Lindsay Kolasa

About a year or two ago, I started making these GF quick breads and roll them out in the way you see them above. Later, I started making a pizza crust with them. I’ve made spiced, currant rolls with this recipe — my GF version of a traditional, European soul cake. And, today, I made cinnamon rolls with the dough.

Like the post title says, it really is a versatile dough! As my friend Stacy (baker and professor) says of Loca Vivant Kitchen in Santa Barbara, CA — it’s all about psyllium husk.

And, it really is.

The psyllium husk creates something *like* gluten strands (and therefore a chance for air pockets in your bread. This means warm, chewy, yummy GF bread. The added benefit of psyllium husk is that it is healthy for your GI, a prebiotic (feeding healthy gut bacteria), packed with fiber, and moistening to your digestive tract (due to the mucilage that is created from the husk when water is added).

My friend Stacy (and her team) makes the most amazing GF sourdough breads…so I take a tip from her very seriously! And, while I haven’t started a GF flour sourdough starter in a couple of years…that’s my next step with this process. Currently, I’m making quick breads that are not soured…but I want to make this bread even more tasty and digestible by using a GF sourdough starter.

That will be the next thing I explore.

But, for now…let’s get into the GF Quick Bread…

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Here is the baseline recipe that you can adapt for savory and sweet things:

Versatile GF Quick Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix 1/3 cup psyllium husk with 2/3 cup water. Mix well. Stir in a splash of apple cider vinegar, a spoon full of honey, and 2 tbsp of sesame oil (or an oil of your choice). Mix well.

On top of this mixture, pour in 1 1/2 cup millet flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1/3 cup tapioca starch, 1 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Mix the dry ingredients lightly — just above the psyllium husk mass at the bottom of the bowl (don’t integrate with the psyllium husk mixture yet).

To this, add 1 cup of water. Mix ALL INGREDIENTS well with a wooden spoon. When moisture has been evenly distributed, put down your spoon and begin kneading your dough. Add a little flour if the dough is still too wet or sticky. Knead for about 3 min’s or so.

Form your dough into whatever shape loaves you want. I typically cut off some dough and then roll it a bit and then shape into a loaf.

Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min’s. I would err on the side of 30 min’s to make sure the inside of the loaves have cooked well. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

To make a pizza dough from this dough, simple roll out the dough and cook it for 10 min’s at 350 before adding ingredients. Then cook at 400 for about 20 min’s. I have a pizza stone that I cook my pizza on…but a baking sheet will still do the job!

To make (very low sugar) cinnamon rolls, roll out the same dough into a rectangle. Find a baking dish that is about 8 1/2″ x 6 3/4″ to bake your cinnamon rolls (I used my grandmother’s old corning ware). Grease that pan with an oil.

Cut 6 pieces lengthwise and then cut those in half. You should have 12 pieces of dough to roll up…

Take each piece of dough and spread some ghee (clarified butter) on the dough…then sprinkle a little powdered cinnamon…and then sprinkle some raisins…

Roll up each piece of dough and place inside the baking dish.

Place in 350 oven to cook for 30 min’s.

While the cinnamon rolls are cooking…mix equal parts coconut oil and coconut milk… You may have to warm this mixture a little to get the oil to melt. Add about 10-15 drops (start with 10 and taste that to see if you are satisfied) of liquid stevia and whisk until thick. This will be your tasty icing!