Mealworm French Bread.. Gluten Free

I'm sitting here listening to Beethoven on headphones, wondering- where do I begin with this tutorial... I wonder if Beethoven ever ate bugs, intentionally. I wonder, would he have if given the option? Or would he have noticed if it were presented to him as an everyday staple such as bread?

My goal is to present this highly nutrient dense, protein source in a way that may be more palatable for the average person, who say, has never imagined intentionally ingesting a creature that is generally shoo'ed away in disgust.

Please refer to my " Insects for food Prep. 101" Instuctables for the basics on taking a live insect and preparing it to use in cooking.

Also refer to my " Mealworm Flour" Instructables to prepare mealworm flour for this recipe.

Assuming you ave taken the above steps, lets get started

• 110 grams Sorghum flour

• 100 grams Tapioca flour

• 110 grams Brown rice flour

• 80 grams Mealworm flour
• 1 Tablespoon whole baked Mealworms (Optional)
• 2 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1 package Active Dry Yeast (about 3/4 T)
• 3 extra large Egg Whites
• 1-1 1/3 cup warm Water (about 105 F)
• 2 Tablespoons/28 grams melted Unsalted Butter or 1 T Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Porcini ( you can soak it in a bit of olive oil for 1/2 an hour or use the Porcini grounds from my "Porcini Mushroom Clarified Butter/Ghee" instructables

You probably won't need to do this step until you put your dough to rise, but I just wanted to put it out there because there are some finicky ovens in the world.

Pre heat your oven to 420 F.

Everyone's oven is different. I had to set mine to 450 F then lower it to about 430 F to get the temperature right.

Also, have a baking ban full of hot water on the bottom rack of your oven. This is important in creating the best results; crunchy crust and moist center.

With gluten free baking especially, weighing out your flour is key to being successful.

In a mixer, place the four different flours, xanthan gum, cream of tartar and salt. Mix until combined.

Heat the water until it is between 100 and 108 degrees F. It sometimes helps to have a double bath system to keep the temperature within that range.

In a small heatproof bowl, add the water and dissolve the sugar in it.

Add and dissolve the yeast. You may have to wait up to 15 minutes for the yeast to foam (this means that it’s working. If you don't see the foam then it may not work and you'll have to try again)

Whip the egg whites very well, almost to the point that they form peaks. It may just be in my head, but I feel like it helps with the bread texture.

Be sure you are using a dough blade or extension for the next steps...

Add olive oil or butter, cider vinegar, re hydrated Porcini flakes, and egg whites to the dry ingredients.

Add yeast mixture and blend well.
Mix slowly to combine then turn mixer to high and mix for about 1 minutes

This step is totally optional and only if you are ready to dive in head first. The whole, crunchy mealworms are what I am referring to. They add great texture and are actually quite tasty, earthy and mushroomy.

With wet hands form the dough into two baguettes and place in a wide bowl. If this doesn't work for you, you can leave it in one mound and shape it later. I have used both techniques.

The best way to set your dough to rise is either in a dehydrator set at about 110 F.

OR

Microwave a wet towel, cover the bowl with said towel and stick it in the microwave (not on, just for the confined space) for 20 minutes. Don't peak.

French bread pans are awesome!! I'll just leave it at that and you can make your own opinions. If you don't have a french bread pan then lining a baking sheet with parchment paper will do.

With wet hands, shape the dough into two equal amounts in the form of baguettes (oblong).

Place them onto the French bread pan.

Slash the top of each loaf with a sharp knife.

I like to brush melted Porcini mushroom Ghee over the top but regular melted butter or olive oil will work just fine as well.

Bake for 30 minutes at 420 F

when done, take it out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

I enjoy ripping freshly baked pieces off and dipping into the Porcini ghee or spreading Camembert or Brie cheese on it. Yum!!!

Note: Gluten free bread is best fresh or toasted.

Thank you and enjoy