Gluten-Free Ryeless Rye Bread

Call me nutty but one of the comfort foods I miss most after living gluten-free for years is not some fancy French cookie or layered ganache cake. Nope. It's rye toast- piping hot and crunchy around the edges slathered with melting peanut butter. My favorite tea time snack. There's something about that fragrant rye tang with caraway paired with sweet creamy peanut butter that sends my little endorphins into all's right with the world childlike bliss.

I'm easy, I know.

The snag is- ever since my celiac disease epiphany gluten-free rye bread has been playing hard to get. Recipes for ryeless rye bread have proved petulant and elusive. Rice flour or chick pea flour does not taste like rye, I'm sorry to tell you. And now peanut butter has gotten itself into all kinds of trouble (through no inherent fault of it's own; the peanut is innocent, I tell you).

So what's a gluten-free goddess to do? Live without one of life's simple pleasures? (Aren't I already doing that, living sans bagels?!) Dear Zen Universe- honestly now- for the sake of calm detachment and flow must I give up all dreams of deli?

Not today.

Because I've been busy in my cramped little kitchen out here in the dusty wilds of New Mexico. I've been baking breads that taste suspiciously like rye (well, in full and transparent disclosure, most likely they won't taste exactly like rye bread to those of you fortunate enough to still be indulging in the gluten-laden loaves from your favorite wheat infested bakery, but for those of us living the gluten-free life for awhile, this recipe just might help soothe our little Reuben deprived hearts).

And as for peanut butter, if you're allergic, Bubbe there is hope. In case you haven't heard, a few small companies are now making sunbutter from sunflower seeds. It is super tasty. [I'm also interested in making my own seed and nut butters in my Vita-Mix-- hemp butter, macadamia nut butter. Because, well. I, for one, would just feel safer knowing exactly where my nut butter comes from.]

Note: Not a fan of rye bread? Try my latest gluten-free rice-free sorghum-millet bread- it's delicious.

Check out the Whole Foods blog Whole Story for updates on the latest peanut butter recalls.

Karina's Gluten-Free Ryeless Rye Bread Recipe

Adjust the seasonings to your own preferences. This deli style gluten-free bread features caraway, orange peel, onion and dill for subtle "rye" flavor.

Notes:

If you'd like to use eggs, use one or two large eggs, beaten instead of the egg replacer. Egg-raised breads rise higher than vegan breads.

Ingredients should be at room temperature.

My method is for the Breadman Pro Bread Machine with a gluten-free cycle. It requires the liquid first, then the dry ingredients on top. If you are using a different bread machine, follow your manufacturer's instruction for the order of placing wet to dry ingredients in the pan. For baking this bread in an oven- see instructions below.

Method:

First- in a mixing bowl, whisk your dry ingredients together:

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup millet flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon minced dried onion
1/2 teaspoon dill

In a separate smaller bowl, proof your yeast:

Add 1 tablespoon active dry yeast to 1 1/4 cups warm water (temperature should be 110 to 115 degrees F; I use a candy thermometer) and stir in a teaspoon of sugar, agave or honey. Allow the yeast to foam and get happy.

When the yeast is poofy pour the liquid into the Breadman bread machine.

Add:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon rice or mild wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 tablespoons molasses, agave or honey (this helps bind without eggs, keeps bread moist)
1 Ener-G Egg Replacer for one egg- whisked with warm water (or use 2 happy organic eggs)

Pour the flour mixture lightly onto the liquid; set your bread pan in the machine. Choose the gluten-free cycle (or rapid cycle if using a different machine). Choose medium or dark crust. Press start.

Scrape down the sides during the kneading cycle once or twice if necessary to incorporate all the flour.

If the dough seems dry add more warm water a tablespoon at a time. This gluten-free dough looks more like thick cake batter than traditional bread dough.

If you prefer to remove the kneading paddle; do so after the kneading cycle is finished. Smooth out the dough.

Remove the pan from the machine as soon as it beeps. Give it 5 minutes to rest then carefully slide the loaf out of the pan. If it appears soft place it in the center of the oven to bake at 350 degrees F for another ten minutes. This helps give it a crusty finish.

The loaf should sound hollow when thumped, indicating it is done.

Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Slice, wrap and freeze bread in freezer bags to preserve taste and texture.

Makes ten slices.

Printer-friendly recipe

If you don't have a bread machine:

Follow the instructions for whisking together the dry ingredients.

Proof the yeast in the warm water (110 to 115 degrees F) and a teaspoon of the honey/agave (add the yeast to the water and agave/honey stir; allow it to get poofy).

Add the proofed yeast to the dry ingredients; add the olive oil, remaining honey/agave, cider vinegar and mixed egg replacer (or egg); beat until a smooth batter forms. I use the word batter because gluten-free bread dough is more like batter than dough.

Scrape the dough into a 1.5 pound loaf pan (or 7 to 8-inch round cake pan for ciabatta style) and smooth evenly (I use wet fingers). Top with sesame seeds. Loosely cover the pan and allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes in a warm spot.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. When the oven comes to temperature bake the bread until it sounds hollow when thumped. This might be anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes, and even up to 60 minutes if you're at higher altitude. Lower style round pan loaves will bake at 30 to 40 minutes, usually.

For more gluten-free bread baking advice see my post:

First Loaf In My Gluten-Free Bread Machine

Looking for yeast-free bread recipes?

Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
Gypsy Soda Bread
Gluten-Free Cornbread with Green Chiles and Cinnamon