November 22nd was a long time ago. Really long. Back then, we were coordinating and dreaming up gluten-free Thanksgiving masterpieces. We were feasting on seasonal squashes and pears. And I kept promising you my bread that was braidable -- an almost impossible feat with gluten-free baking.
And then it happened. Failure. Not once. Not twice. Not even three times. More times than I care to even count.
For weeks on end, everything I created was a failure. Not a little off, but something so off that it never made it to the table. More than once, my dear, sweet husband was seen emptying the contents of his mouth into a napkin. It even happened with brownies -- one of the easiest baking tasks!
And so I hid. Not so hard to do in this blogging world.
This was new territory for me. Sure, things I had created have needed tweaking and minor changes until they were good enough to post. But nothing was so nasty that it wasn't even worth trying to figure out what went wrong. I needed to take some time to evaluate, assess, and figure out what was happening in my kitchen.
My first step was to go back to where I started. I went back to baking some of my old favorite successes. With that I realized that I was trying too hard. I was trying to eliminate starches, gums, and fats -- all while sticking to my gluten and sugar-free regimine. The chemical make up I was attempting to create just isn't realistic -- at least not if you want something tasty that holds together.
I went back to my research and realized that I was right in my initial stab -- not all starches are equal and some really aren't the enemy. My old favorite -- Arrowroot -- truly has some nutritional benefits. Arrowroot is the only starch with calcium ash, which helps balance the body. Furthermore, arrowroot is not a refined product. Unlike many other starches, it is simply the powdered and dried root. While I am not suggesting this starch is by any means health food -- though it is a good source of manganese and has a decent amount of fiber -- it is one of the healthier options.
With this new outlook, I was able to get back to the drawing board. And, yes, I was able to find success again. Gums still won't
appear in my cooking; I will still reduce fats as much as possible; and I will continue to love and adore Chia. And after many, many
versions and iterations, I have finally created that perfect, braidable, challah. My daughters -- and I -- are so happy to bring that tradition back!
And then it happened. Failure. Not once. Not twice. Not even three times. More times than I care to even count.
For weeks on end, everything I created was a failure. Not a little off, but something so off that it never made it to the table. More than once, my dear, sweet husband was seen emptying the contents of his mouth into a napkin. It even happened with brownies -- one of the easiest baking tasks!
And so I hid. Not so hard to do in this blogging world.
This was new territory for me. Sure, things I had created have needed tweaking and minor changes until they were good enough to post. But nothing was so nasty that it wasn't even worth trying to figure out what went wrong. I needed to take some time to evaluate, assess, and figure out what was happening in my kitchen.
My first step was to go back to where I started. I went back to baking some of my old favorite successes. With that I realized that I was trying too hard. I was trying to eliminate starches, gums, and fats -- all while sticking to my gluten and sugar-free regimine. The chemical make up I was attempting to create just isn't realistic -- at least not if you want something tasty that holds together.
I went back to my research and realized that I was right in my initial stab -- not all starches are equal and some really aren't the enemy. My old favorite -- Arrowroot -- truly has some nutritional benefits. Arrowroot is the only starch with calcium ash, which helps balance the body. Furthermore, arrowroot is not a refined product. Unlike many other starches, it is simply the powdered and dried root. While I am not suggesting this starch is by any means health food -- though it is a good source of manganese and has a decent amount of fiber -- it is one of the healthier options.
With this new outlook, I was able to get back to the drawing board. And, yes, I was able to find success again. Gums still won't
appear in my cooking; I will still reduce fats as much as possible; and I will continue to love and adore Chia. And after many, many
versions and iterations, I have finally created that perfect, braidable, challah. My daughters -- and I -- are so happy to bring that tradition back!
Many, many people have lauded my original challah recipe. Why change it? Simply, this recipe has two main flaws.
1. It does not contain any of the five grains required to break bread (wheat, barley, spelt, oats, or rye) and say hamotzi (the blessing over bread). So, I found myself making both my original gluten challah and this gluten-free recipe each week so we could say the
blessing. Quite exhausting, to say the least.
2. It could not be braided. While the braided loaf pan delivered a beautiful look and feel, there is something special about the tradition of braiding challah. I learned to braid from my parents who taught me on their challah and I wanted nothing more than to continue that tradition with my own children.
So after nearly a year of experimenting, I am ready to share this gluten-free, whole-grain, delicious, braided challah — with oats! B'tayavon!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup ground chia seeds (about 3 tbsp of seeds ground in a coffee grinder)
1/3 cup hot water
1 tbsp active, dry yeast
1 tsp coconut sugar
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup gluten-free oat flour
1 scant cup blanched almond flour
3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 1/3 cups arrowroot starch
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp salt
2 large, free-range organic eggs
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
20-30 drops of vanilla stevia
egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tsp water)
raw, organic honey
Directions:
Mix the chia seed meal and the hot water together in a small bowl and put aside. This will become a thick paste, which is what helps bind the bread together in the absence of gluten.
Mix the yeast, coconut sugar, and hot water together in a separate bowl and put aside. This will become bubbly and almost double in volume.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flours, starch, and salt. Mix to combine. Whisk in the eggs, apple cider vinegar, and stevia. Then, add in the chia mixture and yeast mixture. Depending on the humidity in your house, you may need up to 1/4 cup of more hot water. You want the dough to be wet and tacky.
Right about now, you'll be thinking that there is no way this gloppy mess can be braided. Trust me on this one.
Scrape the dough into a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and place in a warm dry place for 2 hours. It will rise a little — though it certainly will not double in size like a gluten dough. More importantly, it will become a little drier and more workable.
At this point, preheat your oven to 450-degrees F, with a stone in the oven.
Divide the dough in half and divide each half into three. Braid the dough so you have two loaves and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Let the loaves proof while your oven is preheating.
*Tip: If you are having trouble braiding the dough because it is a little too tacky, moisten your hands with some water. That will help.
Just before placing the loaves in the oven, brush with the egg wash and drizzle with a little bit of raw, organic honey.
Bake on the stone (if you don't have one, don't worry — it'll work, you just won't get as thick of a crust on your bread) for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Best served warm.
This recipe was also posted on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. Head on over and find something delicious!
1. It does not contain any of the five grains required to break bread (wheat, barley, spelt, oats, or rye) and say hamotzi (the blessing over bread). So, I found myself making both my original gluten challah and this gluten-free recipe each week so we could say the
blessing. Quite exhausting, to say the least.
2. It could not be braided. While the braided loaf pan delivered a beautiful look and feel, there is something special about the tradition of braiding challah. I learned to braid from my parents who taught me on their challah and I wanted nothing more than to continue that tradition with my own children.
So after nearly a year of experimenting, I am ready to share this gluten-free, whole-grain, delicious, braided challah — with oats! B'tayavon!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup ground chia seeds (about 3 tbsp of seeds ground in a coffee grinder)
1/3 cup hot water
1 tbsp active, dry yeast
1 tsp coconut sugar
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup gluten-free oat flour
1 scant cup blanched almond flour
3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 1/3 cups arrowroot starch
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp salt
2 large, free-range organic eggs
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
20-30 drops of vanilla stevia
egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tsp water)
raw, organic honey
Directions:
Mix the chia seed meal and the hot water together in a small bowl and put aside. This will become a thick paste, which is what helps bind the bread together in the absence of gluten.
Mix the yeast, coconut sugar, and hot water together in a separate bowl and put aside. This will become bubbly and almost double in volume.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flours, starch, and salt. Mix to combine. Whisk in the eggs, apple cider vinegar, and stevia. Then, add in the chia mixture and yeast mixture. Depending on the humidity in your house, you may need up to 1/4 cup of more hot water. You want the dough to be wet and tacky.
Right about now, you'll be thinking that there is no way this gloppy mess can be braided. Trust me on this one.
Scrape the dough into a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and place in a warm dry place for 2 hours. It will rise a little — though it certainly will not double in size like a gluten dough. More importantly, it will become a little drier and more workable.
At this point, preheat your oven to 450-degrees F, with a stone in the oven.
Divide the dough in half and divide each half into three. Braid the dough so you have two loaves and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Let the loaves proof while your oven is preheating.
*Tip: If you are having trouble braiding the dough because it is a little too tacky, moisten your hands with some water. That will help.
Just before placing the loaves in the oven, brush with the egg wash and drizzle with a little bit of raw, organic honey.
Bake on the stone (if you don't have one, don't worry — it'll work, you just won't get as thick of a crust on your bread) for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Best served warm.
This recipe was also posted on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. Head on over and find something delicious!
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