Multigrain Gluten-Free Artisan Bread

Adapted from Gluten Free Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and Vanilla and Bean's Seeded Multigrain GF Sourdough Bread

Recommended Tools:

• Digital kitchen scale

• Instant read thermometer

• Oven thermometer

Ingredients:

• 145g Brown Rice Flour*

• 150g Millet Flour*

• 130g Oat Flour* gluten free

• 80g Tapioca Flour or Arrowroot Starch*

• 30g Psyllium Husk Powder*

• ½ tbsp Active Dry Yeast

• 2 ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt

• 3 Tbsp Whole Flax Seeds

• 3 Tbsp Whole Rolled Oats

• 3 Tbsp Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds

• 607g Water 110F

• 32g Pure Maple Syrup, Honey or Molasses

*Flours and yeast can be purchased online (Vitacost.com, Nuts.com, Amazon.com), or in your local store. I personally prefer Nuts.com brand, Bob's Red Mill brand or Pure Living Sprouted Flours. You can also mill your own oat flour very easily by blended rolled oats into a fine powder in your blender.

Method:

Line the pan:

• Line the inside of a 9"x5" loaf pan with criss-crossing parchment with enough hangover on all sides to be used as handles for shaping the loaf and removing the bread from the pan.

Mix the dough:

• Place a large mixing bowl onto a digital kitchen scale, and carefully measure out each dry ingredient, including seeds and oats, into a large mixing bowl.

• WHISK VERY WELL until all dry ingredients are THOROUGHLY combined. (If not, the mix will gel up into separate pieces due to the psyllium husk.) Set aside.

• Fill measuring cup with warm water (115-119F); you will need an instant read thermometer for accuracy. Be sure NOT TO OVERHEAT above 120F or you will kill the yeast.

• Again, using the kitchen scale to weigh, pour and measure out the water into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Quickly add the liquid sweetener of choice.

• Using a large spoon, stir vigorously. Once it becomes too stiff to stir, use one hand to knead together. (One perk of GF flour is that you can’t really overwork it, like wheat). That said, once the dough has come together, stop mixing.

Shape the dough:

• Transfer dough into the lined pan. Use the 'handles' of the parchment and pull opposite sides inwards towards the center of the dough, helping to round and shape the edges. Using a moist hand or a spatula, smooth the top as best you can - a little water helps, but don’t handle too, too much.

Rise the dough:

• Fill a coffee mug or microwave-safe bowl with water and heat in microwave for 2 minutes until steaming. (You are creating a sauna for the bread)

• While the water is heating, place a damp kitchen towel on top of the loaf. You can LIGHTLY grease the top of the loaf to prevent sticking, if you’d like.

• Once the microwave has stopped, place the covered loaf into the “bread sauna” that you just created. Leave the mug of boiled water in the microwave.

• Allow to rise for 90 minutes in the microwave.

Bake the loaf:

• 30 minutes before the bread is ready to go into the oven, start preheating the oven to 425F. (It’s SUPER HELPFUL to use an oven thermometer inside the oven to check the accuracy of your oven temperature.) Also, make sure there is room to place the bread pan on the middle rack, and place a broiler catch pan on the bottom rack.

• Once the dough is risen, and the oven has been preheated for 30 minutes, place the loaf in the oven and pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler pan, then quickly close the oven door. The steam produces a beautiful crust.

• Bake for 49-53 minutes, or until bread reaches internal temperature of 202-206F, checking using a digital instant read thermometer.

• After 10 minutes out of the oven, use the parchment paper handles to lift the loaf from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely, at least for two-three hours, better if cured overnight, before slicing into it.

• You'll notice the bread is very hard, but will soften as it cools.

Storage:

After the bread is completely cool, slice it with a serrated knife. The slices can be stored at room temperature in a closed container for up to three days or frozen for longer storage. Slices can go directly from freezer to toaster or under your oven broiler.

The inside of the bread may be a little gummy, but will still taste delicious; it’s best enjoyed toasted :)