Almond and Apricot Bread

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ALMOND AND APRICOT BREAD

(see picture in " Photos " )

 

 

2 1/2 cups water at room temperature

1/3 cup canola oil (or preferred oil)

1 teaspoon vinegar

 

 

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup besan (chick pea flour)

2 cups white rice flour

1 cup arrowroot

1 tablespoon (4 tsp) xanthan -OR- guar gum

3 tablespoons (4 tbsp US) sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons GF baking powder

6 teaspoons egg replacer powder

1/2 cup soy milk powder (or other dry milk sub)

1/4 cup almond meal

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast granules

 

1/2 cup flaked or slivered almonds

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped (I like to use organic)

 

 

 

Bread Machine Method.

 

 

Sift and combine the all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl,

whisk the egg replacer with about 1/2 a cup of the water, until

frothy. Add other wet ingredients withholding 1/4 to 1/2 cup water

(as explained below) and combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry (except fruit and nuts) and mix

together. Add additional water slowly if required.

 

Spoon into the pan.

 

Set the bread machine to the setting recommended by the

instructions specific to your model. If there are no such

instructions try either the `Basic' setting or the `Rapid' setting.

If your bread machine is programmable, set it to skip the second

kneading, as this is not necessary for GF breads.

Another option, for bread machines with a 'Bake Only' setting, is

use the 'Dough' setting and then the 'Bake Only'.

 

If your bread machine does a reasonable job of mixing, it is

possible to add the wet ingredients to the pan and than add the dry

(or vice-versa, depending on the model). If using this method, about

5 minutes into mixing you will need to check that all the flour has

been mixed in thoroughly and, if not, scrape the sides and base and

stir with a rubber spatula. At this time check the consistency and

add extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. If the

mixture is too wet, try adding a little extra flour.

 

To add the fruit and nuts these can be :

 

-placed in the automatic fruit and nut dispenser (if your model is

so equipped),

-added when the `Add-ins' beep sounds,

-added just before the end of the mixing cycle.

(Adding too early can result in the fruit and nuts breaking down.)

In all cases, you will probably need to aid the machine in mixing in

the almonds and apricots.

 

Remove the bread from the machine as soon as it is cooked and don't

leave in the machine during the `Keep Warm' cycle. Turn out from pan

after a few minutes and cool on a wire rack.

 

**If your bread machine has a removable blade, you can also try

this : Mix the batter until smooth, remove the blade from the pan,

place the dough in the pan and cook normally. This way you avoid the

big hole in the bottom of the bread and also avoid the second

kneading.

 

 

 

Hand Method 1

 

 

Sift and combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the

egg replacer with about 1/2 a cup of the water until frothy. Add

remaining wet ingredients (withholding a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the water

as explained below).

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix slowly. When combined beat on

high until batter is smooth, adding more water slowly if required.

Mix through almonds and apricots.

Spoon into a loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm,

draught free position to rise for about 1 hour. (If you can't find a

warm position, a very low oven can be used.)

Remove plastic wrap, and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 50-60 minutes for

a large loaf or 40-50 minutes for a smaller loaf. (A skewer placed

into the centre of the bread should come out clean.) Remove from pan

and cool on a wire rack.

 

*If you find the bread is becoming too dark, you can loosely cover

it with foil part-way into cooking.

 

 

 

Hand Method 2

 

 

Dissolve 1 tablespoon of the sugar in 1/2 a cup of the luke warm

water. Add the yeast and set aside to proof for 10 minutes.( The

mixture should become frothy.)

Sift and combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the

egg replacer with about 1/2 a cup of the water until frothy. Add

remaining wet ingredients (withholding a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the water

as explained below).

Add proofed yeast.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix slowly. When combined beat on

high until batter is smooth, adding more water slowly if required.

Mix through almonds and apricots.

Spoon into a loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm,

draught free position to rise for about 1 hour. (If you can't find a

warm position, a very low oven can be used.)

Remove plastic wrap, and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 50-60 minutes for

a large loaf or 40-50 minutes for a smaller loaf. (A skewer placed

into the centre of the bread should come out clean.) Remove from pan

and cool on a wire rack.

 

*If you find the bread is becoming too brown, you can loosely cover

with foil part-way into cooking.

 

 

*********************************************************************

 

Some things to remember about GF bread making:

 

 

-All ingredients should be at room temperature.

 

-The humidity, type, freshness and brand of flour can all affect the

amount of water required in a recipe. I find it is best to withhold

about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the water (or other liquid), mix the batter,

then add more as required. This is particularly important when

modifying a recipe or using a new brand of flour. It is easiest to

add water to a too-dry batter than to add flour to a too-wet batter.

Add the water slowly about 1 tablespoon at a time.

 

-Vinegar is added as a bread improver, as well as to improve the ph

of the water. Bread improver (if you can find one that is GF), lemon

juice or ascorbic acid (vitamin C) can also be used.

 

-The batter should be the consistency of a thick cake batter.

 

-Xanthan gum is added to bread, normally at a rate of 1 teaspoon per

cup of flour. Guar gum may be used instead and is cheaper than

xanthan gum.

 

-I find a couple of teaspoons of baking powder improves the texture

of egg-free breads.

 

-To test if yeast is still active dissolve a few teaspoons of sugar

in 1/2 cup luke warm water, add 3 teaspoons of yeast. In 10 minutes

the water should be foamy and the volume should have doubled. If

not, the yeast is no longer active and should be discarded.

 

-As measuring cups can vary, use the same type to measure all of the

ingredients.

 

-Bread can be sliced and frozen when cooled. Place a piece of baking

paper (silcon coated paper) between slices for easy separation.

 

-It is best to slice cooled bread, but my kids never wait always eat

almost the whole loaf the moment it is cooked.

 

-A wire whisk is great for combining dry ingredients.

 

-Baking paper (parchment/silcon coated paper) can make removing the

bread from the pan much easier (for hand baking).

 

-Rolls often cook more successfully then large loaves.

 

-When modifying a recipe, write down any changes you make. I

recently made a mix but I was short on a lot of the flours. I topped

up with whatever I had on hand but didn't keep a record. Of course,

this mix made the best bread I have ever baked and I have no way to

reproduce it.