Cassava Gluten-Free Flax Bread

The benefits of cassava flour
go beyond its gluten-free
nature.
This versatile flour can
be used to bake cakes and
cookies and to make pasta,
noodles, and even alcohol. It
tastes as neutral as oat flour,
unlike Quinoa flour which is
definitely an acquired taste.

Today I tried Cassava flour for
the first time. It tastes as
neutral as oat flour. I had an
unopened bag of “Otto’s” cassava flour,  always
intending to try it. I found myself out of oat flour.
So I made my flaxseed bread machine recipe with
Cassava flour, but checked with Google about the
exchange.

Google advised:
Reduce each 2 cups of Oat flour in my original
recipe to 1 cup of Cassava flour, plus 1-1/4 cups
of Tapioca flour.

 If the batter is too thick to drop off the end of a
mixing spoon or spatula, Add 1/4 cup water, (then a
tbsp. of water a time) until it can drop off the end
of a spoon or spatula.

This recipe is based on my original Flaxseed bread.
Only this slight adjustment was needed to use Cassava
Flour instead of oat flour.

Instructions For Bread Machine:
Add eggs, water, Almond flour or milk powder, sugar,
oil, and vinegar to bread pan. In that order.

In a large bowl whisk flours, xanthan or guar gum, and
salt together thoroughly. Pour flour mixture into the bread
pan (on top of the liquids).

Make a well in the top of the flour mound.
Lastly, Pour the instant yeast into it from a teaspoon.
Select a one-rise or quick cycle. I use express
bake (for 58 minutes). Press start.

When the mixing pauses, (after about 8 minutes),
you can quickly remove the paddle and stir in any
ingredients that didn’t mix in from the sides of
the pan.

Ingredients:

In a large 4-cup bowl combine
3 large room temperature eggs, with
3 Tbs. olive oil or Coconut oil
Beat until foamy. An immersion (stick) blender is good.

Stir in ½ cup Almond Flour (a substitute for Milk Powder)

In a medium bowl Mix
½ cup ground flaxseed flour
3 Tbs. sugar, (coconut or raw) needed to activate yeast.
1 – 2  tbs. maple syrup or honey (If you prefer sweeter
bread)

In a small measuring cup, put
1 tsp. vinegar
1/3 cup warm *dairy-free milk
Add very warm water.to that (to the 1-cup line)

Pour all above items into bread pan
In a separate large bowl whisk
1 cup Cassava flour
1-1/4 cups tapioca or arrowroot flour
2-1/4 tsp. instant rapid rise yeast 
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp xanthan or guar gum) 

(Add on top of wet).
LAST Add 2¼ tsp instant yeast to a well on top of flour.

NOTE:
Gluten free breads rise only one time, unlike wheat
flour dough, which rises, then gets punched down
and kneaded and shaped, and rises again before going
into baking.

NOTE: It should be a dense batter, but not as thick
as dough. If it’s too thick to drop from a spoon, add
warm water 1/3 cup at a time, until it can drop.

To bake it in the oven.
Preheat oven to 350° Blend ingredients thoroughly for about
8 minutes, preferably in a stand mixer with dough hooks.

Pour into parchment lined loaf pan and bake
until toothpick comes out clean (about 60 – 90 minutes).
Check it when it appears brown enough. If it’s too brown and
not done, cover the bread with parchment paper. Check it at
10 to 15 minute intervals until an inserted toothpick in center
comes out clean.

After it’s cooled in the fridge, you can make up to 16 lovely
thin slices that can be toasted that don’t fall apart. It is so healthy
because it’s loaded with omega 3 from flaxseed.

I used ground golden flax seed
which gives it a delicious slightly nutty flavor and pleasing color.
(I grind the flaxseeds with a few pulses in my coffee grinder).
You can buy them already ground, but they stay fresh longer in
the fridge if ground as needed.

Oat flour vs cassava flour: Which is better? Oat flour is the
superior flour for baking because of its mild, slightly sweet taste
and soft texture that works well in baked goods such as cookies,
pancakes, and muffins.

However, cassava flour is much better for making gluten-free
tortilla wraps, pizza crusts, and bread because it provides more
structure. It’s not a 1/1 cup exchange for oat flour.

Cassava flour is is a great alternative to wheat flour if you’re
gluten free.
It is made from the cassava root, a plant native to South America
and Mexico. Cassava flour is richer in fiber, protein, and minerals
than wheat flour. It is a great source of antioxidants and may boost
immunity and gut and eye health.

After considering the differences between oat flour and cassava
flour, it’s clear that both flours are healthy alternatives to wheat. So, determining which is better comes down to what you’re making.

I’ve always stuck with oat flour since we became gluten free. It was
so readily available and inexpensive. Oat flour is needed for shabbos
because it is the only gluten free grain for a Hamotzi blessing. I had
no need to experiment.
If I ran out of it, I could grind my oats into flour to bake with it. All my
recipes turned out perfect using oat flour (or almond flour for variety).

I was amazed at the sweet lovely bread I got from Otto’s Cassava
flour. I haven’t tried other brands  of Cassava flour, but why should I?.