Gluten Free Sunflower & Millet Bread
It’s picnic season around here. For some reason, the month of July means picnics as of late for us. Personally, I think it’s the heat multiplied by the lack of air conditioning at home, quadrupled by the fact that the hottest time of the day is at the dinner hour. Oh yea. Neither of us wants to be standing over the stove or the grill for dinner when it’s HOT-HOT-HOT. (Well, HOT for us, anyway. We *are* from snow-country, ya know. LOL)
The Chicklet and I set about to make some bread the other day when I realized I was missing some key ingredients (namely enough raw pepita seeds for the Pepita-Powered Bread recipe we love so.). So, we through together this tasty sunflower seed version instead. My Love came home and immediately declared its seeded quality to be delectable. After filling my sandwich bread with cucumbers, tomatoes and sprouts with a little lemon-tahini dressing, I had to agree. And I’m NOT a seed-raisiny-bread kind of gal.
Even the Chicklet declared this bread munchable as she chewed up a teeny piece – and really, she’s not a bread eater. (Probably just lucked out living in a non-bread eating household then, huh?)
I find myself not eating as much bread as the years going on. Maybe now that I have a great wrap recipe – quick, easy and versatile – I don’t *need* traditional bread. I think it must because after years one just acclimated and the rest of the eating rainbow becomes so much more satisfying. I’ve even grown accustomed to watching my Love eat the fresh bread rolls or sticks that are served at restaurants too. That is – I *WAS* accustomed to this UNTIL a restaurant in our area *finally* got a clue!
On Sunday, we brought the kidlet to brunch at a local chain that serves mostly fish, etc. I knew I could certainly eat the planked salmon and a few fresh salads with local strawberries or huckleberries. It was an easy decision for me, I really was craving a huge fresh salad with salmon. What I didn’t expect was having the waiter listen to my gluten-related questions (ask them even when you THINK you know the answer, people – things change!) so carefully and then smile. He completely KNEW what I was talking about! YES!
Not only did he reassure me that the hollandaise was gluten-free (Yes, he still checked with the Chef… he told me he checks EVERY time someone asks just in case the kitchen has made a substitute or something), but he also suggested that I get some fresh tomato slices under my salmon Benedict. Oh yea! YUM!
AND… THE ICING ON THE CAKE: Instead of bringing over a huge plate of coffee cake and sweet rolls (as this is what each table gets on brunch days), he brought over a HUGE plate of fresh fruit (three kinds of melons, grapes, strawberries and some apple slices) with some fresh whipped cream for us to share.
ROCK ON! Now someone PLEASE tell me: WHY can’t other restaurants clue in and offer someone something besides the ubiquitous bread basket? What about a simple cheese/apple platter instead? Is the cost involved in cheese really that much more than bread? Well… wait.. suppose that depends on the cheese, right? So wouldn’t that be doable? Or hey – just give me a plate of fresh fruit. I’ll be happy every time!
Whoa…. this post ran away from me. And here I was writing about our wonderful Sunflower-Millet Bread that we used for picnics and for French toast… OH! And it makes the most killer peanut butter toast too! The best part: it didn’t fall apart for any of the above either. Just slice it as you eat it and store it in an airtight container on the counter. It was last 5-7 days.
Ay Ay. Sorry for the loopy ride with the posts as of late. My mind is wandering and I am soaking in the baby giggles and chatter. I just know I don’t get to hear them for very long. I’m going to soak them in for as long as I can…. and *every* picnic this summer is served at our local kids-playground or kid-friendly climbing/walking spots. Oh, we love her so!
Gluten Free Sunflower & Millet Bread
Printable recipe can be found here.
Makes 1 – large loaf (I used a 1.5 pound loaf pan)
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 1/3 cup millet flour (or sorghum if you don’t have millet)
3/4 cup GF oat flour or quinoa flour
1/2 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
1/3 cup flax seeds (not ground/meal)
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 eggs
1 cup warm water (in addition to the 1/2 cup listed above)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar or 2 Tablespoons honey + 1 Tablespoon molasses
4 Tablespoons melted butter
Directions
- Heat 1/2 cup water for proofing yeast (not too hot!) then add 2 Tablespoons agave or honey and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast. Set aside to proof for 8 – 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of your food processor, whirl the sunflower seeds until mostly ground/pulverized. There will still be a few chunky seeds pieces. (NOTE: If you don’t like seedy bread – like me – feel free to whirl longer until completely pulverized.)
- Pour sunflower mixture into the bowl of your mixer. Add millet flour, GF oat flour (or quinoa flour), potato starch, flax seeds and xanthan gum. Mix together.
- Mix together remaining water (1 cup), brown sugar (or honey/molasses), melted butter and two eggs. Add this to the bread mixture.
- Pour proofed yeast mixture over the top of all.
- Mix for 4 – 5 minutes on medium high. (Start slowly and once the mixture is well incorporated, then turn your mixer up to medium-high and start timing.)
- Spray a bread loaf pan with olive oil or line with parchment paper. Pour bread dough in to pan and even it out and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
- Set aside to rise for 35-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bake for 40 -50 minutes UNTIL an internal temperature of 205F is reached.
- Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Loosen from the sides, if necessary, and cool for an addition 30 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for 5 – 7 days. Slice as you need to avoid drying out the bread.
Happy GF Picnic Sandwiches!
~Kate and her co-baker, The Chicklet
The loss of a loyal friend
Max riding in the car, originally uploaded by Kate Chan.
Our sweet and loving first ‘baby” has passed away. At the young age of seven, Max became suddenly ill and there was nothing we could do to save him.
Our loyal, intelligent and comfort-loving pup will be sorely missed.
Thus the absence of posts as of late.
Life just isn’t the same without the happy greetings with toys at the doors, snacking underfoot while cooking and lounging in the sunshine.
It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for us. We moved in to our first house (this one) and two weeks later, Max came to live with us too. We’d only been married a short while and it was our first chance to have a friend like Max. We enjoyed FlyBall, agility classes, bringing him to work/school, and having an all-around companion for life. He loved Zoe, and would run with us when he would hear her cries through the baby monitor.
Oh! He is missed!!!
~Kate
New School, Gluten Free No Sugar Nut Butter and Oat Cookies
Okay..what the heck is going on! Time is FLYING! FLYING, I tell you! I completely intended to post this the day after we made them (oh…about the 10th of June). Suddenly, I look up and Father’s Day is tomorrow! Seriously, NOT the 10th of June, huh?
Ah well.
The good news is: I’ve got my BAKE-On again!
Yeap – you read that right. The Chicklet and I have managed to find a rhythm in our play-filled, laughter and honey-I-love-you-so-much-I-could-eat-you-up days. She plays, I play, we laugh, she giggles, she plays some more and I begin to bake, sew, cook, plan, draw, write and live again with her by my side. Oh, it’s even more fun now!
She is dying to figure out the mixer. She really isn’t too thrilled with any food processing noises, but she doesn’t mind the results when the noise yields fresh hummus, pesto, garlic-mayo, crushed sesame seeds and sunflower seeds for breads/rolls, etc. Oh yes, she wants to cook and bake with me!
(Worse: she wants to type with me. It makes writing amazing difficult…LOL.)
I made these cookies and brought them over to a friends with the other, old-school sugary addictions from my way-old cookbooks. I wanted them to taste test for me. Instead, they just ate all of these. The one or two bites the old school, sugar bombs got were followed quickly by commentary about possible trips to the dentist. We set those bad boys aside and finished our fabulous Korean BBQ, roasted corn on the cob and some cantaloupe salad with these little delights for dessert.
I admit publicly that I also gave these cookies to my little imp as her afternoon snack. OH, she was in heaven. And well, I don’t have too much Mommy-guilt. After all, these cookies have hidden wonders like walnuts and flaxseed meal. Just writing about these cookies makes me think that I’ll make another batch tomorrow too.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can vary the nut butter to change up the flavor. You can also add some finely chopped crystalized ginger pieces to add a little flare – or even some raisins to bring them to the comfort zone of old-school.
Whatever you do, just don’t overload them with sugar. These cookies use agave nectar instead. This means that you do have to bake these cookies for 8 – 10 minutes (the Old School ones are bake-free). Just an FYI.
Now – GO GET YOUR BAKE ON! Make some cookies and get your YUMMMMMMM going too!
Gluten Free: Healthier Nut Butter and Oat Cookies
Recipe makes two dozen tablespoon-drop cookies
(Printable recipe can be found here.)
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter
2/3 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup milk (or milk substitute)
1 1/2 cups gluten free certified rolled oats
1/2 cup flaxseed meal (or ground flaxseeds)
1/3 cup almond or other nut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (or 2 teaspoons, you are cinnamon fans!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup crushed walnuts (measure after crushing)
Directions:
- Put oats, flaxseed meal, nut butter, cinnamon, and walnuts into a medium mixing bowl.
- Boil butter, milk and agave nectar together for 2 minutes.
- Pour hot liquid over the dry ingredients.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- Stir well to coat all dry ingredients evenly. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Drop cookie mixture by the tablespoon on to parchment paper.
- Bake at 350F for 8 – 10 minutes or until golden. (Baking for this time makes for a softer cookie. Bake for 10 – 14 minutes if you wish to have a firm, crunchy cookie.)
- Allow to cool before moving to storage container or eating.
Enjoy!
Happy GF Cookie Baking!
~Kate
Wordless Wednesday
She loves me even when I stare at the camera., originally uploaded by Kate Chan.
I love that bed-head stare.
