I’ve been choosing raspberry bread for breakfast. My system rebels against so many packaged products now that it’s hard to find gluten-free bread that doesn’t cause a major, itchy rash. Itching makes it hard to sleep. It makes it harder to work. A rash means I have to alter my wardrobe. I just need to bake something.
Breakfast is hard. I used to eat unsweetened, homemade yogurt, raw almonds, and fresh berries. Now that fermented food is a problem for me, I’ve been looking for the best alternative. Muffins could be a good choice.
I didn’t want to mess with a muffin tin or measuring cups for that matter. I decided to dump some stuff in a bowl, throw it in a baking dish, and hope for the best.
Here’s what happened. I started with a large bowl and a small baking dish. After setting the oven to heat to 350°, I sprayed the baking dish with olive oil spray.
Then I started dumping things in the bowl – sweet potato flour, tapioca flour, almond flour, taro powder, baking powder, maple syrup, vanilla, ground cloves, salt, olive oil, eggs, and milk. I added a little hot water, stirred in some fresh raspberries. I baked it 30 minutes. It was quite tasty and satisfying.
I tried again with larger quantities of everything. I had used all of the sweet potato flour I had on hand. Sweet white sorghum flour or gluten-free oat flour could work instead. I could also use melted butter instead of oil, add some molasses, or honey. I dumped away and baked longer. The result has been my breakfast the past two days.
The bread has a dense crumb with a pleasant texture and flavor. I was thinking of calling it spoon bread, but the egg holds it together well enough to slice. I can even toast it.
The raspberries are such a treat to bite into. They’re bright and a little sweet, but also a little tangy. That contrasts with the cloves and taro in a nice way. I think this bread is a keeper.
Before it can become a Cooking2Thrive recipe, I’ll need to devise actual measurements, test the recipe, tweak it, and test again. There will be enough dirty dishes to more than make up for the dump and bake method I’ve used up to this point.
Measuring will bring more consistent results, but it’s good to remember cooking is an art as well as a science. Inevitable differences in heat, humidity, and ingredients will tell a trained eye that the batter may need an additional tablespoon of water. The observant nose will detect an insufficient amount of vanilla.
This bread started as me playing with ingredients in the hope of creating a breakfast food that wouldn’t make me itch. The trial was successful enough that I wanted more.
Your favorite dish may not be raspberry bread, but it may come from playing in the kitchen. Enjoy the process! Devour the rewards.