This is one great reason why my dad rocks.

My dad makes all the bread at my parents’ house.  He has been doing so since he was diagnosed with a wheat allergy and buying $6 loaves of bread became ridiculously expensive and because store bought gluten free bread is generally pretty terrible. He makes a great sandwich bread that uses popcorn – the original recipe is from Jules Gluten Free’s bread e-book and he has tweaked it to perfection. But this is not that recipe. This my friends is one of those “I died and went to heaven” tasting breads. The kind of bread that will make you forget that you are consuming a bread that is not made of wheat.

My mom made ricotta cheese from a cookbook that I bought her for Christmas (can you tell I come from a family of foodies?) and in the book was a very interesting sounding bread – English Muffin bread. It used the whey that is left behind in the cheese making process. Using Jules’ flour (and no, she doesn’t pay me to mention her flour, I just happen to like it) he baked several rounds of bread, each one tasting better and improving on the previous loaf’s taste.

This recipe is very different from the original – double the yeast, double the baking soda and the addition of apple cider vinegar to activate the baking soda. The result: a tender bread that has a slightly tart flavor – just like English muffins.

English Muffin Bread

(makes 2 loaves – from my dad & inspired by Canning for a New Generation)

• Cornmeal for pans and dusting bread
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• ¾ Cup Warm Water or Whey
• 2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
• 2 Cups Whole Milk or Whey
• 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Cider Vinegar
• 6 Cups Jules Gluten-Free Flour (or your favorite flour blend with 1 Tablespoon xantham gum)
• ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

[box]*If you make your own fresh cheese (such as Ricotta or Farmer’s) and do not want to waste the whey,you can use it in this recipe instead of the water and milk.[/box]

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 2 loaf pans (9 x 5) and dust bottoms and sides with cornmeal.

In a mixer bowl, combine the Sugar, Water and Yeast and let it sit for 10 minutes to proof.

Warm the Milk to lukewarm and stir in Salt until it dissolves. Combine the Yeast mixture with the Milk, Vinegar, half the Flour and Baking Soda until well blended. Mix in the remaining Flour and combine well. The dough will be sticky.

Divide the dough between the pans and smooth with a spatula. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Bread should double in size. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crust begins to brown. Remove from oven to coolfor 5 minutes then turn out loaves onto a rack. Wrap tightly to store. The recipe makes 2 loaves becausethe first one will be devoured while it is still warm.