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Last Updated on December 17, 2023
There is a well known fact amongst Portlanders and that is “Summer doesn’t start until July 4th” and I am ready.
I am ready for seeing the sun fill up the sky with it happy light.
I am ready for the doves that beat box in the large cedar tree near my office window (have you ever noticed how doves sound like they’re rapping?).
I am ready for splashing in the pool and forgetting that summer is a finite amount of days and before I know it . . ugg. no . . I just won’t go there.
Anyhow. summer always makes me more adventurist in the kitchen and for weeks, I’ve had this nagging desire to create a true “bread” recipe and after attempt after attempt, I finally got this, well, almost right. This does use yeast which is something I am just starting to play around with.
The first bite of this paleo french bread transported me back to my big girl days where I would eat an entire loaf of french bread slathered in butter.
The flavor is spot on.
The outside is tough and crusty and the inside is soft, but it’s much chewier than a true “french bread”
When I started fussing with this recipe, I was shooting for a white bread so I put it in a large baking loaf pan and the taste turned out just like french bread.
Some tips:
- Use a serrated knife to cut this breads. It’s going to be slightly rough to cut through.
- Cut the bread into slices and let it dry out for 10 minutes before eating.
Paleo French Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Superfine Blanched Almond Flour
- 2 1/2 cups Tapioca Flour
- 1/2 cup Coconut Flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 packets Red Star Yeast
- 1/4 cup palm shortening
- 2 cups water
- 3 Tablespoons Honey
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, sea salt and yeast and with a spoon mix until well combined.
- In a medium pot over medium low heat add the palm shortening and let melt.
- Then add in the water and honey and warm until the temperature is between 120 to 130 degrees.
- Pour the water into the flour mixture and mix with a heat resistant spatula until a very soft dough forms. The dough will be very heavy and require a touch of elbow grease.
- Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
- Grease two loaf pans or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If you use loaf pans, halve the dough and set in each pan.
- If you use a baking sheet, place all the dough on the sheet and shape into a french bread loaf.
- Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place for one hour to raise again.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Set the bread in the oven and bake for 30 to 38 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cook in the pan/on the baking sheet.
- Slice the bread with a serrated knife and let "dry" for 5 minutes before eating.
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This looks yummy Kelly….I’m going to try it this week. I can’t wait.
I hope you like it Samantha!
Mine just became watery no dough. 🙁
I would keep adding more tapioca flour hun. I’m not sure why it was watery.
Hello! Could I fashion this into a couple or so French type of rolls? Wanna make French dips with leftover brisket
I would recommend keeping them small because they get pretty gooey in the center if they are too big. You could call them mini dips 🙂
Ok, so I *finally* got around to making this today, and the only substitution I made was I used butter in place of the shortening. It baked just as nice as described, crisp on the exterior, and soft and chewy in the center. I think. Had a slight after taste of white wine to me-which I think is actually the yeast in combo with the other ingredients(I haven’t made a loaf of bread in eons, and am eating largely low carb). BUT! This is *totally* as close to actual, wheat-filled french bread as I can get, and was quite nice with copious amounts of butter. I sincerely am looking forward to adding my own sugar free jam, and on another occasion, melting dark chocolate on top. Thank you so much for the recipe-plan on making the biscuits next!
Wow, now I’m going to have to try dark chocolate on top the next time I make this! So glad you enjoyed it Nat!
Hi Kelly. Do I have to add the honey? We really don’t like bread sweet. What does the honey do to the dough? Is it a mandatory ingredients? Thanks for answering. Want to bake that bread tomorrow.
You need sugar to feed the yeast hun.