DELICIOUS LOW FODMAPS BREAD

Delicious Low Fodmaps Bread image

This is a no-knead bread. Prep time does not include rising. This is a recipe I developed for IBS sufferers who are following the low FODMAPS diet. Wheat is a problem ingredient for many people- because of the oligosaccharride fructans - but wheat gluten is apparently not. So this recipe uses wheat gluten, but no wheat flour. Because of the gluten, this bread has a "real" bread texture. Although the diet is fairly well known in Australia, it's little-known in the U.S. It's based on the principle that certain forms of carbohydrates are indigestible to some people, and is backed by sound nutrition and research. If you want to learn more, visit http://ibs.about.com/od/ibsglossaryfk/g/What-Are-Fodmaps.htm. CREDITS: This recipe is based on: http://www.food.com/recipe/gluten-free-french-bread-180306. The main difference is that my recipe uses wheat gluten, which obviously the gluten-free recipe doesn't. I changed the flours somewhat mainly for economical reasons, since rice flour and tapioca flour are costly, and cornstarch and oatmeal are cheap.

Provided by Artemis Platts

Time 1h

Yield 1 loaf, 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 cups oat flour (easily made from regular oatmeal, see 11, below)
1 cup rice flour (see 12 below, about the various flours)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2-1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
3 tablespoons cornmeal, for dusting ovenware

Steps:

Add yeast and sugar to warm water; set aside.
Mix the three flours, cornstarch, vital wheat gluten and salt together.
Beat egg in a small bowl; add vegetable oil and vinegar.
Add water/yeast and egg mixture to flour mix. Mix well (I did this by hand, but I suppose you could use a mixer). Dough will be very wet and sticky - too wet to knead.
Cover with oiled plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise for about 1 hour.
After about an hour, dough should be airy and well risen. Keeping dough in bowl, punch down through plastic wrap.
Allow to rise again (for about 1 hour).
About ½ hour before the dough is finished rising, heat the oven to 450°F Place a Dutch oven or large glass casserole inside for about 20 minutes.
When the dough is risen, it will be quite wet, but full of air pockets. Carefully pull out the oven shelf with the pre-heated casserole. Toss a handful of cornmeal into the hot casserole. Then, tilt the dough bowl over the casserole and quickly pour and scrape the dough inside. Place the cover (or aluminum foil) on top and return to the oven.
Turn the heat down to 400 F., and bake for 25-30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for 10 minutes more. When done, the bread will be golden-brown, with a chewy-crunchy crust (especially the bottom). The crumb will be just like regular bread.
To make oatmeal flour, grind regular oatmeal in a coffee grinder finely. Easy and quick.
These flour proportions aren't etched in stone. Rice and tapioca flour are rather expensive which is why I used a lot of oatmeal flour. I may try this again with only oat flour and cornstarch, for a very economical loaf, and see how that tastes.