Gluten-Free Bread, Crusty Boule

I have spent a lot of time over the past several years trying different bread recipes from cookbooks and blogs. Most of the bread I’ve run across is usually pretty dense and the consistency can be somewhat questionable. Of all my exploration, so far, this is the best gluten-free bread recipe I’ve found. The bread is still on the dense side, but the texture and taste are wonderful and for a moment you will think, “Wow, this can't be gluten-free bread!”

Gluten-Free Crusty Boule by Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Makes enough dough for at least four 1-lb loaves.

• 2 cups brown rice flour
• 1½ cups sorghum flour
• 3 cups tapioca starch (flour)
• 2 tbsp granulated yeast (I use Red Star Active Dry Yeast)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp xanthan gum
• 2⅔ cups lukewarm water
• 4 large eggs
• ⅓ cup neutral-flavored oil (I use olive oil and enjoy the taste it adds)
• 2 tbsp honey

1. Whisk together the flours, tapioca starch, yeast, salt, xanthan gum in a 5-quart heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle).
2. Combine the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl and gradually mix them with the dry ingredients, using a spoon, until all of the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Cover (not airtight, I usually throw a clean kitchen towel over the top) and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises, approximately 2 hours.
4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days. The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours.
5. On baking day, use wet hands to take out a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece of refrigerated dough. Quickly shape into a ball and just gently press it into a shape. You might need to wet your hands a little to prevent the dough from sticking and to create a smooth surface, but don’t use too much water as to make the dough soggy.
6. Allow the dough to rest, loosely covered with plastic, on a greased cookie sheet lined with parchment, for 90 minutes. (40 minutes if you are using fresh, unrefrigerated dough)
7. 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450˚F.
8. Just before baking, slash the loaf with ¼ inch deep parallel cuts, using a serrated knife.
9. Slide the loaf, on the baking sheet, into the oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm. Remove the parchment paper and baking sheet ⅔ of the way through the baking and place the loaf on the oven rack for the remaining bake time.
10. Allow to cool on a rack before slicing or eating.