by Erin McKenna
Q: My bread tastes good, definitely, but the top is ugly and lumpy. It’s a turnoff. What should I do?
A: This means your dough was a tad dehydrated. Next time add ¼ to ½ cup more water. It will loosen up the batter, help it rise, and give it a more attractive, bubble-like appearance.
Q: Do I have to make your butter for those recipes that call for it? What about chilled coconut oil instead?
A: I know it’s an extra step, but the butter is essential. I tried for many months to make the recipes with chilled coconut oil, but they never came out the way I wanted.
Q: That ordinary dairy butter I’m unable to eat lasts a lifetime in the fridge. It never goes away. How long will your butter survive?
A: Mine is more temperamental, owing to the absence of preservatives, and it’ll only last about two weeks in an airtight container. Unless you freeze it! Portion out in half-cup measures in silicone molds and toss them in your freezer, where the butter will last for about one month.
Q: Must I use the lecithin I noticed in the Butter recipe? I’m scared! I’ve never used it.
A: You must. Lecithin is essential, but don’t be frightened. It binds the water and fat, creating that creamy consistency you’ll need.
Q: Can I use white rice flour instead of brown rice flour?
A: No, white rice flour is too gummy. The results will be disappointing, upsetting even.
Q: I don’t want to use xanthan gum or any other gum for that matter. Any tips?
A: Shauna Ahern, also known as the lovely and famous Gluten-Free Girl, has great tips on how to quit xanthan gum on her blog. It goes a bit like so (but please confirm with some research of your own): Replace the xanthan gum with a tablespoon or two of flax meal and a splash of water. But I like xanthan gum! (We’ve been together a long time now.)
Q: How important is it to weigh my ingredients? Is a cup measure inadequate all of a sudden? It was good enough for your other two books.
A: Controversy! This one is tough, because it creates a rift between experienced bakers and new bakers, which I absolutely hate. But I’ll say it anyway: It’s extremely important to weigh out these recipes. Flour can be packed, and using a cup measure will put more flour in your bowl, even if you are doing a perfectly flat measure. Wet measures, too, can often be made sloppily, and measuring them by weight ensures that you take your time and get it right. For my dessert recipes it’s less important, but it becomes very obvious with these savory recipes if you’re wrong. Measuring by weight gives you peace of mind. I left the cup measures in there for you daredevils.
Q: How does the bread freeze?
A: Almost perfectly using regular old plastic wrap! There are even special bread freezer bags on the market, if you want to ensure the results.
Q: Can I let my bread dough sit in the kitchen overnight? Will it become a brick?
A: You can leave it out overnight. When you wake up, punch down the dough with a rubber spatula as your oven preheats, so that the dough can rise again for at least 30 minutes. This will help make sure it doesn’t fall.
Q: Tell me straight, because I’m having people over: Can I double these recipes?
A: Yes, for everything except the Sandwich Bread. Don’t mess with that one. She is finicky.
Q: I’m dainty. Can I cut these recipes in half?
A: Yes, precious. You can halve all of them and be just fine.
The Bread Machine Question
Many of you fancies have an electronic bread-makin’ machine at home. For whatever reason—and I am not making any value judgments here—I’ve never really taken to one. Let’s just say I have a very complicated, emotional relationship with my ovens that I am careful not to disturb. Instead of betraying my loyalties, I asked for help and had my recipe super-testers give a few of these recipes a whirl in their personal bread-makers.
Their analysis: Things went very well!
A couple of amendments, though, primarily having to do with sequence. Let’s use the Sandwich Bread as an example: To bake these recipes in a bread machine, you need to first pour in the water, and then the oil and agave nectar. Then you add the flours. Only at the very end do you add the yeast. These tests were conducted at the 2-pound setting, which took about 2 hours.
So, yes, a bit different. And, granted, only a few recipes were tested, but for those we found that the ingredients and measurements worked well as is in a bread machine. Nonetheless, proceed with caution.
the waking hours
I tumble out of bed at five thirty each morning and hit the New York City streets en route to one gym routine or another. My husband is still very much asleep, as is—the universe willing—our daughter. By seven I am home, where breakfast is needed.
If it weren’t a little bit overboard, I’d serve pancakes every morning until the end of time. As it stands, we limit it to once a week, mostly because pancakes too quickly become dessert, and then what’s the point of actual dessert? Emboldened with the success of a few early breads, I set in quickly with a few savory day-starting recipes.
English Muffins proved to be fairly simple. Chewy, light, and with a touch of crunch, they are cousin to the updated Biscuits (now without spelt!). Those two braced me mentally for tackling the elusive, mystical vegan gluten-free bagel. I am happy to announce that I’ve included two types of bagels for your family’s breakfast enjoyment (see this page and this page). Far more complicated were Croissants, which relied almost exclusively on the creation of Butter.
My hope with this chapter is to help reestablish the ability to have a warm, if speedy, bite with your loved ones before everyone runs off to do whatever it is everyone does nowadays.
BISCUITS vegetable home–fry biscuits PLAIN BAGELS
strawberry–lemon zest bagels CROISSANTS spelt croissants
PAIN AU CHOCOLAT socca FRENCH TOAST
english muffins
biscuits
In my first book, BabyCakes, I offered a biscuit recipe made with spelt. Most people loved it but others cried out, “Spelt? I can’t have spelt! It’s wheat, kind of!” That’s fair, though to reiterate, some of us wheat-sensitive people are able to tolerate spelt without issue. But no matter: This one is completely gluten-free! My suggestion is to prepare the dough before you go to bed, place it on a baking sheet, cover it with a cloth, and leave it until morning. When you wake, preheat the oven and then pop in the baking sheet. The biscuits will be done in the time it takes you to clean out the Play-Doh from your kid’s teeth and strap him into the high chair!
makes 8
1½ cups (210 GRAMS) brown rice flour
½ cup (60 GRAMS) arrowroot
½ cup (96 GRAMS) potato starch
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) vegan sugar
1 tablespoon (17 GRAMS) baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons salt
¾ cup (168 GRAMS) Butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1¼ cups (282 GRAMS) cold water
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, potato starch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, yeast, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the butter and ½ cup of the cold water to the flour mixture and, using your fingertips, mix until well incorporated. Pour in the remaining ¾ cup water and mix until the dough comes together, but no more than necessary. If the dough is too dry, add more water one small splash at a time.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using your fingertips, press the dough out until it is about 2 inches thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees and bake until the biscuits are baked through and the outsides are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the biscuits cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
vegetable ho
me-fry biscuits
Avert your eyes, bell-pepper haters! My husband dislikes green bell peppers so much he goes on a hunger strike if one is within fifty yards. I, on the other hand, really like them. They’re crunchy and bitter and fun. But if he wants these biscuits, I either leave the green peppers out or swap in something else, like a leek or some celery. The point I’m trying to make is this: You can substitute things in this recipe, as long as they are similar in texture! Don’t put a mushroom in: It will absorb all the moisture. But a jalapeño instead of a green pepper? That could be fantastic!
makes 10
1 recipe dough for Biscuits
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ small yellow onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil
Leaves from 1 sprig rosemary
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Prepare the biscuit dough.
In a medium bowl, combine the red and green bell pepper, onion, paprika, salt, and a little black pepper. Add the oil and rosemary and toss together. Using a rubber spatula, fold the vegetables into the biscuit dough.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your fingertips, press the dough out until it is about 2 inches high. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and put them on the prepared sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the sheet 180 degrees and bake until the biscuits are baked through and the outsides are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the biscuits cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
plain bagels
Re-creating the unique texture and flavor of the classic New York City bagel in a vegan and gluten-free iteration had me sobbing fitful tears. I traveled around New York City like a possessed person, eager to taste-test others’ nontraditional bagels, only to discover what I always discover: Gluten-free is one thing, and vegan and gluten-free is something else entirely. Without eggs, gluten-free bagels are typically extremely dense. But obviously using eggs was a nonstarter. So I used my trusted formula of adding a bit more arrowroot and a dose of hot water and found slight success. I eventually learned that it was the centuries-old boil-and-bake technique foiling my recipe—I’d need to forgo boiling. Ultimately, the trusty BabyCakes kitchen staff convinced me that the simple, even lazy technique that follows is by far the best method given the ingredients.
makes 12
¼ cup (33 GRAMS) cornmeal, for the baking sheet
2 cups minus 1 teaspoon (198 GRAMS) gluten-free oat flour
1 cup (140 GRAMS) brown rice flour
1 cup (120 GRAMS) arrowroot
¾ cup (144 GRAMS) potato starch
⅓ cup (70 GRAMS) vegan sugar
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon (15 GRAMS) baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1¾ cups (395 GRAMS) warm rice milk (about 100°F)
⅓cup (70 GRAMS) coconut milk
⅓ cup (70 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil, plus more for brushing
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, sprinkle generously with the cornmeal, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, potato starch, sugar, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Pour in the warm rice milk, coconut milk, and coconut oil and, using a rubber spatula, stir until a sticky dough forms. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it chill for 1 hour, until firm.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, using a large ice cream scoop, measure out 12 heaping portions onto the prepared baking sheets 2½ inches apart and roll into balls. Wet your fingertips and form a hole in the center of each ball of dough to create the shape of a bagel. Cover the dough with a dish towel and let it sit on the countertop for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Uncover the bagels and bake them for 10 minutes. Brush them with a little coconut oil, rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees, and bake until golden brown, 6 minutes. Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.
strawberry–lemon zest bagels
I am always thinking of sweets, which made writing this book particularly tricky. I’d say constantly, “Stay on track, Erin. Focus. Finish this brownie and get back to work.” But soon enough I’d be staring off into space and eating a cookie in frustration. Eventually I’d find an ingredient that curbed those cravings and allowed me to proceed. This is one of those recipes, and the ingredient is lemon zest. Strawberries and lemon zest locked inside a bagel deliver a bitter-yet-tangy solution that is both savory and sweet. I’m especially proud of this one, because it really stretches my creativity.
makes 14
¼ cup (33 GRAMS) cornmeal, for the baking sheet
2 cups (200 GRAMS) gluten-free oat flour
1 cup (140 GRAMS) brown rice flour
1 cup (120 GRAMS) arrowroot
¾ cup (144 GRAMS) potato starch
⅓ cup (70 GRAMS) vegan sugar
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon (15 GRAMS) baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups (339 GRAMS) rice milk
⅓ cup (70 GRAMS) coconut milk
⅓ cup (70 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup (152 GRAMS) strawberries, sliced
1 tablespoon (2 GRAMS) grated lemon zest
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, sprinkle generously with the cornmeal, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, potato starch, sugar, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Pour in the milks, coconut oil, and lemon extract and, using a rubber spatula, stir until a sticky dough forms. Gently fold in the strawberries and lemon zest. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it chill for 1 hour, until firm.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, using a large ice cream scoop, measure out 14 heaping portions onto the prepared baking sheets 2½ inches apart and roll into balls. Wet your fingertips and form a hole in the center of each ball of dough to create the shape of a bagel. Cover the dough with a dish towel and let it sit on the countertop for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Uncover the bagels and bake for 10 minutes. Brush the bagels with a little coconut oil, rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees, and bake until golden brown, 6 minutes. Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
croissants
Some of you may remember that very trippy era when sandwiches were served on croissants instead of bread and with sprouts instead of lettuce. It was the eighties, and the days were ripe with sun-dried tomatoes and the early lessons of California cuisine, which taught me that I dislike sprouts and sun-dried tomatoes. For that reason, I keep my croissants confined to the breakfast table. But of course you can do whatever you’d like with this recipe! Follow the instructions carefully on your way to flaky, buttery, sweetly salted bliss. Oui, I say! Oui!
makes 12
1¼ cups (125 GRAMS) gluten-free oat flour
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon (123 GRAMS) arrowroot, plus more for dusting
¾ cup (144 GRAMS) potato starch
2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) vegan sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ cup (169 GRAMS) room-temperature rice milk
½ cup (113 GRAMS) room-temperature coconut milk
1 cup (224 GRAMS) Butter, chilled
¼ cup (56 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil
In
a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, arrowroot, potato starch, yeast, sugar, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Pour in the milks and continue to whisk until the dough is silky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl easily. Add more arrowroot 1 tablespoon at a time if the batter is too wet. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Transfer the chilled dough to a food processor and crumble in the butter in large pieces with your hands. Pulse the dough until it is dotted with quarter-size pieces of butter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and cut it in half. Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out each portion into a rectangle that is about 18 by 6 inches. Trim off the rough edges of the dough to create 2 clean rectangles. Remove the parchment paper and, using a knife, cut the dough into 6-inch rectangles. Cut the squares diagonally to make triangles. Roll the two widest points toward the top of the triangle and curve the dough to create a crescent shape. Place the croissants on the reserved baking sheet, brush with coconut oil, cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the croissants for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees and bake until golden brown, 6 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before serving.
spelt croissants
This recipe is not a major departure from its gluten-free sister on this page, but like every sibling, it has its own uniquely contrarian personality. For the uninitiated, spelt is a distant relative of wheat that doesn’t share some of wheat’s debilitating characteristics. Some people with wheat sensitivities can digest it without incident.