Are you allergic to or intolerant of gluten? You can do without it when baking with these recipes from Angela Day:
Pizza
Seeded crisp bread
Banana coconut loaf
Cheese biscuits
Breakfast bars
GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA
Makes 4 x 20cm bases
750ml gluten-free flour
125ml ground almonds
60ml psyllium husks
10ml baking powder
10ml salt
10g instant yeast
500ml warm water
60ml olive oil
TOPPING
250ml tomato pasta sauce
750ml grated mozzarella cheese
10ml dried mixed herbs
fresh basil leaves
baby tomatoes, halved
slices of prosciutto
Combine the flour, ground almonds, psyllium husks, baking powder, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl.
Using the K beater or paddle attachment on your mixer, mix until blended.
Combine the water and olive oil and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well for about 5 minutes.
The mixture will be a thick batter.
Cover the mixture, place in a warm spot and leave to rise for about an hour.
Mix the dough witha spatula. Divide the dough into 4 portions, scooping each portion onto a well-greased piece of baking paper.
Use a spoon dipped in water to spread the dough into a 20cm disc. Place on a baking tray, cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200°C and cook the bases for about 10 minutes until pale golden brown.
Remove and spread with tomato sauce, scatter over cheese, mixed herbs and basil leaves.
Return to the oven and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling.
Remove from oven and top with tomatoes and prosciutto. Serve.
Note: The par-baked bases can be cooled and frozen to use at a moment’s notice. Just remove from the freezer, add the tomato sauce topping and cheese, and bake as described.
GLUTEN-FREE SEEDED CRISP BREAD
Makes 6 large
500ml gluten-free flour,plus extra for dusting
10ml xanthan gum
10ml salt
2 eggs
80ml water
60g butter, melted
1 egg white, slightly whisked
45ml poppy seeds
45ml sesame seeds
extra melted butter,for brushing
BRINJAL DIP
2 medium brinjals
2 garlic cloves, crushed
zest and juice of 1 lemon
15ml tahini paste
60ml Greek yoghurt
5ml salt
45ml chopped fresh coriander
30ml olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Sift the flour, xanthan gum and salt into a large bowl of a mixer.
Whisk the eggs and water together and add to the flour with the melted butter.
Mix well to form a dough. Lightly knead the dough for a minute.
On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 6 balls and roll out each to 2mm thickness.
Place on a greased baking tray. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.
Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. Bake in batches for 10-15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Brush with melted butter while still warm. Serve with the brinjal dip.
DIP: Bake the brinjals at 200°C for 20-30 minutes, until soft and slightly charred.
Cool and halve the brinjals. Scoop the flesh into a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. Check the seasoning and spoon into a bowl.
GLUTEN-FREE BANANA COCONUT LOAF
125g butter
250ml coconut blossom sugar
2 eggs
4 bananas, mashed
5ml vanilla extract
500ml quinoa flour
60ml fat-free milk powder
5ml xanthan gum
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml baking powder
125ml desiccated coconut
50g pecan nuts, chopped
CREAM CHEESE ICING
80g butter
125g thick cream cheese
375ml icing sugar
5ml vanilla extract
toasted coconut flakesfor decoration
Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the bananas and vanilla.
Combine the flour, milk powder, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture. Mix well.
Lastly, fold in the coconut and pecan nuts.
Spoon the mixture into a 22 x 2cm loaf tin which has been greased and lined. Bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
Remove and cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
When cool, top with icing and decorate with coconut flakes.
ICING: Cream the butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add the icing sugar and beat well. Beat in the vanilla.
Note: You can make your own quinoa flour by grinding quinoa grain in a coffee grinder until fine. You can also replace it with any gluten-free flour mix.
GLUTEN-FREE CHEESE BISCUITS
Makes about 40
375ml gluten-free flour
5ml baking powder
5ml salt
10ml dried mixed herbs
125g butter
250ml grated cheddar cheese
1 egg
1 egg white, lightly whisked
sesame seeds, for sprinkling
cheese, gherkins and onion marmalade, for serving
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl of a food processor.
Add the mixed herbs and butter, and pulse to resemble breadcrumbs. Add the cheese and pulse to combine.
Add the egg and pulse until the mixture forms a ball.
Remove and knead slightly. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough in half. On a flour-dusted surface, roll one half of the dough out to about 3mm thickness and cut out rounds using a cutter.
Arrange the crackers on a baking tray, lightly brush with the egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10-15 minutes, until golden.
Repeat with the second half of the dough.
Allow the biscuits to cool on the baking tray before serving.
GLUTEN-FREE BREAKFAST BARS
Makes 12
250ml whole blanched almonds
250ml walnuts
125ml desiccated coconut
500ml mixed seeds including some chia seeds
250ml mixed dried berries
60ml psyllium husks
3ml salt
5ml vanilla extract
2 eggs
45ml honey
Lightly toast the almonds and walnuts. Chop roughly.
Place in a bowl and add the coconut, seeds, berries, psyllium husks and salt. Mix well to combine.
Beat the vanilla, eggs and honey. Add to the seed and nut mixture and mix until well combined.
Press the mixture into a 25cm square pan which has been greased and lined. Press the mixture down firmly with the back of a spoon.
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Remove and cool in the tin. Cut into desired shapes and store in an airtight container.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.