Bread Machine Gluten Free & Vegan Bread

When you eat gluten free & egg free, finding a good bread can feel like a treasure hunt.  I have only actually found 2 in the stores.  They served there purpose when Anna was first diagnosed and I felt totally overwhelmed with what and how to cook.  Buying the bread at the store helped make things one step easier, even though it was so dense and spongy tasting.  

A few months ago, I tried this recipe in the bread machine and it is the first Gluten Free & Egg Free Bread that I'd say is delicious!!  Especially, fresh out of the oven, warm, with some homemade strawberry jam on top.  It also makes good sandwiches, toast and garlic toast.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

This recipe was found on the gluten free goddess blog.

Delicious Gluten-Free Bread Recipe
This gluten-free bread is tender, fragrant, dairy-free and rice-free, and easily egg-free with proper leavening. Though most gluten-free bread recipes rely on eggs for texture and rise, this recipe is also delicious baked vegan, without eggs (though in all honesty, two whipped egg whites will make it rise higher). I use Ener-G Egg Replacer to make it egg-free.

First- whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside:
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch (not potato flour!)
1/2 cup millet flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/ 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 packet rapid dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons (I have actually used the regular dry yeast with the regular rise cycle and it turned out the same)

You'll need sesame seeds for the top; set aside for later. (I omit)

For the Breadman bread machine:
Pour the liquid ingredients into the bread machine pan first:
1 1/4 cup warm water (at 110 to 115 degrees F)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey- or raw agave nectar to keep it vegan
1/2 teaspoon mild rice or white wine cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 4 tablespoons warm water till frothy

Gently pour the mixed dry ingredients on top of the liquid.

Set your bread machine program for 1.5 loaf medium crust. I used the gluten-free cycle on the Breadman; if you don't have a gluten-free cycle, I believe a rapid rise cycle will also work.
Check the dough after a few minutes of kneading- it should be closer to a muffin batter than bread dough, soft but not cake batter wet. Adjust dry to wet ratio with a tablespoon of flour or warm liquid, as needed. Humidity influences the dough. As does temperature (your bread will rise higher on a hot day).
If you like a crusty loaf (or your past experience results in a gummy center/fallen top) remove the bread from the pan and place it in the oven at 350 degrees F for an additional 10 minutes- keep an eye on it and don't let it get too brown. It should be a light golden color. (I make sure the oven is pre-heated and quickly transfer from bread pan to oven and cook an additional 10 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees)

* Cool the loaf before slicing for best results.
Enjoy fresh from the oven- the first day (as with most gluten-free baked goods) has the best texture and taste.
Freeze leftover bread as slices, wrapped in a paper towel and bagged in freezer bags. Thaw to room temperature. Baking time:1 hour

Yield: 1 loaf

Karina's Notes:
This yummy bread was not only the most successful egg-free yeasted bread to date- the taste, texture and tenderness make it one of my all-time top faves in gluten-free bread land. It didn't crumble. And it didn't taste ricey (well, duh...there's no rice!). The combination of sorghum and millet with potato starch imparts a springy bread texture that reminded us both of our favorite ciabatta bread recipe from our pre-gluten-free days.

Karina's Baking Tips for Fabulous Gluten-Free Bread in a Bread Machine
Have all the dry ingredients at room temperature.
Water should be 110 to 115 degrees F (too cool and the yeast won't rise; too hot and the yeast will die).
Yeast should be fresh- check the expiration date.
After a minute or two of mixing, open the machine and scrape down the sides of the pan with a soft spatula to help incorporate the bits of flour on the edges; I had to do this twice.
Immediately after the mixing/kneading cycle was finished I reached in and removed the paddle; then smoothed and pressed the dough and with wet fingers to even out the shape. It's not necessary to do this; I just prefer removing the paddle from the loaf ahead of time.
When the dough was resting I sprinkled a generous tablespoon of sesame seeds all over the top.
When the machine beeped "done". I immediately removed the pan from the hot machine, and within a minute released the bread from the pan (if you don't do this, it steams and gets a bit soggy) and placed it on a wire rack to do the thump test. It should sound hollow when tapped. And the loaf should feel firm (not squishy).
I thought the sides were a tad soft so I placed the naked loaf directly into the oven- on the center rack- and turned on the temp to 350 degrees. I baked it for another 12 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on it. When I tapped the bread it sounded hollow. The crust was crusty. Done.
Cool the loaf on a wire rack -- not in the pan. Slice when cooled with a sharp serrated knife. (If you don't wait for the loaf to cool the bread will not slice evenly.)