Whole Grain Sandwich Bread

If you've seen my other posts, you may have noticed that I tend toward lighter, white-flour recipes. When it comes to gluten free baking, substantial, brown things are often a dime a dozen. But I do like to venture into healthy cooking sometimes; I know many people prefer whole grain, and this serves as a gum-free sandwich bread that's not lacking in structure and volume. It's perfect for piled-up sandwiches and toast with peanut butter.

**I highly recommend measuring ingredients with a baking scale. This recipe is really tough to get right measuring by volume. It's also very high fiber. If your normal diet isn't mostly whole grains, I'd recommend starting with half a slice, or making white bread instead.**

Ingredients

• 240 g (1 Cup) Boiling Water
• 60 g (3 Tbsp) Honey, or 60 g (1/4 cup) Sugar
• 360 g (1 1/2 Cups) Tap Water
• 85 g (1/3 Cup + 1 Tbsp) Oil
• 8 g (2 1/4 Tsp) Dry Active Yeast
• 160 g (1 1/3 Cups) Ground Oats or Oat Flour
• 40 g (1/3 Cup) Flax Meal
• 25 g (2 Tbsp + 2 Tsp) Ground Psyllium
• 500 g (3 Cups) Brown Rice Flour
• 20 g (1 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Salt
• Small Handful of Whole Oats and/or Sunflower Seeds (optional)

Special Equipment
  9x4x4 Pullman Pan
  Another loaf pan big enough to act as a domed lid (you can use the normal lid, it just won't rise as high)

Time
  About 75 minutes + cooling time

Yield
  1 9-inch loaf

Instructions

Start your kettle. While it's heating, measure the 60 g honey into a bowl. Pour 240 g boiling water on top of the honey, and stir to dissolve. Add the 360 g tap water and the 85 g oil, and stir again. Sprinkle the yeast on top, stir the mixture, set a timer for 15 minutes, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 160 g oat flour, 40 g flax meal, 25 g ground psyllium, 500 g brown rice flour, and 20 g salt, and toss with your hands to mix. If you're using whole oats, whole psyllium husk, or whole flax seeds, these should be ground in a coffee grinder before being added. Get out a whisk and flexible spatula (or whatever you're going to mix the dough with). Grease your loaf pan and have it nearby.

When the timer goes off, stir the dry ingredients into the wet, and quickly pat into the loaf pan. Sit it in a warm place, and cover with the other pan, turned upside down. Set a timer for 30 minutes.

When 30 minutes have elapsed, check to see how much the dough has risen. When it's risen just past the top of the pan, preheat the oven to 450 (preheating will take about 15-20 min, allowing the dough to rise just a bit more, which will make sure the final product, after a little bit of shrinking during/after baking, is the right height). Bake covered (leave the inverted loaf pan on top) for 30 minutes, and uncovered for another 30, or until browned.

Amazon Links for Ingredients:
Dry Active Yeast
Brown Rice Flour
Oat Flour  

Flax Meal  

Ground Psyllium

Pullman Pan  

Baking Scale