Salts Kitchen

Oh my word. The word is Tasty. Yum. Delightful. That’s 3 words. I’m okay with that. I made 2 versions of this Soda Bread by Blackbird Bakery. I rarely attempt to make bread because success rate of “amazing recipes” is so low. However, I’d heard good things about Blackbird’s Ms. Morgan so I gave it a whirl. And I’m glad.

I made it first to go with folks coming over for a pumpkin carving gathering (note to self: don’t carve pumpkins 2 weeks prior to Halloween or you will have a pile of compost on your front doorstep by the holiday). This first version I measured according to how I learned to measure when I was baking glutenfully. You know: scoop the flours with a scooper into the measuring cups, level it with a knife, never shake, never pack, etc. Ms. Morgan warns that the dough will be “sticky”, but I tell you what, this dough was down right liquidy. It still turned out deliciously, but I did end up dousing my hands in rice and tapioca flours over and over.

I made it a second time and did NOT measure as precisely. I mean, I measured and I leveled, but I scooped right into the measuring cup (using the measuring cup). I don’t know if this is generally the way of the gluten-less bakers, or if this is simply the way that THIS recipe worked, but this way actually ended up a little bit better (if that’s even possible) and was significantly easier to work with. This second loaf I also changed it up and made it a rosemary, walnut, gorgonzola bread. And some more yum.

Adapted from Blackbird Bakery Soda Bread

Olive Rosemary Bread

1 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon glutinous rice flour (I used mochiko after much research on rice flour versus sweet rice/glutinous rice)
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons sweet sorghum flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons potato starch
4 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons guar gum
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water

1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 400°F. Blackbird Bakery suggests a baking stone, but I don’t have one so I used a regular sheet pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the egg, buttermilk, and water and stir until very sticky. Allow the dough to rest for a couple of minutes.

Stir in the chopped olives and rosemary.

Lightly dust parchment paper with tapioca flour and/or rice flour and knead the dough for about a minute. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop the dough onto the paper. The first version was so tacky that I had to roll it on from parchment sheet to parchment sheet (it was also almost impossible to knead). Shape the bread with your hands. I like my bread crackle-y and misshapen.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Version one I also sprinkled with olive oil and sea salt right before baking. I used rice flour, tapioca starch, and bob’s red mill GF flour to knead. I like the salt touch!

The second version was gorgonzola, rosemary, walnut. The dough was sticky and tacky but easier to shape. I kneaded it right in the bowl with just tapioca starch. I sprinkled with tapioca before baking as the original version suggests.

You know how when you just know that you’re going to trip, you do? Or when you think about NOT dropping something, it comes crashing down? Hanging out with a firefighter one learns that the majority of calls firefighters in Austin respond to, is that of folks leaving something on the stove. I’m not sure I’d ever done that before. But since learning this? Yea, twice. I left lentils boiling on the stove and then went upstairs and forgot about them until I’d ruined my pot and smoked up the house. And this week I left butternut squash roasting in the oven. Is it kismet? Putting it out into the universe? Ugh, it’s like running into someone you don’t want to see when you look your absolute worst, when you least expect it, and you’re totally spaced out until you almost run them over or hit their truck (yes, this also happened recently). Is that always the way it goes? You don’t want it to happen, and that’s when it does. Isn’t there an expression for that?

Point is, The Firefighter went out on call after call like this and my reaction was usually, “seriously, how do you leave your house and forget there’s something on the stove or in the oven?” Apparently, once I said that, it had to happen. Luckily, nothing burned down, no one was harmed, and I didn’t return home to find firefighters in my house. I did make a delightful soup with some smokey squash though.

I made this version vegetarian so my roommates could share with me (you can easily make this with chicken stock instead for a little more flavor and protein). I had made a ton of pesto (again) and had a bunch of goat cheese and the combination ended up being fantastic.

Smokey Butternut Squash Soup
serves 8 (approximately)
2 medium butternut squash
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth + 3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 400. Slice the squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil on a cookie sheet and place squash, cut-side down, on sheet. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt all over squash. Roast in the oven for (and I’m approximating here because I left it without paying attention) 45 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and drain and reserve any liquid that has collected. Flip the squash over, turn the heat up to broil, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes (or so). Let cool on the pan until cool enough to handle. The skin should peel off easily.

While the squash is roasting, saute the onion, carrots, and bay leaves in 1 tablespoon olive oil over low-medium heat in a soup pot. When the onion is just about translucent, add the garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes over low heat.

Add the peeled squash to the pot, the reserved juice, and 4 cups of broth/water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and partially cover for about 15 minutes. The squash will start to fall apart. Remove the bay leaves, and add liquid if it starts to get a little dry (1/2 cup at a time).

Using a handheld blender or regular ol’ blender, blend all the ingredients. If it’s too thick, add water. Add salt and pepper to taste. The soup can be frozen for a couple of months or kept in the fridge for up to a week or 2. Each serving I heat up, I drop a dollop of cool goat cheese and pesto on top. Tasty stuff.