Gluten Free Bread machine

Forget the hype of the bread machines that boast a 'gluten free cycle'. I had pondered on replacing the Morphy Richards bread machine that I had, because I had nothing but gluten free house bricks from it. As a matter of fact I much favoured making gluten free bread by hand. Let's face it, it isn't hard work on the old muscles, so I just resigned myself to doing it this way. I didn't and still don't really mind that.

That said, I found a recipe recently for a Milk Loaf that calls for a bread machine. Any old bread machine, no fancy schmancy machine with a slick GF cycle. So, I gave it a spin and HOLY SHIT the results were good! The bread has the wonderful mouthfeel that is sorely missing in the commercial offerings. It is springly, has the real bread 'chew' it looks like fresh bread, tastes like fresh bread, it is a bloody breakthrough. Not only that (if that wasn't enough) it behaves itself. By that I mean it keeps that real bread texture so that it is a lunchbox dream come true. No refreshing in the oven. That bacon sandwich you crave with the gorgeous bread? This is the bread that you have been waiting for.

Milk Loaf

1 large egg

9 fluid oz (1 1/4 cups) of milk

15ml/ 1 tablespon of vegetable oil

4ml/3/4 teaspoon of salt

15 ml/ 1 tablespoon of caster (superfine) sugar

8 oz/ 2 cups of white rice flour or GF bread flour

10ml/ 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum

1 sachet of easy blend dried yeast

Beat together the egg and milk and pour into the bread making pan

Add all the remaining ingredients, in the order listed

Set the machine to 'Basic', 700g/1 1/2 lb/ medium colour crust, let it run through the usual cycle, but when it begins to cook, allow it to cook for only 40 minutes or so, or until the crust is golden that the loaf starts to shrink slightly back from the pan.

When it has cooked, switch off the bread machine and allow the bread to cool inside the machine for 10 minutes.

Turn out the bread onto a wire rack to cool. Remove paddle when cooled enough (that is if the paddle didn't work it's way loose when turning the bread out of the pan).

When cooled it will keep in the bread bin for four days, or you can slice it and freeze it. It freezes very well and defrosts to the same quality.

Recipe notes:

The bread will not go crazy and rise like an ordinary loaf - but it still rises well. To be honest with you, it tasted so perfect I didn't care, but if you want larger pieces of bread cut the bread slices on the bias. Gorgeous, wonderful - delicious.... did I say it was good? It is perfect. Yup.