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Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

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« Aussie Pizza
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Best Gluten-Free Bread Ever

May 22, 2009 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

gf loaf 012

Dan the Man has created the best gluten-free bread recipe ever.

I’ve been on a quest to find Pete A a decent gluten-free loaf for years.  Every attempt has  been an abysmal failure.  Most have a cake-like texture, and only just pass muster if toasted.  The closest I ever managed was a gluten-free soda bread, but even that was solid and heavy in a pumpernickel kind of way.

What Dan Lepard has now given us is a chewy, elastic, tangy bread which keeps well for several days.  His secret ingredient – psyllium husk – mimics the gluten in wheat, and almost unbelievably, this recipe actually “proves” like real bread. (Note that I used psyllium husk and not psyllium husk powder – the former was readily available at our local health food store.)  The finished loaf is chewy with a crunchy crust and a non-stodgy middle, unlike the tapioca based breads which were hitherto the gluten-free standard.  Another nice thing about this recipe is that it uses readily available ingredients – just make sure you buy gluten-free cornflour, as many are wheaten.  Here are some photos, so you know what to expect.

The dough works together easily in the mixing bowl, after a good minute or so of stirring.  A mixer or breadmaker really isn’t needed here.  It will seem quite wet at first, but the moisture will be absorbed during the first hour of resting.

150509 007

Shape the rested dough into a baton (basically flatten it out into a disc and then roll it up), and place it into an oiled loaf tin.  Allow to rise another hour and a half, during which time it will just about double in size.

150509 009

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Tah-dah!  The finished loaf…

150509 018

Pete A was so wonderful – he arrived at 10.30pm  to pick up his loaf (the man works way too hard), ate a slice on the spot, and said, “How have you done this?  It tastes just like bread!”

I received  these  messages from him over the following days:

Day 1 : ”Just had a lovely Enzo lunch; bread oil balsamic.  Bread getting a little tough in an Italian way so all perfect.  No toasting needed yet.”

Day 2 : “Just had lovely French toast.  Bread no tougher.  Still ‘Italian’ ”

I can’t remember a time when baking was more rewarding than this. Dan Lepard’s recipe is here – follow it to the letter, and it will treat your gluten-free friends and family to a taste that they’ve probably been missing for a long time.

gf loaf 016

Edit 23/5/09:  Here’s a photo of tonight’s Kalamata olive and rosemary loaf :

olive gf 001

. . . . .

More gluten-free recipes here…

Update: 10 Nov 09: Gluten Free Christmas Cakes

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Posted in Gluten Free, Recipes | Tagged best gluten free bread ever, celiac, coeliac, Dan Lepard, gluten free bread recipe, gluten-free bread, homemade gluten free bread, make your own gluten free bread, psyllium husk | 39 Comments

39 Responses

  1. on May 23, 2009 at 11:15 pm Zeb

    Wow they look amazing! I am just visiting via Dan’s forum to see your bread and I think they look fabulous and real and I will have a go and hopefully can do something like this for my gluten free friends.


  2. on May 24, 2009 at 5:09 am figjamandlimecordial

    Thanks Zeb! I hope they enjoy them as much as my friends have.. :)


  3. on May 24, 2009 at 5:42 pm julie scully

    I can vouch for the bread…my 2 GF members of the family were most impressed…..mind you that was celia’s version and I have yet to bake it !!


  4. on May 24, 2009 at 7:56 pm figjamandlimecordial

    I’m really glad they enjoyed it, Jules. Sorry to arrive at your place with that slightly manic look, but I was pretty excited! :)


  5. on May 25, 2009 at 3:53 pm PeteA

    This truly is The Best Ever but I cannot agree that your past efforts have all been failures. The Soda Bread was very good too – although less like ‘real’ bread it was a great thing in itself.

    I haven’t tasted ‘real’ bread for about 15 years so I’m really not in a position to say just how close this is to a bread with gluten but it’s indistinguishable to the extent I can distinguish.

    Be well.

    P


  6. on July 8, 2009 at 2:00 pm spiceandmore

    Wow that actually looks like real bread. Can’t wait to try it. I will be one happy camper if it is a good gf bread as that is one thing that I really miss and always end up indulging in anyway (and suffering later.


    • on July 8, 2009 at 2:18 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Hi there! It’s not quite real bread, but it’s the closest thing I’ve ever found. Since we bake all our own bread (wheaten), I’m really fussy about it and up until now, most gf bread recipes I’ve tried have basically been cake. They’re passable if toasted, but only just. The exciting thing about Dan’s recipe is the texture – it’s chewy and elastic, reminiscent of a dense, woodfired loaf. Thanks for reminding me – I need to make my friend Pete A a couple more loaves! :)


  7. on August 16, 2009 at 5:20 pm Karen

    This looks great, I’m going to give this a go, but haven’t ever baked bread before so need to buy a loaf tin – could you please advise what size you used ? Thanks,


    • on August 16, 2009 at 6:59 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Karen, I used a Chicago Metallic 21.5 x 11 x 7cm tin (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.25″). If you’re in Australia, I bought mine here : http://www.everten.com.au/product/chicago-metallic-commercial-bread-tin.html

      Cheers, Celia


  8. on August 23, 2009 at 1:32 pm Karen

    Hi again, one more question before I start baking… in regard to the psyllium husk, did you use the same quantity (25g) as the recipe? or put in extra to make up for the fact it wasn’t ground ? Thanks, Karen.


    • on August 23, 2009 at 1:55 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Karen, I used the same quantity as in the recipe, because I’m bad at reading instructions. :) I didn’t notice until after that it was supposed to be a powder..

      Hope it works well for you!

      Celia


  9. on August 31, 2009 at 8:37 pm Karen

    OMG !!!! I have to write to and let you know, I agree…this truly is the best gluten free bread EVER! I’ve made it twice in the past week. Its more dense than your pic (no holes) and doesn’t rise as much… but the taste and chewy texture great. I’m so impressed :-)))


    • on August 31, 2009 at 8:46 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Karen, I’m so happy it worked well for you! It is dense, but it’s chewy and elastic and non-cake like, which is almost revolutionary for gluten free bread… :)

      Thanks for taking the time to let me know! What can I say, Dan Lepard really is the man…

      Celia

      PS. If you’re specifically looking for gluten free, these peanut butter cookies have been really popular with our friend Pete.


  10. on October 5, 2009 at 3:52 am Rody Schoener

    Help!
    Trying to make the Dan Lepard bread recipe (my first attempt at gluten free bread since I’m wet behind the ears, diagnosed a few weeks ago) but I don’t know how to make the conversion from grams to cup measurements. I bought a cookbook on gluten free baking, which has both measurements for its recipes. BUT on one page it says a half cup of potato starch equals 30 gms, on another page it says the half cup of same item equals 60 gms. ARRRGGGHH!! I assume that because of different densities/weights, the flours will not all measure the same from grams to Cup measurements anyway. Can anyone give me the correct amounts for this bread recipe?
    Rody


    • on October 5, 2009 at 6:01 am figjamandlimecordial

      Rody, I’m sorry, I don’t know the cup measurements either. I always use scales whenever possible – it’s well worth investing in a cheap set if you’re going to be doing lots of baking in the future. For what it’s worth, 30g is about 1oz. You could also try asking on the Dan Lepard forum – someone there might have made the conversion to cups. There is a thread on the topic here.

      Celia


  11. on December 2, 2009 at 6:08 pm Renee

    Hi All

    A very big thank you for this recipe. I have been diagnosed for the last two years and coming from a Greek background bread is a must in my kitchen. I came across your site by accident last night and went out this morning to buy Psyllium husk (it wasn’t totally powdery more like almond meal) anyway, I split the dough into two mini loaves and just took them out of the oven. Do you think I could wait for them to cool down I have walking in circles in the kitchen so I finally had a slice with butter, thought I didn’t taste it that well and just having a second slice. For the first time in two years I feel “normal”. I will wait and see what it’s like in the next few days but I will also be making an olive and rosemary one tomorrow. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!


    • on December 2, 2009 at 6:24 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Renee, I’m so glad it worked well for you! If you want to pass that feedback onto Dan Lepard, who invented the recipe, you can do so here – I’m sure he’d appreciate knowing that you found it useful! :)


  12. on December 6, 2009 at 6:51 pm sandcastles

    Okay, I’ve read the reviews, and the photo looks amazing, but where is the recipe?? I would love to try to re-create this loaf.

    Thanks!


    • on December 6, 2009 at 7:00 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Hi there, the recipe can be found here, it’s also linked in the post above (the hyperlinks show up underlined and in green).

      Cheers, Celia


  13. on February 6, 2010 at 5:17 pm Meg Todd

    I’m so pleased to have found your site! Living in Far North Queensland where the temp today is 37odegC, baking is quite hard!!
    Have tried Dan’s recipe today with reasonable success except that it didn’t rise at all after the first proving – could this be because of the heat factor and therefore should I just cook it after the first rising? Having been a Coeliac for 25 years, I’ve tried all sorts of bread and even though it hasn’t risen much it tastes great!! Many thanks Meg


    • on February 6, 2010 at 7:01 pm figjamandlimecordial

      Meg, from memory, the dough did most of its rising during the second rise, so definitely don’t bake after the first! It’s not reacting in the same way as yeast and gluten, which can be a bit off-putting. I remember it also taking quite a while for the second rise to finish. So glad you liked this bread – our friends were very happy with it too.

      You might want to ask a question on Dan’s board – the thread for this recipe is here – and Dan will probably be able to advise you more…

      Cheers, Celia


      • on March 10, 2010 at 7:14 am Shirlee

        If you are a diagnosed Coeliac you should joim the Ceoliac Society. It has many benefits and you’ll learn things which you were unaware of.
        http://www.coeliacsociety.com.au/

        I have been a diagnosed Coeliac for 15 years and have learned over the years, that you should buy a good set of electronic scales.
        Good cooking utensils are vital too. The Coeliac Society of Australia, sells a ‘proper’ heavy based loaf tin to its members.
        Accuracy is the most important part of GF cookery, totally different to non-GF cooking, that’s why you should weigh ingredients, rather than cup cups as a measuring device.
        You should weigh your liquids too.

        1 gram = 1 mil

        This is a good conversion site

        http://www.calculateme.com/index.htm


  14. on July 30, 2010 at 1:10 pm Carol

    I was really excited, until I read the first ingredient in the list: soya flour. I can’t have soy, and really don’t know what else to substitute. Flours made from other pulses cause the same viscious migraines that soy does. Can you suggest another flour that could be used? Thanks very much, Carol


    • on July 30, 2010 at 2:16 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Carol, best to ask Dan Lepard directly – you can do that on his forum. Here’s the thread:

      http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2454

      Kind regards, Celia


  15. on December 10, 2010 at 9:55 am MollyT

    By “cornflour” do you mean very finely ground cornmeal or corn starch?


    • on December 10, 2010 at 10:17 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Dan’s recipe is UK based, so it refers to what I think the US calls cornstarch. Not the yellow ground powder, but white flour, used for thickening soups etc.


  16. on January 29, 2011 at 8:31 am joy

    Hi there – the loaves are currently rising and the dough felt very elastic so I am quite hopeful. I added raisins and cinnamon to one. Just a little side note about trying to convert grams to cups. From what I could glean from the internet – 300 grams of flour equals about 2 1/2 cups. That must be wrong because I had to add an extra cup of liquid to make my dough resemble anything close to your picture. A little worried because I know measurements are so important with GF baking……but still hopeful :)


    • on January 29, 2011 at 3:58 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hi Joy, I hope it went well! I’m sorry I’m not sure of the cup measurements for the cornflour, but I do think the amount of water flour absorbs will vary from place to place.


  17. on February 16, 2011 at 8:14 pm Easy Homemade Gluten Free Bread | Soul Kitchen Blog

    […] found this bread through the wonderful Fig & Lime Cordial blog.  Check out Celia’s posting.  The recipe belongs to a master baker, Dan Lepard who lives in […]


  18. on February 24, 2011 at 3:43 am Ben

    Joy I know what you mean, I followed the recipie to a tee and found the resulting dough VERY crumbly, certainly not anything resembling a ‘soft dough.’ So I had to add a bunch more water.

    It’s currently rising so we’ll see how it turns out, but I’m not too hopeful.


    • on February 24, 2011 at 6:18 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Ben, I’m not sure what’s going on for you and Joy, but I suspect it’s a difference in the cornflour (note that cornflour in the UK is known as cornstarch in the US)? If your loaf doesn’t work, or if you’ve got feedback on how it turns out, please consider leaving a post on Dan’s forum – he checks in there regularly, so he should be able to give you some advice.

      http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2454


  19. on February 28, 2011 at 3:30 am Lindsay

    Corn flour in this recipe….is that corn starch? I noticed once before in a recipe I found in a UK cookbook they used corn flour but to us N. Americans it meant corn starch :)


    • on February 28, 2011 at 7:53 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Lindsay, yes, cornstarch! The white stuff that looks a bit like talcum powder. :)


  20. on March 10, 2011 at 1:17 am Kathy

    I have made two loaves of this bread now, and straight out of the oven it is beautiful and very much like wheat bread, but when it has cooled its becomes more brittle and crumbly, is this normal? It just about holds together as sandwich bread.

    Any tips on how to make it softer and less waxy? I followed the recipe exactly and it rose and baked perfectly both times, and looks exactly like the pictures. It tastes lovely, its just the texture I’m struggling with.

    Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.


    • on March 10, 2011 at 5:58 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Kathy, I found it got quite chewy as it cooled, but not brittle and crumbly. It isn’t a soft bread recipe though, and it has a firm, fairly hard crumb. You might want to drop Dan a note on his forum and ask him what he thinks… http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2454


  21. on March 10, 2011 at 7:46 am Kathy

    Thanks a lot! I’ll drop Dan a line then. Its not super crumbly, maybe my expectations were just a little optimistic :)


  22. on April 6, 2011 at 10:10 am Manuela

    This bread is amazing!!! I now want to make a fruit loaf or hot cross buns. Any ideas on how to modify the recipe?


    • on April 6, 2011 at 10:26 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Manuela, you could try adding fruit and mixed spice for a fruit loaf, although I’m not sure how to get a good hot cross bun texture from this dough. You might want to ask on Dan’s forum, he might have some suggestions: http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2454

      Cheers, Celia


  23. on August 25, 2011 at 5:02 pm Gluten-free bread, take 2 « threeForks

    […] seeds, boiling water) and added in some psyllium husk for good measure (which I first read about here).  Both ground chia seeds and psyllium husks mimic gluten by creating gel-like strands when mixed […]



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