Mesquita Bread, Gluten-Free from Portugal

Mesquita Bread, Gluten-Free Artisan Bread/Rolls from Portugal

Ok...so this isn't actually about Gluten-Free Travel.  But this is about a really great Gluten-Free bread or roll recipe from Portugal.  So that counts as travel right?

DRY INGREDIENTS

2  Cps Gluten Free Baking Flour Blend (extra for dusting)

½  Cp Potato Starch

½  Cp Tapioca Flour

1/3  Cp Cornstarch

½  Tbl Xanthan Gum

1 ½  Tsp Salt

3  Tbls Granulated Sugar

1  Tbl Active Dry Yeast

LIQUIDS

2 Large Eggs

4 Egg Whites

4 Tbls Oil

1 Tsp Cider Vinegar

1 ¼ Cps Water

BAKING DIRECTIONS

1. In a med sized bowl, measure all of the dry ingredients, except the Yeast.

2. Stir or whisk dry ingredients well.

3. Combine liquids in a separate bowl and mix or whisk well.

4 Warm liquids to about 120 Degrees, (20 to 30 seconds in Microwave)

BEFORE mixing the dry and wet ingredients together:

5. Lightly grease cookie sheet, use a Paper towel. Wipe off any excess.  If making bread then lightly oil loaf pan.

6. Coat a large cutting board or smooth surface with some additional Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Be generous, the dough is sticky to touch.  Skip this step when making the loaf of bread.

7. Sprinkle yeast over the top of the dry ingredients and pour liquid mixture over the top and mix with a wire whisk till it thickens, and then use a rubber spatula to finish folding it in 2-3 minutes until it is smooth. It will be soft and sticky to the touch.

8. With the spatula form the dough into a ball in the bowl you mixed it in using the spatula to slide the dough onto the floured smooth surface.

9. Sprinkle a generous amount of Gluten-Free Baking Flour on top of the dough ball.

10. Use some of the flour on your hands and push down, and smooth out the dough ball to about ½ to ¾ of an inch thick.  This does not need to be perfect and you do not want to handle the dough too much at this stage

11. Choose a glass or a plastic cup that has an opening about the size of the roll you want.

12. Use the glass or cup like a cookie cutter and press it into the dough, then place the cut outs on your oiled cookie sheet. Lightly cover the cookie sheet with Saran Wrap to prevent any drafts on the dough. Place cookie sheet in a warm area. Let rise until double in size,

13. Preheat oven to 375, remove plastic wrap from cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Rolls should be light brown on top surface and crusty when you tap on it.

14. Remove from oven and place rolls on a wire rack to cool.  Makes about a dozen depending on the size you choose.  Maybe only 11 if you can't resist a nice freshly baked roll with butter

TO MAKE BREAD:

1. Lightly oil a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan.

2. Scrape Dough ball into loaf pan, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and let rise to double in size. This takes about an hour. You do not need to coat the dough ball in flour for this method.

3. Pre heat oven to 375

4. Bake 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned and it should sound a little hollow when tapped on. If it is browning too fast then lightly place a piece of aluminum on the top.

5. Cool on a wire rack before slicing. Or at least cool enough that you do not burn yourself when eating it off the rack :-)

 CarolAnne Le Blanc

Gluten-Free Naturally: https://glutenfreeforlife1.blogspot.com

Gluten-Free Travel:  https://glutenfreeinflorida2.blogspot.com

FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/glutenfree.inflorida

Gluten-Free for Life is a section 501(c)3 charitable organization.

All gifts and donations are tax deductible in accordance with law

"A Copy of the Official Registration and Financial Information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state."  

1-800-Help-Fla (435-7352)  Www.Floridaconsumerhelp.Com

Vacation Rentals, Gluten-Free Safe

Vacation Rentals, Gluten-Free Safe

One of my favorite ways to travel or take a break is using Vacation Rentals. I always seem to travel with a troop…anywhere from 4 to 40 people…and we very seldom stay in hotels.  If we’re not on a Cruise Ship somewhere…we’re in one of these private homes.  From screened huts in Peru, to mobile homes in Florida, log cabins in Tennessee, thatched cottages in Ireland and even a castle in Scotland…Vacation Rentals are a great way to go!  They come in absolutely every size, shape and location you can imagine, from dirt cheap to as extravagant as you can dream, there are very few limits.

And the best part? My own kitchen!  Traveling Gluten-Free can be a real challenge at times and I love being able to prepare my own meals on occasion, on my own terms without worrying about someone else’s carelessness.  Yes, we do eat out when we travel.  But we also love to eat in as well.  I will admit travel with people who love food as much as I do really makes the trip so much more enjoyable.  And we all love to immerse ourselves in the local culture which means local food as well.

We have one rule when we travel…we never eat, shop, or explore anything we could do at home. That means when we shop for Gluten-Free food we stick to local as well.  And it’s a lot easier than you’d expect if you eat real food…fresh fruits, vegetables & proteins. I’ve also found that countries outside the U S are truly much more Gluten-Free safe than I had imagined.  I still use my Triumph Dining Cards all the time…even when grocery shopping and I can’t read the labels.  And yes, we were able to find a Gluten-Free Haggis in Scotland…but I won’t tell you what I thought about it, you’ll need to find out for yourself.

Generally, the kitchen in our Vacation Rentals have been pretty clean and neat.  There is NO maid service but they do have a cleaning crew go through the house from top to bottom before you move in and then again after you move out.  So the kitchens have never really been a problem for me.  The first thing we do upon arriving is inspect the house, find our bedrooms and begin making a note of items we’ll need to shop for.  Usually tops on the list is soaps & paper products for the kitchen, bath and laundry. 

I check out the kitchen.  Glass is my friend!  I love finding glass and ceramic dishes, glasses, cups, bowls and baking pans!  When in doubt…wash it out!  Plastic gets shoved to the back of the shelf…I don’t like using it.  Pots & pans take a ton of abuse so I inspect them closely.  Scratches, dents, unknown burnt bits…those get shoved to the back of the shelf as well.  If I have to, I’ll purchase my own trusty fry pan to use while I’m there and then simply leave it behind when I’m gone.  I absolutely dislike aluminum…but if needed I’ll sacrifice my dislike and purchase aluminum baking/roasting pans and foil…simply to protect myself.  I’ve also been known to convert the entire kitchen to disposables if absolutely nothing in the kitchen is safe to eat from.

Can this get expensive?  Perhaps.  But not so much when you consider my share of renting the house can be as little as $10.00 a night!  You probably won’t find any hotel that cheap…and if you do you might not want to walk outside alone. And if eating unsafe food puts me into a hospital in a foreign country…well, I don’t think that's very cost effective either.  So I consider the costs for my Gluten-Free safety and put those right into my travel budget too.  And since we all eat the same food we all share the food budget as well.

When we shop we like to stock the kitchen with only the basics.  Good simple things that can be converted easily into a tasty meal.  Here are some of the basics we shop for, you'll need to adjust according to your needs - Bacon, Broth, Butter, Chicken, Chips, Coffee, Creamer, Dish Soap, Dried Fruit, Eggs, Fresh Fruit, Fresh Vegetables, Garlic, Hamburger, Hand Soap, Juice, Milk, Nuts, Oil, Onions, Paper Towels, Pepper, Potatoes, Rice, Salt, Sausage, Tea, Toilet Paper, Trash Bags, Snack Bars, Sugar.

Breakfast foods…since we normally don’t leave the house without a good hearty breakfast first.  Snacks…don't forget stuff that’s not too tender and can easily be thrown into a backpack or purse for the day.  Drinks…I’m sorry, I don’t begin my day without my coffee.  Basics...salt, pepper, onions, garlic, oil, butter, etc.  We try to stay away from processed foods...UNLESS...we find something particular to the location that is clearly marked Gluten-Free. Normally, I don't eat that sort of thing at home, but on vacation or a break I love to indulge and try new things.

I never leave the house without eating breakfast first...and I always carry something with me for our day out.  Others may stop and eat whenever, wherever they want...for me it's not so easy so I make certain I'm prepared. Dinner is always a planned event, whether we shop and make it at the house, or find a restaurant in our travels where we can all stop and enjoy a great meal.

Oh...and if you were wondering...the pictures on this page are all Vacation Rentals we've used over the years :-)  They're easy enough to find if you can Google.  In the U S use the key words "Vacation Rental" and the location you're interested in.  Outside the U S use the key words "Self Catering" along with the country you want to search.

CarolAnne Le Blanc

Gluten-Free Naturally: https://glutenfreeforlife1.blogspot.com

Gluten-Free Travel:  https://glutenfreeinflorida2.blogspot.com

FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/glutenfree.inflorida

Gluten-Free for Life is a section 501(c)3 charitable organization.

All gifts and donations are tax deductible in accordance with law

"A Copy of the Official Registration and Financial Information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state."  

1-800-Help-Fla (435-7352)  Www.Floridaconsumerhelp.Com