Artisan Gluten Free Bread

Step 1

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment.

Step 2

In a bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, and maple syrup. Let sit for 10 minutes. The mixture should be frothy and smell of warm yeast. (If the mixture is not frothy, the yeast is expired and the bread will not rise. It is best to start over with a new batch of yeast.)

Step 3

Whisk in the psyllium husks, making sure there are no clumps. Allow this mixture to sit for 5 minutes, until thick.

Step 4

Add in the wet mixture to the dry. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated and the dough forms a loose ball.

Step 5

Remove the dough from the mixer and kneed a few times on an oiled surface. The dough is very sticky, so you might find it helpful to oil your hands, too. Form the dough into a ball by tucking the sides underneath until it is round. Place in an oiled bowl, seam side down.

Step 6

Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, even temperatures place for 45 minutes to an hour. The dough should double in size.

Step 7

Once the dough has risen, kneed a few times on an oiled surface. Once again, form the dough into a round ball by tucking the edges underneath. Return to the bowl, this time seam side up. Let rise for 30-45 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Step 8

While the dough is rising, place a cast iron skillet on the lower middle oven rack. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. You want to let the oven preheat during the entire second rise. This ensures that the oven is at an even temperature when baking the loaves.

Step 9

After the second rise, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully tip the bread out onto the baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow cuts in the top of the bread.

Step 10

Add a cup of ice to the cast iron and immediately add the bread to the upper rack, and quickly shut the oven door. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool completely on a wire rack, several hours, before slicing.