BREAD!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but let's face it:  I've been trying to juggle too many projects.  Not the least of which, developing my own gluten-free sandwich bread mix that is high in nutrition and relatively low in the glycemic index ... all while passing the "toddler beloved grilled cheese" test.  I gotta tell ya though: it's a real bear trying to build a recipe that isn't 50% starch!

My success should be credited to riding on the backs of the far more experienced.  My frustrations for the longest time can be blamed on my bread's infernal tendencies to mimic the Grand Canyon: rising up beautifully and then collapsing in on itself.  It was through the recommendations of the King Arthur Flour website that I finally struck gold for liquid ingredient proportions; meanwhile, my initial inspiration for dry ingredients can be found at the Gluten Free Cooking School blog.

Now, I have to make a confession:  part of my lack of dinner postings has been my utter obsession with conquering the "wheat-free bread" challenge.  I finally discovered that the problem lay in my machine: or rather, my use of it.  I mentioned in a previous posting that the Zojirushi is one of the leading bread machines for gluten-free breadmaking.  The key lay in the programmability.  I warn you: neigher the quick nor basic cycles will yield good G-free bread.  Instead, use one of your 3 "Homemade" memory options to program your own cycle.  The Zojirushi website gives a good start: I recommend tweaking according to your local altitude and climate.  For instance, I'm at sea level, so I don't need to worry too much about bake time; but our Pacific Northwest climate is so cold and damp that I need to give the rise as much "help" as possible.  After some trial and error, I tentatively offer my G-free custom program:

Preheat: 15 Minutes
Mix: 15 Minutes
Rise 1: Off
Rise 2: Off
Rise 3: 60 Minutes
Bake: 65 Minutes
Warm: Off

Mock "Whole Wheat" Sandwich Bread (Gluten-Free for Bread Machine)

Sift Together:
2/3 C Sweet Sorghum Flour
2/3 C Garbanzo Flour
2/3 C Corn Starch or Potato Starch 
1/3 C Teff or Buckwheat Flour (Teff is nuttier, Buckwheat is earthier)
1/3 C Stabilized Rice Bran
1/3 C Tapioca Flour (otherwise known as Tapioca Starch)
1 Tbsp. Xanthan or Guar Gum

In separate bowl, whisk together:
3 large eggs (or appropriate substitute--I've heard good things about flax seed meal)
2 Tbsp extra light olive oil
2 Tbsp natural unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp honey or Agave Nectar
1 1/4  tsp. Kosher salt (since this salt is coarser, it works through the dough better if mixed into the wet ingredients)

Measure out 1 1/4 C club soda.  When layering ingredients according to Bread Machine manufacturer directions, add club soda with the wet ingredients, but do not mix!  This is important.  The carbonation in the club soda will benefit the leavening process in the bread, lending a more even distribution of air bubbles and hence an airier bread.

Add 2 1/4 tsp yeast, again according to manufacturer's recommended order.  Set for programmed cycle; gluten-free cycle (if available); or quick cycle; and for dark crust.  Remember to remove your baked bread immediately once the timer goes off.

Behold!  I have made bread!  Muah-ha-hah!

... Stay tuned for my experiments tweaking the recipe for "white"/potato bread ...