Gluten-Free Multigrain & Seed Bread

I love having variety in my diet, and I figured it was about time I played around with some of the sandwich breads we all enjoy eating.  I wanted something that added a bit more pizazz into our normal sandwich breads we make (usually my GF honey whole wheat or GF white bread recipes).  This variation of sandwich bread was a big hit with everyone!  Despite making a double batch, it's gone quickly. My 8 year old son loves it for his school lunches.  In fact, I made him make his own batch last time. 

Gluten-Free Multigrain & Seed Bread

This recipe is a modification of the GF honey whole wheat bread recipe I've posted previously.  

Yes, you can double this recipe easily!

Grease 3 mini-loaf pans OR 1 regular loaf pan w/ butter.

In a large bowl, mix the following:  (It's important to mix dry ingredients separately in GF cooking to avoid clumping)

1 ¾ cup brown rice flour

½ cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup arrowroot starch (OR ½ cup cornstarch)

1 Tbsp. xanthan gum

1 Tbsp. instant yeast (rapid-rise yeast)

1 ¼ tsp salt

In a stand-mixer, mix the following on low speed (use the normal beater, not dough hook or whisk):

1 cup water

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp liquid honey

2 Tbsp. molasses

3 eggs (you can use chia seeds soaked in water as an egg replacement, too, for extra seed-action in this bread)

Slowly add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (mix on low to do this).

Then, allow your dough to mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. The dough should be nice and stretchy and have a nice sweet, doughy smell.

Add and mix in:

2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 ½ Tbsp flaxseed meal
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp small pumpkin seeds (optional)

Put dough into prepared pan. The dough should not fill the pan more than 2/3 full.  
Press into top of each loaf (to help them stick):
Gluten-free oats OR extra sesame seeds

Let stand and rise in a warm location for 30 min - 1 hr. This really depends on how warm the location is that your bread is rising and whether or not you’re making mini loaves or a regular loaf. Stay nearby so you can check on it regularly –particularly the first time you make the recipe.

Once dough has risen just to the top of the bread pan (*see note below), bake @ 350F for 25 minutes for mini-loaves, and ~40-45 for regular loaf. The bread will be nicely browned.

Turn out of pan(s) onto a cooling rack once loaf is done. The loaf should be nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped on bottom. 

Let cool; then slice thick or thin. You can slice and freeze whatever you won't eat within 2-3 days. It toasts fabulously! Enjoy!

* Note: gluten-free bread isn’t quite as forgiving as normal bread during rising and baking. It will happily collapse or shrink in on itself. If you let the dough rise too much (above the top of the edge of the bread pan before baking), the dough will puff up nicely when baking, but when it’s cooling, the sides will sink in. The bread still tastes great, but it’s not quite the nice square loaf with rounded top you’ll be going for.

Rich Lemon Bars

These are a quick and easy lemon bar to whip up when you want a tasty dessert.  They're very rich and lemony.  These get eaten right out of the pan at my house.  I really enjoy the flavor of the DoTerra lemon essential oil* in the batter, but you can also use lemon juice in this recipe. I've given both options below.  Enjoy!

Rich Lemon Bars
Makes 8x8 pan

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

Mix together in a large bowl:
3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour mix
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Add and mix in, until smooth:
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
zest of 1 lemon
and either:
6-8 drops lemon essential oil* + 2 Tbsp milk
OR 
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Pour into prepared pan.

Ready to bake!

Bake 22-25 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from oven and place pan on cooling rack.
While lemon bars are cooking, prepare the lemon glaze, below.

Nicely browned and set to cool.

You have two options for glazing.
Option 1:
While the lemon bars are hot, poke holes throughout the top with a toothpick.  Pour 1/2 the glaze over the top of the bars, so the glaze soaks into the cake.  When cooled a bit, spread the remaining glaze over the bars.
Option 2:
Cool bars completely in pan.  Pour over 1/2 the glaze, let set a bit, then pour over the remaining 1/2 glaze and let set partially or completely before serving.  If you let the glaze only partially set, it will be a bit runny when serving, which can be nice.  Either way, the taste will be yummy.

If you look closely, you can see holes poked throughout the top so the glaze can seep in while hot.  This may cause it to cave in a little as it cools, but the taste will be divine! 

Lemon Glaze
Mix together in a small bowl, then cover until ready to use:
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
zest from 1-2 lemons
1 cup powdered sugar


* You can buy the DoTerra Lemon Essential Oil at mydoterra.com/cstolworthy, my friend Christine's online store.  The great thing I love about the DoTerra Essential oils is that they're a very high quality and taste, and are made to be ingested - they have all sorts of other flavors that can be used in cooking and baking! 

Classic Hamburgers - made easy

I discovered that I can make delicious, moist hamburger patties quickly, efficiently, and with less mess by baking them in the oven!  They turn out wonderfully and are SO easy!  I love that I can make all the patties at once.  They end up perfectly cooked, and I don't have to pay attention to flipping them over or wondering if they're properly cooked.  I can also make my homemade patties as nice and thin as I prefer them to be more easily when I don't have to worry about transferring them to a pan or grill.  These tasty hamburgers pair perfectly with the new fluffier hamburger bun recipe I've created.  Enjoy!

Classic Hamburgers
Makes 7-8 smaller-sized patties, perfect for mini-hamburger buns

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Mix together in a bowl:
1 lb lean or extra lean ground beef
1/4 onion, finely diced
1-2 tsp minced garlic
2-3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
pinch chili powder
pinch paprika

Shape 7-8 hamburger patties on foil-lined pan.  Flatten until less than 1/2" thick, rounding out edges for neater burgers. I tend to be lazy about making them really nicely rounded.

Bake at 375F 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked.  Remove pan from oven.  Serve immediately on a delicious bun with toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Light and Fluffy Hamburger Buns - Gluten Free!

These rolls are an easy to whip up, light and tasty roll.  They're lighter and fluffier in flavor than the normal hamburger buns I make.  We find that they go well with hamburgers, and are great topped with meatballs/sauce and mozzarella for mini meatball sliders.  I absolutely love them toasted, buttered, and topped with a fried egg, ham and cheese for breakfast.  The best part is you can whip them up in a mixer, pipe them out on the pan, rise, bake, and have fresh rolls within an hour! Enjoy!

Light and fluffy hamburger bun topped with lettuce and a homemade patty.

Light and Fluffy Mini Hamburger Rolls
Makes 12 small hamburger buns

Butter a 12-hole whoopie pie/muffin top pan.  Using this pan keeps the dough from spreading, so you end up with nicely shaped hamburger buns.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients (you have 2 flour options, use Kristin's GF mix for a more robust, slightly denser roll, and the other flours listed below for a lighter, fluffier roll - I tend to make the lighter, fluffier version most of the time):
2 tsp quick-rise yeast
1 tsp salt
and
3 cups Kristin's gluten-free flour mix + 1 tsp xanthan gum
OR
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour (OR 1/4 cup sorghum flour + 1/4 cup white rice flour for a richer flavor)
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup arrowroot starch or cornstarch
2 tsp xanthan gum

Add:
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
4 Tbsp oil
3 eggs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Beat 3-4 minutes at medium speed.

Place batter in a ziploc freezer bag (make sure you use a high-quality freezer bag or it will tear as you try to pipe out your dough).  Cut 3/4" piece from the corner of the bag.
Pipe dough evenly in the pan.  You can use the back of a spoon to smooth out the tops.

Let sit uncovered in a warm location 20-25 minutes to rise.   Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, until nicely browned.  Remove buns from pan to a cooling rack.

Light and fluffy, fresh from the oven. 

Still light and fluffy, a slightly shorter rising time (20 minutes, instead of 25), and using the heartier flour mix.

Great warm or cooled.  Leftovers can be sliced and frozen.
Slice and serve with your favorite hamburgers, meatballs, sauce & mozzarella, fried egg & cheese, or as a sandwich roll.  Enjoy!

A delicious meatball sub/slider - a fresh roll topped with meatballs in sauce and mozzarella cheese. Delicious!

Berry Crisp

The great thing about this easy crisp recipe is that you can make it any time of year using a large bag of frozen mixed berries.  It was delicious on its own or topped with ice cream.  A fun treat to whip up when you're short on time. Enjoy!

Berry Crisp
Makes 8x8 or 9x9 pan.

Preheat oven to 375F. 

Place in an 8"x8" or 9"x9"pan:
1 bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained (I used a 600g bag - a typical size sold in the grocery store. You can certainly use more.)

Chop together until crumbly (don't overmix, you want it nice and crumbly):
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/2 cup oats (Use gluten-free oats if you are celiac or sensitive!)
1/3 cup butter
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Sprinkle over berries.  Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. 

It's great on it's own, or served with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.  Enjoy!

Twice-Baked Potatoes filled with Spinach, Chicken & Gouda

This is a tasty, filling meal that the entire family will enjoy.  It's similar to the twice-baked potatoes with broccoli, chicken and cheese, except in this case the filling is mixed into the potato and baked rather than just used as a topping.  Yum!  It's great as leftovers, too! Enjoy!

Twice-Baked Potatoes filled with Spinach, Chicken & Gouda
Based on a recipe idea from Southern Living Magazine
Makes 8 open-faced potatoes

Scrub, poke several times with a fork and then cook 4 large russet potatoes either by baking in the oven until soft or microwaving.  (Oven takes ~40 minutes at 400F, microwave takes ~ 10-15 minutes to give you a guideline)

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Slice potatoes in half and carefully scoop out the insides, placing potato flesh into a large mixing bowl.  Place the potato shells on your foil-lined baking pan.

Mix into potato in large bowl:
4 oz regular or light cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper, if desired (you'll season the topping, so this doesn't really need salt/pepper, I find)

Saute in large saucepan over medium heat until onion has softened: 

2-3 Tbsp butter

1 small onion, diced

Add and cook until softened: 

2-3 big handfuls baby spinach

Remove from heat and mix in: 

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1-2 cups gouda cheese (ideally flavored - I used a nice mustard & pepper Gouda - other cheese, like old cheddar would work equally well in this recipe)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix spinach/chicken mixture INTO potato mixture.  Add extra salt & pepper, if desired.

Fill potato shells evenly.  Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Ham & Cheese-Filled Rolls

These are my latest favorite invention.  Gluten-free bread dough needs to be softer/runnier than non-GF bread dough if you want a light, soft bread at the end, so it tends to make working with it rather tricky.  As I've done in my bagel recipes, this recipe finds a work-around in piping the dough onto the pan in a swirl, adding fillings, then piping on the top!  This way, you end up with an easy-to-make and delicious stuffed sandwich!  These have gotten rave reviews from everyone who's tried them.  They freeze really well, too.   There are two options for flour in this recipe - one for a slightly denser more robust roll and another for a lighter, fluffier roll. Both have been delicious and happily eaten.  Enjoy!

A roll made with the lighter flour mix (described in the recipe below).

A roll made with Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix for a more robust roll. 

Ham & Cheese-Filled Rolls
Makes 6 large filled rolls

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.  Preheat oven to 350F.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients (you have 2 flour options, use Kristin's GF mix for a more robust, slightly denser roll, and the other flours for a lighter, fluffier roll - I tend to make the lighter, fluffier version):
2 tsp quick-rise yeast
1 tsp salt
and
3 cups Kristin's gluten-free flour mix + 1 tsp xanthan gum
OR
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
2 tsp xanthan gum

Add:
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 Tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
4 Tbsp oil
3 eggs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Beat 3-4 minutes at medium speed.

Place batter in a ziploc freezer bag (make sure you use a high-quality freezer bag or it will tear as you try to pipe out your dough).  Cut 1/2" off one corner.

Pipe 6 swirls of dough onto parchment-lined or silicon-lined cookie sheet.  Try to use a little less than 1/2 the dough.

Fill each roll with the following, careful to leave a bit of space near the edge of the dough so it will seal properly when you pipe on the top: You can use more toppings than I have - I prefer less meat overall, but they'll work perfectly well with lots of ham piled on. I've made them both ways.
Slices of high-quality old cheddar cheese
Slices of ham
1-2 tsp ranch dressing on top of ham

Dough piped onto the pan, then topped with high quality cheddar cheese.

Top cheese with ham, you can use more/less as desired.  Then put a bit of ranch dressing on top of the ham.

Pipe swirls of dough on top, starting from the outside swirling inward, so you get the best seal.  You can always wet your fingers to smooth any areas if you are worried you left gaps.

You can smooth out any spots that aren't completely covered by the dough to close any gaps.

Place a cookie sheet upside-down on top of your cookie sheet to cover the rolls as they rise. (Put a bit of plastic wrap around the edges of the pans if they don't fit together well)  Let rise ~45 minutes in a warm location, until puffed up.  Bake at 350F for ~35 minutes, until nicely golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.  Enjoy!!!

Fresh from the oven and transferred to a cooling rack.  You can eat right away, let cool and then eat, or freeze for later. 

I like to make these, slice them in half and freeze them in ziploc bags for easy lunches!  They've quickly become a family favorite!  Enjoy!