The Bread is Back in Your Gluten Free Diet Plan
Gluten free is not synonymous with healthy. Many people with celiac disease lose weight from their illness, go gluten free, and then suddenly gain it back. Cutting out gluten, which is found in barley, rye, wheat, and a slew of other grains and ingredients, doesn’t promise weight loss. If you eat everything but gluten or replace all gluten containing products with those labeled “gluten free,” you’ll pack on the pounds. It’s not magical. Successful gluten free diets rely on low fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, protein, healthy fats, and whole grains, such as quinoa, millet, amaranth, and wild rice. The bottom line is, gluten free or not, you still need to eat a healthy, nutrient dense diet and incorporate exercise to lose weight.
A major downfall of gluten free diets past and present is purchasing every gluten free item in the supermarket. Gluten free cupcakes, cookies, pizza, and more can help you feel less deprived. However, this does nothing for your waistline if they are just as unhealthy as their gluten filled counterparts. To make up for a loss of texture and flavor, these products often rely on additives, refined starches, and simple sugars. This means more calories.
Are you missing your sandwiches and toast? Don’t despair. Simply because processed foods can have hidden hip expanders, doesn’t mean you can’t make your own nutritious and tasty versions. Baking homemade bread will help you stay satisfied on a gluten free diet plan, yet also allow you to see what’s going in that mixing bowl. Here are two gluten free bread recipes that are high in fiber, have more protein than your usual loaf, will fill you up, and curb the urge to reach for the gluten free donuts.
Gluten Free Multi Grain Bread
Ingredients:
1 package rapid dry yeast (2 ½ tsp)
½ cup warm water
1 tbsp buckwheat honey
¾ cup brown rice flour
¾ cup almond flour
½ cup millet flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
¼ cup quinoa flakes
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp finely ground sea salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 organic, pasteurized, free-range eggs, beaten
½ cup warm water (separate from the other ½ cup)
Directions:
- Line a 9-inch ceramic loaf pan with parchment paper. Make sure the paper is slightly long so that it rises above the pan on each side.
- To proof the yeast, add it to ½ cup of warm water (115 degrees Fahrenheit), add the honey, and stir. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the proofed yeast. Add the olive oils and eggs. Beat. As you are beating the mixture, add the ½ cup of water one tablespoon at a time until the batter is smooth like muffin batter. You may not need to use all of the water.
- Pour the dough into the baking pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the dough with quinoa flakes.
- Place the dough in the oven (not turned on). Let it sit and rise for 50 minutes.
- Turn on the oven to 350 degrees and bake the bread for 55 to 60 minutes or until crusty and brown.
- Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Brown Rice and Buckwheat Sandwich Bread
Ingredients:
1 tbsp dry active yeast
1 tbsp honey
1 ½ cups warm water
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup arrowroot or corn starch
½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup teff flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp sea salt
2 organic, pasteurized, free-range eggs
1 ½ tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 inch bread pan.
- Mix the yeast with the honey and warm water in a small bowl. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
- Sift the brown rice flour, teff flour, arrowroot, buckwheat flour, xanthan gum, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl whisk the eggs, sesame oil, and apple cider vinegar until well beaten.
- Combine the yeast mixture to the wet ingredients and stir.
- Stir wet ingredients into the flour mixture until it is smooth.
- Spoon the mixture into the bread pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until crusty and brown. Remove from baking pan and let cool on a wire rack.
