Why a bread recipe?

This is not a typical article about a craft technique that I am discovering or have mastered to any degree: suffice to say that I have no intention of becoming a baking expert! I am simply sharing a recipe that works for me, and that might work for you too.

Bread from the bakery is usually full of gluten, which contributes greatly to the distinctive texture of French bread. However, I find it increasingly difficult to digest, and I wanted to be able to enjoy a piece of bread without worrying and without spending a fortune on speciality breads. So I tried out a few recipes for rice and buckwheat bread.

Here is the one I am currently working on, and it is doing rather well.

Ingredients

• 250g wholemeal rice flour
• 150g buckwheat flour
• 1 heaped tablespoon psyllium husks
• 1 heaped teaspoon salt
• 1 sachet baker's yeast (5g)
• 450ml lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• optional: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. (for decoration and texture)

The flours and psyllium husks are readily available in organic shops.

Let’s get started!

  1. Mix the flour, psyllium, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
  2. Using a large spoon, mix while gradually adding the water.
  3. When everything is well blended, add the oil and mix for 5 minutes.
  4. Pour into an oiled loaf tin, leaving room for the dough to double in size, and smooth the surface.
  5. Leave to rise for at least 2 hours at 25-30°C (near a radiator or in the oven).
  6. Add a few seeds on top, if desired.
  7. Preheat the oven to 230°C.
  8. Bake with a glass of water in the drip tray for 5 minutes
  9. Reduce the temperature to 200°C, open the oven door for a few seconds, and bake for 40 minutes
  10. Remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour

A lighter version

As this bread is quite dense, you can replace 50g of rice flour with 50g of T80 wheat flour. The rise is much better, but you have to put up with a little gluten.

Tips

You can, of course, use a food processor to avoid physical and joint strain.

If you find the crumb too moist, a quick trip to the toaster works wonders.

Enjoy your tasting!