A Hearty Loaf of Bread + Thanksgiving Inspiration

 So in case you've been living under a rock or in a very remote location, you know that Thanksgiving is in less than a week. As in you better get your butt in gear and figure out what lovely dishes will be gracing your table (I'm mostly talking to myself here...). October flew by and now November is following suit. I feel like a broken record when I say this, but where the heck did the time go?

I actually planned on posting this bread recipe earlier in the week, with a separate Thanksgiving post to follow suit, but I started a new job and things have been a little crazy. So, I'm combining the two in case anyone still needs any gluten free/vegan Thanksgiving inspiration or a new loaf of bread to try. The bread recipe is listed first, followed by links to Thanksgiving-worthy dishes in the archives.

This bread is part of my ongoing experimentation with garbanzo bean flour. I found that it works much better for my tastes in savory applications like this one. This resulting loaf of bread is hearty and dense and reminds me a bit of soda bread. The first test was taken straight from the Flying Apron Baking Book and wasn't necessarily meant for the blog. I was in the mood to bake bread and wanted to see how a new recipe turned out. The first test was a bit dry, dense, and incredibly underwhelming so I set about using my own baking instincts and tweaking the recipe. The second test was much more successful so I decided to share it with you here.

As I mentioned above, this bread is dense and toothsome. Thanks to the garbanzo and brown rice flours, it has a relatively high amount of protein/fiber so you don't need much to fill you up. It comes together easily without much fuss and takes a nice long rest in the oven, giving you time to take a nap, watch Netflix, or maybe prepare dinner. Since it is gluten free/vegan, it is best eaten the day it is made, or within a couple of days. If you plan on keeping it longer, I recommend keeping it in either the fridge or the freezer and then warming it up in the toaster whenever you want to eat it. Or, you can make any dried out portions into breadcrumbs, croutons, or stuffing :)

Hearty Gluten Free/Vegan Bread
notes: I haven't been using xanthan gum the past year because I've found I can manage without it most of the time. In this case, it isn't necessary, but it will keep the surface of the bread from cracking as much and provide it with a bit more rise. It is up to you whether you would like to use it or not. Slightly adapted from here. 

I call this photo "trying to beat the autumn sunset" or "moody loaf of bread"  :)

125g garbanzo flour
125g tapioca flour
250g brown rice flour
25g flaxmeal
1 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 tsp xanthan gum (optional)

70g pure maple syrup
180g (1 cup) warm water
scant tbsp active dry yeast

50g olive oil

80g pumpkin or sweet potato puree

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and place a water bath on the lowest rack (fill an oven safe ceramic dish half way with water). Line a baking sheet with parchment or prepare a baking/pizza stone.

Combine the flours, flaxmeal, salt, and xanthan gum (if using) in a bowl. Whisk to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a separate bowl) gently stir together the water, maple syrup, and yeast. Allow it the yeast to start activating/foaming (about 5 minutes).

Once the yeast has been activated, add the olive oil and gently mix it in. With the mixer on low, alternately add small amounts of the flour mixture and the pumpkin puree to the yeast mixture. Once all of the flour mix and pumpkin has been added, mix until a soft dough forms.

Generously dust your work surface with brown rice flour, then turn the dough out onto it. Gently knead it a few times to bring it together, then form it into a long oval or a batard shape (like a baguette). Score a few shallow slashes on the diagonal or along one side, then transfer it to your baking sheet or a pizza stone.

Bake the bread for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until it has formed a golden brown crust and a knife inserted into the middles comes out clean. It should sound hollow when you tap it. Cool the bread on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing into it. Makes 1 medium/large loaf.

<< t h a n k s g i v i n g    i n s p i r a t i o n >>

Starters
kale & artichoke dip (gf + vegan) with herbed millet flatbreads (gf + vegan)
roasted tomato coconut milk soup (gf + vegan)
curried lentil and sweet potato soup (gf + vegan)
baba ghanoush aka roasted eggplant spread (gf + vegan)
maple roasted pecans with nutmeg and poppy seeds (gf +vegan)

Breads
hearty gluten free/vegan bread (see above)
easy paleo seeded bread (gf + vegan)
easy little bread (spelt flour (not gluten free) + vegan)
hazelnut and lemon thyme muffins (gf + dairy free)

Veggies
roasted mixed root veg with spiced yogurt drizzle (gf + vegan)
masaledar sem aka Indian spiced green beans (gf + vegan)
grain salad with herb-y tofu dressing --> use seasonal veggies (gf + vegan)
pumpkin polenta with wilted spiced greens (gf + vegan)
kasha and kale salad with preserved lemon dresing (gf + vegan if cheese is omitted)
shredded brussels sprout salad (gf + vegan if cheese is omitted)

Sweets 
toasted pecan and date caramel coconut milk ice cream (gf + vegan)
cardamom chocolate cake with rose cashew cream and rose sugar (gf + vegan)
spiced cranberry orange upside down cake (gf + vegan)
mini rosemary apple crumbles (gf + vegan)
earl grey lemon bars (gf + vegan)
grain free dutch apple pie (gf + vegan)
baked apples with oats and chamomile (gf + vegan)