Gluten-Free Baguette

All recipes posted on this blog undergo rigorous quality testing. If a dish lacks the awesomeness that we expect, it doesn’t get posted. No exceptions—except this one. This bread is very very good, but we think it could be better. We will better-ify it (sure, “improve” would be appropriate there, but I like better-ify) and then we will post the better-ified recipe. BUT for now, it is imperative that we share this recipe so you have an appropriate surface on which to serve the amazingly delicious cheese steaks we’ll be sharing tomorrow.

(from “125 Best Gluten-Free Bread Machine Recipes”)

2 cups brown rice flour

2/3 cup potato starch

2 tsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. xanthan gum

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 ½ cups water

2 tsp. cider vinegar

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1. Combine the brown rice flour, potato starch, sugar, xanthan gum, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

2. Add the water, cider vinegar and egg whites to the bread machine baking pan. Start the “Dough Cycle” and gradually add the dry ingredients to the bread machine baking pan.

3. Let the bread machine do its kneading thing, but as soon as it stops kneading, turn off the bread machine (the “Dough cycle” won’t be finished).

4. Remove the dough and split it into two lumps.

5. Get your hands wet and shape the lumps into baguettes and place the baguette-shaped lumps on a lightly greased, parchment-paper lined baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal.

6. Use a knife to make three to four diagonal slits (about ¼-inch deep) in each loaf.

7. Walk away. (Let the dough rise for an hour, preferably in a warm, draft-free place.)

8. Preheat oven to 425°.

9. Bake for 20-23 minutes.