Gluten Free “Baguette”

If you are gluten free you know finding a nice loaf of bread to eat with your dinner is a challenge.  So today we have one you can make easily at home and enjoy or freeze the extra for another meal.  The technique for this loaf is very similar to the French pate choux which is the basic pastry for eclairs.  There is no gluten and no yeast in these loaves.  Give them a try and let us know what you think.  While they are not technically traditional baguettes, they are very satisfying just the same.  We enjoyed ours and surely hope you will too 🙂

Gluten Free “Baguette”

1 cup water
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2/3 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch or tapioca flour
2 tablespoon sweet rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
4 eggs
1 oz mozzarella or parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt the butter and add water.  Bring water and butter to a boil.  Mix together dry ingredients.  Reduce heat on the pan of water and add dry ingredients all at once.  Stir until the dough comes together and forms a ball of dough.  Continue stirring and cooking for 1-2 minutes so dough begins to “dry” out a bit.

Remove from heat and cool in the bowl of a standing mixer or food processor for about 2-3 minutes.  Add eggs and cheese and mix until you have a thick sticky dough.

Spread spoonfuls of dough in a baguette pan, or on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Smooth the tops of the loaves with wet fingers.

Bake in the 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce oven heat to 350 degrees without opening the oven door and cook loaves for another 15 minutes.  When time is up, turn off the oven and allow loaves to sit in a closed oven for about 1 hour.  This will help to finish cooking the interior of the loaves and dry the inside so that it is not too moist.

Slice and serve with butter.

You can seal the remaining loaf in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze until needed.  Reheat in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

These loaves are easy to make and yummy.  If you are gluten free, you know  having bread to eat with your meal makes life really sweet.

P.S. Speaking of sweet…today just happens to be the birthday of one of our favorite people, a beautiful woman, Anouska, Jackie’s very sweet daughter-in-law.  She is kind, thoughtful, and a truly lovely person in every way.  Happy birthday Anouska…we celebrate you!