Dinner Rolls (Three Ways)

I know I rarely post these days. This blog has kind of been put on the back burner as life has gotten busier for me. I am still baking and such, but not posting like I used to.  I would love to still do it, but I do what I can do. I am posting today, though, with how I make my rolls...I know it's too late to help with Thanksgiving, but Christmas is around the corner, so you'll be set for that. This recipe will please EVERYONE at the table, not just those that are gluten-free. I speak from experience. I'm always put in charge of bringing the rolls to my family gatherings, and only a quarter of the people that typically come are gluten-free.

So, with this recipe you can play with the flours a bit. I use Teff flour, a combination of Sorghum and Millet, or a combination of teff, sorghum and millet. I've used brown rice flour, as well, but have stuck to the teff, sorghum, and millet, because, in my book, they have the best flavors for bread making.

The Sorghum/Millet combination is going to give you that classic white bread look (especially if you leave out the flax seeds), while the Teff on it's own will give you a beautiful brown bread...and of course, the combo of all of them will be a lighter brown, since it's a nice mix of light and dark flours.

The recipe is pulled straight from my Teff Sandwich Bread recipe and adjusted to make 2 dozen rolls. If you have a smaller family, half the recipe or just use the Teff Sandwich Bread recipe, while following the baking instructions below.

Dinner Rolls
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons yeast
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup teff flour*
1 1/3 cup potato starch
1 1/3 cup tapioca starch
2/3 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
4 teaspoons (2 pkg) gelatin
4 egg whites

*In place of teff flour you can use 1 cup sorghum flour and 1/2 cup millet flour or 3/4 cup teff flour, 1/2 cup sorghum flour, and 1/4 cup millet flour.

Directions:
In a small bowl mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for 3-5 minutes or until yeast is dissolved and beginning to proof.

In a mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.  Add in the egg whites.  Once combined, mix on high speed for 3-5 minutes.

Grease a muffin tins.  Spoon the batter into muffin tins, using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop. Cover and let rise in a warm environment for 20 minutes. 

As the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, check the internal temperature of the bread.  It is done when it reaches 205F.

The rolls will last a couple of days on the counter.  If you don't plan on eating it that fast, freeze them.  The also perk right up, by sticking them in the microwave for a few seconds.

Allergy Friendly Bread (i.e. free of the top 8 allergens and more!)

I have my favorite bread recipes that I utilize frequently in my house...my Teff Sandwich Bread is my go to bread for sandwiches and such, I like my Sorghum Millet Bread for Sunday dinner rolls.  But when a friend approached me about finding a bread that would meet their families needs, I realized I needed to add a recipe that would help families that have several allergies, not just a few like our family.

My friend's little boy has an allergy list that is longer than I can list, but it includes wheat, eggs, soy, dairy, rice, corn, nuts, seeds, and much more. My friend is still nursing her son, so she doesn't eat anything on his allergen list either, and was trying to find some foods that they could both enjoy. So I set out to make them some bread.  The result ended up being a slight modification to my sorghum millet bread and it turned out fantastic.  It does go stale quickly, like most homemade gluten free breads, but can easily be brought back to life by toasting or microwaving for a few seconds.

This recipe isn't vegan, because of the honey and the gelatin, but probably could be made vegan by subbing in agave or maple syrup for the honey and agar powder for the gelatin.  I haven't tested the agar powder, so adjustments may need to be made to give the texture you want.

Just a note, when proofing the yeast, mix all of the wet ingredients together making sure to dissolve the yeast in the water. It should look like this after it has proofed for a few minutes:

The bread comes out soft and chewy, and most importantly bendable and sturdy...so it can hold up to plenty of sandwich toppings!

Allergy Friendly Sandwich Bread
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup millet flour
2/3 cup potato starch
2/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons xanthan gum or guar gum
2 teaspoons (or one packet) unflavored gelatin

Directions:
In a small bowl mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for 3-5 minutes or until yeast is dissolved and beginning to proof.

In a mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.  Once combined, mix on high speed for 3-5 minutes.

Grease a medium (~8"x4") loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with wet fingers or a wet spatula. Cover and let rise in a warm, humid environment for 20 minutes. (If you are like me and live in a dry, cold environment, do the following:  heat a very wet tea towel in the microwave until it is piping hot (I microwave mine for 2 minutes).  Quickly open the microwave, place the loaf of bread inside and place the hot towel on top and shut the microwave again.  It should stay warm and moist in there for 20 minutes.

As the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering with aluminum foil after the first 10 minutes.  After 50 minutes, check the internal temperature of the bread.  It is done when it reaches ~205F.

The bread will last a couple of days on the counter/in the fridge.  If you don't plan on eating it that fast, slice it and freeze it.


This post was shared on Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, and Gluten Free Fridays.

Zucchini Bread

I'm a little slow posting today, but I hope it's worth the wait.  It's the end of summer which means we all have ample amounts of zucchini, right?  Well, here's a classic zucchini bread recipe to help you use up some of it.

Zucchini Bread
(based off of this recipe)

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a medium sized loaf pan (8x4x2-inch).  Combine the coconut sugar, agave, coconut oil, eggs and zucchini in a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients, except for the walnuts.  Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.  Fold in the walnuts and pour into the loaf pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Whole Food Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love.

Calzones

Do you have those days where you are really craving something?  It just sounds so good and you want it so bad?  Yeah, that was me on Saturday.  I really wanted a calzone.  And a funny thing about that, I never ate calzones before my diet change.  But, I really wanted one, so I thought, maybe if I used my pita bread recipe as a starting point, that might work.  And work, it did!  My husband (who is the gluten eater in our family) absolutely loved it!  He told me he actually likes it even more than my usual pizza crust.  My little one only finished about half of his huge calzone...but asked me later that evening if he could have the rest, "because it is just so good."  And my older son, who is going through a 'non-eating' phase (he eats, just not very much) ate it really well, too.  So this was a huge success and will be made again and again in my home, so I hope your home enjoys it as much as ours has!

 This picture is to give you an idea on how much sauce to use, and how much space to leave for crimping.

 How it looks right before going into the oven.

Calzones
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon fast-rising yeast
1 tablespoon honey (or agave)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 cups GF flour blend
1 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 cup additional warm water
Pizza Sauce
Pizza Toppings (pepperoni, cheese (daiya cheese), Canadian bacon, veggies, etc)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for 5 minutes to proof.

In a stand mixer, combine flour and salt.  Add in the yeast mixture and mix on low until combined.

Add in enough additional water to make the dough sticky but stay together as a ball.  This won't be the typical gluten-free bread dough which is a thick, sticky batter.  It's does actually resemble regular bread dough, but is quite a bit sticky. I added in just under 1/4 cup to get mine to the right consistency.

Once the consistency is right, mix it on high speed for 3-5 minutes.

Place the dough on parchment paper that has been sprinkled with GF flour. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and form each into a ball. Roll out each ball into a circle about 1/8" thick and about 9-10" in diameter. (note: I made the calzones one at a time, because it meant moving that dough, just once)

Top one half of the dough with a little pizza sauce and toppings of your choice, making sure to leave space around the edges to seal it.

Fold the dough over and crimp the edges together (like you would with a pie crust).

Transfer the calzone to a parchment lined baking sheet (or transfer it on the parchment paper you rolled it out and prepared it on) and continue on with the next calzone.  Once all the calzones are ready, brush them with a little olive oil and bake them at 400F for 20-25 minutes.

Serve with additional pizza sauce, or ranch in my families case.

Makes 4 large calzones (which was just enough for 2 adults and 2 hungry little boys).

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Whole Foods Fridays, and Gluten Free Fridays.

Teff Biscuits

Remember last week's recipe, Strawberry Rhubarb Chia See Jam? Well, when I made it, I wanted to eat it with some warm bread straight out of the oven...well, I didn't have the time or energy to make my favorite, my Teff Sandwich Bread, so I made my Garlic Dill Biscuits, minus the garlic and dill. ;) 

These are the fastest, easiest little morsels you can throw together and they are GOOD!  Really, I haven't made my sandwich bread since making these...these are just too easy.  

Now, they are best straight out of the oven, but can be perked back up a day or two later by covering with a damp paper towel and microwaving for a bit.  The steam from the paper towel with soften them up, and it will be like they are straight from the oven again. :)

Teff Biscuits
2/3 cup teff flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup Pompeian Grapeseed Oil or olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Add in the milk and grapeseed oil and hand mix until combined.

Turn dough out on parchment paper.  Smooth the dough out and pat it out until it's to 1" thickness.

Cut biscuits with a sharp biscuit cutter, or with a sharp knife into wedges, and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm.


This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Garlic Dill Teff Biscuits

You know that blog recipe contest I posted about last week? I decided I needed to enter it, too.  So, I got experimenting with grapeseed oil, and what I got was an incredibly easy biscuit recipe.  These biscuits are amazing!

I wanted my teff sandwich bread for sandwiches this weekend, but didn't have the time or energy to make it.  These biscuits were a great substitute  in fact the garlic and dill in those biscuits made for the best sandwich I've had in a long time!

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Garlic Dill Teff Biscuits
2/3 cup teff flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup Pompeian Grapeseed Oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, including the dill and garlic.  Add in the milk and grapeseed oil and hand mix until combined.

Turn dough out on parchment paper.  Smooth the dough out and pat it out until it's to 1" thickness.

Cut biscuits with a sharp biscuit cutter, or with a sharp knife into wedges, and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm.

Strawberry Banana Scones

This week my kids have spring break, so I've taken the week off of work.  You'd think I'd have more time in the kitchen this week, but I almost didn't post a recipe today...we're just having too much fun hanging out.  But, I did have bananas and strawberries that needed to be used up...so you get a recipe after all. :)

The great thing about these scones, is they'd work minus the strawberries, or adding in blueberries, chocolate chips, or whatever else you can think of instead of the strawberries...so there definitely is flexibility here.

Strawberry Banana Scones

2 cups GF flour blend

1/2 cup almond flour

1/3 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup coconut oil (in solid form)

1 egg

1/4 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup mashed banana, about 2 large bananas

3/4 cup chopped strawberries

for topping:

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice or other granulated sweetener

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a stand mixer, combine the flour blend, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder and baking soda.  Add in the coconut oil and combine until the mixture resembles a course meal.  

In a separate bowl, combine the egg, almond milk, and vanilla.  Add this mixture to the flour mixture, then add in the bananas and mix until combined.  Fold in the strawberries.

Using a 1/4 cup spring release scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared pan.  

Combine the walnuts, evaporated cane juice, and coconut oil in a small bowl and press a small amount of the mixture onto the tops of each scone.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  These are best warm.  If you don't eat them all at once, store in an airtight container or freeze.

Yield: ~11 scones

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Seeded Teff Pull-Apart Rolls

I have two favorite breads on my blog, my teff sandwich bread and my multigrain seeded bread.  When I make a loaf of one of these, it's strictly just for me, no sharing at all.  So, I decided to combine the two, for some amazing pull-apart rolls.  Because, I wanted to show you, you don't have to have your rolls in muffin tins, just because the dough is more like a thick, sticky batter, and also, because I just really wanted these. :)

Don't they look beautiful in that pan? Really, they are the perfect combination of my two breads...the wonderful taste of teff, combined with the amazing texture from the seeds...I think I have a new favorite!

 

Seeded Teff Pull-Apart Rolls
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup teff flour
2/3 cup potato starch
2/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon whole grain millet
1 tablespoon roughly chopped pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon guar gum
2 teaspoons (1 pkg) gelatin
2 egg whites


Directions:
In a small bowl mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for 3-5 minutes or until yeast is dissolved and beginning to proof.

In a mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.  Add in the egg whites.  Once combined, mix on high speed for 3-5 minutes.

Grease a 9-10" round pan or a 1/4 sheet baking pan. Scoop the batter into the pan using a 1/4 cup spring-release scoop, placing the rolls right next to each other.  Cover and let rise in a warm, humid environment for 20 minutes. (If you are like me and live in a dry, cold environment, do the following:  heat a very wet tea towel in the microwave until it is piping hot.  Quickly open the microwave, place the pan of rolls inside and place the hot towel on top and shut the microwave again.  It should stay warm and moist in there for 20 minutes.

As the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.  After 25 minutes, check the internal temperature of the bread.  It is done when it reaches 200-205F.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Allergy Friendly Fridays.

Teff Sandwich Bread

I have a new favorite flour...it's teff.  I love the earthly flavor and the many nutrients in it.  I decided it was time to make a sandwich bread with it, and I'm really in love with it now.  I've eaten half the loaf and am considering eating the other half once I'm done writing this post.

 Really, this bread is soft and chewy and makes a FANTASTIC sandwich bread.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Whole Food Fridays, Allergy Friendly Fridays, and Gluten Free Monday.

Teff Bread
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup teff flour
2/3 cup potato starch
2/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon guar gum
2 teaspoons (1 pkg) gelatin
2 egg whites

Directions:
In a small bowl mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for 3-5 minutes or until yeast is dissolved and beginning to proof.

In a mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.  Add in the egg whites.  Once combined, mix on high speed for 3-5 minutes.

Grease a medium loaf pan. Spoon the batter into the pan, smooth the top with wet fingers or a wet spatula. Cover and let rise in a warm, humid environment for 20 minutes. (If you are like me and live in a dry, cold environment, do the following:  heat a very wet tea towel in the microwave until it is piping hot.  Quickly open the microwave, place the loaf of bread inside and place the hot towel on top and shut the microwave again.  It should stay warm and moist in there for 20 minutes.

As the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering with aluminum foil after the first 10 minutes.  After 50 minutes, check the internal temperature of the bread.  It is done when it reaches 205F.

The bread will last a couple of days on the counter/in the fridge.  If you don't plan on eating it that fast, slice it and freeze it.

Corn-Free 'Cornbread'

I was in an experimenting mood on Sunday, and I've heard that millet flour makes a good substitute for corn flour, so I thought maybe it would make a good sub for corn meal...and in turn, I would be able to eat cornbread again.

Well, it does.  This 'cornbread' obviously doesn't quite taste exactly like cornbread, but it's pretty dang close, which is amazing considering I swapped out the main ingredient.  So, for those of you that are corn-free enjoy some 'cornbread'!

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Allergy Friendly Fridays.

Corn-Free 'Cornbread'

2 eggs
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 honey
1 cup millet flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
2 teaspoons baking powder*
1 teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon salt (I use Himalayan pink salt)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 10" cast iron skillet and set aside.

Combine the wet ingredients in a stand mixer.  In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.  The batter should be like thick cake batter.

Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Best served warm and fresh out of the oven.

*note: if you can't find a corn-free baking powder just use 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for every teaspoon baking powder

Orange Cranberry Muffins

We got some cranberries in our Bountiful Basket this week, so I decided to use them in muffins.  This recipe is easy to throw together and like all muffins, it tastes best when they are fresh out of the oven.  This would be the perfect way to start out your Thanksgiving day...so go try it!

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays, and Allergy Friendly Fridays.

Orange Cranberry Muffins
1 3/4 cup gf flour blend
2 tablespoons baking powder*
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/4 coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh cranberries, halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease or line muffin tins and set aside.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients (except the cranberries). Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Fold in the cranberries and spoon into the muffin tins (you should add about a 1/4 cup into each tin).

Make at 400F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

*note: if you can't find corn-free baking powder, you can use 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for 1 teaspoon of baking powder...it isn't doubling acting, but it will work.

Classic Banana Nut Bread

I already have banana bread/muffin recipes, I know. If you don't believe me here's links to #1, #2, and #3. So, yeah, I have a thing for banana bread.  And it was time to make it over again. You see, my other recipes are good, my boys especially love #2, but it doesn't take like classic banana bread...and there's a lot of white sugar which now gives me stomach aches and horrible headaches...so, yep, time to make it over.

 This banana bread is as classic as banana bread can get, it's moist with that hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.

 And the best part?  It's made with coconut sugar, agave (or honey) and coconut oil...so much better for you.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.


Classic Banana Bread
2 cups gluten free flour blend (this last batch I made I used sorghum and millet flours in place of the sweet rice and oat flours, and it has been AMAZING!)
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (I use himalayan pink salt)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 4-5 medium)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Prehead oven to 350F. Grease a large loaf pan (9X5 inch) and set aside.  In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients. 

In a separate bowl combine the eggs, banana, coconut sugar, agave, and coconut oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in nuts and pour batter into the loaf pan.

Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. The the bread cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before removing in and completely cooling it before slicing...don't try to slice it warm, it will just fall apart.

Refined Sugar Free Pumpkin Bread

First of all...thank you to all of you that have voted for my blog. It is in the running for the Top 25 Food Allergy Moms. If you enjoy my blog, would you take just a few seconds and click the link below and go and vote for Live Free, Gluten Free? There is only today and tomorrow left to vote! You can vote every 24 hours, so please do! Thanks!

Also, for those of you that live in our around Cache Valley Utah.  I am doing a cooking show at the Providence Macey's on tonight at 7:00pm.  I'm making apple fritters and pumpkin bars, so please come! It's free and you get treats, it can't get better than that!

I have been modifying my recipes to be refined sugar-free, most of the time I forget to write down what I did...this time I actually remembered, so I have it for you, too.  This is based off my pumpkin bread, and it still tastes fantastic. This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Whole Food Fridays, and Allergy Friendly Friday.

Refined Sugar-Free Pumpkin Bread
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can pumpkin
2 cups gluten free flour blend
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)

Directions1. Preheat oven to 325F, and lightly grease a bread pan or muffin tins.

2. Cream coconut oil, sugar, and honey together.  Add eggs, mixing well after each one.  Add vanilla and pumpkin and mix until well blended.

3. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips, if using).  Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.

4. Pour into prepared bread pan or scoop into muffin tins, and bake ~1 hour for bread or 30 minutes for muffins.

Seeded Multigrain Bagels and Some Bread Making Tips

I really love my multigrain seeded bread, so I decided to convert it to bagels. Now, looking at the list of ingredients, it looks like an awful lot to have to measure out.  Bread making tip #1: When you have extra time, measure out all the dry ingredients for you bread (minus the yeast) and place it in an airtight container...I make several batches of the dry ingredients, so when I want bread, I can pull out one of the containers and the wet ingredients and be done.  It definitely makes this recipe much faster to make.  And bonus, the dry ingredients are exactly the same for these bagels as for the multigrain seeded bread. 

I have been having people ask me why their bread isn't rising, or how to get it to rise better.  Gluten free flours like water...they absorb it, leaving the bread dense and dry, and unable to rise.  Make sure you have enough water in the dough/batter, and let it rise in a humid environment.  For a loaf of bread, I follow Nicole Hunn's advice, which is heat a very wet tea towel in a microwave.  Once it is piping hot, quickly open the microwave, place the loaf of bread inside, put the hot towel on top and shut the microwave again.  This closed environment should stay warm and moist enough for the 20-30 minutes needed to let the bread rise.  If your recipe requires longer, just take the bread out and reheat the towel and do the same thing over again.

Now for larger items, like a pan of bagels, rolls, or breadsticks...This will be basically the same type of thing, but in the oven, instead of the microwave.  Heat the oven for a few minutes at 200F, then turn it off.  Place a baking pan on the bottom rake of the oven and fill it with boiling water.  Place the bread in the oven and leave the door shut until it's time to preheat the oven.  Finish letting the bread rise on the countertop, while the oven preheats.  Then you should be good to go! So, to summarize, make sure you have enough water present while the bread is rising for it to rise.

Now on to the bagels.  This recipe is a simple modification from my bread recipe and is easy to make, especially if you've premeasured the dry ingredients.

This post is featured on Allergy-Free Wednesday and Bake Your Own Bread.

Multigrain Seeded Bagels
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (1 packet of Knox Gelatine)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon millet
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon roughly chopped pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus more to sprinkle on top
Boiling water bath:
6-8 cups water, boiling
1-2 tablespoons honey

Directions

In a small bowl  mix together water, yeast, honey, oil, and vinegar.  Let sit for ~3-5 minutes. In a medium bowl (I used my stand mixer for this), stir together dry ingredients.  Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.  Once combined, mix on high speed for 3-5 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 portions.  Grease your hands with shortening and shape each portion into a ball. Place onto a greased cookie sheet and poke the center with your finger. Move your finger around, until the hole is a decent size and the bagel now resembles a bagel.

Place in a warmed oven (with a pan of hot water on the bottom rake) and let rise for 20-30 minutes. Towards the end of the rise, remove the bagels and the pan of hot water from the oven and preheat the oven to 400F.

When the bagels have finished rising, place them one at a time in the boiling honey water. Boil on one side for about 30 seconds, then flip and boil it on the other side for another 30 seconds. Remove the bagel from boiling water and allow it to drain on a cooling rack, while you boil the other bagels.

Place the boiled bagels onto a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and/or sunflower seeds.

Bake bagels in preheated 400F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are a nice golden brown. Remove from oven, and allow to cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before enjoying.  If you don't eat them fresh from the oven, store them in the fridge and reheat them in the microwave to make them taste fresh.
The bagels should last a few days if stored in the fridge and a few months if stored in the freezer.

Soft Pretzels

I have been wanting to make these for awhile. I've attempted before, and had some issues that needed to be worked out, so when I got off of work early today, I sent the boys outside to play, while I played in the kitchen.  We enjoyed our pretzels with Lexie's Raw Nacho Cheese Sauce (I just got a blendtec and have been loving it!)

A warning, just like anything that is gluten-free, these can easily fall apart while you are shaping, and especially when you put it in the baking soda bath.  I found the best way to keep the pretzel shape was to transfer the shaped pretzel dough on a large spatula (or two) and keep it on the spatula in the baking soda bath...it's just less likely to fall apart that way, then if you were to drop it in the water.

Soft Pretzels

1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups GF flour blend
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon gelatin (half a packet of Knox Gelatine)
2 tablespoons melted dairy-free margarine
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
8 cups hot water
1/2 cup baking soda
1 egg, beaten
pretzel salt

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together water, vinegar, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for~5 minutes to proof. In a medium bowl (I used my stand mixer for this), stir together flour blend, salt, and gelatin. Add the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until combined, then add in the margarine.  Mix on medium to high until dough comes together and is smooth.  It should form a ball, but be a bit sticky when you touch it.

Remove the dough from the bowl and grease the bowl, then replace the dough and cover it.  Set it in a warm place to rise for about an hour, or until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 450F.  Grease two large cookie sheets and set aside.

Bring the 8 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in a large saucepan, then remove from heat.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a large piece of parchment sheet and divde the dough into 6 equal pieces. Wet hands and roll out each piece of dough into an 18-24 inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place the shaped dough onto one of the greased cookie sheets, and cover while you form the rest of the pretzels.

Once the pretzels are shaped, dip the pretzels into the baking soda bath, by using a large spatula (or two regular sized ones) to transfer it to the bath and to remove it from the bath.  Place the pretzels onto the other greased pan.  Repeat with each of the pretzels.

Bake pretzels at 450F for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

This post is featured on Allergy Friendly Fridays and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

NOT Wheat Thins

My favorite cracker prior to my diet change was Wheat Thins.  I could eat them by the boxful...and right before my diet change, I'm pretty sure those boxfuls of crackers were making me pretty sick...but anyway I thought I would try to make my own version of these crackers and they turned out pretty good.

 NOT Wheat Thins
(inspired by this recipe)

1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup millet flour
2 tablespoons almond meal
2 1/4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling on top
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
3 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I actually roll my crackers out on the parchment paper and then transfer my paper to the baking sheet).

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, paprika, salt).

With a pastry blender or fork, cut the margarine into the flour mixture until crumbly. Mix together the water and vanilla and pour into the flour mixture. Stir this mixture until it comes together.

On a floured surface (once again, I floured parchment paper, which I then moved to the baking sheet), roll out the dough very thin (1/16th inch). Using a pizza cutter, cut into whatever shape you desire. Using a spatula, place the crackers on the prepared baking sheet (or spread them out on the parchment paper and transfer the paper to the baking sheet). Sprinkle with more salt and sesame seeds if desired.

Bake for about 10 minutes at 400F. Half way through baking rotate the pan to ensure even baking. Cool completely. Makes about 36 crackers for this full recipe. Store in an air-tight container.

This post is featured on Allergy Friendly Friday and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Waffles

I love making waffles, but they take so much more time than pancakes, it seems, so I don't make them as often as I would like.  But, I finally got around to testing my pancake recipe as waffles and it worked out quite well.  I did double the recipe...my family tends to eat more waffles than pancakes, probably because we don't have them as often.

Waffles
1 1/2 cups non-dairy yogurt (I use my homemade yogurt)*
1/2 cup non-dairy milk*
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups all purpose gf flour blend 
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a small bowl mix together yogurt, milk, eggs and canola oil.

In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients.  Whisk together to remove any lumps.

Cook in a preheated waffle maker, until browned and crisp.  (Follow the manafacturers directions).

*Instead of 1 1/2 cups of yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk, you can use 2 cups of non-dairy milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice mixed in.

 This post is featured on Allergy Friendly Friday and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

The real reason I finally posted a recipe for my pancakes was to show you how easily you can adapt them to make something incredible.  Now, with my pancake add-ins are usually simple like chocolate chips or blueberries, etc.  But, every once in a while a thought gets in my head and I have to try it out.  I had one of those moments today and these pancakes were the best pancakes I've had in a long time.  If you are a fan of lemon poppy seed anything you will love these pancakes.  Honestly you don't need to top them with anything, they are perfect straight up and I never say that about pancakes.  But, if you want to top them with something, try fresh berries or raspberry whipped cream, they work fantastic with the lemon flavor.

Now the recipe is my basic pancake recipe with lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds added in...that is it.  It's that simple to totally change up your pancakes.  So, go enjoy some super easy and delectable pancakes!

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
3/4 cup non-dairy yogurt (I use my homemade yogurt) **
1/4 cup non-dairy milk**
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup all purpose gf flour blend
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions
In a small bowl mix together yogurt, milk, egg and canola oil.


In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients.  Whisk together to remove any lumps. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds.

Pour about 1/4 cup scoops of the batter onto a heated griddle.  (I have an electric griddle that I heat to 325-350F).  Once the bubbles form and start popping on the top of the pancake, flip and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes.

Makes about 8-9 4" pancakes.

**You can use 1 cup of non-dairy milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice in place of the 3/4 cup yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk.

This post is featured on Allergy Friendly Friday,  Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, and Allergy Friendly Wednesdays.