Two Minutes and One Ingredient for GREAT GLUTEN FREE BREAD!!

Hello Dear Friends,

I have super exciting news - MAY is going to be a great month around Next Level Gluten Free! It’s the month of gluten free BREAD.

May is Celiac disease awareness month - it seems like the perfect time. I’m making a whole month of recipes featuring what many of you have told me what you miss most: good bread.

We’ll do different kinds - they are all simpler than you think. I’ll have recipes for my free subscribers and paid subscriber recipes. If you’ve been meaning to try gluten free bread recipes, this month is a great time to do it!

To get us ready for this bread soiree I have a special ingredient feature today, a spotlight on one of the secret special ingredients used in many GOOD gluten free bread recipes: psyllium.

What in the world is it? Why do you need it? How do you use it? Should you really go buy it? Also - tips for using psyllium with the best results.

I’ve also included here links to some of my bread recipes that you can make right now - in case you just can’t wait for May!!

Happy baking- see you back here next week for Gluten Free BREAD MONTH!!!

Rachel

Next Level Gluten Free recipes are tested over and over and scientifically work! Then I walk you through all the details. I’m like your friend in the kitchen, who’s a gluten free expert. Upgrade to a paid membership so we can hang out more and you get to eat more delicious gluten free food.

So, you just can’t wait for May? Get started baking right now!

This Gluten Free Ciabatta is everything I want gluten free bread to be!! Unless of course I’m in the mood for a Gluten Free Soft Sandwich Bread!! Sometimes I just want to make some sliders on Gluten Free Pretzel Buns. This Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Bread hits the spot at brunch. But if I’m feeling a pizza parlor vibe this Pull Apart Bread appetizer is the way to go. Get more under the bread heading at Next Level Gluten Free!

What is psyllium husk?

Psyllium is a fibrous plant, that mostly grows in India and has been used for a long time as a fiber supplement and gut health aid, as

Dennis Lee

hilariously explained.

Friends, it’s the main ingredient in Metamucil and other fiber supplement brands. You can find psyllium whole, ground into a powder, or ground into a fine powder.

You can find it in grocery stores in the baking aisle, and the supplements aisle, and order it online. My favorite brand BY FAR in the U.S. is the Terrasoul brand. It’s very good quality.

Why do you use psyllium in gluten free bread recipes?

Well, one of the main problems in gluten free bread is that when the yeast in your dough creates air, there is nothing strong enough to hold that air in the bread and make it rise.

Gluten in wheat flour acts as a strong bubble, holding in the air and taking the bread to lofty heights. Over here in gluten free baking our air has been escaping the dough collapses and we get the classic dense gluten free bread.

When you add psyllium to your dough, as it absorbs the water in the recipe it turns into a thick flexible gel, strong enough to hold in air created by the yeast, and acts the same way that the missing gluten would. Helping the bread to be lighter and airier.

How should you use psyllium?

Psyllium is sometimes mixed directly into the dry ingredients of a recipe, and sometimes mixed with the liquid before adding to give it a faster start.

It’s best to follow the recipe directions regarding this as it may make a difference in how long it takes to get a dough that you can knead and shape if that is required in the recipe.

Do you REALLY need to go buy it?
(What if you need an alternative?)

If a recipe is written with psyllium in the ingredients it’s probably the magic that makes the whole thing work.

Leaving it out is generally a recipe for disaster. This is one of the most common emails I receive, since usually a small amount is called for how much of a difference could that make? Quite a lot.

Some people cannot tolerate psyllium (just like any other ingredient) if this is you, try using half the amount by weight of Konjac powder (also called glucomannan).

This ingredient is a root vegetable used in Asia to make gelatin-like desserts, noodles, and other foods. I’ve been very successful with this product but you’ll probably have to order it from the internet if you don’t live in a large city.

Top tips for baking with psyllium:

• Weigh your psyllium - Psyllium comes whole, ground, ground fine, and all of these will have wildly different amounts that fit into a teaspoon or tablespoon. For the best results weigh your psyllium, also know that the finer your psyllium is the faster your dough will come together.

• Follow the method in the recipe - Some recipes ask for the psyllium to be mixed with the liquid and some just add it with the other ingredients. That detail can be important in how long it takes for the dough to come together. Make sure you just follow what the recipe says to avoid frustration.

• Use top-quality psyllium to avoid purple bread! Ok, I know this is a weird one but it’s true and it happened to me!

  • Some psyllium is purple and it makes the bread purple. It even happens to some commercially made bread (I’m looking at you Whole Foods)

  • Psyllium varies in color based on the variety used and different brands use different varieties.

  • Also, brands that use the husk only will be “blonder” than brands that have the seed and husk. I like the Terrasoul brand - but I use the NOW brand when I can’t get it. If you live outside the United States you will likely have different choices.

• Mix vigorously - If you have a recipe that mixes the psyllium into the liquid first, it will resist you. Don’t give up, use a fork and whisk like crazy it will eventually give in and mix. This is the most common email I get after psyllium is used in one of my cooking classes!!

• Don’t freak out. I know this is a new to most ingredient, but just think of it as magical pixie dust!

Next-level gluten-free recipes are tested over and over and scientifically work! I walk you through them in an approachable way, so that you succeed in the kitchen. Upgrade to a paid membership and live a more delicious gluten free life.