Irish Bread
made with rice flour (Makes 4 small loaves)
These days
more people are developing an allergy or intolerance
to gluten and yeast. So, for those who need to follow
a gluten-free yeast-free diet, here is the well-tested,
much acclaimed and tasteful recipe for a delicious
home-made bread!
Preparations
Pre-heat oven to 220°C.
Sprinkle a little rice flour on a flat (or low-rimmed) oven tray.
Have a little extra rice flour in a cup in case you would need a
bit more.
Need a serrated knife.
Measurements:
1 cup = 250 ml.
1 teaspoon = 5 ml.
1 tablespoon = 15 ml.
In a large bowl sift together:
3 cups rice flour
1 cup arrow-root (best results),
or cornstarch, or potato-starch
2 teaspoons sea-salt
2 teaspoons bicarbonate or baking soda
4 heaped teaspoons xanthan gum
To the bowl add:
1 cup rice bran - if you cannot get it, add one cup
of rice flour instead, or one cup of rice flakes.
Optional:
2 tablespoons of ground flax seed (linseeds).
Any other seeds or herbs, like cumin (but not sunflower seeds as they turn
it green)!
In another small bowl mix:
2 eggs
2 cups yoghurt or buttermilk or - if you cannot have dairy products -
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and enough rice or soya milk to make
just under 2 cups
2 tablespoons molasses or another (healthy) sweetener, such as concentrated apple
juice or date-syrup. It can be omitted but the taste of the bread won’t be as nice.
(TIP:
To easily remove molasses from the jar without it sticking,
place a little olive oil on the spoon and the molasses
will glide off easily).
Add
the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well with a wooden
spoon and then turn out onto a floured surface. (If
the mixture is too wet, add some more rice flour).
Knead the mixture and then divide it into 4 ‘slightly
flat’ balls. With a knife, mark a cross from
one end to the other, half a centimetre deep. Place
on the oven tray and bake for about 40 minutes until the
bread is nicely crisp. Remove from the oven and allow
it to cool slightly on a rack before tucking in!
Options
You can add sesame seeds and/or sunflower seeds on
top of the bread before baking. Place them in a sieve
and pour water over them so they stick to the bread and do not burn.
P.S.
This bread tastes very nice fresh from the oven or
toasted the following day. Store in a plastic bag
or freeze it, defrosting a few hours before use.
Shopping
The ingredients are widely available in North America
and the U.K. For those who cannot obtain ingredients
such as xanthan gum and rice bran, there is a mail
order service at www.bobsredmill.com or tel
no: 001-503-654-3215 or fax: 001-503-653-1339.
Good
Luck and Bon Appetit!
If
you have some good tips or suggestions for this column
please e-mail to
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