Since I went (mostly) gluten free about two months ago, the one thing I found myself craving the most was bread. But, ever since I was told that bread or any gluten containing product act like glass in my stomach, I have been on a mission to find tummy friendly varieties that taste delicious and most importantly, doesn’t harm my stomach lining. In this week’s collaboration with Organic Touch, I will be sharing my favorite bread pre-mix from the store as well as the most delicious and perhaps healthiest coffee to go alongside it (Healthy coffee? SIGN ME UP!!!)
If you are new to trying gluten free baked goods, more particularly bread, then it would help to know that the gluten-free variants are super crumbly and more often than not, break away when you slice them. Gluten free bread is also super expensive but it works out well if you, like me, eat about 2 slices a day. What I liked the most about this particular brand was that it lasted quite long and never got dry or mouldy. I only put it in the fridge after about 5 days which helped to prolong the freshness. Another great thing about this brand is that it is perhaps the easiest thing to make – you simply empty the contents of the bag into a big mixing bowl, add 475ml water and bake.
As with most other gluten free breads, the Health Connection premix gives a very crumbly but delicious texture, especially when you top it with a generous spread of room temperature coconut oil. What I did find in the middle of my baking process was that the top of the loaf burns really easily and the best way to prevent this would be to loosely cover the bread with foil after 25 minutes of baking. In this way, you allow it enough time to rise as opposed to covering it with foil in the beginning, constricting the process. I also found that the ‘required’ baking time on the bag was way too long and, if you have a oven with a fan, then 35-40 minutes should be over enough time. What I also particularly enjoyed about this product is that you can add some flaxseeds to the mixture if you want to make a brown loaf.
Served alongside two generous slices of gluten-free bread is a deliciously brewed cup of Moonbeam Superfood Coffee (pictured above) which I also picked up at Organic Touch. While it is really pricy (R21 for 14g), it’s packed full of amazing ingredients such as Fairtrade coffee, wildcrafted chaga mushrooms, lucuma (for sweetness) maca, aptogens for balance, happiness and health and some raw cacao, turmeric and cinnamon. All of these ingredients delicately combined gives you a superfood coffee that targets inflammation, boosts energy levels and performance and assists to improve focus. It is vegan friendly, paleo, sugar-free, gluten-free and non GMO which makes it the perfect morning cuppa when you have a busy day ahead.
While the taste is quite odd in the beginning, you can’t taste the turmeric which for me, is an added bonus. I also found that I needed to take less than my usual amount of sugar (which I am slowly cutting out) and that it gives you a really good kick without the mid-morning slump. If I would have to describe the taste then the best I could say is that it tastes like organic coffee with some cinnamon (and a bit of a weird aftertaste which disappears soon enough).
So, if you would try your hand in making some super easy and delicious gluten-free bread, then be sure to pop into Organic Touch and pick up a bag for R57 (they are kept in the fridge).
X
Fatima
