Shar Mix B Gluten Free Bread
A quick recipe for making delicious gluten free bread using Shar Mix B.
Finding good gluten free bread is a lot easier nowadays than it was when I was first diagnose a ceoliac over 45 years ago. In those days you use to get gluten free bread for the pharmacists, it came in tins and was absolutely horrible stuff. Now you can buy gluten free bread in most big supermarkets. It is however rather costly.;
We have now found a supplier of Shar Mix B gluten free bread flower that is on the edge of it’s sell by date, 1.20 Euro a kilo, a lot cheaper than the 6 euro price in Carrefour. For the raising agent surprisingly the cheapest gluten free chemical “yeast” is biocoop. Look out for La Pateliere Poudre a Lever. It is gluten free and organic to boot.
Ingredients
300g of Shar Mix B
One packet of raising agent
Tea spoon of Salt
Table spoon of sunflower oil
Handful of pumpkin seeds
Handful of sunflower seeds
Tea spoon of thyme or herbs de Provence
300ml of milk _ can be replaced with water to make a lighter bread
100-150ml of water
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add the oil and milk, stir firmly then add the water, Keep stirring until is is really well mixed.
Pour the mixture into a baking tin, I line the tin with grease proof baking paper because our baking tins are old and have lost their non stick qualities.
Leave in a warm place for an hour to rise, I pop it on top of a heated oven.
Bake for an hour at gas mark 6/7. Check after an hour that the top is a nice golden brown.
We tend to use more sunflower seeds than pumpkin seeds as they are cheaper. Other ideas for flavouring are raisins and grilled hazel nuts, the French call it pain de randoner, walker’s bread. Be sure to dry fry the hazel nuts, it really brings out their flavour, then crush them up with a pestle and mortar. On the herb side any strong garrigue herbs will do, rosemary, oregano, sage, in small quantities.
If you have a lactose intolerance the milk can be replaced with just water, I find this needs 10 to 15 minutes more baking.
I find that it is good to eat fresh for the first two days, and after that it toasts well.
Peter, the bread was (is) absolutely delicious. Day 1, eaten warm with butter – Day 2 slightly more “settled” and full of flavour (the texture holds together extremely well unlike mine which crumbles unless toasted) – Day 3 toasted for breakfast with pate and cheese…WOW! when toasted the herbs and seeds come into their own giving a divine nutty flavour the perfect vehicle for a savoury snack. I shall be making my own version of your recipe today. Now, I just want the recipe for your chicken and chorizo stew Peter that too was fab. X
So glad you liked it, it is different from your gluten free bread, a lot more “worthy”, but then I love your bread as well, it is so light and fluffy.
I was thinking of trying it with raisins and nuts next time for a breakfast bread with butter and honey.
Anyway here is the recipe for the chicken and chorizo dish.
It is designed as a one pot meal. The work is all in the chopping as it is simple to cook, just takes around an hour and a half to cook.
I like it with steamed new potatoes, or fresh bread to mop up the juice. I suppose if Caroline is watching you could add a side salad for a pretense of healthiness.
225g of Chorizo cut up thinly, the Carrefour own brand Chorizo Deux looks gluten free, well I don’t get a reaction from it.
Half a chicken breast per person, diced up into 2cm cubes, can use boneless chicken thighs.
2 tins of chickpeas
Tin of tomatoes
Garlic, three or more cloves according to taste
Thymne., oregano, rosemary, or a herbs de Provence mixture
1/2 litre of Chicken stock, we use the Tesco’s organic chicken stock as it is gluten free and not too salty
Pop some olive oil in a big casserole pan. Lightly fry up the chorizo, garlic and chicken, not too long for the chicken as it is more tender if stewed than fried, and absorbs more of the garlic/chorizo juices.
Throw in the toms, herbs, stock and chickpeas. get it simmering nicely.
Then you can either pop it into the oven for an hour or turn it down and let it bubble away on the stove. Check the liquid has not all evaporated / been absorbed by the chickpeas. If it has just add a cup or tow of water and stir.
Enjoy.
I tried to make gluten free shortbread yesterday, I rolled it out thinner than you did, and used brown sugar, as that was what we had in the house, came out a wonderful light brown, crispy, but very crumbly, will try with a bit of xantum gum next time to try and bind it together more. But it was delicious.
Pete