' you'll store.  They don't like air exposure and won't work as well.
• I mix my wet ingredients separately and thoroughly.  When I make multiple loaves I mix separate containers for each loaf.
• Doubling the recipe is not recommended.
• Timing is everything: in mixing and in baking.  Experiment for yourself.  I'm happier with a darker loaf and a firmer, drier middle than a paler loaf and moist middle. Over 200F in the middle is optimal. Under will be soggier.
• Slice it after cooling and put in the freezer.  Take out just what you'll use in a couple days.  I've never had it mold, even in a week. When I make multiple loaves I freeze them whole.
• Failures make good breadcrumbs!

*My changes to the original recipe. Expandex is modified tapioca starch bought on the internet, supposed to help GF breads rise.  Psyllium powder can be bought @ Whole Foods type stores in the digestive area; use Metamucil as a substitute. Combination of Expandex, gums and psyllium mimics gluten.

http://www.celiac.com/articles/457/1/White-Bread-2-Gluten-Free/Page1.html

Mushroom Season!

Pholiota has fruited up on a recently downed river birch. I checked out their edibility and got mixed results.  Some say they're edible and good, others say they're edible but insipid and then some say they'll make you sick if you eat them with a meal with alcohol.  Several call them poisonous.  Hmmm.  I think I'll forgo them since I'm heading to DC to celebrate my brother's birthday.