Gluten Free Flat bread

What is flatbread?   I don't know, I just can't think of another name for it and I don't want to take Silvana's "slab" bread term.  So, you get my Flat Bread..LOL  I have tried so many types of bread...slabs, focaccia, loaf, etc..and always found myself not completely satisfied.  Mostly because the bread is great when right out of the oven and then a few hours later it shrivels up, becomes gummy and some just don't taste right.

I want specks in my bread because it reminds me of the wheat that I used to eat.   This bread has a beautiful crust, soft center (airy and light) and cooks up wonderfully in oblong flat loaves.  It taste like french bread.  No "kneed" to worry about getting the loaf pans out because I use a pizza stone.  I have used this bread for sandwiches (I cut them in half), toast (cut them in half), soups (cut into wedges), fondue (just pull it apart) and it has performed wonderfully for each task.

I make the bread and it does not last more than a day in my house.  The kids love it too.  So, I hope you enjoy the recipe, give it a try, share it and try it (even if you are not GF, because it is that good)..ENJOY!

This is a close-up picture so that you can see the crust and the airy insides.  I love the rustic way the bread looks.

Gluten-Free Flatbread

Makes two flat loaves

1 cup of sweet sorghum
1/2 cup of millet
1/2 cup of white rice flour
1 cup of tapioca flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. xantham gum

2 T. sugar
1 1/2 cups of warm water
2 T. yeast

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 whole large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vinegar

butter, herbs, seasonings for toppings

1.  Mix the first 6 ingredients together.  I use a whisk to make sure that it is well blended.

2.  In a small bowl mix sugar, water, and yeast.  Let sit until yeast is frothy on top.  If after 3-5 minutes your yeast has not done anything, you may need to try again or replace your yeast.

3.  Combine the olive oil, eggs, and vinegar in another small bowl.  I do this to make sure that I don't accidentally crack any shells in the flour.

4.  Combine the two liquids into the dry.  You will notice that it takes a few minutes of stirring to become "gooey".  The xantham gum is working but takes a minute.  Using your hand mixer or large mixer, beat for 3 minutes.  The dough does climb.  I use a spatula to help keep it from reaching the top of the beaters.

5.  Start preheating your oven to 400.  Add your pizza stone.  I don't use traditional cookie sheets.  I like the stones because they create a wonderful crust on the bottom.

6.  I get two sheets of parchment paper ready by sprinkling white rice flour first.  The dough will be very, very soft and sticky.  It's okay.  Take a spoon and scoop the dough in two equal amounts on the parchment sheets.  Sprinkle each pile with white rice flour, enough so that you can gently push the dough into rectangles.  I usually try to make my shapes about 8 inches wide and 12 inches long. I try to make it about an inch thick or less. The more you spread it out the thinner the bread will be.  This is okay, it's up to how thick you like your bread for sandwiches and toast.

7.  I let the bread rest for 30 minutes.  It will rise, but not double.  If you want to add olive oil, herbs or seasonings, this can be done now.  Just use a small amount of oil and brush gently over the top and sprinkle your toppings to the desired amount.

This is the flat bread right before I put it into the oven.

This recipe makes these two loaves of flatbread.

8.  Remove your pizza stone. I use a magazine to move the dough onto the stone.  I pull the edges of the parchment paper onto the magazine and it moves the dough beautifully onto the stone.  I don't have a big pizza paddle ( I will have to get one),  or put the dough and parchment paper on something beforehand that you can slide easily onto the hot stone.

9.  Bake the bread for 15 minutes.  It will rise and get a crust on the bread.  When you remove the bread it will fall and create this lovely loaf.  I have cut the bread right out of the oven and it does not squish down but I would recommend letting it cool for a few minutes before serving.

I finally have a bread that holds up for a sandwich, with tons of toppings!  YUM

I store the extra bread in wax paper, wrapped in foil.

Written by Sherron Watson

Easy Jerky Recipe

We don't eat much meat, maybe once or twice a month.  So, for Father's Day I wanted to surprise Cory with something really yummy and special.  He loves jerky and I have always wanted to try to make this.  It is so expensive to buy, I was hoping I could make it cheaper, and I did.  The recipe has a lot of different ingredients, but you can really put anything you want into the base recipe to create the flavor you want.

Basic Recipe:

I used a 2lb piece of London Broil with this recipe.

1 cup of soy sauce..I used GF Tamari and it works great

1/2 can of coke or beer...I used a Heineken Beer

1/4 cup of brown sugar...any sugar will do

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 cup of water or beef broth...I used water because that is what I had

Addt'l ingredients to tailor our taste buds: (You can add anything you want)

2 tsp.  Sriracha Chili Sauce...we like a little bit of spice, you could also use hot pepper sauce

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp. pepper...we like a lot of pepper 

1 tsp. of ginger...I used the ginger in a tube...we like the flavor of ginger

The key to your meat "tasting" like anything will be based on how long you let it marinate and how you cut your meat.  I let this marinate for 24 hours, all of the meat was fully submerged in the sauce.  You want to cut across the grain.  If you have a strip and it doubles in size when you stretch it, then you have cut correctly.  This is what makes the jerky easier to chew, bite and marinate.

I bought a London Broil that was about 1 inch thick.  I tried to cut all of my strips into 1/4 by 1/4 squares.  I first cut a strip off of the steak, then cut this strip into three rows.  The London Broil cost me $7.00.  It worked out great.  I would suggest trying to buy the best meat that you can afford.  

The final step, after marinating, is to dehydrate your jerky.  I put a toothpick on the end of each strip and hung it in my oven.  The temperature was 200 degrees.  I tested the meat after 2 hours, and it was so good but not has dry as we wanted it, so I cooked it for another hour and it was perfect.  It will continue to dry a bit when it is removed from the oven as it cools.  

Seriously, this was so good.  Cory loved it and so did the rest of the family.  I will make this again because it was so much cheaper than buying it in a store, it tasted better and I knew exactly what I put into the marinade.

ENJOY!