Athentic bread with gluten free flour

[the_weaker_vessel]

I'm excited I've just got a Bread Maker (second hand from Freecycle yah!) and I'm experimenting with Guten Free bread for English Civil War Living Hstory.

GF bread is made from Rice / Potato / Corn flour so there is no wholemeal option. I can add seeds or ground nuts to it but no Wheat, Oats, Barley or Rye.

How can I make this look Authentic? I'm not adverce to adding colouring, but I want something we can have with soup/stew, so not chocolate!

I realise bread maker shapes are not exactally authentic, but I also have a dough setting, so I can make and raise the dough and hope to try baking this in LH.

Thanks

Lynn

[sally]

Are you happy with using gluten free flour for hand baking of bread? I always find it goes terribly cake like and crumbly and generally not very nice. When I use it in the breadmaker I use a fair glug of olive oil to help with the elasticity of the dough. I'm only gluten sensitive, not allergic, so I can get away with a proportion of rye or barley in the mix, but as that isnt an option for you I would probably experiment with herbs to make the gluten free flour taste a bit more exciting. Marigold petals and saffron and a little honey are lovely in bread if you are feeling posh, green herbs and a little grated cheese for a savoury version to go with soup etc. You may also want to experiment with doughs that contain a little egg, again to help hold it all together.

[gregory23b]

TWV

use the dough and bake in the oven try cob shapes, or even small rolls.

[Type16]

We successfully made authentic looking gluten free bread using poridge oats (ones from Jordans are best), that have previously been turned mostly to flour in a liquidiser.

Buckwheat makes a very realistic brown breat with a nice nutty taste.

Like Sally says, up the oil!

[the_weaker_vessel]

Many thanks, Ross is Coeliac, and fairly sensitive, so no oats I'm afraid.

I've always struggled to make bread, GF flour does not help, I hope if I can get a good recipe I can have a go by hand and do the whole thing in LH. I've already made some really good Dwarf Bread

I add oil and egg to pastry, and have good with that, you right, it makes a big difference and adds to the flavour.

I haven’t tried buckwheat yet, I'll need to get some.

I'm already more impressed with what I've made over the shop bought stuff (apart from the Dwarf Bread which I think will make the ducks sink). I'll need to keep experimenting.

Many thanks

[sally]

Buckwheat makes fab batter, its lovely for yorkshire pudding and makes passable dropscones once you get used to the alternative flavour

[Type16]

Yea! Buckwheat pancakes & maple syrup
You can buy a 'ready mix' at health food shops. Really good if you want to cut down on ingredients at events.

My wife suggests Spelt Flour also for bread etc.

[sally]

Yea! Buckwheat pancakes & maple syrup
You can buy a 'ready mix' at health food shops. Really good if you want to cut down on ingredients at events.

My wife suggests Spelt Flour also for bread etc.

Spelt is lovely but its an early wheat and defiantely not ok for coeliacs, again,people like me are fine on it, but if you can't take rye and oats I'd doubt spelt was ok. Lovely flour for bread though

[Tamsin Lewis]

You could always use ground pulses. I'm fairly certain that this is authentic (even if only for poorer people)

[the_weaker_vessel]

Just a quick note as I'm packing for the weekend.

i've just made some lentil bread from here http://www.sankey.ws/bread.html

Apart from it overflowing the tin and almost cathing on fire, it smells and looks good, I'll cut it open tomorrow.

Wohoo !

[Kate Tiler]

Wow! someone else out there battling with 'inauthenti' wheat free bread! You can get a wholemeal/brown wheat free flour in some shops, also I bought some buckwheat flour & added just a cup to the usual wheat free flour & it was disgusting! Then read the buck-wheat packet & it says - not suitable for bread making!

The best ready-made wheat free product I've found recently is the wheat-free pitta bread - I toast it & then make a sandwich with it & it's still very edible by lunchtime & it almost identical to 'real' pitta bread.

Might be worth trying to make a flat bread trencher style bread wheat free?

[gregory23b]

'You could always use ground pulses. I'm fairly certain that this is authentic (even if only for poorer people)'

Maslin IIRC, mixture of flour and stretchded out with bean flour.

[Sophia]

Absolutely - used field beans or peas in this. It's nearest modern equivalent is the mix for chapatis which contains gram (lentil flour).

If you are having trouble with bread for events then the acquisition of a griddle and the preparation of batter based griddle cakes on site could be a solution. IIRC these would be quite correct - also you can make them with just salt and water, no eggs or milk required.

Sophia

[William]

From my reading, maslin refers to rye bread with some wheat in it. Bread made from peas and/or field beans is 'horsebread'.

An interesting reference to it here:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report ... mpid=33657

[gregory23b]

Ah, there you go.

Horsebread it is

Thanks William.

[gap736uk]

I've got a bunch of flours ready and waiting to start making bread, but before I begin I'd be grateful if anyone can tell me how you can make bread authentically whilst in camp. I'm a bit limited in equipment at present (being only 2nd season into reenactment) so have access to a small griddle plate, medium pot (with lid) and large wooden bowl for mixing in. I've been successful with Welsh cakes in the past, but concerned that these may not be authentic enough.

Any recipies would be very well received.

cheers.
graham

[gregory23b]

As most WOTR camps are as authentic as scout camps then it doesn't matter, in that you don't have to worry about context too much.

There are loads of images of portable ovens, pushed on barrows, seemingly for private use and itinerant baking. Other than that, an encamped army is likely as not to get supplied from the locales they are near. A single bloke is not going to be able to bake bread, logistically speaking.

Griddle cakes seem easier and more plausible at that level - IMHO.

[dottyspots]

Possibly not of much use for 'authentic' - but adding xanthum gum will help gf bread to rise and turns out a much springier and more 'bread-like' loaf.

[the_weaker_vessel]

I've never added that to bread, what sort of quantities do you add (in relation to flour please).

I've discovered recently that Ross can have a small amount of Codex, which is wheat flour with the gluten washed out. It makes almost normal things although I've kept it for special treats. As he gets bigger hopefully he'll be able to tollerate more.

[dottyspots]

A tsp for a large loaf (if I remember correctly, I haven't made any for a while, although I need to pull my finger out as bread doesn't really agree with me and I have a fabulous book of gluten, dairy and soy free cake and dessert recipes which really make a difference if I fancy a biccie - the gluten-free ones from the shops are rather expensive!)

It's a must for making cakes

I'll have a look and see if I have any to send you a bit to try if you want (I'd have to check if it's still in date). I'm not sure whether I've used the last of it, it's been a while since I've done a wholesale order for food.

I've also got a load of agar agar (gelling agent) which might still be in date if anyone wants some (for postage costs - although it's very light) - I'd hate it to go to waste.