Today we felt like getting our hands covered with flour, kneading and smelling the unmistakable, irresistible scent of warm, freshly baked bread. That fragrant smell that fills the house with goodness and makes you want to share and enjoy good food. The recipe we propose is that of a homemade Loaf with raisins and walnuts, perfect to accompany a few slices of Parma ham, in a contrast between sweetness and savouriness, but also delicious with some jam. If you prefer a wholemeal bread, try my Dark bread with flaxseeds.

Well, let’s knead!

Loaf with raisins and walnuts

47.78g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 350g flour mix for bread, brand Nutrifree**
  • 350g water
  • 70g flour mix for bread, brand Fibrepan Farmo**
  • 60g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 50g shelled walnuts
  • 30g raisins
  • 20g chia seeds* (to be soaked in 50g water)
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • 12g brewer’s yeast
  • extra virgin olive oil for the surface, rice flour* to form the bread

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Place the chia seeds in a container with 50g water and wait about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, so that a kind of mucilage forms. Meanwhile, place the remaining water and the crumbled yeast in a bowl or a food processor and stir for a few seconds to dissolve the yeast. Add the flours, chia mucilage, oil, walnuts and raisins, then knead until the mixture is smooth and firm.
  2. Dust a chopping board with rice flour and place the dough on it; again with the help of a dusting of flour, shape the mixture into a large cylinder and place it in an elongated bread basket or in a container that can hold the dough while it rises and give it the desired shape. Let rise for about 1.5 hours or until doubled in volume.
  3. Cover a baking tin with parchment paper, place the loaf of bread on it and brush the surface with olive oil. Bake in a convection oven preheated to 200°C for about 40 minutes.

filone-uvetta-noci-senza-glutine-ph-chiara-marando

Loaf with raisins and walnuts

Version with gluten of Loaf with raisins and walnuts

Replace the 420g of Nutrifree and Farmo flours with a standard bread flour of your choice and reduce the amount of water to about 270g.

Epiphany is coming and with it the end of the holiday season. Along with a stocking full of tempting sweets and games for the little ones, you can celebrate this anniversary with something really good and tasty: gluten-free Cabbage and spinach bread balls.

This dish is just what we need when we have some leftover bread, it is a typical peasant food that gives us simple yet extraordinary flavours. And peasant foods mean not only no-waste cuisine, but also easy-to-find and inexpensive ingredients, so you can’t wish for more!

For gluten free Cabbage and spinach bread balls you will just have to be a little patient when making the bread balls because the dough will be rather soft and sticky, but remember that when you eat them you will not regret the effort for a second!

Cabbage and spinach bread balls

carbohydrates 20.55g per 100g of cooked bread balls without seasoning

Ingredients for 9 bread balls

  • 150g stale bread** (I used this Mixed leavening bread)
  • 130g milk
  • 100g cooked spinach
  • 100g cabbage
  • 2 eggs
  • 40g multi-purpose flour mix, brand Maximum Zero**
  • 30g shredded cheese (I used pecorino romano cheese I had in the fridge)
  • 30g leek
  • 1 clove garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil, pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, butter, sage, salt and nutmeg to taste

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cut the stale bread into cubes and soak it in milk, turning it occasionally.
  2. In the meantime, sauté 1 clove of garlic and the chopped leek with a little oil in a non-stick pan, then add the thinly sliced cabbage and the cooked (or frozen) chopped spinach. Season with salt and pepper and cook. Remember to remove the garlic.
  3. Put the vegetables in a food processor, chop them well, then add the soaked bread and continue chopping for a few seconds to reduce the bread to small pieces. Add the eggs while stirring, the cheese cut into very small pieces and the flour to a fairly firm texture.
  4. Let the mixture rest for at least 15 minutes.
  5. Now form the bread balls.
  6. There are two ways to proceed: lightly grease your hands and form balls of about 5cm in diameter to be placed on a tray, or cut out squares of cling film, place a spoonful of the mixture on them and form the ball by closing the film. The second option is to freeze the dumplings, so it will be very easy to remove the foil when you decide to cook them by throwing them directly into boiling water.
  7. In a small saucepan, melt a piece of butter with a few leaves of sage.
  8. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, cook the dumplings in it for about 15 minutes, drain them with a slotted spoon.
  9. Season the bread balls with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of sage flavoured butter, then serve.
canederli-verza-e-spinaci-senza-glutine-ph-chiara-marando

Cabbage and spinach bread balls

Version with gluten of Cabbage and spinach bread balls

Replace gluten free bread with standard bread.