23rd bake. 09/26/20. Oats & Seeds, 2nd try.
(Above photo is just after mixing.)
Sept. 26, 2020.
Second attempt at the "Adventure Bread" of rolled oats and seeds, from the Josey Baker Bread book.
If you don't have the book, a nearly identical publicly available formula is here:
https://liezljayne.com/overnight-oat-nut-seed-bread-gluten-free/
I don't like psyllium. This formula calls for 25 grams of psyllium husks. Last time, I substituted whole chia seeds in for the psyllium husks. This time I used ground chia seeds, swapped 1:1 by weight, 25 grams, and it did a much better job of absorbing water and working as a binder.
My previous attempt at this formula was too wet, and the oat flakes disolved and congealed. And there was insufficient "binder" holding the ingredients together.
I think psyllium absorbs more water than ground chia, so I also added 12 grams of guar gum, but it clumped. I took out what clumps I could. I'm estimating 2 to 4 grams of guar gum still made it in.
The ground chia and guar gum absorbed a lot of water and produced a lot of mucilage. You can see the shiny mucilage and the intact oat flakes in the photo.
I modified the mixing instructions too. I added the water to the mixing bowl, then added the ground chia and guar gum. (then took out the guar gum clumps.) This was to ensure the binders got well hydrated first, so the rolled oats would not disolve. The rolled oats (old fashioned style, not quick/minute style) were added last.
It's in the fridge now, resting, and will be baked later today.
Comments
I read through the ingredient list in your link before finishing your post and my first question was: where is the binder??
Bob's Red Mill has a thicker version of rolled oats that might resist dissolving. Curious on how this comes out, looks quite tasty. I dont know what guar gum is though.
Looking forward to your results.
This one resulted too wet also. The rolled oats remained identifiable this time, but the components still fall apart.
So... I conclude that the _ground_ chia was not a sufficent "glue." At least not in a 1:1 by weight substitution for the psyllium husks.
I'll either have to actually use psyllium (and suffer the consequences), or maybe I'll try guar gum again, but use an incorporation method that doesn't cause clumping.
Psyllium husk, guar gum and xanthan gum are the three main binders used in gluten-free baking, as per https://everydayglutenfreegourmet.ca/2017/12/29/how-to-use-binders-in-gluten-free-baking/
Also see: https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/gf-sourdough/guide-binders-gluten-free-sourdough-baking/
Guar gum comes from the guar bean. Xanthan gum is man-made, IIRC. See wikipedia for details.
Gluten itself is the binder in baking with wheat flour.
GF recipes generally call for some sort of sticky mucilage producing ingredient: ground chia seed, ground flax seed, psyllium husk (whole or ground), guar gum, xanthan gum, etc.
You can see mucilage (sticky or slimey gel) produced even when whole chia seeds or whole flax seeds are soaked. It's kind of like the slime on watemelon seeds and tomato seeds.
--
If I experiment further, I will make only 1/4 or 1/3 the amount because it takes me at least a week to eat up a full batch. I live alone, and so far neither of these trials were good enough to share with anybody. Well, maybe the squirrels and chipmunks might pick out and eat the seeds.
How about using rice flour or sticky rice flour?
sticky rice flour can handle oil.
I'll try that after I make one with psyllium.
I guess I ought to follow my own advice and make at least one loaf exactly like the recipe before going off with substitutions. ;-)
I've been using sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds that were roasted in oil, oil is in their ingredient lists.
Maybe I need to use _dry roasted_ seeds, or else start with raw seeds and dry toast them myself.