High-Fiber Gluten-Free Bread Recipe

The last gluten-free blog posting ended with me providing a "teaser" for today's new GF recipe, and the disclosure of my (not so) "secret ingredient"...

Here's the latest gluten-free recipe that Laura has created. This is a gluten-free and dairy-free high-fiber multi-grain bread recipe.

One of the primary challenges for those with Celiac Disease or otherwise leading a gluten-free and/or wheat-free lifestyle is getting enough fiber into one's diet. In traditional (gluten-containing) diets, high fiber almost always means high in wheat (whole wheat in particular, and perhaps oats). And, when baking without gluten, so many recipes tend to use flours that just don't offer much in the way of fiber or nutritional benefit (e.g., cornstarch, potato starch, white rice flour, and so on). As you would expect, those are mainly just starch and lack any fiber.

So, we tend to use quite a range of gluten-free grains and flours in our day to day recipes. Among them are some high-fiber ones, including Teff, Flax, and Amaranth. But, even those have their (baking) limitations since too much of any one will certainly contribute an overpowering (an likely undesirable) taste to the finished product. So, balance is key, as is exploring some other alternatives for obtaining gluten-free fiber content.

One of the options we have at our disposal, that seems to go rather unnoticed by many, is Inulin - in particular, the Chicory Root derived version of Inulin. This is a wonderful gluten-free ingredient that can be used in so many recipes because of it's properties: it is a fine powder with low sugar and low calorie content, has very little taste of its own, dissolves easily in fluids, and all while having a very high fiber content. To give you a feel for how high fiber Inulin is, a mere teaspoon of Inulin has 2 full grams of dietary fiber! It makes a great alternative to something like BeneFiber (tm) - which is simply Wheat Dextrin (which, amazingly is considered gluten-free).

We acquire our Inulin (chicory type) powder at Trader Joes. It comes in an 8-ounce container, and is sold in the vitamins/diet/supplements section. I haven't looked for it at very many other retail locations, but I have seen it also on various web-stores. They charge $5.99 per container, but don't worry - it goes a long way (there are 90 teaspoon-sized servings per container).

So, the latest gluten-free recipe for high-fiber bread relies on this choice ingredient, in addition to the flax and millet and teff, etc. It adds a substantial fiber-boost to the bread, and the bread remains wonderfully soft and spongy in texture, while having a nice mellow and delightful flavor. This bread is a winner! It tastes as great as it looks too! The only thing I wish it (and other homemade GF breads) would do is hold up better -- since, without any preservatives to maintain freshness an moisture, it will dry out quickly and is definitely best served fresh and eaten the first day.

Fiber Content Contribution (per loaf / recipe) by Ingredient:

• Inulin: 24g
• Millet: 6g
• Teff: 4g
• Flax: 8g
• Xanthan Gum: 12g

TOTAL: 54g Fiber per loaf, or, nearly 3-grams per 1/2" slice.

This makes our gluten-free high-fiber bread as high, or higher, than many commercial whole grain breads like Brownberry Classics Oat/Nut whole grain, and many other whole-grain wheat breads, all while being gluten-free!

As with our other breads, I'm sure you could always freeze part of the dough (prior to allowing it to fully rise) and retrieve it from the freezer at a later date for baking. This is helpful if you are just cooking for one or two and can't finish a loaf in a day. Also, you can certainly reduce the batch-size by half if desired.

You also will not have to worry about "non gluten-free types" not appreciating this bread: it has been well received by all who have tried it, whether they were on a gluten-free diet or not. We rather certain you will enjoy it also!

Here's another link to the Gluten-Free High-Fiber Bread Recipe.