LOW CARB GLUTEN FREE FRENCH BREAD

     Gluten free low carb could be considered an oxymoron.  Because most gluten free baked goods are made with combinations of white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour they are not a friend of your hips and waistline.  

     This variation on the previous recipe was made up at the request of a friend on a low carb diet.  As with a gluten free diet the thing that is missing with a low carb diet is bread!!!!  While you might have eliminated those carb cravings you will miss the texture and taste of well, lets face it, anything bread like.  

     I am not a fan of a classic low carb diet that is over loaded with fats and meat with a tiny amount of vegetables each day.  Even though there may be successful weight loss there is a cost health wise.  Much better to over load on really healthy carbs like raw vegetables and some fruits.  Going on a diet of just fruits and vegetables for a few weeks can make you not only healthy but thinner at the same time.  

     Being grain free though can be very beneficial when healing from celiac disease.  Because the colon suffers damage from gluten, it can take years to heal properly.  Even though the gluten free grains will not cause damage they may be difficult to digest.  Often people still feel unwell even after eliminating gluten.  Going completely grain free is a possible answer. 

     This  recipe will satisfy that desire for a bread texture without compromising a low carb approach to dieting.  Beans, nuts and seeds are not only high in protein but lend themselves well to gluten free baking.  That is a win win all around.       

     To make this alternative follow the ingredients in the Gluten Free French Bread recipe but substitute the tapioca and the rice flour for the three flours below but make sure to keep all the other ingredients especially the xanthan gum.

1 1/2 CUPS OF CHICK PEA FLOUR
1 CUP OF SUNFLOWER FLOUR
1/2 CUP OF ALMOND FLOUR

     Chick pea flour can be bought at the supermarket and is normally found with the other gluten free flours or online.  Bob's Red Mill makes it and it is labelled Garbanzo Bean Flour.
Sunflower seeds and almonds can be bought raw at the supermarket and then ground up in a coffee grinder.  It will look a bit like flax meal when ground up.  I use my high powered blender but most people do not own one of these.  The coffee grinder will take a bit longer because it is much smaller but will work.  Make sure you wipe it out before grinding your coffee beans.

     The dough will be heavier than the previous recipe.  Add a 1/4 cup of extra water to soften it a bit

     Reduce the cooking time to 35 minutes.  The crust is very dark almost burnt looking but it does not taste burnt.  I eliminated the melted butter on the risen dough before cooking but this was by accident.  It might make a different colored crust.  I added some grated extra sharp cheddar and freshly grated Parmesan to the top of the loaf before cooking.

     The end result is a little more substantial than the regular version but just as delicious.  Freshly grated Parmesan folded into the dough will be my next experiment. 

Enjoy and I know your waistline thanks me!