Challenge #8: The Gluten Free French Baguette

Bread is a huge source of contention for most people avoiding gluten!!

I for one was so determined to find a bread that I liked. Didn’t really

find it in the stores, even though we have a lot to choose from. I was

really starting to think that there just wasn’t any good gluten free

bread...until one day I made the perfect loaf. Crisp on the outside,

soft and tender on the inside. Not crumbly and dense and just plain

gross!! I was so excited! Could I do it again...yes, the perfect

combination of a good recipe and some tricks up my baker’s sleeve.

Then I decided I would try for a baguette type of bread. I made a

couple that were ok. But, I was still in search of the holy grail of bread.

Here is my adventure...

Challenge #8: Gluten Free French Baguette

Goal: Simple: make a bread that tastes good,

but also has the texture of “real” bread. Crisp on

the outside, soft and tender on the inside.

Result: Start the Hallelujah Chorus!!!!! I have

made the perfect, yummy, Holy Grail of bread

people!!! I actually made it because my daughter

had an evening game and we needed something for

a picnic dinner. I thought I’d make some “baguette”

style bread to make yummy sub sandwiches. I had

never tried this recipe before, so I was a little

nervous. But, boy was it delicious!!! Since I literally

made it and used it right before her game, I didn’t

get a chance to take a picture...so I had to make it

again. But, first of all it was delish and I didn’t mind

eating it again, second, I wanted to see if I could

duplicate it. I don’t know what it is about me, but

sometimes I make a recipe for the first time and it

comes out divine, and then I try making it a second

time and it flops. Not sure what that’s about...but

this one worked!!!

As far as the recipe goes...Bette Hagman is the Bomb

when it comes to bread recipes!!!! I have not found

better recipes than her’s...and believe me I’ve tried

them all!!!! I do have a few little secrets to my

success, but if you are looking to make great, baked,

gluten free recipes, Bette is the one to go to!!! Enough talking.

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Challenge #7: Gluten Free Pancakes

Every time I would try to make pancakes, they would turn out

gummy or super thin and tough. Couldn’t get it right. And then

my dad...who’s a great cook...started making them and they

were awesome. Well, I can’t rely on my dad to make pancakes

every Saturday for us...so I needed to do it all on my own. I

used the same recipe as my dad (Bette Hagman’s buttermilk/

buckwheat pancakes) Well, I realized one thing I wasn’t doing

in all the other recipes that was the problem...whipped egg

whites. And I love the flavor of the buckwheat flour!!!

Challenge #6: Gluten Free Pancakes

Goal: Fluffy, light, yummy pancakes for

Saturday mornings

Results: Yay!!! This is the second time I’ve

make these this way and I’m never going back!!!

They turned out exactly the way I wanted them too

and everybody loved them. mmmmmm...I wanna

make some right now :) And as you can see I did

something a little different with the wet ingredients.

Instead of dirtying another big bowl...I took a large

canning jar and shook ‘em up!! It worked great and

I only had a little jar to clean when I was done. And

I didn’t dirty a spoon mixing it up. Easy peasy!!!

Challenge #6: Gluten Free Scones

I have been on a quest to make the perfect scone. I know

for most of you this is probably not the most exciting thing

in the world, but for me...love scones. One of my favorite

baked goods!!! And going gluten free, as you know by now,

poses a challenge for those of us who love baked goods.

Well, I was determined to get the scone right. I found one

recipe that was pretty close, but just not quite the right texture.

So here is what happened during this challenge.

Challenge #6: Gluten Free Scones

Goal: To perfect the gluten free scone!!!

Results: I am extremely happy to announce I perfected

the gluten free scone!!!! I did try another the day before, but

I don’t have any pictures because I didn’t have my camera

near. But, that recipe was no good!! So, I was pretty discouraged

the other day. I thought maybe the recipe I was currently using

was as good as it was going to get. But, I decided to try one

last time for a recipe online. So, I start really reading the recipe

and realized that this one wasn’t gluten free and the there was

a link to the gluten free version. This made me very skeptical,

but the picture for the gluten free ones still looked pretty good.

So, I decided to give it a go. Hallelujah!!! Angels were singing,

a light from heaven was shining down on the those beautiful

scones! I knew after just 5 minutes in the oven that these were

going to be a lot better than the ones before, but I really needed

to tear one apart and eat it.

They tasted great, the texture was perfect, and they were even

perfect the next day. Here’s what they looked like...and Hannah

and Kenzie loved them!! I’m having to ration them out.