Baking gluten free bread can be quite challenging. The ingredient list is often so long (and expensive!) that I 9 times out of 10 give up after reading it. It often calls for many different flours, flakes and seeds, and the process always seems to be So Very Complicated. I recently made a gluten free rye bread that took 3 days(!) to make and the ingredients cost me a fortune (it tasted d-i-v-i-n-e though). So, I dedicated this month to try out a variety of different recipes and share the healthiest, most delicious and easiest with you. Meet the Blue Bun, our new family favorite! It is easy to make and the ingredient list can be adjusted to whatever you have at home. We have also been experimenting with some different flavors for it. My favorite was when I added vegetable juice and thyme. David was crazy about the cardamom and raisin bun. Elsa doesn’t seem to have an opinion, she eats them all. Next time we talk about trying lavender and rosemary. Let us know if you try them with some other flavors.
Elsa has got a terrible cold, so I also came up with this Pink Super Food Smoothie for her. It is filled with C-vitamins and antioxidants. She loved it and so did we!
Blue Buns
Makes around 12 buns
You can substitute the brown rice flour and amaranth flour for a gluten free flour mixture or other gluten free flours; amaranth, millet, corn …
4 tbsp psyllium seeds husks
2 tsp natural xylitol, honey or stevia
a pinch of salt
25 g active yeast
3 3/4 cups (9 dl) lukewarm water (or half vegetable juice and half water)
1 1/2 cup (200 g) brown rice flour
1 1/2 cup (200 g) amaranth flour
150 g mixed seeds (we used pumpkin, sesame, flax, sunflower)
75 g dried coconut flakes
1 tsp ground spice (cardamom, thyme or turmeric)
3 tbsp blue poppy seeds, to sprinkle
Combine psyllium, natural xylitol, salt and yeast in bowl, add lukewarm water (and vegetable juice) and stir around until you get a gel like consistency. Measure all flours, seeds, coconut and spices and mix well. Add the dry mixture to the gel and stir around with a spoon for a couple of minutes and then kneed it by hand. Make 12 round buns and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Let them rise for 30 minutes and bake them for 1 hour and 10 minutes at 350°F/175°C. Let them cool before serving. We always make two batches of bread and throw one in the freezer, for emergencies.
Pink Super Food Smoothie
1 1/2 ripe banana
2 handful blackberries/raspberries
2 inches ginger
1 tbsp goji berries
1 tbsp flax seeds
2 tbsp dried nettle
1/2 tsp ground vanilla
1/2 cup cranberry juice (unsweetened)
1/2 cup water or young coconut water
1 cup milk (soy, almond, rice or oat)
Just mix it up in a blender! Pour into bottles, add ice and serve!
Did you know that the clear coconut water from young coconut is full of electrolytes (mineral salt)? The electrolyte balance found in coconut water is similar to that found in our blood, therefore great as a hydrating drink when you are sick. If you don’t live in parts of the world where you can get young green coconut in the vegetable department, you can buy them in small boxes in health stores.
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