The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Gluten Free new member

sharonk's picture
sharonk

Gluten Free new member

HI All,

I am new to this site and am impressed by the wealth of ideas and contributions. It took me one year to perfect a 7-day sourdough all rye bread. It's the old fashioned type, shaped and heavy like a brick. We loved it. Then I was diagnosed with gluten allergy in addition to milk, eggs, soy and yeast sensitivity. After getting over the shock of having to give up my rye bread slathered with butter, I decided to figure out how to create a gluten free sourdough bread that did not use the usual leaveners and binders: milk, eggs, baking powder/soda, xanthan/guar gums and yeast. After 2 years I have finally mastered the tempermental nature of gluten free sourdough and have been able to successfully make breads, muffins, focaccia, etc. I am in the process of writing a book on it and currently teach classes on making the starters and breads.

These recipes are suitable for people with many food sensitivities. They are low salt, no added sweetener beyond stevia, and basically use gluten free flours, salt and water. Oh yes, and they taste really good, are nutritionally substantial, freeze well and have a long shelf life!

I look forward to learning as much as I can about sourdough and bread baking from this wonderful site.

Many thanks,

sharonk

 

LLM777's picture
LLM777

Welcome to the site!

Doesn't sourdough without commercial yeast still have yeast that forms?  And is it a starter that you use or you soak the whole dough? 

I grind my own grain and for the most part only use whole grains for my bread. Is it the gluten free or tolerable gluten(spelt/kamut) that you use for your sourdough starter?

Gluten free bread certainly is becoming a more popular topic these days. 

Thanks!

 

sharonk's picture
sharonk

Sourdough uses wild yeast in the air which seems to be more agreeable to people's digestion than commercial yeast. I make a starter out of fresh ground brown rice flour.

What sort of grain mill do you have?

 

thanks,

sharonk

pizzameister's picture
pizzameister

Hi Sharon,

Would you be able to share some of your discoveries?  I am wheat intolerant, so long ago pretty much gave up bread baking.  I have experimented a bit myself and I also would rather not use the usual "add-ins" for gluten free baking.  My holy grail is a decent gluten free bagel!!!

I would be interested in trying your recipes.

Thank you!

Pizzameister

sharonk's picture
sharonk

Dear Pizzameister,

I will gladly share some of my discoveries in a week or two. I'm in the middle of  getting ready to sell a simple version of my book and am experimenting and test baking like crazy. Today I made a near perfect sourdough pizza crust! again without yeast or baking powder or gums! It tasted great, a little bready but nice crust. I have never attempted a bagel.

Thanks for your interest and I'll share soon.

good eating,

sharon

pizzameister's picture
pizzameister

 

Hi Sharon,

Thank you very much for your offer to share these.  If your recipes work as well as you say, I will gladly send you one of my Super Peels as acknowledgement of your ingenuity and efforts.

www.superpeel.com

I am planning to add a GF section to my site later this year, as the Super Peel excels with handling of less cohesive and stable gluten free doughs. Would love to be able to share the method on the site.

Thanks!

PM (Gary)

sharonk's picture
sharonk

HI Gary,

I will gladly accept one of your Super Peels as acknowledgement upon your satisfaction.  I looked at your website and realized I surely could have used this wonderful tool yesterday during my first GF sourdough pizza experiment. I improvised with parchment paper but it was tricky business with  a hot oven and equally (or more) hot pizza stone. I truly love an excellent and ergonomic tool!!!

I would be happy to share my baking methods on your site when the time is right. And I would be happy to affiliate with you to sell your Super Peel on my website and blog. Please check out my website. It should be ready for ecommerce by march 1.

www.sanctuary-healing.com

speak again, soon, pizzameister Gary,

Sharon

 

 

pizzameister's picture
pizzameister

Hi Sharon,

I would be glad to shoot you one of our peels to test with your baking.  I think that the GF market is one that the Super Peel may be able to serve well.  Shoot me your address to sales@superpeel.com and I will ship you one of our "seconds" at no charge to you, even before seeing your recipes.  :-)

BTW, I was in NYC visiting my daughter yesterday and she took me to a restaurant called Pala on Allen St.  While it was pricey, but after all it is New York, it was well worth it. I think their GF pizza was the best I have ever had, GF or otherwise.   If anyone goes there, definitely give the "Nita" (I think that was it, but it is the one with marinated eggplant) a try!!!!!! - link to location map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=pala+nyc&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=0,0,803857446291511549&ei=VKeZScuVGKCeNdG_sYIM&sa=X&oi=local_result&resnum=1&ct=image

Ciao!

PM

kathleenmolony's picture
kathleenmolony

OK Sharon, can you share a recipe?

sharonk's picture
sharonk

Here's the link where you can sign up for my free starter and pancake recipe download: http://glutenfreesourdough.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=79ddac184b0a447eef826b3a1&id=b4880e1e53

The download will explains the sourdough process.

all the best,

sharon

 

Breadboard's picture
Breadboard

Greetings Sharon,

I have stopped eating gluten products although I have a passion for baking rustic artisan breads.  Now days I give away all that I bake and ask "How does it taste?" Ha ha ha.  I'm ok with that... but I do wish to have a good bread that's gluten free so I can participate in the pleasure of eating bread again.   I want to use a recipe and start from scratch just like I do with regular bread.  I've tasted some commercial gluten free breads that were not good at all.  I know home made will be best so good luck on your gluten free bread recipes.

Breadboard 

utahcpalady's picture
utahcpalady

I SO feel your pain.  I am also an artisan baker and found out I had a gluten sensitivity 6 months after starting my first sourdough starter...  I took ask everyone how it tastes.  I have 5 kids, so they are happy to oblige. I do tend to hold the bread up to my nose to smell it closely and try to judge how it turns out.  

sharonk's picture
sharonk

Hi BreadboardThanks for your comment! So you've stopped eating gluten but you're still baking even though you can't taste it! That takes courage! I've done some cooking where I couldn't taste it. It's very strange! Not my favorite thing to do!

You may be interested to know that I have written a book about my gluten-free sourdough bread technique and recently developed Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread Mixes that taste like old fashioned pumpernickel bread. Check out what I"ve done. You may be eating artisanal breads sooner than you thought you would! www.glutenfreesourdough.com

All the best,

sharon

 

utahcpalady's picture
utahcpalady

Sharon, I just ordered your book. We will see how it goes!