In case you (like me five minutes ago) didn’t know, boule is a fancy word for round loaf of crusty bread. It also happens to be pretty fun to say, though to be honest I’m not entirely sure that I’m pronouncing it right. Either way, mastering gluten free bread has lately become kind of an obsession of mine.
If you open up my pantry you’ll find upwards of 15+ different kinds of gluten free flours and baking products scattered around with strange names like xanthan and sorghum. Gluten free baking is basically kitchen science. In order to imitate the stretchiness of gluten, you have to use a mix of gluten free flours and ingredients for each kind of baked good that you are making. I’ve currently become partial to sorghum because it has a great texture (unlike rice flour) and a flavor that isn’t overpowering (like chickpea/garbanzo flour).
I was lucky enough to be born with the ability to eat all things (as far as I know), wheat included, but I have friends who can’t process the stuff. Gluten free is the new fad these days, which frankly I don’t really understand, but if you can’t eat wheat, it means that there are now a huge number of gluten free options that you can choose from. For the Labor Day BBQ I hosted this past Monday, I made a batch of my Crusty Bread and a special loaf of this gluten free creation for my friend who is gluten free. She said it was the best gluten free bread she’s ever had and I knew that I had finally nailed the recipe. Now on to master the rest of the gluten free universe!
I adapted this recipe from Gluten Free Bread.
Makes 1 loaf.
Ingredient List:
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 3/4 cups sorghum flour
- 1 1/2 cups tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp xanthan gum
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/3 cup warm water (not hot!)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 eggs
Kitchen Tools: dutch oven, saran wrap, whisk, parchment paper
Prep Work:
Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir together with a whisk until fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, warm water, honey, and oil. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, about a 1/3 of the mixture at a time. With each pour use a wooden spoon to incorporate the liquid. Mix everything together well and cover bowl tightly with saran wrap. Let rise for at least two hours in a warm spot – I like the top of my fridge or on top of the oven while it’s preheating.
Cooking:
Place your dutch oven in your oven (hehe) and preheat to 500*F. Wet your hands to remove your risen dough from the bowl and place it on a floured piece of parchment paper (I used some extra brown rice flour). Use your wet hands to shape the dough into a ball and smooth out the top. Do not knead or flatten! You want to keep the little bubbles in the dough intact.
Remove dutch oven and carefully use the edges of the parchment paper to lower the dough inside. Replace lid and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove lid and lower heat to 450*F. Bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown. Use tongs or some creative fork maneuvering to remove the bread from the dutch oven. Let cool.
Tips + Tricks:
*Right before you’re ready to serve the bread, pop it in the oven at 400*F or on a hot grill for a few minutes to heat it up and maximize the crunch on the outside!
