Gluten-Free Chewy Crusty Sorghum Bread
Very chewy crust.
Servings 16
Cost 5
Ingredients
Dry Mixture
- 140 grams sorghum flour (about 1cup)
- 210 grams superfine brown rice flour (about 1 ½ cup)***
- 120 grams tapioca starch (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons dry milk powder (optional)
- 2 tsp. salt (scant teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (7 grams)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Wet Mixture
- 620 grams water (this is about 2 ⅔ cup) or 22 oz I weigh the water
- ½ tablespoon honey or maple syrup (10 grams)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 25 grams whole psyllium husk (you can use equivalent weight of the powder, but I use the husks)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Grease a 1 pound Pullman loaf pan or an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan. The narrow bottom and tall sides of a Pullman give the dough more than enough room to rise. You will not need to use the top of the Pullman.
- In large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients using the weights given.
- Heat the water in the microwave to about 110 degrees and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the honey. Let cool to about 105 degrees. Stir in the yeast and let stand until it becomes slightly foamy. Add the psyllium and stir to make a gel. Add the vinegar.
- Add the flour mixture to the psyllium/yeast mixture and stir just until mixed.
- Use the dough hook to mix the ingredients for about 2 minutes, stopping often to scrape sides. The dough should form a sticky mass at this point. Turn it out onto a pastry mat dusted with rice flour and coat lightly with flour. Shape it into a nice loaf and put it in your pan.
- Cover with greased plastic wrap and set in a warm place to double in bulk. This should take about 35-45 minutes.
- Towards the end of the rising period, preheat your oven to 425°.
- When dough is done rising, bake on center rack for one hour at 425°. After 1 hour, carefully remove the loaf. Set it on a sheet pan (or you can put it directly on the rack) and bake for another 30 minutes at 425°. This is the correct time and temp. If you feel like this is too high for your oven, you can reduce heat to 375 for the last half hour. However, the long bake time is important because it removes moisture from the loaf. It also makes the crust very chewy.
- Let cool completely on wire rack before cutting. This will usually be at least 3 hours.
- When slicing bread, be sure to use a serrated knife to gently saw back and forth. I sometimes chill the bread slightly so that it will be firmer and easier to cut. It's usually quite moist the first day, but tends to lose some of the moisture as it sits. I still think it's best toasted.
Notes
Be sure to use superfine rice flour such as Anthony's brand or Vitacost or others that claim to be superfine. Some major brands are fine and will absorb less water.
