Gluten-Free Hub » Bread & Dough

Schär Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts

Crystal — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:37:12 +0000

Recently my sister discovered that she is allergic to gluten (but does not have celiac disease), and she introduced me to Schär, a line of gluten free products that only recently became available in the Midwest. My mom bought me some of their gluten free pizza crusts and penne pasta which I am looking forward to trying. The pizza crusts do not need to be frozen or refrigerated, which seems pretty rare as far as I can tell.

Drew and I made pizza using the Schär gluten free pizza crusts the other night. We were a little skeptical when we removed them from the box. They were the color of cardboard and the texture seemed a little weird (dry, flaky, rubbery). But, we were up to the challenge so we pushed forward.

We first brushed each crust with olive oil, then layered sliced fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, diced garlic, pepperoni, diced yellow onion, and diced jalapeño on top, with a little sea salt to taste. Then we drizzled a little honey around the edge of the crust and put them in the oven on a pizza stone.

The result was nothing short of amazing. The crusts were fluffy and soft on the inside and crisp on the edges. The texture was perfect, not grainy at all. It tasted like real hand-tossed pizza crust. It was so delicious that we each ate a full pizza (each box contains two crusts). Success!

The Schär website is terrific. They have a bunch of gluten-free offerings, including bread, crackers, cookies, and mixes. I will definitely be going back for more!

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Amazing Gluten Free Mixes by Breads From Anna

Crystal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:42:46 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, Drew and I visited with Anna Sobaski, creator of Breads From Anna, and took a tour of her production facility. We even got to sample a new mix that she’s perfecting (in our opinion it’s delicious already). Anna shared with us some tips for gluten-free baking, her favorite recipes for the holidays, and a few mixes to try at home.

Breads From Anna makes nutritious, affordable mixes, and their product line includes bread, pancake, muffin, and piecrust mixes. They are amazingly delicious and the bread has a light, fluffy texture that is disarmingly similar to bread made with gluten. We especially love the piecrust mix.

Anna is interested in the idea of food as medicine, and her culinary degree came from the Natural Gourmet Institute, which focuses on nutrition and health. All of the Breads From Anna mixes contain healthy grains, and the resulting products contain a lot of protein and fiber without any fillers or a lot of sugar. These breads are nutritious and delicious for anyone—not just for those of us with dietary restrictions.

Breads From Anna mixes are all gluten, soy, nut, and rice free, which is great for people with multiple allergies. Many of the mixes are also yeast, dairy, and corn free as well. The production facility is setup to ensure that there is no cross contamination between mixes.

For the purpose of quality control, Breads From Anna bakes a loaf of bread from each batch of mix that they prepare and package (they mix in small batches—only enough for 100 loaves at a time—to ensure high quality). Because Anna bakes a loaf of bread every day, she has tested many bread machines over the years. Her favorite is the Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme Breadmaker, which would be a terrific addition to your Christmas wish list.

Anna also gave us some great ideas about how to use her mixes for the holidays:

Make a savory Chicken Pot Pie using the Pie Crust Mix.
Make the Classic Herb Bread Mix into stuffing (this is what we plan to do for Thanksgiving). I baked a loaf of this bread last week and it was so good that just thinking about it makes my mouth water!
Make a triple berry pie with the Pie Crust Mix and filling it with a mixture of fresh cranberries, raspberries, and blueberries and a little sugar or maple.
Add walnuts to the Pumpkin Bread Mix and make the batter into muffins. Finish with cream cheese frosting.

Anna gave us a Pumpkin Bread Mix to make at home, and although I’m not much of a cook, the muffins came out moist and delicious. I followed her suggestion and added walnuts. I was inspired by the quality of Anna’s mix to create a higher quality frosting. So, I adapted my old frosting recipe using better quality ingredients, and the result was nothing short of amazing. Here’s my new recipe for cream cheese frosting:

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes more than enough)

8 oz. cold cream cheese (Philadelphia is gluten-free)
5 Tbsp. softened salt-free organic butter
2 tsp. vanilla (Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Organic Vanilla – it’s certified gluten-free, and it’s simply the best)
2 C. organic powdered sugar
pinch of Kosher salt

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until combined (but do not whip). Add salt. Gradually add powdered sugar with the mixer on slow until the desired consistency and sweetness is achieved.

Visit the Breads From Anna website for more great recipe ideas!

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Easy Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes (from a box!)

Drew — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:42:08 +0000

Crystal’s birthday was over the weekend, so I decided to try my hand at baking one of her very favorites: Red Velvet Cupcakes.

I’m much more of a cook than a baker, but as I mentioned in my last cupcake post, I learned a great deal about doctoring cake mixes from my mother, the Cake Mix Queen. Knowing the basics of red velvet (white flour, vanilla, cocoa and tons of red food coloring), I set out to doctor Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix.

These cupcakes are delicious, easy, quick and beautiful. What more could a wife ask for on her birthday?

Easy Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes about 15)

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1 package chocolate-flavored instant pudding/pie filling (Jello brand is gluten free)
1 stick of butter, softened
8 oz. sour cream
3 eggs
2/3 milk or plain soy milk
2 tbsp. red food coloring (Tones is gluten free)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes (watch out for the food coloring—it stains anything it touches!). Once combined, spoon the mixture into muffin pans lined with cupcake liners. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when you stick it in the center.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for five minutes, then carefully remove them and place them on cooling racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the same cream cheese frosting we used on our gluten free lemon poppyseed cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes more than enough)

8 oz. cold cream cheese (Philadelphia is gluten-free)
5 Tbsp. softened butter
2 tsp. vanilla (Tones is gluten-free)
3 C. powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until combined (but do not whip). Add salt. Gradually add powdered sugar with the mixer on slow until the desired consistency and sweetness is achieved.

Remember that because of the cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes should be kept in the refrigerator if they aren’t eaten within 12-24 hours. Enjoy!

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Gluten-Free Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes (from a box!)

Drew — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:58:31 +0000

Growing up, my mother’s idea of dinner was often microwave popcorn and diet coke. While her culinary skills are not great, she is, and will always be, the Cake Mix Queen. The cakes and cupcakes she makes from doctored box mixes are moist, flavorful, and usually scarfed down completely only minutes after she smothers them with frosting.

One of my very favorites to make is her lemon poppyseed bundt cake; a cake that became famous among my college friends and is still requested to this day.

When Betty Crocker came out with their gluten free cake mixes, I became excited. Could I use my mom’s recipes with gluten free cake mix the same way as a regular box mix?

To test it out, I made lemon poppyseed cupcakes using the Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix as a base (my mom’s original recipe is a bundt cake, but Crystal really loves cupcakes). The result: moist, spongy, gluten-free perfection!

Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes (makes about 15)

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1 package lemon-flavored instant pudding/pie filling (Jello brand is gluten free)
1 stick of butter, softened
8 oz. sour cream
3 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice (no pulp)
0.8 oz. poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients except poppyseeds in a large mixing bowl at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to its lowest setting and slowing pour the poppyseeds into the batter, scraping the edges of the bowl with a spatula. Once combined, spoon the mixture into muffin pans lined with cupcake liners. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when you stick it in the center.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for five minutes, then carefully remove them and place them on cooling racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting

While the mix doctoring is my realm, Crystal is the frosting queen. She adapted her cream cheese frosting recipe from this one.

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes more than enough)

8 oz. cold cream cheese (Philadelphia is gluten-free)
5 Tbsp. softened butter
2 tsp. vanilla (Tones is gluten-free)
3 C. powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until combined (but do not whip). Add salt. Gradually add powdered sugar with the mixer on slow until the desired consistency and sweetness is achieved.

Because of the cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes should be kept in the refrigerator if they aren’t eaten within 12-24 hours. But they may not last that long!

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Egg-based Gluten-Free Hot Dog Buns

Drew — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:32:32 +0000

This week, Crystal was craving a good brat. I decided to bake her a hot dog bun that isn’t crumbly, is lighter than a hockey puck, and doesn’t take anything away from the brat’s flavor; so I put on my thinking cap.

I remembered seeing a gluten free pastry recently that used egg, sugar and baking soda as a base instead of gf flours, xanthan gum and yeast. So I decided to try a few things, and I have to tell you, this is a darn fine hot dog bun.

Check out the Gluten-Free Hub Facebook page for more photos of the buns, and be sure to become a fan of the page while you’re there!

If you try this recipe, please let me know how it works out. It should work great as a hamburger bun as well, but since it’s so runny when you pour it into the pan, you’ll need a special round baking container.

Egg-based Gluten-Free Hot Dog Buns (makes 4 hotdog buns)

4 mini loaf pans (these end up being just the right size for hotdog buns)
4 eggs
1 tsp. water
8 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp. dried oregano or Italian seasoning (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Whisk the eggs, water and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Mix in the baking powder, potato starch and oregano (the oregano helps mask the residual egg flavor, and adds a nice spice to the bun). Distribute the mixture evenly among four mini loaf pans (it won’t look like much, but trust me, they’ll rise). Bake the mini loaf pans for 16-20 minutes in the oven, or until the tops are golden brown.

These buns are spongy and hold up incredibly well; they never broke apart while eating heavily loaded brats! If you’d prefer sesame seeds, sprinkle them on top of the egg mixture after you pour it into the mini loaf pan.

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Quick, easy, great-tasting piecrust mix — Just in time for the holidays!

Drew — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:02:26 +0000

I’ve loved cherry pie for as long as I can remember. I was afraid I would have to go without it this holiday season, as a sign of solidarity with Crystal’s gluten-free diet. Then I came across Breads from Anna’s gluten-free (and yeast, corn, dairy, soy, and rice-free) piecrust mix in the grocery store and thought I would give it a shot.

As evidence of how easy this piecrust mix is to use, I have never baked a pie in my entire life, and the crust was easy to work with and came out perfectly. Here’s what I did:

Mix the piecrust according to instructions (milk or milk substitute, apple cider vinegar, and oil)
Press half of the mix into the bottom and sides of a glass pie pan
Roll the other half of the mix between two sheets of wax paper until it is larger than the pie pan
Fill the pie crust with gluten-free pie filling (Hy-Vee’s cherry pie filling is gluten-free)
Place the other half of the crust on top of the pie filling and press the edge of the crust together
Sprinkle the top of the pie crust with sugar
Bake at 350° for 25 – 30 minutes, placing a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the crust after it starts to brown

This piecrust really tastes great and holds up well! We served the pie warm with a scoop of Haagen-Dazs vanilla low fat frozen yogurt. Yum!

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Gluten-free hamburger buns

Drew — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:53:58 +0000

UPDATE: We have a new egg-based gluten-free hamburger/hot dog recipe you should try. It’s light, fluffy, and holds together better than any other gf bread we’ve had!

We have tried many pre-made gluten-free breads, bread mixes and bread recipes out there, and most of them share two common attributes: they are very dense and have poor flavor. These buns are not perfect (they can be a little crumbly if you aren’t careful eating them), but they are the best we have tasted so far. Tomorrow I’ll post a Classic American Burger recipe that is awesome with these buns. At a later time I’ll also post my Turkey Burger with Apricot Glaze.

Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns (makes six buns)

1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup potato flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 oz. (one packet) quick rising yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 cup milk (2% or other)
1/2 cup warm water
2 tbsp. butter
2 eggs

- – -

1 tbsp. sesame seeds (for the top of the buns)
1 egg yolk (for egg wash)

In a large mixing bowl, sift flours together and combine with sugar, salt, and xanthan gum. Melt the butter and warm the milk in the microwave (or stovetop) until about 120°. Combine warm water, milk, butter and yeast. Mix together (with hands or spoon) dry ingredients with liquid yeast mixture and eggs. Once the mixture is a wet dough ball, divide into six pieces and form into buns. Place the buns on a greased sheet pan and cover with plastic. Let rise for one hour.

After rising, remove the plastic from the sheet pan. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk with a splash of water to create an egg wash. Using a brush, lightly coat the tops of the buns with the eggs wash. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on the buns. Place the buns in the oven for 14-16 minutes, or until the tops of the buns are golden. Let cool, slice in half, and serve!

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Drew’s Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Drew — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:30:43 +0000

I think the most difficult thing for Crystal to “give up” when she was diagnosed with celiac disease was pizza. Fortunately, we didn’t have to give it up! For awhile we were going the “get pizza anyway we can” route (frozen alternatives and specialty restaurants in other cities), which Crystal has written about previously. But after awhile, I began experimenting with dough, and I think this is a great crust that is loosely based on the recipe I used to use with all-purpose flour. Honestly, this has become one of my favorite pizza crusts, gluten or not!

I want to give you fair warning: this dough is not very easy to work with. In order to get the dough to rise and cook correctly, it is wet and sticky (no rolling pins for this dough!). Just be prepared to get your hands a little dirty. It’s well worth it though; I can eat this pizza with my hands also, which I miss with some other gluten-free pizzas!

For the sauce, we use Hy-Vee brand pizza sauce, which is gluten free. We also use Hy-Vee brand shredded mozzarella (lots of cheese!). We usually top our pizzas with pepperoni, diced onion, minced jalapeño, and sliced olives.

Please let me know if you try this at home, and what you think of it!

Drew’s Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Crust (makes one 14″-16″ pizza)

1/2 cup white rice flour, sifted
1/2 cup potato flour, sifted
1/4 cup potato starch, sifted
1/4 cup sorghum flour, sifted
1 tbsp. cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (we use the gluten-free Italian seasoning from Hy-Vee)
1 package (1/4 ounce) quick-rising dry yeast
1 1/4 cup very warm water (around 125°)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. honey

Sift flours together into a large mixing bowl. Stir in cornmeal, sugar, salt, xanthan gum and Italian seasoning. Empty the yeast packet on top of dry contents. Pour the warm water directly on top of the yeast (this will jump start the rising process). Add the vegetable oil and honey. Stir all ingredients until well mixed (don’t be afraid to use your hands!). Cover and let stand for about one hour.

Preheat oven to 450°. Dust a pizza stone with cornmeal (we use a pizza stone like this one). After the dough has risen, gently remove it from the bowl and place the lump of dough on the center of the stone. Slowly and carefully massage the dough flat with your fingers, starting from the center of the stone until you reach the edges. Once you have reached the edge of the stone, curl the edges with your fingers to create an edge.

Before topping your pizza, bake in oven for 12-14 minutes (13 minutes works perfectly in our oven), or until the dough begins to brown a little. Pull the dough and stone out of the oven and place on a heat-resistant surface, like a wooden cutting board. Top pizza with sauce, toppings then cheese. For an extra treat, Crystal likes to run a bead of honey around the edge of the crust after it is topped, which sweetens the whole deal! Place pizza back in the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden.

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Gluten-free banana bread muffins — Moist!

Drew — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:23:13 +0000

This awesome gluten-free banana bread recipe can be used for either banana bread muffins (a household favorite) or a banana bread loaf. I’ve experimented with several different banana bread recipes, and this one is tops in my book. I think it’s the combination of cinnamon, vanilla and milk (I use 1% or whatever’s in the fridge) that gives these such a great flavor. The muffins will still be soft when they come out of the oven and they will firm up as they cool. Just make sure that when you stick a fork or toothpick in them that it comes out clean.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Muffins
(makes 1 loaf or about 15 muffins)

1 1/2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour (or 1 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup bean or sorghum flour)
1 cup sugar
1 Stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas*, peeled
1 1/2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
1 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
1 tsp. gluten-free baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

Mix sugar and butter with mixer until creamed and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher, and stir in milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add banana mixture to cream mixture and stir with mixer. Combine remaining dry ingredients. Slowly stir into wet mixture until flour disappears.

For muffins, spoon mixture into greased muffin tins, filling each muffin hole 2/3 full with dough. Bake on middle rack of oven at 350° for 12-15 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden brown.

For a loaf, pour mixture into a greased bread loaf pan. Bake on middle rack of oven at 350° for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges and top are golden brown.

* Note that ripe bananas don’t mean spoiled bananas. If you wouldn’t consider eating it, don’t consider putting it in your bread! Also, if you have ripe bananas but aren’t ready to make your bread today, peel the banana and place it in a ziplock bag in the freezer. They’ll usually stay okay in the freezer for 3-6 months if tightly sealed. When you are ready to use them, just take the bananas out of the freezer and let them thaw for a couple hours at room temperature.

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