peter reinhart’s gluten-free sprouted corn bread with teff

IAM A WHOLE-GRAIN PERSON from way back, so when master baker and multi-James Beard Award winner Peter Reinhart’s new book “Bread Revolution” arrived recently, no hard sell was required. Listen to my radio interview with the author about the revolution–how new, sprouted flours and ancient grains, plus flours made from beans and seeds, are changing things up in taste and nutrition–and read a transcript of our chat at this link.

Here, to accompany our interview, is a recipe from the book, for Gluten-Free Sprouted Corn Bread With Teff (and a chance to win the book at the end of the page).

gluten-free sprouted corn bread with teff from ‘bread revolution’

(makes 8 servings)

Teff is probably one of the most ancient grains. This tiny grain, about the size of a poppy seed, is a nutritional powerhouse, high in iron, calcium, and protein but containing no gluten. Teff is most closely associated with Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it’s the main flour used to make injera, the flat, sourdough-type bread used for scooping up wonderfully spicy dishes. I find the flavor of teff a little too strong to feature as the primary flour in a bread, but I enjoy blending it with other flours. While teff can be sprouted and used in sprout form, it’s difficult to dry sprouted teff and mill it into flour because it’s so small. Therefore, I use standard, nonsprouted teff flour in this delicious corn bread. All of that said, you can certainly substitute other ancient grains, as well as bean flours, for the teff in this recipe. One of my favorite variations is to replace the teff with sprouted lentil flour, which makes this bread the perfect accompaniment to hearty soups. One final note: Any of the varia­tions of the Sprouted Corn Bread recipe (page 117) will also work well with this recipe.

DOUGH

INGREDIENT	VOLUME		OUNCES		GRAMS		%
sprouted corn flour (or cornmeal)	2¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon		11.75		333		84
teff flour (or another ancient grain or bean flour)	½ cup		2.25		64		16
baking powder	4 teaspoons		0.72		20.5		5.2
baking soda	½ teaspoon		0.11		3		0.8
salt	1 teaspoon		0.25		7		1.8
sugar (or honey or agave nectar)	6 tablespoons (or 4½ tablespoons)		3		85		21
buttermilk	2½ cups		20		567		143
eggs, slightly beaten	2		3.5		99		25
unsalted butter, melted	2 tablespoons		1		28.5		7.2
bacon fat or melted unsalted butter	2 tablespoons		1		28.5		7.2
TOTAL		43.58		1,235.5		311.2

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar (if using honey or agave nectar, add it to the buttermilk in the next step). In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28.5 g) of melted butter, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir or whisk for about 1 minute to make a smooth, pourable batter.

1. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or 8-inch square baking pan (or a larger pan for a thinner corn bread) with either the bacon fat or the melted butter. Put the pan in the oven for about 2 minutes, until the bacon fat almost starts to smoke (or, if using butter, until it starts to brown). Remove the pan from the oven and pour in the batter, spreading it in an even layer.

1. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate and bake for 25 minutes longer, until the surface is firm and springy when poked in the center and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

1. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

(Reprinted with permission from “Bread Revolution: World-Class Baking With Sprouted and Whole Grains, Heirloom Flours & Fresh Techniques,” copyright Peter Reinhart; published by Ten Speed Press. Photos copyright Paige Green.)

 enter to win the book

I’LL BUY COPIES OF Peter Reinhart’s “Bread Revolution” for two lucky readers–one chosen from the comments below, and the other from the comments on the transcript and podcast page from our radio interview, at this link. To enter here, scroll to the box way at the bottom after the last comment, and tell us:

Cornbread, anyone? What’s your take on what is one of my favorite foods of all (which I always make in an old black skillet)? Any extra ingredients, or things you serve it with?

Winner will be chosen at random after entries close at midnight Sunday, December 14. Good luck to all. U.S. and Canada only.

Don’t forget: Double your chances to win by commenting on this other page, too.