September 2nd, 2009

Cheese(y) Bread

U.G.F.O.

I must confess. I don’t really know what this is. It’s similar to gougère, but not quite. It’s an Unidentified Gluten Free Object. And it’s damn tasty. You should make it, and then you should eat it. And it’s got tons of garlic in it, so it’ll keep all sorts of ghosts and goblins away, which is nice. All the ingredients are ones you already have on hand, and it’s a snap to make.

You can serve this as a light dinner, with a tomato ragout perhaps, or as a delicious breakfast with sausage or bacon. Or you could just stuff it into your mouth right quick and deny it ever existed. Hypothetically speaking.

Cheese(y) Bread
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups milk (any kind, except nonfat)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill GF all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
6 large eggs, lightly beaten and chilled
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced & pressed into a paste with the flat of the knife
1 1/4 cups grated cheese (any kind will do)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a soufflé pan, or a 9″ pie plate and set it aside.

2. In a large saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt and pepper, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the mixture boils. Turn off the heat. Pour the flour and xanthan gum in the saucepan and stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes (no breaks) until the mixture comes together and there forms a film on the bottom of the saucepan. Allow the mixture cool for about 10-15 minutes (you can ignore this step if you’re too tight on time; I won’t tell). Once you can touch the pan without yelping in pain, add the eggs, a bit at a time, and whisk until the egg is completely incorporated into the dough. Add the garlic and whisk/stir to combine fully. Blend in the cheese.

3. Scrape the dough from the saucepan and place in the prepared soufflé dish or pie plate. Bake in the preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, and then turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake for another 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Once during the second baking cycle, pop the oven very quickly and mark an “X” in the center of the dough with a very sharp knife to allow some steam to escape.

4. Serve this at room temperature (or hot or cold for that matter). It won’t last. Mark my words.

Warmly,
Nicole

 Posted In : GF Blue Plate Specials (Recipes)
  Posted By : Nicole