Sunday, May 25, 2008

Blueberry Muffins

I used 1/3 cup each: tapioca, quinoa and sorghum flours (more later)......

First Bread Machine Loaf


My Loaf did not look this perfect, but it still worked. It was sweeter than expected, and tasted more like banana bread without the bananas. I will try it again as a cinnamon raisin bread, or maybe banana bread ;) I used the equivalent of 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp lemon juice to replace 1 teaspoon yeast. (more in total but this is the equation). I used Pamela's sandwich bread mix, under the white bread cycle as directed on the package. Next time, try buttermilk instead, and maybe use the gluten free cycle? Also add a little flax seeds to the mix.

Ideally I want to make my own mix using the sorghum, sweet rice flours along with quinoa and tapioca on the gluten free cycle.

My First Pizza





For pizza crust
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup white rice flour*
1/3 cup quinoa flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup buttermilk minus 1/8
2 teaspoons sugar
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

For topping
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 1 tablespoon)
4 large fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

*Be sure to use white rice flour; brown will result in gritty pizza dough.

Special equipment: pizza stone or heavy baking sheet, baking peel or heavy baking sheet, parchment paper

Preparation

Make pizza crust

In bowl of electric mixer, whisk together tapioca flour, white rice flour, chickpea flour, sorghum flour, xanthum gum, and salt.

In small saucepan over moderate heat buttermilk until warm but not hot to the touch, about 1 minute (temp should register between 105°F and 115° F on candy thermometer). Add buttermilk, egg whites, and 2 tablespoons oil to dry ingredients and, using paddle attachment, beat at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until dough is very smooth and very thick, about 5 minutes.

Remove racks from oven, set pizza stone or heavy upturned baking sheet on bottom of oven, and preheat to 400°F. (Preheat at least 45 minutes if using pizza stone or 20 minutes if using baking sheet.)

Have ready 12-inch square parchment paper (not wax!!). Scrape dough onto square and form into a ball, or half it and make two small balls. Coat ball with 2 teaspoons oil, then use oiled or wet fingertips to pat and stretch each ball into 9-inch-diameter round, 1/4 inch thick, with a 1/2-inch-thick border. (wet hands with water several times for best non-sticky results).

Using baking peel (open ended pizza pan), transfer crust with parchment to preheated pizza stone and bake until top is puffed and firm and underside is crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Using baking peel, remove pizza from oven and discarding parchment paper, transfer baked crust to rack to cool. (Baked crusts can be made ahead and frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, up to 1 month. Thaw in 350°F oven until hot, 4 to 5 minutes, before topping and broiling.)

Top and broil pizza
Preheat broiler. Transfer baked crust to pizza pan. Brush 1 teaspoon olive oil over crust. Spread with sauce, leaving 1/2-inch border bare, then sprinkle each with mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano (and toppings if desired). Drizzle remaining 2 tsps olive oil over pizzas.

Broil pizzas about 4 inches from heat, rotating as needed for even browning, until cheese is bubbling and browned in places and crust is golden brown, 4 to 8 minutes. Scatter with basil, slice, and serve immediately.

  • I broiled crust first for only 4min b/c it was half-rising, and smoking b/c of wax paper instead of parchment! Then baked pizza w/toppings about 10min at 350-400, the broiled it 4-5min to brown cheese and crisp crust. *Keep turning pizza in broiler to prevent burning.
  • I put cornmeal on bottom of pizza pan, after parchment was discarded
  • I used water on my hands which worked much better than oiled hands when spreading dough into crust.
Pizza Sauce
Prepare this fat-free sauce while the pizza crust bakes. It fills the kitchen with a delicious aroma. And by letting it simmer for 15 minutes, it becomes thick so it won't make the pizza crust soggy.

8 oz gluten-free tomato sauce
(make your own with recipe below)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 scoop minced garlic
2 tsp sugar or 1 tsp honey (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Top pizza crust with sauce and your favorite toppings. Makes about 1 cup. *I doubled this recipe. I also used 1 tsp fennel seeds in the double recipe and it was too overpowering, so try 1/4tsp per 8oz sauce next time. Also, try sweet rice flour instead of white rice flour? The rice flour seems to have made it a little chewy.