This Bread Looks.... Spiky? Shaggy? Weird.

I think I have mentioned before that I like bread. A lot. Bread is GOOOOOD stuff. So, when I discovered I have a wheat and gluten allergy, along with several other allergies, I was determined that I would eat bread again. Good bread, not those $7 a miniature loaf gluten free stuff you find in the freezer section of stores. After a month of following my new food restriction plan, we finally picked up some gluten free flours to try my first experiment. 

I decided that I would test out the Master Recipe from Gluten Free ABin5 (Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day). I had the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book, and I loved the master recipe with wheat flour. I figured it was as good a place as any. We went to WinCo and picked up most of the flours needed, with a side trip to Sprouts for the xantham gum, and a trip to Shar's for the Sorghum Flour. 

Once home I set out to mix up my first ever batch of gluten free all purpose flour! I started out with the rice flour, it was relatively easy to measure out, more of the consistency of wheat flour. However, the other flours and starches proved to be a bit messier. I was reminded of a powdered sugar fight my sisters and I had had growing up... It was a white, powdery MESS! Finally, I finished and had a little over 12 cups of flour to make gluten free goodies with! 

I immediately mixed up a batch of the dough. It looked.... weird. 

Really, it looks similar to what they said it would look like, more like a biscuit batter than bread dough. This was my first attempt, and with the powdery mess from earlier, I figured some of my measurements might be slightly off, so while I was hopeful, I was also ready for a bit of an experiment. I let the dough sit out as instructed, and didn't make any bread until the next day, yesterday.

I decided to grab a hunk of dough and try baking some. After an hour rest/preheating the oven, it was time to put the dough in the oven. Forty five minutes later (okay, maybe a bit less, I was impatient!!) I pulled out the bread. It looked... not like bread. It had little spikes all over it. 

I knew I was supposed to let it rest, it stays gummy inside if you cut it when hot, but I couldn't resist!!! I tore off a little a piece and smelled it. Smells good, how does it taste? I put this little piece of funny looking bread in my mouth, hoping that it would taste at least a little bit like bread. As I tasted it, little tears formed in my eyes (yes tears, I'm pathetic), it tasted GOOD! Like BREAD!! It may not be much to look at, but my first foray into the world of gluten free baking was a savory success in the taste department, and I am looking forward to a long and delicious future of experimenting with this new world of a multitude of various flours.