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Amazing gluten-free Crispy wholemeal bread

Our needs are a constant challenge, especially when it comes to bread because gluten-free and wholemeal bread are hard to find on the market: so here is my favourite recipe for a crispy gluten-free wholemeal bread that will win you over immediately.

One ingredient I can no longer do without is chia seeds, in my case Salbachia, a type of light-coloured chia, which you will barely be able to make out in the finished dough, but which will give the inside of the bread a nice, even texture and prevent it from crumbling, as often happens in gluten-free bread.

If you really want an extraordinary result, bake the bread in a cast iron casserole dish, I use my inseparable Le Creuset: the crunching of the crust of the bread will be music to your ears!

If you have time to spare, also try the low-yeast version of the Crispbread casserole.

Crispy wholemeal bread

52.49g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 2 loaves

  • 700g water
  • 600g flour mix for bread, brand Nutrifree**
  • 240g wholemeal flour mix for bread, brand Nutrifree**
  • 60g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 60g buckwheat flour*
  • 40g light-coloured chia seeds* (soaked in 100g water)
  • 30g extra virgin olive oil
  • 25g brewer’s yeast
  • 10g salt
  • rice flour for dusting
  • oil for brushing (only for oven baking, without casserole)

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Put the chia seeds in a bowl and cover them with 100g water; stir them occasionally and after about 15 minutes a thick mucilage will have formed.
  2. Place all the flours in the bowl of a planetary mixer.
  3. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the 700g water and gradually add it to the flours in the planetary mixer while mixing at medium speed. Also add the chia mucilage and continue stirring. After 5 minutes, add the oil and salt and stir for another 5 minutes.
  4. Place the dough on a cutting board lightly dusted with rice flour and, with the help of a dusting of flour, flatten it slightly to form a kind of rectangle. Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Divide the dough in half, wrap it lightly to form a kind of cylinder and place it to rise in a slightly elongated bamboo bread basket. Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for at least 1.5 hours in a warm place. If you bake the bread directly in the oven and not in a casserole dish, I recommend dividing the dough into 4 loaves, which you can either let rise inside round leavening baskets or in a bowl lined with a lightly floured cloth napkin.
  6. If you bake the bread inside a casserole dish, place it in the oven and preheat to 230°C. When the oven has reached temperature, remove the casserole dish from the oven carefully, flip the bread into it, close it with the lid and bake for 45 minutes. After this time, remove the lid and leave in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
  7. If you bake the bread directly in the oven, preheat the convection oven to 200°C, turn the bread onto a baking tray covered with baking paper, brush the surface with extra virgin olive oil and bake for 45 minutes (the 4 loaves) or 1 hour (the 2 long loaves).
Le 4 pagnotte di pane integrale

The 4 wholemeal bread loaves

Version with gluten of Crispy wholemeal bread

Replace the Nutrifree bread flours with two wheat flours, and mix them with about 600g water.

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Bread loaf with sausage and asparagus

Are you in the mood for something tasty, fragrant and irresistible? Try this bread loaf with sausage and asparagus, perfect for a snack or to bring cheers to a meal.

You can also replace the asparagus with another seasonal vegetable, making sure to cook it lightly before inserting it into the bread, as baking it inside the dough may not be enough to get it perfectly cooked.

Use this dough also to make delicious gluten-free wholemeal rolls: they will be perfect for stuffing later or for scooping up the sauce in a meat dish, such as Gulash.

Bread loaf with sausage and asparagus

34g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for the dough

  • 420g flour mix for bread, brand Nutrifree**
  • 350g water
  • 60g buckwheat flour*
  • 40g extra virgin olive oil
  • 12g brewer’s yeast
  • flour for dusting
  • salt

Ingredients for stuffing

  • 250g sausage*
  • 200g fresh or frozen asparagus
  • 100g white wine
  • 70g caciotta-type cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds
  • Poppy seeds
  • lemon rind
  • chili
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Place the Nutrifree flour and buckwheat flour in a planetary mixer. Start mixing by pouring the water in which you have dissolved the brewer’s yeast. Mix for a few minutes, then add the extra virgin olive oil and continue mixing for at least 5 minutes at medium speed. Finally add salt, mix for another 2-3 minutes, then place the dough on a Teflon cutting board lightly dusted with rice flour and let it rest for the time needed to prepare the filling.
  2. Place the asparagus in a non-stick pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and cook.
  3. Crumble the sausage in a non-stick pan and brown it with the fennel seeds; deglaze with white wine and when it has evaporated, season with a grating of lemon zest and a pinch of chilli pepper; cook then remove from the heat.
  4. Roll out the bread dough to form a rectangle of approximately 45 x 25cm. Lay the asparagus in the centre of the rectangle forming a horizontal strip up to about 2cm from the side edges, cover with the sausage and top with the pieces of caciotta cheese. Fold the rectangle in a wallet shape over the filling and seal the ends.
  5. Brush the loaf with beaten egg, sprinkle with poppy seeds and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in volume.
  6. Bake in a convection oven preheated to 200°C for 50 minutes.

filone di pane con salsiccia e asparagi

Version with gluten of Bread loaf with sausage and asparagus

Replace the Nutrifree flour with an equal amount of wheat flour and reduce the amount of water to obtain a firm dough.

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Crispy bread in casserole

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Do you know the irresistible texture of bread baked in a wood-fired oven? When the crust, under the blade of the serrated knife, makes that unmistakable sound that already gives you a foretaste of the pleasure of the taste of bread? Crispy bread in casserole is a gift for the senses: it is for the sight, because the colour of the bread is just right golden; it is for the smell, because the fragrance has the irresistible fragrance of bread; it is for the taste, because in addition to the flavour, the crunchy texture of the crust and the softness of the crumb are simply perfect. And everything is gluten-free!

If we want to find some faults, well, we cannot deny that it requires a lot of resting time, even though we can easily knead it the day before and ‘forget’ it in the refrigerator, and moreover, baking it requires a little more energy than bread baked in the usual way. Yet, if you have a cast-iron casserole dish, my advice is to try it right away because it is a bread that has nothing to envy the products of the best bakers in our towns.

Crispy bread in casserole

46.55g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 500g water
  • 450g flour mix for bread, brand Nutrifree**
  • 50g buckwheat flour*
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • 5g brewer’s yeast
  • 5g salt
  • rice flour* for dusting and extra virgin olive oil for brushing

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water; place the Nutrifree mix and buckwheat flour in the planetary mixer and start mixing the flours together, then gradually add the water with the yeast while continuing to knead. After kneading for at least 5 minutes, add the salt and extra virgin olive oil and mix for a few more minutes. Transfer the dough into a bowl, brush with a little oil, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 15 hours.
  2. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a cutting board dusted with rice flour. Again using rice flour, fold the dough 5-6 times at least, then give it the round shape of a loaf and leave it to rise for about 2 hours covered with a cloth.
  3. Bring the oven to 230°C with a cast-iron casserole inside (I use my Le Creuset casserole) with a lid. When the oven has reached the set temperature, remove the casserole from the oven by placing it on a trivet because of the very high temperature. You can cut a cross on the surface of the loaf and drop it, literally, into the casserole to avoid burning yourself.
  4. Place the casserole in the oven closed with its lid and bake for 45 minutes.
  5. After this time, take out the casserole from the oven, open it with the help of an oven glove or potholders and turn the loaf upside down. Put the whole thing back in the oven and bake at 210°C for another 30 minutes.
  6. Remove the casserole from the oven and take out the bread; if you feel that the bread is still slightly heavy, place it in the oven without the container for another 10 minutes. Let it cool and enjoy it while listening to the sound of the crust under your teeth!

Version with gluten of Crispy bread in casserole

Replace the Nutrifree bread mix with wheat flour, but mix it with about 300g water.

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Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto

Why a Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto? For the memories and for my love of Spain and peppers.

The first time I heard about the Carmagnola pepper was a few years ago when my neighbour gave me a jar of pickled peppers prepared by her parents who used to travel to Piedmont every year in September to buy the raw material.

I have never forgotten those peppers: the bright colours, the sweet but firm flavour and the crunchy texture made me fall in love at first taste. It was that taste that prompted me to find out where this delicious fruit of the earth came from.

Carmagnola and its pepper

Its land of origin is precisely the Carmagnola area in Piedmont and there are various types (the one I tasted was the ‘Corno di bue’, perfect for preserves). The pepper arrived in this area at the beginning of the 20th century and today it represents a fundamental resource for agriculture and the local economy and is a foodstuff known and appreciated in Piedmont and Italy for its intense yellow or bright red colour, its aroma and its wholesomeness.

Every year, in early September, Carmagnola hosts the National Pepper Fair, the largest in Italy dedicated to an agricultural product, offering 10 days of gastronomic, cultural, artistic events, and creative and engaging experiences for all senses and all age groups. Well, this year the fair reaches an extremely important milestone, namely its 70th anniversary, which is being celebrated by collecting recipes that feature pepper as their star. This fresh and fragrant Gazpacho is my way of wishing long life to a product of the earth that often graces our table with its flavours, aromas and colours. All the best, then!

Try also this recipe with Carmagnola peppers: Chicken with peppers and goji berries.

Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto

12.58g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 500g yellow tomatoes
  • 3 peppers, 2 yellow and 1 red (approx. 270g when cooked and peeled)
  • 100g sandwich bread** or these Rustic loaves
  • 100g sliced Parma ham
  • 100g vegetable stock
  • basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • chilli, salt and pepper

** Ingredients specific for celiacs

Preparation of Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes

  1. Clean the peppers, cut them in half, remove the stalk, seeds and white filaments, then place them in the oven under the grill at 200°C until the skin is slightly dark. Seal the peppers in a paper bag and when they are cold, peel them and set them aside. Cut ¾ of the red pepper into strips and keep aside.
  2. Place the tomatoes, bread, stock and peeled peppers (except for the red pepper in strips) in a blender to obtain a cream; season with chilli, salt and pepper.
  3. Place the Parma ham in the microwave oven on medium power and short time, and repeat the operation until the ham is crispy.
  4. Prepare small bowls with the tomato gazpacho, pepper strips, crispy ham pieces, a few basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Il Gazpacho di pomodori gialli, peperoni e crudo croccante

The Gazpacho of yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto

Version with gluten of Gazpacho with yellow tomatoes, peppers and crispy prosciutto

For the version with gluten of the recipe, replace the gluten-free sandwich bread with conventional bread.

This recipe was submitted for the Contest ‘Carmagnola Pepper: 70 years in 70 recipes’

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Travelling to South America: Pao de queijo

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Pao de queijo or cheese bread is typical throughout South America, with some interesting regional variations that define its distinctiveness. The key element, however, is that it is prepared with naturally gluten free flours.

In many cases it is fried rather than baked, but it is always extremely rich and tasty, so much so that it can be eaten not only with other foods, but also on its own as a snack.

It is also extremely easy to prepare, so it can be a solution when we do not have the time to prepare a leavened bread. Another bread idea if you do not have time for leavening is this Yoghurt flat bread.

Pao de queijo

37.95g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 300g milk
  • 265g quinoa flour*
  • 150g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 130g rice oil
  • 80g wholemeal rice flour*
  • 60g rice starch*
  • 2 eggs
  • 5g salt

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

Preparation

  1. Put the milk, oil and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove the pan from the heat and add all the starch and flours to the liquids, stirring with a wooden spoon: the mixture will be firm leaving the saucepan sides clean.
  2. Let the mixture cool, then add one egg at a time and finally the grated Parmesan cheese. Finish mixing the ingredients well by placing the dough on a cutting board and, when it is perfectly homogeneous, form into small loaves about 4 cm in diameter. Place the balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a static oven preheated to 180°C for about 30 minutes.
  3. Cheese bread can be eaten warm or cold.
ricetta-senza-glutine-pao-de-queijo-uno-chef-per-gaia

Cheese bread ready for a snack

Version with gluten of Pao de queijo

The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

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Gluten-free olive buns

Bread represents the greatest challenge in the world of gluten free and the pleasure of variety of shapes and flavours is central to the experience. Olive buns are a moment of joy for us because they are one of my son Nicolò’s favourite breads and he loves them so much!

Olive buns are also perfect as a school snack or garden party, but they add a touch of flavour and colour to the bread basket that I love to put on the table whenever possible with as much variety as possible: white bread, dark bread seed bread, cheese bread and so on and so forth!

So, let’s knead!

Olive buns

43.5g carbohydrates per 100 g

Ingredients

  • 370g water
  • 250g pitted green and black olives
  • 220g flour mix for bread, brand Schär B**
  • 150g gluten-free flour, brand Revolution**
  • 150g flour mix for bread, brand Pedon Easyglut**
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • 12g brewer’s yeast
  • 5g salt
  • extra virgin olive oil to brush the surface
  • rice flour* for dusting

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

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

Preparation

  1. Place water and crumbled yeast in a bowl or food processor and stir for a few seconds to dissolve the yeast. Add all the flours, salt and oil, then knead until you have a homogeneous and firm mixture that can be rolled out with a rolling pin.
  2. Divide the mixture in half and roll out each half with the help of a little rice flour to form a rectangle about 40cm long and 25-30cm wide.
  3. Place the sliced green and black olives, slightly offset from the centre of the rectangle lengthwise. Cover the olives with the dough to form a roll.
  4. Cut the roll into pieces of about 10cm. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper, leaving them far enough apart to allow them to rise. Brush the surface with olive oil and leave to rise for at least 1 hour. Bake in a convection oven preheated to 200°C for 20 minutes.

panini-alle-olive-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Olive buns

Prepare the dough with 500g wheat flour and 250g water.

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Loaf with raisins and walnuts

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.

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Croutons with chickpea hummus and Prosciutto di Parma

The Parma Ham Festival ended a few days ago, but we can’t get enough of this traditional specialty. So, why not think of an appetising starter with the king of deli meats? Try these gluten-free Croutons with chickpea hummus and Prosciutto di Parma.

In this recipe, we have decided to combine ham with chickpea hummus, which, with its special texture, gives even more fullness to each bite. Hummus can be used for may more snack ideas, including as a dip for fresh vegetables for a special Pinzimonio. So why not try also this amazing pink hummus. Have fun giving your recipe a touch of colour.

Look at the ingredients for this very simple, quick and tasty recipe and let’s get ready to cook!

Gluten-free Croutons with chickpea hummus and Prosciutto di Parma

Chickpea hummus carbohydrates 10.33g per 100g

Mixed leavening bread carbohydrates 45g per 100g

Ingredients for hummus

  • 230g already cooked or canned chickpeas
  • 60g water
  • 40g lemon juice
  • 40g tahina (sesame seed cream)*
  • 30g extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Ingredients for gluten-free croutons

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

Preparation

  1. To prepare the hummus, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and even.
  2. Cut slices of Mixed leavening bread to the desired size. If you prefer a crunchier crouton, toast the slices in a toaster or in the oven.
  3. Spread the hummus on each slice and top with a slice of freshly sliced Prosciutto di Parma. Easy, isn’t it?

crostini-gluten-free-con hummus-di-ceci-e-prosciutto-di-parma-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Croutons with chickpea hummus and Parma ham

Replace the gluten free croutons with standard bread: hummus only contains naturally gluten free ingredients.

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Olive bread braid

But how pleasant is it to breathe in the aroma of freshly baked bread? It gives your home that extra touch of enveloping warmth that soothes. That we like bread a lot is a well-known fact by now, but today we have chosen to share with you an alternative and tasty version to be enjoyed slice by slice: Olive bread braid.

Ready to work? Also try Vegetable buns.

Olive bread braid

45.58g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 450g water
  • 450g flour mix for bread, brand Nutrifree**
  • 70g pitted olives
  • 50g buckwheat flour*
  • 20g extra virgin olive oil
  • 20g sprouted buckwheat flour* (optional)
  • 12g brewer’s yeast
  • 5g salt
  • oil to brush the surface, flour* for dusting the board

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the yeast in the water, add the water to the flours, in a bowl or a planetary mixer, and mix. Add the oil, salt and chopped olives and continue to knead until smooth and homogeneous. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour.

treccia-di-pane-alle-olive-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

  1. Divide it into three equal parts, form three cylinders and twist them together to form a braid. Place the braid on a baking tin covered with parchment paper and leave it to rise for about 1 hour or until nice and swollen.

treccia-di-pane-alle-olive-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

  1. Bake in a static oven preheated to 190°C for about 30 minutes.

treccia-di-pane-alle-olive-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

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Vegetable buns

Today the topic is leavened products and, more specifically, gluten-free Vegetable buns, so a tasty bread that can also be enjoyed on its own, because it is extremely tasty and pleasant.

The only downside: one bite leads to another!

Ready to get your hands in the dough to prepare some soft and fragrant Vegetable buns?
Let’s get started!

Vegetable buns

54.57g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 1 kg flour mix for bread and pizza, brand Molino Dallagiovanna**
  • 700g water
  • 175g mixed vegetables already sautéed (courgette, carrot, spring onion, pepper)
  • 25g chia seeds (soaked in 60 g water)
  • 12g brewer’s yeast
  • 10g salt
  • oil for brushing the surface, salt for vegetables, rice flour for dusting*

** Ingredients specific for celiacs

Preparation

  1. In a non-stick pan, cook a mixture of vegetables cut into strips or chunks, adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Brown.
  2. In a planetary mixer or bowl, mix all the ingredients for the bread, add the cooked vegetables and continue kneading to obtain an even mixture. Dust a cutting board with rice flour and put the dough on it; let it rest, i.e. pre-rise, for about 15-20 minutes.
  3. With the help of a metal scraper, form rectangular pieces of dough, place them on baking tins covered with parchment paper and let them rise for about 2 hours.
  4. When the rolls are nice and puffy and have doubled in volume, brush them with oil and bake them in a static oven preheated to 200°C for about 30 minutes.

panini-alle-verdure-senza-glutine-uno-chef-per-gaia

Version with gluten of Vegetable buns

Replace the gluten-free Molino Dallagiovanna flour with an equal amount of wheat flour and mix with 500g water.

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