Shauna and Danny of the Gluten-Free Girl Web site generously shared their wealth of knowledge with us to develop this fabulous crusty loaf. The dough is incredibly versatile; we bake it as a classic boule or in a loaf pan for sandwiches. It also makes a wonderful pizza crust with your favorite toppings or great crackers if it is rolled thin.
Makes enough dough for at least four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
2 cups brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
3 cups tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt (increase or decrease to taste)
2 tablespoons xanthan gum
2 2/3 cups lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/3 cup neutral-flavored oil
2 tablespoons honey
1. Mixing and storing the dough: Whisk together the flours, tapioca starch, yeast, salt, and xanthan gum in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
2. Combine the liquid ingredients and gradually mix them with the dry ingredients, using a spoon, a 14-cup food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle), until all of the dry ingredients are well incorporated. You might have to use wet hands to get the last bit of flour to incorporate if you're not using a machine.
3. Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises, approximately 2 hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days. The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours of refrigeration.
5. On baking day, use wet hands to take out a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece of the refrigerated dough. Quickly shape it into a ball; this dough isn't stretched because there is no gluten in it--just gently press it into the shape. You might need to wet your hands a little to prevent the dough from sticking and to create a smooth surface, but don't use so much water as to make the dough soggy.
6. Allow the dough to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap, on a pizza peel prepared with cornmeal or lined with parchment for 90 minutes (40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough). Alternatively, you can rest the loaf on a silicone mat or a greased cookie sheet.
7. Thirty minutes before making time, preheat oven to 450°F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty metal broiler tray on any other rack that won't interfere with the rising bread.
8. Just before baking, slash the loaf with 1/4-inch-deep parallel cuts, using a serrated bread knife.
9. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone (or place the silicone mat or cookie sheet on the stone if you used one). Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 35 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. If you used parchment paper, a silicone mat, or a cookie sheet under the loaf, carefully remove it two-thirds of the way through baking and bake the loaf directly on the stone or an oven rack. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in resting and baking time.
10. Allow to cool on a rack before slicing or eating.
