whole grain

(mini) granola + pear scones /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i've been getting quite a few questions about why i choose to bake with certain gluten-free flours, and because i do use specific flours for specific reasons, i decided i would go ahead and explain a little :) 

for cookies, cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, quick breads, muffins, scones, etc., i use a mix consisting of brown rice flour, oat flour, almond flour, and usually a bit of arrowroot powder/starch/flour.   i use brown rice flour basically as an "all-purpose" flour, which is why i always use a larger proportion of it.  it's a great low-glycemic flour (it won't make your blood sugar spike, and then crash which is always a good thing), super versatile for both sweet and savory meals, and (in my opinion) it has a way better flavor than white rice flour.  oat flour is my absolute favorite flour!  it adds so much nutty delicious flavor that i have a hard time not using it in everything - plus, if i'm in a pinch, i just throw some rolled oats into a blender or food processor and i've got flour!  oat flour is great for lasted energy, and it also helps to stabilize blood sugar which is just another reason why i love utilizing it so much.  almond flour is one of the first gluten-free flours i ever worked with; it's also a versatile flour, but because it's a fat-dense, nut flour i only occasionally use it on its own.  however, when mixed with other flours, it adds depth, flavor, and fat - which can really help keep baked goods moist.  arrowroot powder is generally known as a binder, and is a great substitute for cornstarch.  even with the use of eggs, i use arrowroot in baked goods for extra binding purposes and also for lightness, as some gluten-free baked goods can bake up a little heavy.  i tend to stay away from starches like potato or tapioca starch as they can be hard to digest, as well as white rice flour.   

i've slowly begun using various other gluten-free flours, among them sorghum flour.  i've found that when using it in more delicate baked goods like pie crusts, or scones, it lends a perfectly smooth texture with a gentle crumble.  which brings me to these scones... i've made a few different iterations of this recipe, using cold solid coconut oil, different flour combos, and various kinds of plant-based milks, but this recipe right here has a (close to) perfect scone quality, one that reminds me of the gluten-y scones i used to indulge in.  scones for me always get crammed with whatever seasonal fruit that's available, and topped with nuts.  i had some leftover granola in the pantry and decided that we all would benefit from some sweet, nutty, crunchy goodness!

hope you're all staying warm + cozy! xo

(mini) granola + pear scones (gluten + dairy free)

i made these scones pretty tiny, they're basically bite-size. however, if you want to make them larger, do so - the baking time might need to be adjusted a bit longer though.  also, feel free to cram these babes with whatever fruit situation you've got going on where you are! i noted below that the psyllium husk powder is optional; you can substitute xantham gum if you prefer, or leave it out altogether, but your scones will be a bit more crumbly. 

| makes 20 two-inch scones |

  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  • 1/4 cup organic cane sugar (or palm sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large free-range eggs, divided
  • 1 ripe pear, cored and chopped small
  • 1/2 cup granola

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. set aside
  • in a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, psyllium husk, and salt; set aside.  in a small mixing bowl, combine the milk and oil, whisk in the egg; using a rubber spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry, combine until dough comes together (the dough should be sticky, but not that it sticks to your hands.  if you find that it's too wet, add more sorghum flour a teaspoon at a time until you are able to manage it.  conversely, if the dough is too dry, add more coconut milk 1 teaspoon at a time until dough comes together. )  gently fold in the chunked pear
  • turn dough out onto a piece of parchment; pat and flatten into a round with 1-inch thickness.  grease a 2-inch round cookie cutter with a bit of oil; stamp out scones.  roll scraps back together a repeat until no dough remains.  place scones onto prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.  crack the remaining egg into a small dish and whisk.  using a pastry brush, gently pat top and sides of scones with egg wash; top the scones with crumbled granola.  place in oven and bake for 16-18 minutes, until lightly browned
  • remove scones from oven and let scones cool completely.  they can be stored on a platter covered with parchment at room temperature for up to 3 days 

enjoy!

gluten-free artisan bread in 5 minutes a day: seeded 100% whole grain gf bread /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

did i ever tell you all that when i was growing up friends would call me pizza-bagel?  perhaps it was because i loved eating pizza and bagels, maybe it was because i actually loved putting pizza toppings on my bagels.  but i think it was mostly because i was part italian and part jewish, and that's how people would lovingly refer to me.  i guess i defined myself by that in a way, and also took on the food stereotype of what it meant to be both jewish and italian growing up in new york.  bagels were eaten, almost ritualistically each and every morning - and the bagels were so good, you didn't even think about skipping out on them for cereal.  every sunday was pizza night, where my dad would stretch out some dough, whip up a batch of my italian grandmother's tomato sauce (seasoned with manischewitz instead of regular red wine, naturally), and top it with slices of fresh mozzarella.  there was always pasta and ravioli, bialys, and round casa bread from the bakery where my dad grew up in the bronx.  

those memories are all but distant; as i grew up and learned that a steady diet of carb-y white flour was not exactly the most nutritiously sound.  fast forward a few years and i had discovered a gluten intolerance; so, my bagel every-once-in-a-blue, was a bagel no more. and while there are plenty of gluten-free bagels in the stores, i never liked, nor understood, half the the ingredients on the back of the package.  so, when was asked if i wanted a copy of gluten-free artisan bread in five minutes a day, (basically an opportunity to make my dream breads from scratch) i emphatically said yes!  

the book is somewhat of a dream to someone who longs for homemade, freshly baked gluten-free goods. but the book encompasses so many recipes i never would have thought were possible: from every day boule loaves, to baguette, challah (!) and rye bread (!). there's also a lovely pizza and focaccia dough recipe that i cannot wait to make; and recipes for bagels and bialys are obviously getting made asap.  however, first up was this seeded 100% whole grain loaf.  the recipe yields quite a bit of bread dough, so i wanted it to be a wholesome loaf i could eat on the day-to-day. each loaf i made was enjoyed at different times of the day, all with different accompaniments, and it even made an appearance at a pre-thanksgiving dinner with my folks where we sopped up some good olive oil with it.  i am so looking forward to baking more from this book, as it's already changed my entire gluten-free bread baking game!  perhaps it will change yours too!

a couple of links to include :) my recipe for cacao nib coconut macaroons is featured over on People.com in a really rad holiday cookie countdown!  and i have a couple of interviews: one over on get the gloss, and another on lucca magazine, if you're so inclined :)  hope you're having a good start to december!!! xo

seeded 100% whole grain loaf (gluten + dairy-free)

below i indicate "mixture #2", this refers to the two gluten-free all-purpose flour mixtures that the book provides recipes for.  mixture #2 is merely the whole grain flour mixture, whereas mixture #1 is not a whole grain-based mix.

From Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day 

ingredients

  • 6 1/2 cups mixture #2 100% whole grain gluten-free flour
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup pepitas
  • 1/2 sunflower seeds
  • 1 tablespoon granulated yeast
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 4 cups lukewarm water
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 4 large eggs
  • cornmeal, for pizza peel

instructions

mixing and storing the dough

  • whisk together the flours, grains, seeds, yeast, and salt in a 5-to-6 quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container
  • add the water, honey, and eggs, and mix with a spoon.  cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises, approximately 2 hours
  • the dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold.  refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days.  Or freeze for up to 4 weeks in 1-pound portions and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before use

on baking day

  • pull off a 1-pound (grapefruit size) piece of dough.  place it on a pizza peel (i used a wooden cutting board) prepared with a good amount of cornmeal.  quickly shape it into a ball and smooth the surface pressing and smoothing with wet fingers.  cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 60 minutes
  • about 20 minutes into the resting period, preheat a baking stone near the middle of the oven to 450°F, with an empty metal broiler tray on any shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread
  • after the bread is rested, make 1/2-inch-deep slashes with a wet serrated bread knife, in a cross pattern.  slide loaf onto the hot stone. pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the boiler tray, and quickly close the oven door.  bake for 45 minutes, or until richly browned and firm.  smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in resting and baking time
  • allow loaf to cool on a rack before eating

enjoy!

how to make whole grain, gluten free + vegan pie crust! /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

when i was asked to create a gluten and dairy free pie crust recipe for food 52, i was super pumped!  i had been playing around with gluten-free pastry dough for quite some time, but never had the guts to post about it because it can be a somewhat divisive subject; some people stick to age old recipes, others have specific techniques on cutting the butter/oil with a pastry cutter, two knives or using their fingers, etc.  so, not wanting to piss people off, i refrained from posting a recipe (because sometimes food bloggers can bear the brunt of some people's deep dark creepy thoughts in the comment section).

just some things i found helpful:

  1. using a food processor merely butters the coconut oil, making the dough too wet to add all the water that is needed.
  2. refrigerating the coconut oil in flat disk help to make sure that it's cold throughout, then chop into chunks with a sharp knife.
  3.  i found that using a pastry cutter gets the coconut oil into the perfect sized chunks; just small enough that they're not creamed into the dough, but also aren't too big that the dough around it falls apart.
  4. the amount of water used always varies - for whatever reason.  just remember, you can always add more water at another time, but you can never take back the liquid, so be careful here.
  5. use lots of dusting flour! lots. i really like sorghum here because it has a super smooth texture.
  6. and, an angled pie pan works best too; a lip with a 45 degree angle, as opposed to one with a 90 degree angle, is best because less cracks ensue.    

like i said, pie dough is touchy subject, so i merely provide you with the basics of what i've found to be the best pie dough and crust, that i ever thought was possible - flaky and light, crumbly but sturdy, and most importantly, full of flavor!

head on over to food 52 for the complete recipe! xo