This particular recipe was adapted as a favor for one of our customers Andrea W. who always makes it for her family dinners on Friday nights. It is easy to work with and deliciously sweet. Please follow all instructions carefully for best results. For those who use this bread as part of their religious observance, tips and tricks follow the recipe to help with making the texture the best possible within limited parameters!

2 t. SAF Gold Yeast (It always worked better with the honey)
2/3 C. Water
3 Eggs + 1 Egg for the wash
1/3 C. Extra Light Olive Oil
1/3 C. Honey
1 1/2 t. Bread Salt
3 1/4 C. Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
Poppy or Sesame seeds

In the bowl of your stand mixer, with the flat paddle attachment, combine yeast, water and 1/4 c. flour, let sit for 20 minutes until nice and frothy. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs and salt. After the slurry is nice and frothy, mix in the egg/salt mixture, olive oil and honey until combined. Add 3 cups of flour (reserve the rest of the 1/4c flour for rolling) and mix at high speed of the mixer, using the paddle attachment for 4 minutes. The texture will resemble chocolate chip or other drop cookie dough. Place into a heavily oiled bowl and cover with a cloth in a warm place for 2 hours until doubled in size.

Use the remaining 1/4 c flour to lightly flour a rolling surface – Turn dough out to a floured surface and divide into 8 even pieces , taking care not to deflate the bread. Transfer 4 of the pieces to a cookie or baking sheet. Very gently roll each piece into a long rope – WARNING! This bread is very delicate (think fluffy play-dough) and WILL NOT STRETCH. You will need to do the braiding right on the cookie sheet for best results!! Braid 4 strands to make a loaf of challah. Repear to make two loaves of challah.

Cover with a damp napkin or tea towel and let rise 45 minutes to an hour. Prepare the egg wash. 1 egg and 1T of water. Place the risen challah in a 325 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes. After the initial oven spring, take out and glaze the challah with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Put back in the oven for 20-30 minutes until nice and brown and the challah sounds hollow when thumped. Cool on wire racks. Makes 2 medium 4 braid loaves.

Notes:
1) For higher rise this bread may be made in a variation as follows: use only 1 1/2 c flour for the first rise (dough will be closer to a batter). Keep the dough in the mixing bowl for first rise. Add the rest of flour, shape and continue as usual.

2) This bread was absolutely excellent immediately after baking and for at least 2-3 hours later. Like all gluten free bread, it does stiffen a bit on further cooling as the starches absorb the water. Therefore….

a) Be sure to make this bread as closely to sundown as possible without killing yourself with the stress!

b) If your particular halachic authority allows you to place bread on the blech or on the cholent pot or other pot on the blech, you will find, properly wrapped (put it in foil, but leave the end out), that it will stay fresh (very soft) longer…with the caveat that completely unwrapped it may dry out faster than usual!

c) Because of the low quantity of weight of flour and water listed in the recipe, no portion of this is required to be separated and burnt – however, if you would prefer to do so, I did triple the recipe with good results 

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Everybody deserves cheesecake – this dairy free version utilizes our own cultured macadamia nut cream cheese recipe and tastes remarkably like the real thing! If you have a nut allergy or just want to save time, you can feel free to sub in a commercially available soy cream cheese.

Ingredients
• 1 Recipe Graham Crackers, crushed to crumbs
• 2 tablespoons Earth balance or df margarine, melted
•
• 32 oz Macadamia Nut Cream Cheese or other commercial df version (4c) (recipe link follows)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup df milk substitute
• 1/2 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
• 1 1/2 cup Macadamia Nut Sour cream or commercial df version
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted df margarine or Earth Balance. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix Macadamia Nut cream cheese or other commercial version with sugar until smooth. Blend in df milk substitute, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Mixture will be thick. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

This cream cheese actually tastes like cream cheese, feels like it, and looks like it. The secret is in the probiotics.

Ingredients
4 cups Macadamia Nuts
water to cover
1-2 capsules cup vegan probiotic powder, any brand (the more you use, the quicker this cultures)

Preparation
Place mac nuts in blender. Cover with just enough water to come up to level with the nuts. Add the probiotic powder. Whir in the blender until absolutely smooth (this may take about 10 minutes, so make sure your blender doesn’t get too hot). The consistency should be like cold cream.

To culture as sour cream or yogurt: Place in a bowl and cover tightly. Put in a very warm place (Like your dehydrator or the radiator) for at least 24 hours (this time can be reduced by using more culture). Refrigerate.

To culture as cream cheese: Place in a mesh bag/cloth napkin and Twist until the bag is sealed. Place in a collander and put a weight on the top  (Naomi uses a saucer with a can of something as the weight) and put in a very warm place (Like your dehydrator or the radiator) for at least 24 hours (this time can be reduced by using more culture). Refrigerate.

Graham Crackers that taste like graham crackers! Smores, Cheesecake, and Sunday School Snacks are all on the table again.

1 c Better Batter Flour
2 tbsp teff flour
6 tbsp sorghum (milo) flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup water

In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the Better Batter flour, teff, sorghum, sugar, and salt.  In a separate bowl mix together oil, molasses, vanilla, and water until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined at the medium speed of your stand mixer. On a lightly floured surface of a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper), roll the dough  1/8 inch thick. Score into squares and prick each square about 6 times with a fork in the center.  Cook 350 12-14 min.

For Graham crumbs you can omit the scoring and pricking step and crumble or crush when cool.

These taste remarkably like the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits and are easy to make! ALWAYS check with the manufacturer of premixed spice blends like Old Bay to ensure that they’re safe – formulas can change without notice!

2 c Better Batter Pancake and Biscuit Mix

2/3 c Milk or Water (or df sub)

1/8 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 c finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese or Daiya brand df cheese sub

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together, until mixture resembles drop biscuit dough or cookie dough. Spoon by 1/2 c amounts onto a cookie sheet (makes about 6). Place in a preheated 400 degree oven, and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile make your topping.

Topping

4Tbsp Butter or Earth Balance Margarine

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/8 tsp Parsley

Melt all ingredients in a small bowl in microwave, about 10-20 seconds. Spoon or brush over biscuits when they emerge from oven.

Matzoh Balls are the European Jewish equivalent of dumplings in other cultures – matzoh crumbs bound with egg, salt, and fat form small balls of dough that expand when dropped into simmering chicken stock. There is always a rabid debate in the Poe house over which is preferable – heavy, chewy (ie ‘tough’) matzoh balls or light, airy (ie ‘fluff’) matzoh balls. We’re sure you have a preference, too, so we’ve included hints for attempting to produce the type of dumpling you’ll get – no guarantees, though – Matzoh balls have a life of their own!

Because matzoh balls suck up a LOT of broth and make the liquid cloudy, you’ll want to use two pots – one for the consumme or soup you plan to serve   as the liquid in the bowl, and one for the dumplings themselves. Traditionally you’d give one really nice sized matzoh ball per cup/bowl of soup but Naomi’s grandmother (always generous) always made enough to sneak a few extra to the hungry, impatient crew sitting at the kids’ end of the Pessah table.

Tradition calls for chicken stock and fat to be used in the balls and soup – feel free to use a rich beef or lamb and to sub in oil for the chicken fat (schmaltz), as you prefer.

This recipe makes enough to serve 12 people comfortably as part of a multi-course dinner or 3-4 people for a main soup entree.

DUMPLINGS

1/4 c (4 Tbsp) rendered chicken fat (melted), shortening (melted), or neutral vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten well, room temperature

1/4 c stock/broth (Traditionally Chicken. You can use other flavors of stock, homemade, gf store bought, or sub in plain salted water as last resort)

1- 2 tsp salt depending on taste

1 recipes Homemade Matzoh, crushed with a food processor into crumbs about the texture of coarse cornmeal, about 1 c total

96 oz stock ( Traditionally Chicken. You can use other flavors of stock, homemade, gf store bought, or sub in plain salted water as last resort)

(Either make soup on the side for serving or make double the quantity of broth above and add desired carrots etc to make into a one-pot soup. Broth will reduce and will be cloudy)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHEWY MATZOH BALLS

In a small mixing bowl, beat together fat or oil, eggs, stock and salt until well blended. Stir in matzoh meal, stirring well until the mixture resembles a slightly slimy porridge (mixture will thicken upon sitting). Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.

Bring Broth or water to a rolling boil. Remove matzoh mix from fridge and, using hands, break off sections about the size of a walnut (about 1.5 inches, or 1 oz in total). Roll well with oiled or wet hands to form balls, and drop into boiling broth/water.

Cover tightly and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, or until balls expand and begin to float (they may sink – especially if chewy!)

These may be made ahead of time and reheated for 5 minutes in fresh broth or soup for serving.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FLUFFY MATZOH BALLS

In a small mixing bowl, beat together fat or oil, eggs, stock and salt until well blended. Stir in matzoh meal, stirring well until the mixture resembles a slightly slimy porridge (mixture will thicken upon sitting). Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight.

Bring Broth or water to a rolling boil. Remove matzoh mix from fridge and, using hands, break off sections about the size of a walnut (about 1.5 inches, or 1 oz in total). Roll well with oiled or wet hands to form balls, and drop into boiling broth/water.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until balls expand and begin to float.

These may be made ahead of time and reheated for 5 minutes in fresh broth or soup for serving.

Matzoh – crispy thin wafers of unleavened bread – are the basis for many many favorite Passover recipes in Jewish culture. Gluten Free matzoh can be ruinously expensive to buy (and hard to come by!). This recipe can be used in traditional recipes calling for matzoh (such as matzoh brei), or ground to make matzoh balls etc., using your old family favorites.

Please note! This would not be an appropriate recipe to use if you keep very strict kosher-for-passover rules within your house, in which case you would want to buy something like this brand instead where available, but at Better Batter we understand there are many many levels of observance within Jewish culture.

For those from the “I’m sephardic at Passover time, so I can eat rice” to the “I’m Jew-ish [culturally/ethnically Jewish but non-observant religiously and/or converted to another religion]” ends of the spectrum, this recipe satisfies your need for matzoh affordably

While this recipe does use the traditional 18 minute method, if you’re not concerned with authenticity you can relax the time schedule a little

2 cups Better Batter Gluten Free Flour (8oz by weight)

1 cup +/- Water (this will vary and you may use up to 1/4 c oil instead if desired, in place of part of the water)

1 tsp kosher salt (optional, in a grinder is best!) plus any desired for sprinkling on top

Instructions

Gather equipment – to make this matzoh, timing is of the essence.

Note from Naomi:  If you want the matzoh to be made within 18 minutes, you’ve got to have ALL ingredients gathered and ready (see below to ensure you’ve got your mis en place in place )

• Broiler (fully heated)
• 3 Baking sheets
• Mixing Bowl or Kitchenaid Mixer
• Parchment Paper for Rolling and Transfering
• Rolling Pin
• knife or pizza cutter
• Fork (for pricking matzoh)
• Tongs for flipping matzoh
• Cooling Racks

To make this recipe, you will want your broiler to be preheated. If you are using an electric broiler you will want to raise your rack until it is as close as possible to the broiler – about 3 inches.

Working quickly, in your mixing bowl or mixer, blend together the Better Batter flour, water (and optional oil), and optional salt. The texture of the dough should resemble playdough – slightly tough and easy to manipulate. Working very quickly, break dough into 2oz portions (about the size of a large egg) and roll, on parchment paper, into ovals that are around 1/16th to 1/8 inch thick. If you’d like to to make square matzoh instead, feel free to divide dough into three portions and roll into large rectangles on parchment paper, until required thickness, and score quickly into squares.

Very quickly, working in straight lines, prick the dough all over with  the tines of the fork. For best results prick about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart. You can actually buy docking equipment to do this more evenly, but a fork is efficient if you’re not too picky about perfectly straight lines. Feel free to sprinkle with ground kosher salt if desired.

Immediately place the dough onto a place into the oven/broiler – you want the heat to be at least 550 degrees (most broilers are around 550 or 600 degrees), and you want to watch the dough carefully. The matzoh should take from 1 to 3 minutes to cook, with tiny bubbles forming (they always do) and browning quickly. As soon as you see the top of the matzoh take on a golden hue, quickly open the door, using tongs flip the matzoh and broil for another minute. Watch carefully – this can burn in an instant!

Immediately remove from oven – placing second cookie sheet in the oven while you turn the matzoh onto the cooling racks. Repeat again with the last cookie sheet.

To keep to the 18 minute rule you will find you will make this recipe many, many times (if you eat a lot of matzoh!). If timing is not of the essence, you can get away with double-triple-quadrupling the recipe and taking your time.

With practice

COST ANALYSIS We estimate this mix to cost you between $.47 and $1.14 per serving as of the date of this post, depending on whether you buy Better Batter flour and/or spices in bulk or already have on hand in the pantry.

1/2 cup Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp smoked paprika (regular will do, as well)
1 Tbsp  chili powder (mild or hot)
2 teaspoons ground red pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons onion powder (optional)
1/4 cup dried onion flakes (optional)
1 Tbsp garlic salt (optional)

Combine all ingredients and store in an air-tight container.
Notes: To make taco meat, brown 1 lb ground beef in skillet; drain. Add contents of seasoning mix and 3/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Kluski are a very thick, very dense egg noodle that is popular in the rural areas of Pennsylvania. Thicker than store bought egg noodles, these are meant to be cooked for relatively extended periods of time directly in the broth you plan to serve them with. Air drying time is essential to the texture, so plan ahead (this recipe makes a lot0!

3 c Flour
4 eggs
Water (varies, from 4 tbsp up to a cup)
1 tsp. salt

Sift Better Batter flour onto a board. Make a well in center. Place eggs, and salt in the well, and knead well, working ingredients into a dough. The dough will start very dry and ragged. Add water, 1 Tbsp at a time, into the dough, while kneading, until smooth, but fairly dense, allowing time between to allow water to absorb completely. Divide dough into 2 parts. Roll dough out on a floured board until about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into ribbons with a sharp knife or Kluski cutter.  Let dry at least an hour before cooking.

A big favorite at Fair Time (and with kids of all ages) these sweet, nutty corn dogs are just like you remember! Be sure to make them quickly after creating the batter, as it will continue to thicken on standing!!

oil for deep frying
2/3 cup Better Batter gltuenf ree flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten (you may omit and use 1/4 c extra milk or df milk)
2 cups buttermilk (you may sub in a non dairy milk and 2 tbsp vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 pounds hot dogs
1/4 c better batter flour for rolling

wooden sticks/ tall glass for dipping

Directions

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the Better Batter Flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in oil, until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix the egg or milk/df milk, buttermilk or df milk and vinegar, and baking soda. Add to the dry ingredients and quickly mx until everything is smooth and well blended.

Working very quickly, pat the hot dogs dry with paper towels, and roll in up to 1/4 c of additional Better Batter Flour, so that the batter will stick. Insert wooden skewersinto the ends. Pour enough batter to fill half a long, tall cup or glass. Dip the hot dogs in the batter in the glass one at a time, shaking off the excess and immediately deep fry a few at a time in the hot oil until they are as brown as you like them. Drain on paper towels or serve on paper plates.

A New Orleans Tradition involving sweet pastry and little toys, this cake is meant to be eaten as part of a party – hidden within is a small plastic baby, or some other (edible) bauble – the person who gets the baby (or orange slice/glacecherry/bean) has to host the next party and gets to be “King” of the party of the day!! It’s a fun way to celebrate the Easter season. Traditionally, this cake is sprinkled with colored sugars or decorated with nuts and glace cherries.

Pastry

2pck active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1/2 c warm water
2 1/4 c warm milk or df sub
2/3 c sugar
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 c soft butter or df margarine
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (preferably fresh)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
7 -8  c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
1 egg white, beaten with 2 Tbsp water OR 4 Tbsp milk (optional), for glazing dough

FILLING
1 c brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c finely chopped pecans
1/2 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
1/2 c raisins, craisins or dried sour cherries
1/2 c melted butter or dairy free margarine

In bowl of stand mixer, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, salt, egg, butter or margarine, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix in Better Batter flour. Turn on high speed of stand mixer and mix 3 minutes. If desired let rise 2 hours (step may be omitted). Dough will be very sticky (like cookie dough)!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, make filling. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, Better Batter Flour, raisins/craisins/cherries, and butter. Mix well until crumbly and uniform in appearance.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, turning to coat all sides with flour (this will help the dough be less sticky). Divide into two parts, and roll each part into a 10 x15 inch rectangle. Sprinkle each half evenly with half of the filling, and roll up starting from the wide end, like a jelly roll. Pinch seam to seal.

VERY gently and quickly place rolls on parchment paper coated cookie sheets and bring ends together to form rounds. With a very sharp knife make a slash up to 1/3 of the depth of the rings at equal intervals around the cake. Allow to rest for 45 minutes. Brush lightly with beaten egg white or milk (optional)

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Insert baby or other item deeply into one of the slits, to hide completely.

Decorate with a light glaze of equal parts confectioner’s sugar and water, and sprinkle with colored sugar, or glace cherries and pecans, if desired.

Serve fresh!

Amish friendship bread is a sweet hybrid between traditional quickbreads and a form of super-sweet sourdough yeast starter. While the original recipe calls for continually adding milk, flour, and sugar to a starter and then giving away the excess, we felt that gluten free flour is too expensive, even at bulk prices, to make this a practical and sustainable method.

Instead we have taken our Sourdough Starter as a base and have adjusted it so that the bread can be made batch-by-batch without having incredible amounts of excess to give away or pitch. No worries, though! The taste and texture is just as good as you remember it!

For those who would prefer to have a dairy free version, we have one available here.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8×4 inch baking pans and coat with sugar (instead of flour).

Make your starter:

2/3 c Sourdough Starter, at least 48 hours old

1/3 c white sugar

Mix together these ingredients – this forms your ’1c of friendship bread starter’. To this mixture add:

1 c oil

1/2 c milk (dairy free is okay to use too)

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Mix until smooth and well combined and then add:

2 tsp cinnamon

1 c sugar

2 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

1 1 /2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 5.1 oz box instant vanilla pudding (you may use other flavors, too)

1 c total of any or all of the following: chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, dried fruit

Beat well, until smooth and well blended – mixture will be sticky!

Pour into greased and sugared pans. Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown on top. Remove immediately from pan and let cool on a rack completely before slicing.

Amish friendship bread is a sweet hybrid between traditional quickbreads and a form of super-sweet sourdough yeast starter. While the original recipe calls for continually adding milk, flour, and sugar to a starter and then giving away the excess, we felt that gluten free flour is too expensive, even at bulk prices, to make this a practical and sustainable method.

Instead we have taken our Sourdough Starter as a base and have adjusted it so that the bread can be made batch-by-batch without having incredible amounts of excess to give away or pitch. In addition, we’ve removed the dairy element to ensure that casein free people can enjoy this bread, too.

No worries, though! The taste and texture is just as good as you remember it!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8×4 inch baking pans and coat with sugar (instead of flour).

Make your starter:

2/3 c Sourdough Starter, at least 48 hours old

1/3 c white sugar

Mix together these ingredients – this forms your ’1c of friendship bread starter’. To this mixture add:

2/3 c oil

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

1 c sugar

2 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat well, until smooth and well blended – mixture will be sticky! You may add up to 2 c total of any or all of the following: chopped nuts, raisins, dried fruit, chocolate chips.

Pour into greased and sugared pans. Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown on top. Remove immediately from pan and let cool on a rack completely before slicing.

This sourdough recipe contains no additional dry yeast but rather relies on the Sourdough Starter we provided for you earlier. While you’re only going to get a perfect SanFran Sourdough by making a loaf from the natural yeasts found only in that area of the country, this loaf has the same, traditional Characteristics of that bread – a crackling, chewy crust hides a fluffy, moist crumb, which will keep for about a week on the counter. The older your starter the better this bread will be!  Note: for a really proper sourdough texture, crust and appearance, you really MUST use either a well greased dutch oven (like a Le Crueset) or a stoneware bread cloche.

As with all homemade bread, your bread may need to be refreshed in the microwave or toaster after 48 hours.

4 c (1lb) Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

1 c Sourdough Starter

2 1/4 c lukewarm water

1 tsp salt

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the Better Batter Gluten Free Flour, Sourdough Starter, water and salt. Blend on high speed for 4 minutes, or until completely combined – the texture will be between the texture of a very soft cookie dough and a drop biscuit dough.

Grease a dutch oven or the bottom of a bread cloche and place the sourdough within the container. Using wet hands, smooth the dough until it completely fills  the bottom of the dutch oven or bread cloche. Taking wet hands create a divot between the edge of the pan and the dough that reaches all the way to the floor of the pan – this will have the effect of forcing the dough up into a more domed shape. Using wet hands, smooth the top again to create a domed appearance.

Take a very sharp, wet knife and creat a cross hatch design in the top of the dough, by cutting three 1/4 inch deep slashes across the top of the dough. Turn the pan 90 degrees and repeat.

Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with water and place in a warm place, covered, for 30 minutes to an hour, while you heat the oven.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. (make sure you cloche can withstand high heat!)

Cover the dutch oven or bread cloche with the lid and place into the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, or until the crust is very golden and the loaf sounds hollow when you rap it with your knuckles.

The interior of the bread should be around 200 degrees, if you’re so inclined to measure!

Remove immediately from the pan or cloche to a rack and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes but preferably until completely cool before slicing.

Amanda Martinez – one of our Facebook Friends – took advantage of our last Watcha Want Wednesday to ask for a Spudnut clone recipe. Now, we’d never heard of a Spudnut before, but a little research turned up not only the original recipe, but some awfully nice people. Chef Bari provided a recipe for original spudnuts that was blessed by one of the original owners’ daughter, and we found it  to be absolutely delicious!

Spudnuts are (for the uninitiated) a soft, springy, yeast-raised donut, made with potato flour which helps create a moist, slightly yellow interior. Rolled in sugar, these small gems are really addictive!

The original recipe can be found here. Main credit for this recipe really does belong to Chef Bari, since we merely modified the liquid in the recipe for yeast risen items and simplified the mixing/rising procedure for the home cook.  Please note that the picture we link to is also the property of Chef Bari.

Make sure to thank Chef Bari, if we were able to bring back some childhood memories!

2 c room temperature milk or dairy free substitute

3 Tablespoon butter or dairy free margarine, melted and cooled

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp salt

2 packages yeast (4 1/2 tsp)

1 large egg, room temperature

2 1/2 c Better Batter gluten free flour

1/2 c potato flour (note potato starch will NOT work here. Please ensure you use potato FLOUR!)

oil for frying

sugar for dipping

In the bowl of your stand mixer (Kitchenaid), combine the milk, butter, sugar, yeast, salt, and egg. With your paddle attachment, blend on low speed until well combined.  Add Better Batter gluten free flour, and potato flour.  Beat on high speed for 4 minutes, until dough comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl.

Dough will be slightly sticky/tacky and springy – sort of like a sticky playdough!  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for at least an hour (up to overnight at cool temperatures if desired, or up to an hour and a half at room temperature to 100 degrees)

Lightly flour a rolling surface, with about a tablespoon of extra gluten free flour. Roll surface of dough in the flour until the surface is no longer tacky.  Lightly flour the surface of the rolling area again and roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thick – dough will be springy.

Cut into 3 inch circles or squares – or be creative. You may use scraps to roll out more donuts, but do not re-flour. Allow to rest for an additional 15-30 minutes.

Heat oil to 350 degrees. These donuts are best deep fried but may be fried in oil of a depth of no less than 1/2 inch.  Fry donuts a few at a time – leaving at least 1/2 inch between them, until the bottom half is golden and slightly puffed – flip gently and continue to fry until the donut is completely golden and puffed – the donut should more than double in size.

Remove from oil to paper towel to drain for about 10 seconds, then roll in powdered sugar. Allow to cool completely on a rack to avoid a soggy interior.

Serve fresh.

These are one of the few waffle recipes that receive absolute approval from Naomi’s husband who considers, “It’s okay” as a compliment. These waffles rank as ‘very good’ according to him, and we agree! Soft, sweet, fragrant, and altogether lovely, these take less time to whip up than the time it takes to heat the waffle iron. We recommend a traditional waffle iron for these.

1 quart Real Sourdough Starter

4 tbsp butter or df margarine, melted

1 cup milk or df alternative

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 1/2 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

Heat a waffle iron to very high heat and grease well.

Place Real Sourdough Starter into a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, and mix until well combined – this will be a thick batter!

Greasing iron between every batch, place about 1/2 to 3/4 c of batter in the very center of the waffle iron and close the lid completely. As batter cooks it will rise and push lid up – let this happen!

Remove from iron when waffle stops steaming or when desired doneness is reached.

Remove to a platter to keep warm (we like a warm oven for this)

Serve with real maple syrup and more butter or df margarine.

We get asked all the time if you can make sourdough bread with Better Batter Gluten Free Flour – the quick answer is yes. The long answer is… yes, if you feed your sourdough starter regularly.   Our sourdough starter will work anywhere sourdough starter is called for in the millions of recipes on the web, but we’re also going to start providing recipes for you here, because we love you, and that’s just how we roll. Please follow the instructions below for easy starter that will be ready to use in about 2-3 days.

This recipe can also be used to substitute anywhere yeast is called for – just sub in 1/4 c starter for every pack (or 2 tsp) of yeast in a recipe and continue as usual…

4 c room temperature water

2 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

1 package active dry yeast

Combine all ingredients and place in a clean (preferably sterilized) glass gallon jar or very large glass bowl with lid. Please do not use a metal bowl (even stainless steel!) as this will affect the flavor of your starter and may be dangerous by leaching out heavy metals!

Your starter will be about the consistency of pancake batter – if it is too thick, add a little more water. The initial starter is thinner than it will eventually be, but it is important as the first step in the process to have this be thin.

Cover lightly with a lid and allow to ferment at room temperature for 24 hours – you want gas to be able to escape. You will now remove about 2 cups of the starter (you may use immediately in a bread recipe or other recipe, although it will not be very sour).

“Feed” your starter by adding:

1 c room temperature water

1 c Better Batter Gluten Free Flour

Allow to sit for an additional 24 hours.

At this point your starter should be very bubbly and smell something between yeasty and ‘winey’ – it may even smell of acetone. This is okay, and can be remedied by feeding every 12 hours instead of every 24 hours.

At this point you may begin using your starter, remembering to feed it at least every 24 hours. Alternatively you may put it, covered, in the fridge to keep it dormant, and then let it come up to room temperature and feed it before using.

You will always top your starter off (“feed” it) before using! Sometimes you will add equal parts water and Better batter – if it starts to get thicker than pancake batter you will switch the ratio to one part BB Flour and two parts water – the key is to keep this the texture of thick pancake batter!

Note: If your starter turns pink or gray, or develops spots of fuzzy mold on the surface, discard immediately!! This is a sign that the acid and bacterial balance in the starter has overwhelmed the yeast and you are in the danger zone for pathogens!! Don’t freak out, however,  if your starter smells like acetone, cheese, or wine/beer – these are all normal to sourdough starters and specific to your particular kitchen’s microenvironment.

Your sourdough will taste unique and distinct from every other one on earth – be proud of your artisinal product!!