Pot Bake (sometimes called pot bread) is one of my childhood favorites. I remember my dad making it in an old cast iron pressure cooker on top of a kerosene oil stove. It was a slow and long process to cook this bake just right, but one worth the taste of hot pot bake and golden cream margarine. I have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Eating gluten makes me sick. So I avoid it at all costs. But I miss some of my favorite gluten filled things, like pot bakes. Luckily I am relentless in my pursuit to create gluten free recipes of my favorite Guyanese dishes. Don't have a gluten sensitivity, then try the traditional pot bake (bread) recipe here.
Caputo Gluten Free Flour
This is the flour I used to create magic in a cast iron dutch oven on my stove top. I haven't tried this recipe with any other flour. I learned about Caputo Gluten Free Flour from Jenny over at Good for You Gluten Free. A blog I enjoy for all of its insights into living a gluten free life. Check out Jenny's post on Caputo Gluten Free flour here. From her post I learned that this flour blend although 100% gluten free has wheat starch. The gluten is separated from the wheat starch making this flour blend gluten free. In her post she made pizza dough that looked amazing and of course gave me all sorts of ideas of Guyanese goodies I could make with this. So I had to try it for myself. Please note that if you have a wheat sensitivity this flour is not for you.
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Dough Perfection
For the first time since I've been experimenting with gluten free flour, my dough was workable and stretchy. Stretchy! It was stretchy! I kneaded it to make it smooth and it performed very similar to real deal all purpose flour. I was truly impressed at how easy every thing came together. Be warned that at first the dough may seem pasty and sticky but with a little dusting of flour it was easy to work with.
Perfect Crumb and Texture
If you've baked gluten free breads before you know getting the right crumb texture is always a struggle. However, I was blown away by how much this bread texture resembled and tasted like regular bread. It was soft, light and a little crumbly not dense and mealy like other gluten free flours that I've used in the past. This recipe made me happy beyond words and I hope you try this gluten free pot bake soon.
Best Pot for this recipe
I highly recommend a cast iron dutch oven or similar pot for this recipe. A thick pot with a tight seal is needed to mimic an oven and allow the bread to cook evenly. Here are a few of my favorite cast iron dutch ovens linked in my amazon affiliate shop.
- Amazon Basics Cast Iron dutch oven: A good sturdy pot at a reasonable price
- Bruntmor Preseasoned Cast Iron: This is perfect for if you decide to make your pot bake outside on a fire pit or your grill
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven: This high end beauty is a great investment. I've had mine for 10 years and it still looks brand new.
Best Heat Setting for the bread
I cooked my gluten free pot bake low and slow, but to give the gluten free dough a bit more color, I started off by bringing my cast iron dutch oven up to temperature on medium heat. Then I added the dough, cooked for 5 minutes then reduced the heat to the lowest possible setting and cooke don each side for 4o minutes. If you like your pot bake with a bit more crust you may increase the heat to medium when you flip the bread and cook fro 5 minutes, then reduce the heat and continue to cook for the remaining cooking time.
The Printable Gluten Free Recipe:
Printable Recipe Card
Gluten Free Pot Bake
Ingredients
- 2 cups of Caputo Gluten Free Flour plus extra for dusting surfaces
- 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast
- ¾ cup of warm water about 110 °F
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 tablespoon of oil like avocado or olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine warm water and sugar in a measuring cup or small bowl and mix together well until the sugar dissolves
- Then add the dry active yeast, mix together and set aside (allowing the yeast to bloom)
- While the yeast is blooming combine the Caputo gluten free flour and salt together in a mixing bowl and mix together well, then rub the butter into the flour and salt mixture
- Next, make a well in the center of the ingredients and add the bloomed yeast mixture
- Mix together well using a spoon or rubber spatula then turn onto a floured surface and knead into a smooth ball
- If the mixture is too sticky to work with, a dusting of flour over top of the mixture should make it less sticky
- Grease a medium sized bowl with about ½ tablespoon of oil, then add the dough ball to the bowl
- Pour the remaining oil over the dough ensuring the top is completely covered with oil, to prevent crusting then cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest from 1 ½ hours
- Preheat your dutch oven on medium heat and bring up to temperature. Then add a light dusting of flour
- Next knead the dough back into a small ball and add to the dutch oven or pot
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to the lowest possible heat and cook for 40 minutes
- Then flip the pot bake, increase the heat to medium, cook on medium for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to the lowest possible heat and cook for 40 additional minutes
- Finally, remove your pot bake from the dutch oven or pot, rub butter over the top, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 5 minutes
- Then cut your bakes into slices and enjoy with butter
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