Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread: Author: Visit Amazon's Nicole Hunn Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0738216852 | Format: PDF
Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread: Description
Review
Living Without, February/March 2014
[Nicole is] a maven of gluten-free economy.”
About the Author
Nicole Hunn is the author of the Gluten-Free on a Shoestring series and blog, which has been featured in the New York Times and MSN Money. She has appeared in Living Without and Easy Eats, and on Sirius/XM Radio and ABC News, among others. She lives in Westchester County, New York. Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread is her third cookbook.
- Series: Gluten-Free on a Shoestring
- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books (December 10, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0738216852
- ISBN-13: 978-0738216850
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
I'm a huge fan of Nicole's books, recipes, and blog, and was most excited to get this book. A new approach using whey protein isolate that makes GF yeast bread that's more like regular bread? Sign me up!
Well, wait. The whey protein isolate will cost you $12 to $18 per lb, and the smallest package is 2 lb - don't forget shipping charges! And the base recipe calls for modified tapioca starch, which is available - you guessed it - in 2 lb packages for about $10 per lb plus shipping. Can we substitute? She says don't sub any ingredients or the recipes might not work. So the buy-in to test is $75 or so, and that's if you already have all the other specialty ingredients you'll need (like pricy flour blend or pricier ingredients to make your own). Plus you'll need several proofing containers for the fridge rise.
We know bread takes time; it's part of the mystique. But look at this: Mix one is your basic GF bread flour. You will use it to make secondary mixes. (Gotta have somewhere to store these lovelies, plus leftover individual ingredients) These are used to make dough that stays in the fridge for 1/2 to 5 days. This is the magic time, when it develops great flavor and you can use it at will with minimal wait. (Gotta have room in your fridge for these too! I really don't, though I love the idea.) You'll par-bake your loaves, then take them out of the pan and bake again on a rimmed sheet. Cool completely and buy a bread box or special bags to store it in. We all love bread, but this is now real WORK!! And a process to keep up with, and more storage containers and bags and space needed as we add steps.
I suppose if you are a stay-at-home blogger and author and all this is your job, it makes sense. For the rest of us it's just too much.
I am rating this cookbook 5 stars. It is more involved than her previous 2 cookbooks but just as straightforward and easy to follow. One thing that jumped out at me is that the recipes in this cookbooks take time. For those of us who use her previous cookbook Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, Quick and Easy: 100 Recipes for the Food You Love--Fast!that focused on quick and easy recipes that may be a shock. Good bread takes time. Many of the recipes in this cookbook are going to have a proofing time of 12 hours up to 5 days.
Another major difference with this cookbook is that she uses more than just a basic all purpose gluten free flour in most her recipes in this cookbook. She several different blends of flour: gluten free bread flour, high quality all-purpose gluten-free flour, make it simpler all purpose gluten free flour, basic gum-free gluten free flour, whole grain gluten free flour, and gluten free pastry flour. These seem easy to mix with just a couple of things added to your basic all purpose gluten free flour. Which flour blend you use depends on the recipe you are making. This was slightly disappointing to me because I could not jump right in and start making some of the recipes. I need to order a couple of things in order to make the bread flour. There are some recipes towards the back of the cookbook that do use a basic all purpose gluten free flour.
The cookbook is simple to follow with some photos. Each recipe does not have a photo but there are quite a few in the book. There are quite a few photos in the section of the book where she illustrates shaping the dough which I greatly appreciate.
Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread: Preview
Link
Please Wait...