Soft and Fluffy Gluten-Free Rice Milk Bread

Ingredients

For the gluten-free rice milk bread

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 270 g milk (or water or plant-based milk) warmed to 110°F (plus a pinch of granulated sugar)
• 330 g rice flour
• 30 g glutinous rice flour
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil or melted unsalted butter
• pinch of salt or 1/4 teaspoon red or white miso
• 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (adjust to taste, add more for a sweeter bread)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

To make the gluten-free rice milk bread

1. Grease a loaf pan (Pullman loaf pan preferred) and set it aside for now.
2. In a bowl, mix together the warmed milk (or water or plant-based milk) with a pinch of salt and the active dry yeast. Allow the yeast to feast on the sugars, bloom, blossom, and fart to their nonexistent hearts’ content, a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or even a blender bowl, add the flours, oil or melted butter, salt or miso, condensed milk, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder, and yeast milk mixture. Mix until homogenous and smooth, resembling a thick pancake batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spray the top with water. Cover the top with either a damp lint-free towel or plastic wrap. Proof at warm room temperature or use the Proof function of your oven, for about an hour, until roughly doubled in size, jiggly, and cute. Every now and then you can spray the top of the dough with water.
5. About 20 minutes prior to baking, preheat the oven to about 375°F with a rack in the center. You know your oven best, if it runs hot, 350°F will do. Place a baking tray in the lower rack and fill the tray with about 1/4 inch of water. The steam from this water will keep your gf bread moist as it is baking.
6. Add about a teaspoon of milk or water to the top of the dough. You can gently smooth out the top a little with a clean wet finger. Bake the dough, uncovered, in the center rack, for about 35 minutes until the top is thoroughly golden brown. Sporadically check if the top of the spread and you can carefully spray the top with water, but not that because there is hot water in the oven, when you open the door, be careful and avoid the steam from hitting your face or hands. It has happened to me a few times and I’ve suffered first-degree burns from negligence, especially when baking with bain-marie or water, so you’ve been warned.
7. Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm! It’s so soft and delicious, and looks just like a gluten-ful milk bread from Japan!

Notes

• This dough should be wet and goopy. If you don’t have rice flour handy, you can soak about 350 g rice in water for a few hours, then drain it, and blend at high speed until pulverized and powdery.