Inexpensive White Sandwich Loaf with Sourdough

For a long time I was staying away from rice flour.  I couldn't get a good rise from it in my bread.  If you want a rice-free loaf, there are many on this blog!  In chatting with others on the Facebook page I admin, Gluten-free Sourdough Enthusiasts, I came to realize that what people want is something easy and inexpensive to make.  This recipe is my solution for that. It uses whole eggs instead of egg whites to prevent waste and save time. It has only three flours - white rice flour (Erawan brand is very inexpensive), brown rice sourdough discard, and tapioca starch. The sourdough discard can be subbed for just brown rice flour and water if you don't have a sourdough starter.

Rice flour comes in a lot of different types, and they all have important differences. Most rice flours milled in the USA and Europe are dry milled, which results in a coarser flour.  Rice flour from Asian grocery stores is usually wet milled. That makes for a much finer flour that has some better properties for baking, including a lighter crumb and more softness.  

Asian rice flour brands are also usually less expensive.  I was most recently able to find Erawan brand rice and tapioca flour for $1.19 per bag.  I estimate my cost on this loaf at $2.87 not including the yeast, salt, sugar, or water. 

As a bonus, this bread has become a household favorite!  This recipe is kid friendly too.

Here are some Amazon USA links that might be helpful:

I used this psyllium husk: Anthony's Whole Psyllium Husk

Anthony's Organic Brown Rice Flour

Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour

Replacement parts for Kitchenaid Stand Mixers

Quick, Easy, Cheap White Sandwich Loaf Recipe

Prep and first mix:10 min

Rest: 20

Second mix and shape: 5

Rise:1-2 hours

Bake: 45-55 min

Total: 1:15-2:15

First, mix the dry ingredients:

250g white rice flour

100g tapioca starch (or sub potato starch)

30g whole psyllium husk (or sub 25g psyllium powder)

8g salt

24g sugar

3g active dry yeast

When the dry ingredients are well combined, mix in the wet ingredients:

340g water, warm

2 eggs, room temperature

200g brown rice sourdough starter/discard (or sub 100g brown rice flour and 100g water)

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.  The batter may look pretty wet, this is okay.  Let it rest for 20 minutes so the psyllium husk can absorb the water and firm up the dough.

Prep your bread loaf pan by greasing it or spraying it with oil.  I have tested this recipe in a 4x4x8 inch (10x10x20 cm) pullman pan, a 4x4x9 inch (10x10x23 cm) pullman pan, and a small ceramic loaf pan about 4x4x9 inch.

After the 20 minute rest, mix the dough again for a minute or two until it softens up and becomes cohesive. Add:

12g apple cider vinegar (optional)

You have the option to shape the dough in a roll, similar to traditional sandwich bread, or simply pat down the dough in the pan.  For a loaf pan I recommend shaping the dough as that's the only method I've tested in that type of pan.

For shaping, pat the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a log about the length of your pan.  Gently place the loaf in the greased pan seam side down.

Or, simply turn the dough out into the greased pan and press it down until it's evenly distributed throughout the pan.

Let the dough rise for about an hour, sometimes two hours depending on temperature and other conditions.  Dough can rise anywhere from 50% to doubled before baking.

Preheat the oven to 400f/200c when you start seeing a good rise.  

Cover the bread for the first part of the bake. You can use the lid of the pullman pan, or if using a loaf pan you can cover loosely with foil to allow expansion or invert another loaf pan on top to cover.

Bake the bread covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for another 25-30 minutes or until the bread starts to sound hollow when tapped on the bottom and the top is a light golden brown. Don't over-cook the bread, as egg can become dry and brittle when over-cooked.

Turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack and let cool for at least half an hour before slicing so the crumb can set.

Enjoy some gluten-free sandwich bread!