We recommend you read the front end information in the book as it contains a lot of details that will help you get great results. Here is some additional helpful information …
Equipment Recommendations:
Due to the heaviness of gluten-free doughs, we recommend you buy a mid-range or higher bread machine if you will be baking breads regularly. You can find them on sale throughout the year for around $110 to $145. If you will be baking often, the stronger the motor, the better. If you will only be baking occasionally, one of the smaller machines will probably be fine. Look at the online handbooks to find out if the gluten-free setting has only one mix/knead stage and one rise/bake.
Using Store Bought or Custom Flour Blends:
While we include two simple-to-make flour blends, you can use any of the available gluten-free flour blends on the market. We tested the recipes with several of them and got great results. We want this book to be easy for you to use!
Baking in the Oven instead of Using a Bread Machine:
While the recipes were developed to be made in a bread machine, you can also use your heavy-duty stand mixer to mix the doughs and your oven to bake them!
If the recipe uses the bread machine to mix the dough, follow the directions as written for the baking portion. For the mixing, you can use the following directions:
Baking Yeast Bread Machine Recipes in the Oven
- Butter a nonstick loaf pan, preferably one that is 4 x 9 x 4-inches (giving more vertical support as the loaf rises; available from King Arthur Flour) or a 5x9x3-inch pan.
- Measure the yeast in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (except the yeast). Whisk together until evenly blended. This ensures all the powdery ingredients are fully incorporated. Add the yeast and whisk again to distribute it.
- In a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup, whisk the eggs until blended. Add the remaining wet ingredients, whisking until smooth.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, attach the paddle (gluten-free “dough” is more like heavy, stick cake batter so the paddle is perfect for beating it) and beat on low until combined. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure there are no hidden dry ingredients.
- Beat 3 minutes on medium-low, until the dough is satiny and smooth, but not shiny. You are looking for the dough to create “strings or ribbons” as the beater moves around the bowl. When you lift the paddle, the dough will stick to the paddle, then fall back into the bowl and break as it falls. You do not want it to flow back into the bowl like a ribbon. It is better for the dough to be slightly on the drier side than wet; adjust the flour or liquids as needed. Here in California I regularly need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour to get the dough to the right consistency.
- Scoop the dough into the prepared baking pan using a spatula; no need to push the dough into the corners, it will do that as it rises. Wet the spatula, smooth the top, and loosely drape a piece of oiled plastic wrap (oiled side down) over the top. Place in a warm, draft-free area to rest until the dough rises to just below the top edge of the pan with a slightly domed top. Depending on the warmth in your kitchen, this will take anywhere from 35 minutes to 1-1/2 hours. If it is very cold, you can place the pan on top of the refrigerator or next to the vent for the oven while it is preheating – the warmth will help activate the yeast.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350° Remove the plastic wrap from the loaf pan and slide the pan into the oven. Bake until the bread is deep golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted in the center registers 206°F to 210°F, about 35 to 50 minutes. (Note: Every oven works differently and can be up to 25°F off from the correct temperature. Always go by internal temperature for the most consistent results.)
- Remove bread from the baking pan and cool upright on a wire rack thoroughly before slicing, at least 2 hours.