GIRL versus BREAD MACHINE

Since I've been having to bake anything and everything from scratch aside from Corn Thins and Ryevita crackers, my mom decided to get me a bread machine for Christmas. I finally tried it out a couple months ago, but the proportions of flour to liquid recommended in the recipe book that came with my bread machine are apparently not accurate if you don't use traditional flour. Oops. What came out was a rock with powdered, unmixed flour covering the outside. It was disgusting. I was thinking I'd have to return it, but I figured I'd give it one more try a few weeks ago (oh yeah...I'm like, REALLY bad about baking regularly) and I actually got a successful loaf. So if you have a bread machine and want to try it, here is the recipe:

oh wait. first, there's the question of flour, right? I use Cybele Pascal's GF bread flour mix of sorghum, millet, potato starch and tapioca flours, but you can probably use Bob's Red Mill's All Purpose Gluten Free flour or another regular GF/AF flour mix.

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 almond milk/AF milk
1 tbsp soy free Earth Balance
2 tsp sugar (I'd love to use agave syrup, but I find it doesn't activate the yeast in the same way...I use vegan cane sugar).
1 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum (okay, if you don't know what this is, wiki it. It synthesizes the gluten in wheat products and is a MUST HAVE if you're doing GF baking. it's expensive, but a little bag goes a long way)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp apple sauce
1 tsp yeast
a few shakes of cardamom and cinnamon

As the Zojirushi instructions say, add the milk, apple sauce, and butter to the pan first. Then add 1 cup of the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients EXCEPT the yeast. Add the last cup of flour, make a dent in the floating flour mound and carefully put the yeast in the hole (so bizzare, right?!?!). I bake it on Firm and Regular Crust (cycle = 3.5 hrs).

It tastes best warm, so definitely eat it when it comes straight out of the machine. I often have it for breakfast, toasting it in a frying pan so it doesn't get stuck in my toaster. I smother it with earth balance and that strawberry organic fruit spread from Whole Foods. I also have used it in hot sandwiches like grilled cheese, or even toasted with avocado and salsa fresca/pico de gallo on top. And if there's anything that can make even the nastiest GF bread taste good, it's Trader Joe's jalapeno and cilantro hummus. I'm actually addicted to that stuff. My roommate and I bought 4 tubs of it one day and it was gone by the end of the week. YUM!!!!!!

Anyway, this bread slices super well with a sharp knife. It tastes pretty good, but my girlfriend complained that it has an odd after-taste. I have a feeling that's because of the baking powder, but it won't rise enough without it. Also, her opinion doesn't count, cause she can eat the yummy regular, bleached wheat goodness without getting terrible tummy pain or rancid gas. SO THERE.

Over all, I found an easy and quick way to make bread. I'd say I win, Zojirushi Bread Machine. Feel my rath.