Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Basic GF Flour Mix

America's Test Kitchen's How Can It Be Gluten Free cookbook has basically made me sane again.
The basic flour recipe can be found here.
The bread recipe is here.

I'll admit I am NOT a kitchen goddess. I cook things at home because I can't afford to buy them pre-made. I really don't want to come up with new recipes or be a foodie blogger. I just want to find recipes that WORK and are less work for my lazy ass.

Because of ATK's new cookbook I've stopped desperately trying to find GF bread I like. Hot out of the oven with butter on it it tastes and has the texture of bread. Once it cools I cut it into slices, wrap in parchment paper, put into a freezer bag and freeze the rest. (Note that GF bread is "fresh" for about a day and then it needs to be frozen or made into breading...kind of like french bread.) I take out what I need and defrost it for sandwiches, use the ends to make breading.

The mix has saved me money...though it is still more expensive then making bread with just regular wheat flours.

So far I have made:
White Sandwich Bread (I use a Pullman loaf pan so have extra bread dough which I am working on coming up with a crouton/cracker/flat bread recipe to make with the leftover dough or just spreading it out thin and baking it with the intention of processing it into breading.)
Cupcakes
Shortbread
Biscuits (I would not make them again. Too much trouble and since I make the best damn biscuits in the world with this amazing recipe they are a sad replacement. I'll do without.)
Pasta (though just recipes USING GF pasta and cooking tips. Making pasta itself looks like an incredible pain in the ass.)
Pizza Crust
Pie Dough (this made a basic, delicious flaky crust. Even my non-GF husband said he would eat it again.

I know there are a number of blogs and cooks doing great GF baking, and some may find the cookbook to simplistic (who doesn't realize you can use corn meal and Masa Herina for GF baking options?) and/or not enough recipes, but I've always found the ATK recipes to;
A. work
B. work

Did I mention that they work?
So there ya go.

Here's a crappy food picture for you.







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