At last, I have developed a recipe that makes the most amazing gluten-free, healthy and delicious loaf! This is a beautiful rustic artisan bread that is great fresh, makes lovely toast and it freezes well too.
It is such a brilliant recipe because it is super easy and really quick – you can have a tasty loaf in around and 40minutes from mixing bowl to table. What I love about this recipe is that it’s really easy to tweak and adapt to make it your own. If instead of beetroot and rosemary you want onion and sage – go right ahead and substitute!
If you don’t have maple syrup another sweetener like honey or date syrup will work too. But some of the other ingredients can’t really be substituted. The xanthan gum and tapioca flour help add the elasticity and texture that makes this a proper loaf!
One thing to watch is the amount of wet ingredients – don’t add too much beetroot, a couple of extra grams is ok otherwise the mix will be too wet. Also the cooking times will depend on how wet the mix is, so you may have to check and adjust.
The dough looks pink to start with but when cooked it turns a rich golden colour with flecks of walnut and beetroot.
A clever little tip is to wet a heavy-duty casserole dish (about 21cm in diameter) and sprinkle in some gluten-free four so that the sides and base of the pan are lightly coated. Place the pan in the oven to heat up while you prepare the bread. This stops the bread from sticking, and baking the bread in a pan like this, will help create a delicious, crunchy crust. I used a glass casserole dish, but it would probably work just as well on a baking tray.
I used a steam oven which does help to create a really great crust (I tried it with and without and found that steaming really makes a difference) But honestly, if you don’t have a steam oven simply adding a little water into a tray at the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes will work too.
Ingredients
- 1 small beetroot grated (approx 70g)
- A handful walnut pieces (approx 50g)
- 200g Tiger Nuts Flour or Powder
- 200g gluten free flour (I used Doves Farm)
- 50g Tapioca flour (I used Bobs Mill)
- 300 mls buttermilk (see below for vegan option)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons bicarb of soda
- 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon good sea salt
- a few sprigs of fresh rosemary (or use dried)
Vegan option
- 300ml tiger nut milk or other plant milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
To make a dairy -free ‘buttermilk’, simply mix the plant-based milk with the apple cider vinegar in a jug and leave to sit while you prep other ingredients.
Method
Preheat oven and floured dish
In a bowl, combine the flours getting rid of any lumps.
Then add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. I use a spoon first and once it has started to come together as a dough then use your hands.
Turn out onto a well-floured surface and shape into a round loaf.
Make a couple of cuts on the top and decorate with sprigs of rosemary and a sprinkle of salt flakes.
Bake for 15 minutes at 210 steam and hot air fan OR hot air only.
Then change to hot air only and bake for a further 20-30 minutes on 170% fan.
Che k its cooked by tapping the base, if it sounds hollow it is done.
Leave to cool and then slice and enjoy!
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