Oat Flour Bread (Gluten/Rice/Soy/Nut Free)

As a newly diagnosed allergy sufferer, it has become my life's goal to find bread that is wheat/rice/soy/nut free that I can enjoy and that my family doesn't turn their nose up at.

I've been trying a lot of bread recipes and I'm hoping, even as the smell wafts through my house, that I have finally found it.

DRY MIX:
2 ½ cups Oat flour
½ cup Sorghum flour
½ cup Tapioca flour
1/4 cup millet flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
1 ½ teaspoon salt

YEAST PROOF MIX:
2 teaspoons sugar
½ cup lukewarm water (120-130 temp)
1 ½ tablespoons yeast granules

WET MIX:
¼ cup honey
¼ cup melted butter or veg oil
1 cups warm water or  warm milk
3 room temp eggs

I usually proof my yeast first. That way it's nice and frothy and awake before adding it to my ingredients. This just insures that I don't kill the yeast before it can do it's rising. To proof your yeast, add 2 teaspoons of sugar to water that is 120-130 temp. Usually I stick my thermometer into the water and allow it to get to about 135 before I add the sugar. Then I monitor it closely and add my yeast when its under 130. I then fill a small bowl with warm tap water and set the measuring cup with my rapidly growing yeast, inside it to help keep it warm while it froths.

While my yeast is proofing, I usually work on the flour. I make my own Oat Flour, which may or may not add to the success of my bread. I've made it with quick oats and old fashion and I can say I like the old fashion's texture better in the bread, but it's so close you could really use either. But, for this recipe, I used OF. I stick 2-3 cups of oats in a blender and whir until it's powder or flour. That is it. That is the secret to oat flour.

Mix all the dry ingredients in your bowl, and use another bowl to combine wet. If your using butter, make sure it isn't too hot before mixing in the eggs! Mix well. I then make a hole in my dry mix and pour in all wet ingredients including the yeast. I mix well until things look good. Note, the is not your average bread dough, it will be sticky. Very sticky and it won't look right to you traditional bread makers, but it's right. It just doesn't look right.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. It should rise nicely and look less sticky but don't let it fool you. Still a sticky mess. But you want to mix it up again and get the air out, the spoon into buttered loaf pan.

Allow the bread to rise again for another 30+ minutes then Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until your knife comes out clean. Don't be afraid of the dark brown crust, just make certain your bread is cooked through.

Cool and enjoy!

This recipe is KID APPROVED!

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT A BREAD PAN: Now, I made this bread in a very large metal bread pan and had issues with the crust getting too dark before the bread was cooked. So I bought a smaller glass bread pan and the results have been consistent and wonderful.