Bread

Bread isn't really my thing anymore. First it was because of the gluten, and then came paleo. As for my oldest son? Bread is totally his thing. But he can't eat gluten. And he has a dairy allergy. Oh, and eggs bother him as well. How does one make bread without gluten, dairy or eggs?

I found a gluten-free vegan bread recipe from forkandbeans.com, and then iterated until I got it just right.

I've only ever worked with this recipe in a bread machine that has a gluten-free setting. (The original recipe is for manual oven baking.) So I can't vouch for how it might work via a manual, two-rise cycle and then baking in an oven. But if you have a bread maker with a gluten-free function, you're in luck!

Oh, and I ought to mention that my recipe is not vegan due to the bone broth, which can be successfully replaced with either water, milk or a milk alternative (I have used all 3).

And a quick note about the flour. This recipe requires 3 and 1/4 cups of flour. It can be all one type or a combination. The combination I've settled on provides a great texture, a preferable macronutrient composition (relatively high in fiber, fat and protein and low in simple carbohydrate compared to typical breads), and a great flavor (according to my son--I haven't tasted it).

Without further adieu...

Ingredients
Dry
1 C teff flour*
1 C almond flour
1 C namaste flour
1/4 C flax seed meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp coconut sugar (to feed the yeast)
2 1/4 tsp (or one packet) active dry yeast (last ingredient added)

Wet
1 C warm bone broth (I don't measure the temperature anymore, but 125 F is a good target)
3 tbsp olive oil (coconut oil, ghee, duck fat--they all work as long as they're in liquid form)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

The "egg"
1 C warm bone broth
5 tbsp chia seeds (I use whole seeds--ground will work)

Instructions

1. Mix the "egg" ingredients together, and stir every minute for 5 minutes or less, then add to the bread machine pan. (I make sure the mixture is homogeneous but still fluid--I have found that if it gels too much, it affects the mixing process of the bread machine and hence the texture)
2. Place wet ingredients in the bread machine pan
3. Reserve yeast and add all dry ingredients to the pan
4. Add the yeast last
5. Select the gluten-free cycle and press start
6. After 2-4 minutes, scrape the pan with a rubber scraper
7. Let your machine do its work 
8. Remove promptly after the baking cycle. Place on wooden cutting board or surface for the first 12-24 hours, uncovered

Subsequently, store in a partially sealed container on the counter or in the fridge. It hardens significantly in the fridge, so I keep it in a tin on the counter, and place the lid off-center to allow for breathing

It keeps well for 4-7 days, depending on humidity.

If the bread hardens a bit (in the tin on the counter), I close the lid completely for a few hours or overnight and that usually does the trick (moistens it up again).

Making life easier
The measuring of dry ingredients is the most time-consuming step, so I often measure out dry ingredients (except for yeast) for several loaves, and store it in individual canning jars in order to expedite the process when I'm ready to make bread.

*The most economical way to obtain teff flour is to buy whole grain teff (I find it in the bulk bins at Whole Foods) and grind it (I use my Blendtec).

Mediterranean pizza with cauliflower crust

The only Paleo-ish baked good that's a staple in our household is the Civilized Caveman's Paleo Banana Bread. I make it for the kids; they have a thick slice (I typically make four mini-breads per batch) for their 3:30 snack. I like that there's no added sugar (sweetening is from bananas), and it's a high-fat snack to satiate the kids until our 6pm dinner time. It's also fast and easy (I make one batch every week or two). But every once in a while, it's nice to experiment with a new food, something different to spice things up a bit. My husband had heard about cauliflower pizza crust, has been mentioning it for months, and I finally looked through recipes and decided to try it out.

I'm actually really impressed (and surprised) with how absolutely delicious this pizza is! Prior to "going Paleo" in April 2013, I would have thought a pizza without traditional crust and gobs of cheese to be plain and unappetizing. Yet, while eating this concocted pizza, I had not the slightest interest in pizza-as-I-knew-it-pre-Paleo. I know that my palate has changed significantly since eating a predominantly Paleo diet, and this is one testament to that.

On to the cooking! I started with this recipe, and modified it to my liking.

Ingredients

Crust

2 1/2 C cauliflower, riced

1 C blanched almond flour

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

Pinch of salt

Olive oil for greasing pan/stone

Toppings

6 baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

1/4 C garlic, sliced

1/3 C red onion, sliced into rings

1 jar (3/4 C) marinated artichoke hearts, strained and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

2 tbsp sundries tomatoes

Olive oil for sautéing

8 ounces prosciutto (sliced in half, then rolled up--next time I will cut the rolls into thirds because I felt the size I used was too big)

1/2 C tomatoes or pizza sauce, or 1 C sliced tomatoes

Instructions

Crust

1. Preheat oven to 425 F (if using a baking stone, put it in the oven to warm while prepping the dough)
2. Heat some olive oil in frying pan, add cauliflower and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently (medium-high heat). Keep the frying pan for sautéing the toppings later.
3. Place cauliflower into a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients
4. Mix well (I used medium speed on a stand mixer for about 3 minutes)
5. Remove stone from oven, and brush with olive oil (or grease a baking sheet with olive oil)
6. Place dough mixture in middle of stone. Use hands to flatten and spread mixture, being careful not to burn oneself. I used a 16 inch stone and the dough didn't take up the whole thing (doubling the recipe would make a full 16 inch pizza)
7. Place in oven, and bake 25 - 30 minutes

Toppings

1. While the crust is baking, heat some olive oil in the frying pan, then sauté the onions, garlic and mushrooms until somewhat translucent (about 10 minutes). Add sundered tomatoes and artichokes, push around to coat, then turn off heat and let everything in the pan. 
2. Once the crust is finished baking, remove from oven and add the sauce.
3. Spread the sautéed toppings evenly across dough, and then add the prosciutto.
4. Bake 10 more minutes

I served this pizza hot, and found that the crust broke apart a bit and was even somewhat soft. We ate it using knife and fork, but it was absolutely delicious!!