This is the opposite end of the spectrum from fluffy, light white bread with a chewy crust. The loaf is dense and moist, full of smooth seeds, slightly chewy on the inside with a "biscuity" crust. I want to call it "European," but I'm not sure why! This is the kind of bread you want to eat warm with cheese or honey or jam. If you use this bread for a sandwich, use it when it is fresh and top it with bright, crisp flavours -- cheese and whole-seed mustard and lots of sprouts and grated carrot and slices of tomato and cucumber.
I don't have an adequate test for the "doneness" of gluten-free yeast bread. I've tried a thump on the bottom, but I can't get an accurate reading from it. I've tried a poke in the centre with a cake tester, but I don't trust the results -- it's not enough confirmation of doneness when the tester comes back clean. Sadly, I've often ended up cutting the loaf in half when I'm pretty sure it's done, looking at the middle, and putting it back in the oven if it's too gooey. This ruins the middle two pieces, but it's better than ruining the whole loaf, and I find if I eat the middle bits right away, as soon as the bread has cooled a bit, I am not disappointed. Be sure to note the correct cooking time for the loaf for your oven, and this should save you some work if you try the recipe a second time.
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp dry yeast
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup whole flaxseeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Additional seeds for topping, if desired.
Lightly grease a 9x5" loaf pan.
Dissolve sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast on top. Set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine brown rice flour, amaranth flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, sunflower seeds, flaxseed meal, whole flaxseeds, sesame seeds, xanthan gum, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
Using an electric mixer, beat warm milk and butter into the flour mixture. Add egg and vinegar and beat again. Add yeast and water mixture and continue beating until well-combined. The dough will be heavy and moist.
Press into the prepared loaf pan, evening out the top. Sprinkle the top with additional sunflower, flax, or sesame seeds, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the bread. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough creeps to the top of the pan, about one hour.
Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Turn out on a rack to cool, and slice when cool enough to handle, but still warm. Serve fresh, if possible. Keep leftovers well-sealed in the refrigerator or the freezer.
Makes 1 loaf.
