GF: Molasses Bread!
Oh my! I cannot believe that I made it! I have craved this dense bread for years. I really don’t even remember the first time I tasted Molasses Bread – but I do know this – I’m loving the fact that I made a gluten-free version tonight!
No, this bread is not your light and fluffy sandwich bread. It was not meant to be that. It is a dense breakfast bread. Perfect for dense sandwiches (personally, my favorite kind of BLT comes on this type of bread as I used to love the on rye bread) and best with eggs. While I haven’t toasted this one yet, what GF bread doesn’t toast well???
Tonight, while dead tired from a long day of meetings (and no work accomplished), I for some reason found myself in the kitchen mixing flour and trying to figure out a recipe from my head. I have honestly never made a bread recipe before. I’ve been diligent to follow the rules or read the directions. (Please see here for an explanation of my seven years of diligence, aka the bean flour-lava flow incident.) But I read something recently that stated that “gluten free breads/recipes are really forgiving – much more so that wheat bread recipes”. Huh. Well, heck, that was worth testing!
Maybe I have restrained myself too because of the expense of ingredients when you bake GF. But it’s time to let go of some of that, I think. Not that ingredients are miraculously cheaper than yesterday, but rather because it’s time I got my baking feet back under me. (I used to LOVE to bake breads, cakes, etc). I hope you will try this recipe out and let me know what you think. And, if you find a few gaps or think of ways to help improve this tasty loaf, please feel free to share a comment or send me a note. After all, if it weren’t for those who had gone before us on this gluten free path….
Gluten Free Molasses Bread
DRY INGREDIENTS:
4 2/3 cups Carol Fenster’s new flour mix
1 cup quinoa flakes OR GF quick oats
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons gelatin
1 teaspoon sugar
WET INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 egg whites
- In a small bowl, proof yeast with 1/2 cup warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, blend together all dry ingredients. (I use a whisk to do this.)
- In the mixing bowl, mix together egg whites, molasses and 1 cup of warm water.
- Add proofed yeast (all liquid) to wet ingredients. Mix together well.
- Slowly add dry ingredients alternatively with remaining water. (May need to add more/less water, so please watch batter become a thick cookie dough/GF-Bread batter)
- Mix on high speed for 4 minutes.
- Lightly grease the inside of a bread pan or spritz with olive oil mister. (I use a misting bottle filled with olive oil.)
- Scrap dough into bread pan. Wet a rubber spatula and push the dough into the corners and smooth the top.
(At this point if you would like to add decorative cuts into the top crust, lightly drag a knife across the top in the pattern you desire.) - Cover with spritz/oiled plastic wrap lightly. Then top with a clean dish towel. Place in a warm corner of your counter to rest/rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350*F about 5 minutes before the end of the resting time.
- Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Then take out and cover the top with tin foil (to avoid excess browning). Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes or until the bread has reached an internal temperature of 140F.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before turning out onto cutting board.
- Allow to cool additional time before slicing. (As long as you can stand it. LOL)
Enjoy!
Oh my! This looks AMAZING- and plenty light and fluffy to me! Awesome. I see some molasses bread in my future.
-Sea
I don’t know if I’d describe this as light/fluffy! That’s for sure. It rather reminds me of these little “party rye” loaves of bread that they sell by the deli section. Makes GREAT appetizers…especially with a creamy spinach dip on top of a little toasted bread square.
– Thanks for the compliment, Sea. I find your presence here to be an honor! 
Kate
Okay, so how sweet is the finished product?
Not very sweet at all.
It’s molasses – but dark molasses and the recipe doesn’t call for much sugar at all.
You can tell the difference mostly by color and density.
It’s dense like those little party-loaves of rye bread. AND YUMMY! too!
Hope that helps!
Kate
Hi Kate,
This is too fun! Just this morning I was looking in my cupboard and saw the molasses and thought: “I wonder if there is a gf recipe out there somewhere?” And here it is!!!!
I love the wraps and I am looking forward to this recipe tooooooo.
Fern
Thanks for stopping by, Fern! I hope you like this recipe. I enjoyed the bread a lot and it was much easier than I thought it would be. =) -Kate
this bread definitly looks very good and yummy.
and it wont be long untill it gets a trial run, for sure………………..trouble is i see so many good looking pics on this blog that i have to establish some kind of testing/baking order…….the future is looking better now!
LOL! I’m glad to hear that the future is looking brighter! It’s amazing what we GF-foodies can do when we stick together and share recipes! I hope you like it! -Kate
i love molasses! I grew up eating molasses dripping from homemade buttermilk biscuits! I can’t wait to try this bread!!
It tastes great, but I think it may have a few quirks to work out yet. However, that hasn’t stopped me from eating my share! LOL – Kate
I just read your molasses bread receipe. I’m made gingerbread cookies with rice flour for a friend of mine who has given them a great review, my question is: if someone is allergic to gluten, if my kitchen has regular flour in it, would a cross contamination bother her?
Hello!
-Kate
You’re asking a great question – one that will prompt a myriad of responses, I’m sorry to say. When at all possible, people prefer completely gluten free kitchens, work areas, pans, etc. There is a risk of the cross-contact causing illness/damage to the villi. That being said, a good cleaning (while not fool-proof) of all work spaces, utensils, etc can work. People who have to share their gluten-free kitchen with gluten-eaters find a way to make it work. I think your friend would have told you if there was any reason to worry. To be honest, I think the cookies and the kindness sound divine! She’s lucky to have you as a brave friend who is willing to cook gluten-free for her!
I have just read your Molasses bread recipe and will try it. I am interested in whole-grain breads (such as I used to eat like WW bread, rye, etc.) Has anyone tried adding coconut flour to your bread? Also, have you tried Montina – a grain from South America that is now grown in Montana? Some of the flours like bean and Quinoa have “flavors” I am not real fond of – tho the Molasses bread recipe my not have that taste. Coconut flour is so delicious in my oatmeal cookie mix but I don’t know how it would work in above recipe. Any thots on this or cooking with coconut flour? I am happy to find a site with a new fix of flours. Madeline
Hi there, I was wondering if I could sub Bob’s Red Mill GF flour mix for the Fenster? Thanks
Absolutely!
What GF quick oats have you found? I would love to get my hands on some.