Natural gluten free bread at last...

Success!

After making my natural gluten free leven from rice flour, and one failed attempt at the bread, this weekend I had toast for breakfast for the first time in 2 years.

My first attempt made me question whether I actually wanted to eat bread again. But the effort I had gone to making the GF leven I thought I had to see it through.

Using a mixture of quinoa, buckwheat, corn and soya flours a pinch of sea salt and my production dough, it required none of the kneading of conventional bread - just mix and prove in a warm place in the tin. Baking for 30mins and I had created a savoury, light and chewy sourdough.

My previous attempt to bake the bread had been thwarted by the lack of proving. Even this time round, the dough didn't rise as a conventional loaf, yet I persevered with the process. I baked the loaf as per the recipe in the Bread Matters book by Andrew Whitley and the result was the best bread I have tasted.

Whilst I think there is room for perfecting my natural leven (I believe this was the cause for a substantial lack of rise) it was the most bread like gluten free loaf I have tasted yet. The recipe recommends freezing after a few days for the best texture, so there is one more breakfast of toast to look forward to.

Andrew Whitely uses his loaf...

Andrew Whitley has written Bread Matters all about natural, traditionally made breads. Browsing through the chapters, I happened upon a whole chapter dedicated to gluten free baking and was immeadiately inspired.

He comprehensively explains Coeliac Disease and the issues we face, highlighting, as I have in previous posts, the chemical laden alternatives provided by the food industry who make "overprocessed ingredients into superfically attractive products". I love how Andrew says "Perhaps people with a sensitivity to gluten deserve better than to be fobbed off with highly processed chemical additives". This was inspiring enough stuff to attempt making my own gluten free bread.

I am taking part in a sourdough challenge over at FoodScoop where I am making my sourdough from scratch making a leven based on Andrew Whitelys gluten free recipe using brown rice flour, naturally abundant with wild yeasts.

Dispensing further good advice, Andrew also talks about adapting to a gluten free diet, and not replacing like for like, an approach I too have adopted. Gluten free bread is never going to be like a real, freshly baked, loaf with a light and airy centre but I am looking forward to seeing how the potato and quinoa bread made using my sourdough leven will turn out. I know it won't be the same, but hopefully it will be a delicious product in it's own

My gluten free sourdough leven - Day 2

For me, this experience is about embracing the opportunties out there for a more varied, natural and delicous gluten free diet - such as discovering potato bread - perfect for mopping up free range fried eggs.

To watch the progress of both the rye and gluten free sourdoughs - click here, or why not start your own. Have you made GF bread before? Any tips to share with this first timer?

Essential equipment for gluten free baking

A great friend of mine EG happened to be an Australian living in London. She was my foodie friend and with her husband they became our eating out friends. But they went home back to Adelaide. I was very sad to see them go, and have not yet found a replacement (nominations accepted by email...!).

EG's parting gift was an electric hand whisk - although thinking about it, I think she made me buy it from her. Anyway, everytime I use it I think of her. Thats quite a lot at the moment as I have baking like crazy, partly because I now have eletric hand whisk.

Without using wheat flour or a gluten ingredient in making cakes, puddings and deserts you loose the associated structure, texture and rise. Another way of bringing volume and texture to the final result is through eggs, which is how most of the recipes I have been using replace the need for wheat flour.

Seperating the eggs and whisking air into the whites or creaming the sugar with egg yolks makes the cake lighter and rise with a souflee like texture. Before my good friend's departure I used to do this all by hand making which made me much less inclinded to bake. But now....with electric whisk in hand - nothing can stop me.

My weekend ritual has become experimenting with new cakes - and we are getting a little more round in this house as a result. This weekend with an excess of seasonal beetroot, I was emailed by my organic box scheme company Riverford Organics a recipe for beetroot brownies... inspired!

They should however come with a warning...they are bright PINK!

The mixture is bright pink from the cooked and pureed beetroot, so you do need to be careful where you put the lid from the food processor, for example...

A great use for the surplus of beetroot at this time of year, they resulted in a very moist, gluten free chocolate brownie with the slightest hue of deep pink. Testament to this...? There were none left a day later!

If you are newly diagnosed and looking to get into gluten free baking...get an electric hand whisk...

Other cake recipes - Poopy seed cake, Lemon and Polenta Cake, Christmas Cake, Victoria Sponge, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Brownies, Lemon Pudding and plenty more to come.

A Controversial Post?

Phew...this nearly didn't make it. As every blogger I am sure experiences at some point, I nearly lost the post below that I had spent hours thinking and writing about. My laptop died over the weekend, but thankfully my man is "Mr IT" and brought it back to life, complete with my lost documents! What a man.....Anyway, here's some food for thought:

To be honest, I was unsure whether to even broach this subject in the gluten free public domain? Would it cause a violent reaction or am I on the page as other gluten free dieters? The topic in question? NHS prescriptions for gluten free food.

You see, I don’t actually know anyone else who has Coeliac disease and consequently have no-one to discuss this with. I have strong opinions about being able to buy gluten free foods at a cost to the NHS. Not knowing a fellow sufferer I am not sure whether my opinions are valid or unrealistic and so I am putting them out there...

When I was diagnosed nearly two years ago, I left my gastroenterologists' office with a huge bag of gluten free foods to sample and ease the transition to my new diet. Always eager to try new foods, I delved into the cakes, crackers, breads and biscuits on my return home but promptly chucked them in the bin. With chemical aftertastes, bizarre textures, and a complex mixture of nasties and additives, I refused to believe this to be my fate.

Walking away from hosptial with a stash of cakes, biscuits and strange bread felt like a huge contradiction. How can the NHS fund a sweet tooth and carbohydrate heavy diet with foods that contribute hardly any nutrition and are empty calories? I acknowledge that the dietary transition you make after diagnosis is a hard one, and they want to support you eating a positive gluten free diet, but does it have to be all shattering biscuits and fake bread? I think there are much better ways to spend tax payers money.

I would love to have taken a gluten free cookery class or attended a cookery demonstration to see how easy cooking for Coeliacs can be from scratch. I thought I would be able to get basic gluten free ingredients such as flour, baking powder and alternative gluten free grains like buckwheat and quinoa from the chemists, but it seems I cannot. Pasta and pizza bases - I understand the need for these, but the rest...I’m not so sure it’s right.

So, after such a short sharp taste of what my gluten free life could look like, I spent – and continue to spend - time researching delicious but naturally gluten free recipes. Since that day, I have not looked back and have never ventured into the chemist for my gluten free treats, instead choosing to make chocolate puddings, gnocchi, or lemon polenta cake. However, whilst trying to source naturally gluten free teff flour, I discovered this could be bought on prescription. Could I buy this on prescription after being so against it?

Do you get many safe foods on prescription? Is it easy? Are there more ingredients available than I think? Let me know what you think.

A white sauce for comfort

It was -1degree in London and was waiting for the once again delayed train... I started thinking about what to cook for dinner that could warm my chilly bones. Tonight, and often when I am looking for comfort food I opted for cauliflower cheese. Served with caramelised, slow cooked sausages, or a massive free range Gloucester old spot pork chop, its perfect.

As a gluten free cook, I often cook a white sauce using the Doves gluten free plain flour, which is slightly different to cooking a normal white sauce.

For my recipe I use equal measures (about a tablespoon) of flour and English butter to make a rather thin roux.

Due to the mix of grains used in the Doves Farm flour, I find it makes a better end sauce to make a thin roux as the flour is so absorbent.

Allow the 'roux' to cook for a minute or so then gradually whisk in the milk. I say gradually as this stops it going lumpy, and allows you to judge the amount of liquid to add.

Make the white sauce to the desired consistency - I make mine thinner if adding cheese.

Then I pour over lightly cooked cauliflower and top with grated Cheddar and a bit of Parmesan.

Real gluten-free comfort food. There are rarely any leftovers...

Champagne, Detox and Markets...

Sat with the first and last glass of champagne in January 2009, I am contemplating my dreams, hopes and plans for the year to come. Watching the fine bubbles rise in my glass, I am planning my detox – clichéd as it may be at this time of year – I have never given up anything in my life. Actually I did give up food and drink for 24 hours, but that was for charity.

Being diagnosed with coeliac disease nearly two years ago, I find I think about my health much more than I used to. Although celebrating my 30th year back in September could also be a contributor. Anyhow, a detox is the plan for January, with the hope that announcing this to the world may induce me to actually doing it. Fingers crossed!

A more foodie, and much more exciting resolutions made last night with champagne in hand featured farmers markets. Since moving to south London, lacking a local market I can call my own, I have decided to seek out farmers markets at least once a month. You see, I miss them. Yes I have Borough Market on my doorstep, but battling the tourists and high prices for seasonal goodies is not idea of a fun morning – and that is what I used to have at Acton Farmers Market. So, whether it be chi chi Marylebone on a Sunday morning, or to country Lewes in Sussex for a day trip, I will be reconnecting with the seasons, seeking out exciting produce – hopefully more gluten free ones and meeting more dedicated foodies. That’s my kind of new years resolution!

So, these are just a few of my plans for the year to come... alongside improving my photography, cooking up a gluten free storm with new recipes, and who knows what else.

Happy New Year.

My First Gluten Free Christmas

Christmas is a surprisingly gluten infested feast – bread sauce for the turkey, Christmas Pudding, Christmas Cake, Mince Pies, chipolatas, Yule log, trifle, blinis for the smoked salmon starter ...even the childhood stocking regular (and breakfast) of Cadbury’s selection packs are a no go these days. But, not one to miss out on the festivities, I spent much of November and December researching gluten free goodies to make and buy.

To those new to gluten free Christmas, the wonderful Village Bakery produce a range of festive foods produced in a dedicated gluten free facility. However, having severely got the baking bug, I wanted to start making my own.

As a child, as early as October, my mother would be found making enough Christmas puddings for the whole neighbourhood in the washing up bowl as there was never a bowl big enough for the all the mixture. We would only ever eat one of them over Christmas. The rest would be stored and matured for next year, when they would be discovered as the next batch was being put away for maturing.


My Mother also made the Christmas cake, maturing it and feeding it's boozy diet of brandy, then covered the alcohol laced cake in marzipan and icing. My brother and I would invariably be present for this final stage, to sneak the 'leftover' marzipan and provide artistic direction for the decorating. Every year, mum was determined to use the plastic snowman, Merry Christmas sign and paper ruffle – but I always wanted to replicate the BBC Good Food Magazine creation of that year.

So this year, with the opportunity to eat as much marzipan without a slapped wrist, I found a recipe for gluten free Christmas Cake. It comes from Good HouseKeeping Magazine and I just swapped the 250g of flour for 200g of ground almonds and 40g of gluten free plain flour - as I find it is much more absorbent than wheat flour.


Covered in marzipan and ready to roll icing (after mums rock hard icing incident, I don't plan to make my own!) the decoration was to be saved for Christmas Eve when Mum was arriving at our house, bringing with her 'the tin'. In a moment of nostalgia, when excitedly telling Mum about my gluten free baking triumph, she asked how I was decorating it. I had used all the icing with enough left over for a small snowman, and she jokingly offered her decorations. I accepted hoping for a comedy cake moment on Christmas day when unveiling it to my brother...


But she forgot 'the tin'...


At this point on Christmas Eve, having used every inch of ribbon in the house, the only decoration left was my little snowman, and black ribbon. Not very festive, but minimalistic...

Gluten Free Christmas Cake
You need:
500g sultanas and raisins
250g Agen prunes roughly chopped
100g dried sour cherries
150ml Brandy or Armagnac
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
100g molasses sugar
150g dark brown sugar
250g pack of unsalted butter at room temp, plus extra for greasing
4 large free range eggs
200g ground almonds
40g gluten free plain flour
1tbsp black treacle
1.5 tsp mixed spice
Half tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt

23cm cake tin
Brown paper and string

To make it...

Soak all the fruit in a non-metallic bowl in the Brandy, citrus zests and juices, covered overnight.

Next day, preheat oven to 150degrees C and grease and line the cake tin.

Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric beater until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs a little at a time to make sure that it doesn't curdle. If it starts to curdle, add a little flour. Beat in the black treacle.

Sift the flour, spices and a pinch of salt into the mixture and fold with a metal spoon.

Fold in the soaked fruit and tip the mixture into the prepare tin and level the surface.

Wrap a double layer of brown paper around the outside of the tin to prevent the sides of the cake from burning.

Bake for 3-3.5 hours until the skewer comes out clean.

TIP - put a tray under the cake as the oil from the almonds can leak a little, and next year I may up the the flour and reduce the almonds...

Leave the cake in the tin for about 10mins, then turn it out to cool on the rack.

Keep the cake in the greaseproof paper, wrap in cling film, then foil and store in an airtight container.

After 2weeks of maturing, prick the cake all over with a skewer and drizzle over about a tablespoon of brandy. Leave to soak then store as before.

Marzipan and ice the cake as per the instructions on the pack...decorate.

The cake will keep for up to 3months.