"Julie's Flour Blend" Gluten Free (and bread/bun recipe)

 

I have been working at coming up with an all-purpose flour mix that I could trust.  I have finally come up with a blend that I am really happy with. It is so much easier to reach for ONE flour container instead of several.
I will be offering updated and new recipes using my flour blend.

Here is  "Julie's Flour Blend" 

• 1 cup millet flour
• 1 cup white bean flour (grind your own navy beans (small white beans from grocery store) 
• 1 cup brown rice flour 
• 1 cup potato starch 
• 1 cup tapioca starch 
• 1/2 cup white rice flour 
• 1/2  cup cornstarch 
• 3 tbsp. potato flour 
• NOTE --  I did not include xanthan gum because the amount needed is not the same for bread as it is for cakes and different again for cookies. So I prefer to add it in each recipe.  

I worked until I had a blend that was perfect for bread - and this one is.  I also worked with every tweek and trick I could come up with to ensure a fool-proof loaf of bread that I, along with everyone else could enjoy eating. I have made this bread countless times - it turns out the same every time and has never failed.
It rises well, has a mild wheat-like flavour, has a nice crumb (not cake-like)  is springy like wheat bread,  has a soft texture and is not at all gummy - just a wheat-like chewy.

My Winner's Bread - a basic bread -slices/toasts/freezes well 

• 1/4 cup milk 
• 3/4 cup water 
• 1 tsp sugar 
• 1 tsp unflavoured gelatin 
• 1 1/2 tbsp reg. yeast (not quick rise) 
• 1 egg 
• 1/8 cup butter (trick - cut 1/4 cup off a pound of butter then cut it in half diagonally for 1/8 cup butter)
• 1 tbsp honey 
• 1 1/2 cup Julie's Flour Blend 
• 1 tsp xanthan gum  (too much xanthan  gum can make bread fall) 
• 3/4 tsp salt 
• 2 tsp powder egg replacer 
• 1 tsp baking powder 

1. Heat milk and water -- I find 50 sec. in my microwave brings it to a perfect temp. -- if you have chlorine in your water do not use it for yeast baking - it hinders the yeast from rising. 
2. Add mixed sugar/gelatin/yeast to warm fluids and let proof 
3. Add room temp. egg and honey and softened butter to mixer bowl and mix. 
4. Stir proofed yeast and add to liquids. 
5. Add mixed dry ingredients, stir until blended 
6. Beat on high for 6 minutes  -- dough will look smooth and stretchy 
7. Line glass loaf pan with parchment paper (don't have to line ends) 
8. Scrape dough into pan and  wet your hands under warm water to smooth top of loaf. 
9. Let rise on range top beside a steaming pan of water. 
10. It will take about 1/2 hour to rise over the top of the pan so make sure you allow time to pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. 
11. When loaf rounds top of pan, place loaf in microwave on high for 60 seconds,  then straight into pre-heated oven. 
12. Let bake for about 40 minutes.   Remove from oven, remove loaf from pan and paper and let cool completely on wire racks before slicing. 

 We were planning a family wiener roast and I wanted a nice hot dog bun.
Because GF dough is much softer than reg wheat dough you cannot just shape buns on a pan so I
created little boats out of parchment paper.   I cut the parchement paper 7 1/2" x 4 1/2 " - folding it in half lengthwise, then the long edges to meet at the centre, then folded up the ends and stapled them in place. (I have contacted/corresponded with someone who designs/manufacturers baking pans to see if he will make a hot dog pan according to my specifications )  In the meantime I found my parchment trays worked well and can be reused several times.  Make sure you tuck them up against each other in a pan - I found that 6 fit snug in my glass cake pan (11 1/2" x 7 1/2". The ends will hold, its the sides that will spread with the rising dough if not tucked up against each other.

One bread recipe makes 6 hot dog buns.

The buns were enjoyed by both gluten-free and wheat eaters ... See how springy the bun is?

My grandgirls love pizza buns and these worked great. I sliced them, lined them up on parchment paper on a cookie rack and spread them with our favourite pizza sauce and grated cheese.  

 I bought a Whoopie  Pie pan  and tried it for baking buns.  The indents are not very deep but deep enough to keep the bun rising each in their 'space'. The bun size would be perfect as mini hamburger buns or anything else you choose to do with them!

One bread recipe makes 12 buns - 1 tbsp. in each space and dough smoothed with wet hand to fill indent.

NOTE :  I would suggest that you try this bread/bun recipe exactly as is before you try to change it -  adding or substituting ingredients.   The margin between success and fail in GF yeast baking is very narrow - I know this recipe works !   If you make changes and are happy with the results post a comment and let the rest of us know.

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