Gluten Free Bread Bowls!

I have really missed having bread bowls when I make soup in the fall since going gluten free.  We all know that gluten free bread rises out more than up, so bread bowls just don't work.  Today I had an epiphany and they turned out great!  You can use my recipe, or your own favorite gluten free recipe or mix.

Gluten Free Soup bowls  (printable recipe)

                                                Flour blend

 ½ cup sorghum flour

1 cup brown rice flour

 ½ cup Sweet rice flour

 ½ cup Expandex Modified Tapioca starch

 1/3 cup dry milk powder

2 Tablespoon whole grain corn flour

 ½ cup Potato starch

2 Tablespoon yeast

 ¼ cup hi-maize Corn Fiber

1 ½ teaspoon salt

                                                WET INGREDIENTS

 ¼ cup butter melted

 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk

2 ½ cup Plus 2 Tablespoons warm water

1/8  cup sugar

3 Tablespoon whole psyllium husk

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon xanthan gum

A few quick notes before we begin:

·         I like using the modified tapioca starch, but if it is not available or you prefer not to use it, you can substitute normal tapioca starch. 

·         The Hi-Maize is a wonderful product, you can get it from King Arthur Flour, it is a resistant starch, so it acts like corn starch in the bread, but it acts like fiber in your body.   If you can’t get it, or don’t want to use it, substitute corn starch.

·         For the corn flour, I like Bob’s Red mill, whole grain stone ground corn flour.  Don’t use corn meal it is simply too coarse.

·         The psyllium husk is available at your local health food store.  It makes the dough more elastic and the final bread much better, plus it adds fiber.

In a large glass measuring cup, measure out the warm water.  Stir in the yeast, sugar, Psyllium Husk, and xanthan gum.  Set aside to proof.

Measure out all the flour blend ingredients and put the bowl of your mixer.  Turn the mixer on to blend the dry ingredients, and then remove about one cup of the flour blend and set aside.

Add the eggs and the butter to the water/yeast solution.  Turn the mixer on low and pour the liquid solution into the flour mixture.  Once the liquid has all been added and is incorporated, turn the speed up to high and mix for 2-3 minutes.  It will be very wet and sticky at this point.  Add the flour mixture you set aside earlier.  Mix for an additional 2 minutes. 

 

Normally with gluten free dough, we only use a single rise method but I wanted a stronger yeasty flavor.  I left the dough in the mixer bowl and covered it for about 45 minutes to proof.  Then I quickly turned the mixer on to “punch down” the dough. 

Oil the inside of 4 oven safe bowls.  I used my Corel cereal bowls.  You could also use mini crocks or casseroles that are about that size.  Because gluten free dough is so soft and spreads out, you need to bake it in a dish to get the bowl form now evenly divide the dough into the 4 dishes and smooth the tops with damp hands.  Lightly brush the tops with melted butter or oil.  Yeast dough will rise best in a warm, moist environment.  An easy way to create that is to turn your oven onto warm for a few minutes and then turn it off.  Then place a shallow pan in the bottom of the oven and pour a cup or two of boiling water into it.  Place the bread bowls in the oven and close the door.  Allow to rise until nearly double (only 30-45 minutes).

 

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and bake for 35-45 minutes until nicely golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and immediately remove from bowls to cool.  Brush tops with butter or spray with cooking spray to soften.

 

 To serve, cut the top out by running a small serrated knife around ½ an inch from the outside edge.  Make sure not to cut down too far and make a hole in the bottom.  Use a spoon and gently pull up the plug of roll.  You can use to spoon to clear out more roll, but make sure to leave at least ¼ inch on bottom and sides.  Fill with soup and serve with the removed bread on the side.