Adventures in Breadmaking

I have been a gluten free girlie for probably 15 years now, and I have been CRAVING bread in a really intense way lately.  Like, I will fully fantasize about a soft pretzel or a French loaf. 

Sooooo... I bought a bread machine.  It is a Neretva brand, which was one that offered a decent price and a gluten free setting.  

First loaf was kind of a dud.  I based it on the recipe in the booklet that came with the machine.  But then I got paranoid and added more water.  Then I got more paranoid and added more flour.  In the end I wound up with a loaf that was somehow gummy AND concrete at the same time.  I ate one slice when it was still hot.  But it tasted... kind of like nothing.  I've had worse gluten free bread, to be honest.  I also think the yeast I was using was too old, so I pitched that.

Second loaf was off to a good start but I forgot to put the paddle in.  So after waiting a couple of hours I looked in the bread maker and the top was just... a pile of flour.  And the bottom was cooked eggs.  So that went straight in the trash.  

Then I had to wait for a grocery delivery. 

So now the third loaf and I are having a come-to-Jesus.  I bloomed the yeast before starting it, which apparently you aren't supposed to do with gluten free recipes.  So then it over-rose a bit, which means that it may have overflowed the machine during the baking cycle if I let it go.  So I had to pull it out of the machine and toss it in a couple of pyrex pans to bake in the oven.  (I am writing this post as I go through this loaf's evolution.)

I am so determined to get this right.  Or at least edible.  

I am hoping that at least these loaves (since there are now two) taste good.   Adding to the confusion is the fact that gluten free flour doesn't brown like normal flour.  So color cues are pretty useless for figuring out if it is done or not.  Look at this.  Would you call this done?  Me neither, visually.   But it is firm and the knife comes out clean so I guess we pull it out!

Boy.  That's ugly.  

It is yeast, water, flour, steel cut oats, bourbon vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sugar, salt, eggs, raisins and oil.  If it tastes good, then I have to wrap it up really well, freezing anything that I don't plan on eating in a day or so.  If it tastes like crap, I won't bother.  

Okay, time for the moment of truth.  A slice, a bite, and...  *drumroll*

Hmm.  

Still a bit of the gummy effect.  I imagine that means it is a tad undercooked?  Still fairly flavorless, except for the raisins.  I think I need to add a TON more flavor to overcome the flour's absolute lack of taste.  

Well I think we might be able to call this progress.  Maybe.  But only in the most incremental sense.  I think my next attempt will include metric tons of garlic and see if I can get a decent accompaniment to a bowl of meatballs.