GF Baguettes

This is a recipe I have modified from here: http://www.suretalent-books.com/recipes.aspx?ID=38&Gluten-Free-Recipe=Gluten-Free%20Herb%20French%20Bread%20/%20Baguettes

Ingredients

1½ Cups Cornstarch
½ Cup Millet Flour
2¼ Cups White Rice Flour
¼ Cup Teff Flour
¼ Cup Flaxseed Meal
1½ Tablespoons Guar Gum
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil (Canola) or Olive Oil*
2 Eggs
1 Egg White
1¾ Cups Warm Water (110-115°F)

*I used Canola this time around

This yeilds 3 French sized Baguettes (12 inches long by 2 1/2 inches wide)

Directions

Place cornstarch, flours, flaxseed meal, Xanthan gum, salt and yeast in mixing bowl; mix. Add, vinegar, sugar, honey, oil, eggs, egg white and lastly the warm water; mix (slowly). Increase speed to high and beat for 4 minutes. (I had to do this by hand. This can only be done with a large mixer such as Kitchenaid - it cannot be done with a hand mixer)

Coat two cookie sheets (17x11.5 inch) or a Baguette pan with cooking spray. (I didn't coat mine since it is anti-stick)

Work with the amount of dough necessary to form a single baguette, mini-baguette, or breadstick - whichever you prefer (i.e., half the dough, ½ cup dough, or ¼ cup dough) - at once. Place dough on cookie sheet (allow room for the baguettes or breadsticks to expand as they rise). Spray top and sides (of all exposed batter) generously with cooking spray (this will help you form the baguettes - without cooking spray, dough will be sticky and extremely difficult, if not impossible, to work with). With hands, form dougn into long thin ropes, with thickness of shape depending on which variation you are making. Repeat as necessary making enough loaves to use all your dough.

Sprinkle tops of baguettes with salt and add any other desired topping (poppy seeds, sesame seeds, etc). Allow to sit in a warm, dry location (free of drafts) covered loosely with plastic wrap for 40 minutes. (as pictured)

Preheat oven to 375° and bake (middle rack of oven):
35 minutes for baguettes, or
25 minutes for mini baguettes, or
20 minutes for breadsticks.



Please see the link above for photos and futher instructions for freezing.

lol, I have a cupboard full of all kinds of flours yet this recipe calls for many I don't have yet. Maybe soon.

After trying these... I realize they're missing something. I'm not sure what just yet. I think instead of the water it calls for, it may need buttermilk...

This definitely isn't a light and airy bread like baguettes. It came out rather thick and the texture is mealy. (It's a bread that will "stick with you" for a while) My DH likes it, but I find it unappealing. Personally I don't know if it is because I am pregnant or not.. It just felt too grainy and thick to me.

I wonder if there is a way to better enhance the dough by adding buttermilk and removing the water... or if adding double the called for yeast would do it.
Otherwise, it came out rather pretty and I did like how it 'made'... it's just the consistancy I am not pleased with... it just tastes and feels too "Gluten free" if you know what I mean.

I guess I'm really spoiled when it comes to breads since we'd figured out most of the normal stuff. I'm starting to feel like I might need to purchase some GF cookbooks and see if I can just modify copyrighted recipes to better suit my tastes and needs... when it comes to bread, I don't like expiramentation too much... too much potential for a flop and lost $$..