Hot Cross Buns
Getting ready for Easter? Me too!
Here in Australia these buns are served at Easter.
When we came to Australia, this buns looked interesting to us.
Of course we had to try them. The smell was just great.
When we ate our first bun, we actually felt like Christmas.
In Germany, just because of the flavour, this bun would be served at Christmas time.
It was strange to enjoy this at Easter. But, over the years, we got used to it.
I was persistent, haha.
I now figured out how to make a gluten free version. I am very happy with the result.
They are really delicious. Great for breakfast or afternoon snack for your coffee or tea.
I baked a mini version this time. Approx. 55g of dough for each bun.
You can make them bigger of course.
But my recipe is for 9 mini buns. Feel free to go with 4 big ones.
But I personally like the mini version. Fits also better into a lunch box.
I love to serve this buns with German Plum Jam (Pflaumenmus).
A kind of jam I grew up with and what is very popular in Germany.
It is just delicious. I figured out how to make my own. Because it is not available here in Australia.
Not at the local supermarkets. The Plum jam what is available, is different to the German version.
So if you feel like giving the German version a go, I will provide the recipe as well.
As for the buns you need:
100g gluten free oat flour***
60g white Sorghum flour+++
40g Besan flour (made from chickpeas)
20g psyllium husk
12g tapioca starch
5g dry bakers yeast
40g coconut sugar
50g raisins
1,5 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch of pink salt
250ml filtered water
*** to make your gluten free oat flour just add oats into a nutri bullet or ninja
and blend until you have a nice flour. Should not even take a minute!
Direction:
1. sieve the flours into a bowl. Add all the dry ingredients as well and mix well.
2. add the water and bring all together by stirring. It first will be a sticky batter. But don't worry.
When all is mixed well together, set aside and give it a rest for about 15minutes.
3. you should be able to knead the dough with your hand now. If still a bit sticky, just flour your hand.
But the sticky batter should have turned into a nice smooth and easy to handle dough.
4. Shape the buns. Cut the dough into 9 even pieces. They should have the same weight to bake evenly.
Mine are around 55g for each bun. To how to form them best, watch the clip I uploaded for the bagels. The making is similar, just don't do the hole in the middle.
But cut a cross in the middle of the buns with a sharp knife.
5. cover with a tea towel and rest at a warmer place for 45minutes.
6. 15 minutes before the resting time ends, preheat oven to 175C
7. make a paste mix of 2 tbsp oat flour and a little bit of water. Just enough to get a slurry consistency.
Use a pipette or piping bag to spread the oats on the cut crosses.
8. bake for 30 minutes.
When you do bigger buns, just add 5 more minutes baking time. That should be enough.
Recommendation:
Store the buns in a paper bag,... and that bad in a plastic bag, to keep them fresh.
Best is to store in the fridge.
Before you eat the bun, I recommend to put the whole bun into the toaster and toast.
That really nicely fresh them up again.
To make the plum jam you need:
1 package of Hiltona Organic prunes ***
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 whole cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp Maple syrup (or more if you like it sweeter)
150ml + 1 tbsp filtered water
*** this prunes are simply the best, because they are really moist.
And you need that moisture for the jam.
1. remove pit from prune. Add prunes to a nutri bullet or something like that.
A good quality high speed blender should be fine as well.
2. Add all the spices, lemon juice and water and blend to a smooth consistency.
3. add to a pot with the syrup and cook for 10 minutes on middle heat. Stir regular to not burn it.
4. Turn off the heat and add plum jam to a jar.
Cool down and store in the fridge.
ENJOY with the Hot Cross buns :-)
HAPPY EASTER everyone!
German Sunflower Bread
I still continue to work on the best German bread I can. The breads I worked out so far are really good.
But,... I still missed this typical German flavour. In Germany sunflower bread was one of my favourites.
Also Kommisbread,... a different kind of bread. Somehow I managed to combine this 2 breads.
The result is really a delight. I love this bread.
What turned out as a test bake for some breakfast buns,... developed to this really good bread, haha.
The recipe includes a splash of vegan buttermilk.
I did one of my test bakes without the buttermilk and it turned out good as well.
I just added 1 tsp more lemon juice.
But for the ones who like to add the buttermilk, here is how to make the vegan buttermilk.
Vegan Buttermilk:
Add some raw cashews, half a cup, into a bowl and top with filtered water. Close with a lid or a plate if you like.
Leave for 24 hours with room temperature. Store in the fridge for another 24 hours.
The cashews kind of ferment in that process. You can smell a buttermilk like smell.
Now simply wash the cashews and add to your Nutribullet. For me the nutribullet works best,
because it processes the nuts really to a perfect consistency. When you have a high speed blender,...
this should work as well.
Add some fresh lemon juice and a bit of filtered water as well,... they should be covered very slightly.
Now process until smooth and creamy.
At this stage you have sour cream!
Now simply take 2-3 tbsp of it and add to a small bottle or jar or so. Something with a lid.
Top with a bit more lemon juice and some water,... shake well and store in the fridge for a couple of days.
Done ... vegan buttermilk!
But now lets start with the bread!
For one 700g loaf you need:
INGREDIENTS:
105g (8 tbsp) white Sorghum flour
80g (8tbsp) gluten free certified organic oat flour
6 tbsp (80g) raw sunflower seeds
3,5 tbsp fine grated sweet potato (preferred)
(or, 40g fine grated carrot - but this gives the bread more moisture)
3/4 tbsp (10g) dark chia flour
2 tbsp (24g)flaxseed flour
1 tbsp (10g) Tapioca flour
1 tbsp (10g) psyllium Husk
( mixed with 155ml water - separate, don't add the powder to the flour mix)
1/2 tsp (5g) pink himalaya salt
1tsp (4g) caraway seeds
2 tsp organic dry bakers yeast
Plus extra sunflower seeds to top the bread with.
The liquid parts:
mix...
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice ( or 1tsp if you don't add buttermilk)
1 tsp vegan buttermilk
50ml warm water
200ml cold water
Directions:
For the first time I used a ceramic baking dish.
I found this dish at Woolies,... it is a Jamie Oliver dish.
For me the bread works best baked in this dish.
Add all ingredients into a bowl. Except of the psyllium husk.
The husk add into a separate little bowl and mix with 155ml water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Mix the flour mix and everything well and mix with the water mix and husk.
Bring everything together to a dough. It will be a bit sticky, but that is ok.
Please don't overwork the dough.
Gluten free doughs do not like to be overworked.
Just bring everything together first with a spoon,... and use your hands to the end.
Now ...
I still continue to work on the best German bread I can. The breads I worked out so far are really good.
But,... I still missed this typical German flavour. In Germany sunflower bread was one of my favourites.
Also Kommisbread,... a different kind of bread. Somehow I managed to combine this 2 breads.
The result is really a delight. I love this bread.
What turned out as a test bake for some breakfast buns,... developed to this really good bread, haha.
The recipe includes a splash of vegan buttermilk.
I did one of my test bakes without the buttermilk and it turned out good as well.
I just added 1 tsp more lemon juice.
But for the ones who like to add the buttermilk, here is how to make the vegan buttermilk.
Vegan Buttermilk:
Add some raw cashews, half a cup, into a bowl and top with filtered water. Close with a lid or a plate if you like.
Leave for 24 hours with room temperature. Store in the fridge for another 24 hours.
The cashews kind of ferment in that process. You can smell a buttermilk like smell.
Now simply wash the cashews and add to your Nutribullet. For me the nutribullet works best,
because it processes the nuts really to a perfect consistency. When you have a high speed blender,...
this should work as well.
Add some fresh lemon juice and a bit of filtered water as well,... they should be covered very slightly.
Now process until smooth and creamy.
At this stage you have sour cream!
Now simply take 2-3 tbsp of it and add to a small bottle or jar or so. Something with a lid.
Top with a bit more lemon juice and some water,... shake well and store in the fridge for a couple of days.
Done ... vegan buttermilk!
But now lets start with the bread!
For one 700g loaf you need:
INGREDIENTS:
105g (8 tbsp) white Sorghum flour
80g (8tbsp) gluten free certified organic oat flour
6 tbsp (80g) raw sunflower seeds
3,5 tbsp fine grated sweet potato (preferred)
(or, 40g fine grated carrot - but this gives the bread more moisture)
3/4 tbsp (10g) dark chia flour
2 tbsp (24g)flaxseed flour
1 tbsp (10g) Tapioca flour
1 tbsp (10g) psyllium Husk
( mixed with 155ml water - separate, don't add the powder to the flour mix)
1/2 tsp (5g) pink himalaya salt
1tsp (4g) caraway seeds
2 tsp organic dry bakers yeast
Plus extra sunflower seeds to top the bread with.
The liquid parts:
mix...
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice ( or 1tsp if you don't add buttermilk)
1 tsp vegan buttermilk
50ml warm water
200ml cold water
Directions:
For the first time I used a ceramic baking dish.
I found this dish at Woolies,... it is a Jamie Oliver dish.
For me the bread works best baked in this dish.
Add all ingredients into a bowl. Except of the psyllium husk.
The husk add into a separate little bowl and mix with 155ml water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Mix the flour mix and everything well and mix with the water mix and husk.
Bring everything together to a dough. It will be a bit sticky, but that is ok.
Please don't overwork the dough.
Gluten free doughs do not like to be overworked.
Just bring everything together first with a spoon,... and use your hands to the end.
Now ...
Seeded Toastiest
This crispy toasted toastiest are something I enjoy regular for dinner. I just love it.
These savoury toastiest are so easy to prepare. And easy to store in the fridge.
You can make them ahead and you will be covered for a couple of days.
When I have my dinner, I take 2 of them and put them into my toaster. Toasted until crispy, YUM.
They are great to top with whatever you like. I love avocado, tomato, some onion and sprouts on mine.
Or hummus with sweet paprika powder, tomato and sprouts,... really, really good.
They are also great with sweet toppings like chocolate cream (stay tuned for my recipe!) or jam.
For me as bread lover, this is a great gluten free alternative to other breads.
Always the same bread turns boring for me. And I do not want to eat always the same.
Before I turned gluten free, I always had a variety of different baked goods.
And crisp bread was also one of my favourite.
I am working on real crisp bread,... but for me, this toastiest already work.
When you like it soft,... don't toast it for to long. Just to fluff it up again. Whatever you like :-)
I also added barley grass juice powder. But it is ok to leave it, when you do not have it at home.
It makes zero point to the taste.
I just thought it is nice to add it to my toastiest, because of the health benefits of it.
If you are gluten free, make sure when you want to add the barley grass juice,...
that it really is barley grass juice powder and not barley grass powder. Barley grass contains gluten!
Barely grass juice powder,... not!
To make approx. 9-10 toastiest you need:
3/4 cup + 1,5 tbsp Besan flour
2 tbsp Poppy seeds
1/2 tbsp Tapioca flour
1/4 tsp pink salt
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp barley grass juice powder (optional)
1 tsp bi-carb Soda
250ml filtered water
seeds of your choice for the topping
I used
sunflower seeds
sesame seeds
linseeds
Pumpkin & Sesame Seed Bread
With my past breads I am happy for sure. But it bothered me, that gluten free breads always need to contain so many ingredients. So I started all over again to create a new recipe. And I wanted a bread what also strep sufferer can enjoy. And what turned out is even better than my other bread recipe. It contains less ingredients and is also easy to make.
I like the consistency more. It is more bread like somehow. It doesn't dry out and it stays fresh when stored in the fridge.
I really love to toast my bread. Because it gives the seeds on the bread such a great taste.
So my advice to you,... toast the bread before you going to make a sandwich. It really is nice.
The dough itself will be moist and sticky. Nothing to use your hands with. You need to work with a spoon.
But because of the chia flour in this dough, it is easy to handle. The chia gives the dough a slight rubber consistency.
That makes it easy to handle. So don't add more flour or so because you think the dough is to moist and sticky.
This is what we want.
When you add more flour because you want to use your hands,
the bread will change consistency and will be dry.
If you do not want to form a loaf like I did, of course you can use a baking dish for this!
It doesn't matter what shape your bread will have.
To make 1 bread you need the following ingredients:
150g Besan flour
(here is a link to the explanation what Besan flour is.
I got that ask from my american friends and this is a great report about this flour.
www.veganricha.com/2019/08/difference-between-besan-and-chickpea-flour.html?fbclid=IwAR0QdxI4IvUW1Gj7xQ873terNmUOI_SrnXF1GVyJ0EpJh9Z54qk7CHR90vY
45g almond meal/flour
7g (3 tsp) chia flour
70g fine grated pumpkin
1 tsp caraway seeds
10g pumpkin seeds (dark ones)
1 tsp flax or linseeds
1,5 tsp (7,5g) bi-carbonat
1/2 tsp pink himalaya salt
195g (225ml) filtered water
1/2 cup sesame seeds (or more)
Direction:
1. Preheat oven to 190C
2. Add all dry ingredients into a bowl. Sieve the flours into the bowl to make sure to not have any lumps.
3. Add pumpkin and mix all well to combine.
Add water and bring everything together to a moist dough.
Use a metal spoon for that.
4. Mix the dough for about 3 minutes. You will see that the consistency will turn a bit rubbery. At this stage, you can bring the dough on a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the baking paper with sesame seeds and top with the dough.
Form the dough with the spoon to a loaf of your choice. And sprinkle with sesame seeds all over.
When done, at this stage, you can use your hands careful to bring the dough a bit more into shape and press down the seeds a little bit to stick properly on the dough.
And you can use the baking paper to make the seeds stick to the sides as well.
5. Add the loaf into the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
6. When the bread sounds hole when you knock on it, it is done. The outside should be golden and crisp.
When done, remove from oven and cool down complete.
7. ENJOY :-)
For me this bread works great for the lunch box or when I am on a hiking trip. I always toast my bread before I make a sandwich. I love to top my sandwich with avocado, tomato, onion and salad.
Or a homemade cashew cheese instead of avocado.
I hope you like it :-)
Just a little heads up on the pumpkin for my US friends.
I got the question what pumpkin to use. Strangely this question only appeared in my e-mail, but not here on my page. I have to work on this and find out why the contact option doesn't show up here. So I hope you see that little add here to answer your question about the pumpkin.
Please use one of the beneath shown pumpkins.
I mostly use the green one for my dishes and baking :-)
Tumeric Poppy Seed Bread
Please enjoy my new Tumeric Poppy seed bread with fresh chives :-)
I really, like this bread. It is delicious.
It is light, fluffy and moist.
Please store the bread in a paper bag, and this bag in a plastic bag,
in the fridge after you cut the first slices.
This way it will keep fresh for at least a week!
I always toast my slices in the toaster.
It makes the crust cripsy and the flavour of the seeds on top really comes through.
I really love that.
For one loaf you need:
100g almond flour
100g white Sorghum flour
4 tbsp Tapioca starch
4 tbsp brown flaxseed meal
2 tbsp brown rice flour
1/4 cup fresh chopped chives
as much pink salt as you desire
1 tsp organic tumeric powder
1/2 cup celery pulp (what ends up in the morning from you juice)
2 tbsp bakin powder
400ml activated almond milk
For the topping:
poppy seeds
sesame seeds
pumpkin seeds
1. preheat oven to 180C
2. Mix all ingredients for the loaf into a bowl and mix well to a dough.
3. Cover a cake baking dish with some baking paper. Sprinkle the bottom with the seeds.
4. Add the dough and even it.
5. Sprinkle the top also with the seeds.
6. Bake for 45 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and cool down.
Enjoy this bread with whatever topping you desire.
It is great for savory things like Hommus with sprouts and spring onion.
Or you can top it with your favorite marmelade.
I hope I could lighten up your breakfast or dinner.
ENJOY :-)
You find some more gluten free baking here ...
anges-kitchen-veggieart.weebly.com/gluten-free-delights.html