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I learned so much while developing this precious loaf. I will say that it brought tears to my eyes when I sat down for the first time to enjoy a piece of this hearty, handmade bread. There are no grains, gluten, dairy, eggs, or soy in this recipe. I have journeyed to love the food that loves me back, and bread—really, really exciting, good bread—was a casualty along the way. Until now!
Here, I am relying solely on oven spring, when the bread first goes into the oven and the loaf expands rapidly before the yeast dies off and the crust sets. We have about the first 20 minutes of baking to get this beauty to rise, and from there, it’s just finishing the cooking process. We’re skipping over the ever-so-sacred and traditional steps of fermentation and proofing altogether. It sounds quite outrageous, I know, but so is grain-free, vegan bread! It also happens to be less time-consuming and doesn’t require a stand mixer. The only extra time here is what happens afterward. You really need to let this bread cool completely. A minimum of 6 hours is good, but overnight is ideal.
While this recipe is quite simple, it is important to follow the directions exactly. I don’t usually bake with metric measurements, but I’ve found that for this bread, weighing out the flour and water in grams helps to ensure success.
Makes 1 boule
1 cup (130 grams) arrowroot flour, plus 3 tablespoons more for dusting
2 cups (250 grams) superfine blanched almond flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher sea salt
1 cup (240 grams) room-temperature water
2 teaspoons gluten-free active dry yeast (such as Fleischmann’s)
2 tablespoons Gefen Maple Syrup
1/4 cup (25 grams) whole psyllium husk
1 tablespoon Tuscanini Apple Cider Vinegar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with Gefen Parchment Paper and dust it with about a tablespoon of the arrowroot flour.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, one cup arrowroot flour, and salt, and whisk together very well, making sure all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
In a two-cup or larger liquid measuring cup, whisk the water and yeast together, then add the maple syrup and whisk. Add the psyllium husk and vinegar and whisk again. Set this aside to gel for about three to five minutes, until thickened to the consistency of thick applesauce, whisking occasionally.
Add the thickened wet mixture to the dry ingredients, making sure to scrape all of it out of the measuring cup with a rubber spatula. Fold the batter together. It will be dry at first, but continue folding, mixing, and scraping down the sides of the bowl with the spatula. It will come together and eventually the dough will ball up. This may take a few minutes, and you might even break a sweat.
Lightly dust a cutting board or work surface with another tablespoon of the arrowroot flour and turn the dough out onto it. Gently flatten the dough into a roughly eight-inch disk and then fold the edges up and over the center of the dough, working with your palms (as opposed to your fingers) to fold about a quarter of the dough into the center at a time and rotating the dough as you go, like wrapping a package. Once you have completed folding in all four sides, flip the dough so it’s seam-side down and shape into a tight round ball by tucking any unrounded sections underneath.
Transfer the dough ball to the floured parchment paper. Dust the top of the loaf with the remaining arrowroot flour and score a two-inch X, about one-fourth-inch deep, onto the center of the top of the loaf, using a small sharp knife. This will allow for even expansion and help prevent tears.
Bake the bread for 60 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20 minutes. The bread will be golden brown and will sound hollow when you (carefully!) thump the bottom.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for a minimum of six hours (or, preferably, overnight), covered with a dish towel.
Store at room temperature wrapped tightly in parchment paper. You can also slice the entire loaf and freeze it in a large ziplock bag with small pieces of parchment between the slices, and just toast it from frozen as needed.
From The Kitchen Commune: Meals to Heal and Nourish Everyone at Your Table, copyright © 2024 by Chay Wike. Reprinted by permission of the author and Flashpoint Books, Seattle, WA.
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