Makes four 6-inch round loaves
THIS BREAD brings up a lot of memories for me. When I was fresh out of high school, I briefly attended college before realizing that acting school was where I needed to be full-time. I moved into Manhattan, enrolled in acting school, and started waiting tables on the graveyard shift—11 p.m. to 5 a.m.—to put myself through acting school, because money was tight. I had a dear friend whose family owned a French restaurant up the street from my very “cozy” 400-square-foot, fifth-floor walk-up. Whenever I had the chance, I would walk over to the restaurant when my friend was working. All the food was good, but my favorite thing to eat were these little rolls they served on the bread dish, along with freshly made butter. They were called pecan raisin rolls, and my friend would feed me these babies for free, day after day. She would even smuggle out bags of them, and I would take them home and eat them, one after the other; I was one happy camper. To me, the rolls were sustenance, but they also brought me happiness. Not only did they taste good, but they were from someone I cared about, and who cared that I was well fed. That meant a lot to me.
When I finally figured out, after many tries, how to re-create this beautiful little roll without the gluten, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. The taste took me back to the days in that tiny little apartment with the rolls from my friend that felt like all I could ever need. Now I share this special recipe with you, and I hope you enjoy it. I often use the bread for sandwiches, as well as French toast. It adds something extra special to anything it touches.
Note that this bread is essentially the same recipe as the Artisan Bread (here), except with the addition of the pecans and raisins. This recipe is similarly versatile. You can make it into larger rounds, smaller dinner-size rolls, or long thin baguettes. Or try all three versions—you’ll never get tired of this bread.
2 cups warm filtered water
⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons raw honey or real maple syrup
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dry active yeast
⅓ cup chia seeds
1½ cups room-temperature filtered water
2 cups millet flour
1½ cups sorghum flour
½ cup brown rice flour
1½ cups tapioca starch
1½ cups potato starch
1½ tablespoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon Himalayan salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water, olive oil, honey, vinegar, and yeast. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to let the yeast activate. In a separate small bowl, mix the chia seeds with the room-temperature water. Set aside for a few minutes.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flours, starches, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and chia seed mixture and whip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until everything is well combined and smooth. Fold in the pecans and raisins until fully incorporated.
Using your hands, scoop the dough into 4 portions and shape into rounds on the baking sheet. Using a knife, score the top of each loaf with an X. Bake for 40 minutes and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. When the bread reaches 200°F, it is done. If it’s not up to temperature, keep baking until you’ve reached 200°F; it is the best sign of doneness. Let cool completely before slicing.