Gluten-Free Buckwheat Bread

I adapted this recipe from Aran Goyoaga’s Spiced Chocolate Cranberry Yeast Bread. Aran has long been my favorite resource for gluten-free baking and this adaptation has become for me, the perfect basic brown bread. It is a breeze to make and the bread isn’t gummy like so many other gluten-free recipes I’ve tried. I like it best toasted and slathered with salted butter.

GLUTEN FREE BUCKWHEAT BREAD

2 1/3 cups (525 grams) full-fat milk, heated to 105°F

2 Tbsp molasses (about 40 grams)

1 Tbsp (12 grams) active dry yeast

3 Tbsp (30 grams) psyllium husk powder

1/4 cup (30 grams) fine flaxseed meal

2 cups (240 grams) buckwheat flour

1 cup (120 grams) tapioca starch

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Dust the inside of a one-pound loaf pan with some buckwheat flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer whisk together the oat milk, molasses, and yeast and proof for about 10 minutes until bubbly. Whisk in the psyllium and flaxseed and let it gel for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and using a dough hook, mix the bread on medium speed until it comes together and feels smooth. The dough will be sticky and moist. Add a touch more milk if it feels dry.

Dust your work surface with some buckwheat flour and shape your bread into a log that is about 8 inches long. Place the dough inside the prepared loaf pan, cover with a kitchen towel and proof for about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled. 

Dust the dough with a bit more flour and bake for 30 minutes. Then, carefully invert the bread out of the pan and place directly on the oven rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for another 30 minutes.

Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour before cutting. It is important to let the bread cool before slicing so the crumb sets and doesn’t become gummy. Store the bread wrapped in a kitchen towel or how I do, cut-side down on the cutting board.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

I think this supremely easy one-bowl chocolate cake is the most perfect chocolate cake and I’m not even a chocolate cake person. It is the most frequently baked cake at our house and my son made it for me on my last birthday. He prefers it without the additional chocolate so that is how it gets made most, but when I do add it I really like these Hu chocolate gems.

It is adapted from Aran Goyoaga’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Sourdough Cake (my often mentioned gluten-free baking guru).

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL CAKE

1/2 cup (150 g) kefir or yogurt

3/4 cup (150 g) coconut sugar or light brown sugar

1/2 cup (110 g) olive oil, plus more for greasing

1 egg

3/4 cup (75 g) almond flour, sifted

1/2 cup (70 g) superfine brown rice flour

1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces (110 g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped or chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan with some olive oil and place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the kefir, sugar, olive oil, and egg. Add in the almond flour, brown rice flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until the batter is smooth. Fold in the chopped chocolate if using.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before turning out of the pan.

Cooking from the Pantry - Instant Pot Beans

If you are one of the many people that stocked up on dried beans recently but have never cooked them before don’t fret. Cooking beans is really easy, as Steve Sando of Rancho Gordo says “You cook them until they are done.” But I think a few tips are helpful not only so you cook them all the way through but so they are delicious as well.

Dried beans have long been a pantry staple at our house and the ones from Rancho Gordo are especially good. I even wrote about Rancho Gordo in one of my very first blog posts nearly seven years ago! Our local PCC usually carries a few varieties but every few months I order a big box of several different kinds. I am especially grateful to have them now…

These days I only cook beans in my Instant Pot and I’ve really fine-tuned my process and cooking times over the last few years. I take my beans seriously - they need to be fully cooked and tender but remain intact!

Soaking is often listed as optional but in my book it is required. Not only can you begin to season them while they soak, but it ensures they cook evenly and come out perfect every time. From the super useful NYT Bean Cooking Guide Melissa Clark put together:

Another super important tip: make sure you sort through the beans for small rocks before proceeding. Most times you won’t find anything but sometimes you will and you will be happy to have found them before your teeth do…

Here is what I’ve discovered works well for me with my favorite Rancho Gordo varieties:

INSTANT POT BEANS

1 lb bag of beans, sorted for rocks. Cover with 2 inches of water and add 1 Tbsp kosher salt and soak overnight (at least 12 hours but up to 24 - especially for the larger Corona ones).

Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Add beans to the pot and cover with an inch or so of water. Add 1 Tbsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal, if you use Morton’s you might want to half the amount to the start and then season to your liking), two bay leaves, a good pour of olive oil and 3-6 cloves of garlic.

For all beans cook on high pressure and let the pressure release naturally after cooking. The beans will firm up as they cool. Let them cool to room temperature in the pot before transferring them with their liquid to a container for storing. Also never toss the cooking liquid! It is so flavorful and you can freeze it for later use in place of stock in soups etc.

COOKING TIMES

MARCELLA  - 12 MINUTES

PINTO – 17 MINUTES

CHICKPEAS – 22 MINUTES

BLACK ­– 16 MINUTES

YELLOW WOMAN ­– 16 MINUTES

BORLOTTI – 17 MINUTES

CORONA – 22 MINUTES

CASSOULET – 16 MINUTES

AYOCOTE BLANCO – 12 MINUTES

Kitchen Basics - Housemade Ricotta

One of the simplest, yet meal-altering things you can make in your kitchen is fresh ricotta. It resembles nothing like any store-bought version (even the good ones) and it takes hardly any effort. My lunch yesterday, sun-golds and chives from the garden, Maldon sea salt, olive oil and still warm ricotta…

HOUSEMADE RICOTTA - originally via Ina Garten’s Cook Like a Pro

4 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar

Line a fine-mesh sieve with two pieces of cheesecloth. Dampen the cloth with water and set the sieve over a deep bowl.

Pour the milk and cream into a medium stainless-steel or enameled pot and stir in the salt. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand until it curdles, about one minute or so.

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl for 20 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. Transfer the ricotta to a container, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining liquid. Use immediately or cover and store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

There are so many ways to enjoy fresh ricotta, but you can also add it to a frozen pizza for a stellar upgrade. My favorite is this 3 Cheese Pizza from Trader Joe’s (seen below). I always keep a few in the freezer for nights when I don’t feel like cooking. Simply add dollops of the ricotta to the last minute of cooking to warm. Then top with a drizzle of good olive oil, some Maldon salt and fresh basil.