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You will love the simplicity and ease of this Gluten-Free Rice Flour Bread recipe, and you will want to make it again and again.

Satisfy Cravings With This Gluten-Free Rice Flour Bread
There’s nothing better than pulling fresh bread out of the oven. If you’re sensitive to gluten, finding recipes can be tricky. Look no further with this gluten-free rice flour bread recipe.
It has a dense yet soft texture, an excellent flavor, and a nice crisp crust. However, just like any all-natural gluten-free bread recipes, you may find it not as airy as most regular yeast bread made with white flour.
Our New Found Love
This rice bread is our newfound love. It took me many attempts to get here, but it’s all worth it because it has become our family staple. 
Whether you have gluten sensitivity or want to avoid wheat in your diet, this gluten-free rice flour bread recipe will soon be your to-go!
This recipe is wheat-free, xanthan gum-free, and free from other allergens that are usually added to gluten-free bread. It is made with simple ingredients like white rice flour and apple cider vinegar; one may be surprised to find out this bread delivers the same cozy satisfaction as any other.
Make sure to keep reading below for the recipe and much-needed details. 

The Deal on Rice Flour
On your hunt for gluten-free recipes, you’ve seen several rice flour recipes. It’s great for baking and can give a delightful crunch to many crackers and dumplings. If you’re having trouble finding it, check out local Asian markets or natural food stores, and you can also get it here on amazon.
Keep in mind rice flour doesn’t absorb liquids as wheat flour does, so be sure to give your dough time to rest and hydrate before baking. 
Ingredients for making Rice Flour Bread
Rice flour is the main ingredientGlutenous rice flour for an extra chewinesssalt controls yeast growth and encourages browning.Yeast and Baking soda are the leaving agents used in this recipe. Please use both for best results.Coconut oil or melted butter adds rich flavor and makes the bread tender.Apple cider vinegar will help to activate the leavening, so please don’t skip it!Honey for sweetness and more moisture Egg white helps to strengthen the breadWater 
How to make Bread with Rice flour
The recipe is a simple one:
Just add all the ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix till fluffy about 5 minutes.
However, you need to start with a cup of water instead of the whole 1-1/2 cup. This is because the batter can easily go from the right consistency to being too runny and the final bread may end up collapsing and sinking in the middle.

Using Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar works with baking powder to help fluff up the bread a bit. It’s also a bit sweeter compared to other kinds of vinegar. Don’t worry about tasting any of the vinegar. It will not show in the final result.
How Do I Make My Own Rice Flour?
You break out your coffee grinder to finely grind rice grains if you don’t have rice flour. Only grind about 2 or 3 tablespoons at a time.  
Run the flour through your grinder a second time if it doesn’t turn out to be as fine as you’d prefer.
How Long Does It Take?
Block out about 2 hours to make this masterpiece. You can’t rush perfection so take your time. 
What Do I Serve It With?
Bread, gluten-free or not, can be used in so many fun ways.
If you want something savory:
Try fig jam and goat cheese.Create an excellent breakfast with avocado and a fried egg.Satisfy your sweet tooth with peanut butter and bananas.
You can also serve it alongside an entree, such as these baked chicken drumsticks.
Enjoy it fresh out of the oven or save some to snack on for a couple of days. Either way, each bite will be heaven. You’ll want to hide from others if you want to savor every crumb.

Notes:
You can find Rice flour at any Asian market and here on amazon.The rice bread needs a lot of steam to create a good crust so be sure to put a pan of water in the oven while baking.Use a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer but don’t skip the mixing process because it helps to incorporate a lot of air into the mixture and will help yield a better bread texture.Since the batter is soft, be sure to cover it with another pan to give room for expansion. You can also cover with a large bowl but be sure the bowl is not touching the surface of the batter otherwise it will deflate.
Are you following my gluten free recipes? Here are some of our favorites:

3 cups rice flour1/2 cup rice flour1½ tsp salt1½ tsp baking soda2 tsp yeast4 tsp coconut oil or butter3 egg white4 tbsp honey1 to 1½ cup water1 tbsp Apple Cider VinegarUS Customary – Metric
Combine all the ingredients and 1 cup of in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the remaining half cup of water a little at a time until the consistency reaches that of a freshly whipped ice cream. ( You may not end up using all the water).Pour the batter in a parchment lined pan and cover with another pan (to give room for expansion) and proof in a warm ovenPreheat the oven to 375F. Put some water in an oven-safe pan and place it in the oven.Place the bread in the oven and leave to bake and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. If the bread is browning too fast, cover it with a foil paper to avoid further brown and continue to bake till it’s done.Leave to cool completely before slicing through. Enjoy!

You can find Rice flour at any Asian market and here on amazon.
The rice bread needs a lot of steam to create a good crust so be sure to put a pan of water in the oven while baking.
Use a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer but don’t skip the mixing process because it helps to incorporate a lot of air into the mixture and will help yield a better bread texture.
Since the batter is soft, be sure to cover it with another pan to give room for expansion. You can also cover with a large bowl but be sure the bowl is not touching the surface of the batter otherwise it will deflate.

Calories: 2571kcal | Carbohydrates: 529g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 5313mg | Potassium: 857mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 3mg

Let’s Connect! You can find me on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. I love keeping in touch with all of you!
For more delicious recipes, check out the rest of the site. There’s even a section for African recipes to try. Contact me with any questions.  […]

Lemongrass coconut puff puff doesn’t sound too shabby if I do say so myself. Fragrant mixed with tropical is how I like things. It’s a pity we didn’t include passion fruit in the mix. Maybe next time. The last puff puff recipe I made was the blueberry lemon puff puff and when my mum got home from work, she exclaimed;

“Puff Puff again?”

If there was anyone I was sure would appreciate the experiments of my no yeast puff puff series, I thought it might have been her. This is not to say she didn’t but she wanted a tiny break. It left me wondering if my followers felt the exact same way? Design thinking to the rescue, instead of speculating, I asked.

I ran a poll on Instagram stories asking if people wanted to see more flavours or they needed me to quit it and 85% of the people that voted wanted me to continue so I hearkened to their cries. Ok maybe cries are dramatic but here we are with a lemongrass coconut puff puff flavour. Sounds like a mouthful but it is a mouthful of deliciousness.

RECIPE FOR LEMONGRASS COCONUT PUFF PUFF

2 cups of WaterA handful of Lemongrass1/2 cup of All Purpose Flour1 teaspoon Baking Powder3 tablespoons of Plain Yoghurt (Light)1/4 cup of Steeped Lemongrass Liquid2/3 Cup Icing Sugar3 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar2 Tablespoons of Desiccated CoconutsOil for deep frying

Method

In a pot, bring to boil your water and lemongrass and set aside.

Mix your flour, baking powder and yoghurt and 1/4 cup of steeped lemongrass liquid.

Heat up your oil and keep on low to medium heat and scoop little balls of your mix and fry till golden brown.

In a pan, add your steeped lemongrass liquid, the lemongrass, icing sugar and granulated sugar. If you have some butter, you can add it at this stage.

Allow to cook down on low heat till it thickens and becomes a syrup.

Drizzle the mix over your puff puff and sprinkle your desiccated coconuts over the puff puff.

You can store the rest of the lemongrass syrup and use in drink mixes or as syrup for pancakes. […]

Lemongrass syrup is something I typically use for pancakes, puff puff, drink mixes etc. It is so versatile in its applications that you can even use it for ice cream. There are a lot of ingredients that grow in abundance here in Nigeria but I feel like we do not take advantage of. How many lemongrass products do you see on the shelves in stores despite its usage. Well in all fairness, Nigerians typically don’t commit to an ingredient if the use cases are not a lot or there are no significant health benefits. Understanding this, I have listed a few health benefits of Lemongrass that you may not be aware of.

BENEFITS OF LEMONGRASS

Lemongrass has a few anti-oxidant properties.It has some anti-microbial properties as well which means it fights bacteria especially in the mouth.Lemongrass promotes healthy digestion especially when consumed as tea.It is also a great diuretic which means you urinate often enough when you drink a lemongrass tea.

I will like to highlight that the way lemongrass is consumed is also important to fulfil these properties. It is not clear to me how much of the above listed properties are effective in a lemongrass syrup. I primarily used it for the fragrant nature of the plant but you can consume it in other ways.

RECIPE FOR LEMONGRASS SYRUP

Ingredients

A handful of Lemongrass

2 Cups of Water

1 Cup of Granulated Sugar

Method

Rinse your lemongrass till all the sand and impurities are completely removed.

In a pot, bring to boil the lemongrass and water for about 5-7 minutes on medium heat.

Turn off the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes.

You should have approximately one cup of lemongrass liquid left after boiling. So measure equal parts of the lemongrass liquid with equal parts sugar and bring to boil.

Stir and allow to boil till the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is thick.

Allow to cool then bottle and place in the fridge. You can use in pancakes, puff puff and ice-cream.

NB: You can leave the lemongrass in the liquid for a whole day and take out the next day to maximise the flavour. But remove it after 24 hours so the syrup doesn’t become bitter. […]

African yams have so much diversity. One minute, they are chocolate yam cookies, the next minute, they are pounded yam. Whatever the case is, I find this delicious ingredient is a serious sleep inducer. It must be the high carbohydrate content that sends little sleep fairies to your eyes. As much as you try, you can never win the sleep battle with yam.

That little detail however was not present in this recipe. I wonder;

“Is the format of consumption responsible for the sleep inducing factor?”

If you are new to West African or Nigerian Cuisine, African yams are typically consumed in a few acceptable formats. These are; boiled yam, fried yam, pounded yam, roasted yam and occasionally a battered version called Yamarita. So far these other versions leave you feeling heavy and fulfilled which translates to sleep. However, when I baked these cookies, the reverse was the case. if you are a food scientist and can explain, please leave a comment down below and let’s learn from you.

RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE YAM COOKIES

Ingredients

1/2 Cup of Mashed Yam2 Tbsp Butter1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour1/4 Cup Brown Sugar2 Tsp Baking Powder1/4 Tsp Salt2 Tbsp Sweetened Cocoa Powder

Method

Mash your yam with the melted butter and salt.

Mix together, then add baking powder and brown sugar and mix.

Then add cocoa powder and flour and mix till a dough is formed.

Roll out the dough and cut cookies into desired shapes.

In a preheated oven of 350F, place your cookies in a greased baking pan and bake for 10 – 12 minutes.

Take out cookies and allow to cool.

You may drizzle extra chocolate on your chocolate yam cookies and grate some orange zest over them.

Serve with a side of coffee or tea or on its own.

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I had shared this simple Suya Pasta recipe on my instagram page almost three months ago and it was a hit! I think it was the simplicity of a lunch or dinner recipe that is ready in 20 minutes that made it a hit. It may also have been coming out of quarantine, we needed something delicious to take our minds of our realities. Personally, I make my suya at home but you can buy from a trusted, hygienic source. We are still dealing with the pandemic after all.

Some questions a few people had were;

“Can I use any type of pasta?”

My answer: Yes. From Spaghetti to Fusilli to Macaroni. I just chose to use Penne.

“What if I don’t have access to cooking cream, what can i use?”

My answer: You can use full cream milk and thicken with a bit of corn starch or flour mixed with water. However, if you can find cooking cream, use that.

“Can I use any type of meat for the same dish?”

My answer: Absolutely, if you do not have suya at home, use any protein you have and you can add some suya spice to the pasta sauce.

If you have more questions, please do not hesitate to leave them in the comment section and I will be happy to answer them. Now, on to the recipe.

RECIPE FOR SUYA PASTA

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1 Cup of Cooked Penne Pasta

1/4 Cup of Cooking Cream

1/4 Cup of Chopped Suya

A handful of Chopped Basil

1/4 Bulb of Onions (Chopped)

2 Pieces of Pepper (Chopped)

1/4 Tsp Crushed Ginger | Garlic Paste

1/2 Tbsp Melted Butter

1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 Tsp Seasoning

Method

Heat up your butter and olive oil

Stir fry your onions, peppers, crushed ginger and garlic

Add in your cooking cream and season with seasoning and black pepper

Add your cooked pasta and stir in.

Top with Suya and basil and serve hot. […]

PotsI typically get my pots from walmart or winners/homesense.
I like the masterclass brand as their pots look beautiful 🙂

Pans
I have one or two masterclass pan and recently got some Gotham Steel pans

Cast Iron
I got my set from Costco – Brand Tranmontina

Blender
I use a blendtec Designer 650

Food Processor
I have used my trusted Kenwood for years now with no issue

Mixer
This was a gift from my LIN family and I treasure this so much.
I use it occasionally when I want to feel fancy. Brand: Kitchen Aid.

Instant Pot
I bought into the hype and got a 9 in 1 pot.
I typically just use mine as a pressure cooker. We’ve used it for rice and to boil eggs in the past as well 🙂 […]

This is a spicy peppersauce common among Yoruba pepper. It’s pretty much a combination of Ayamase and Ata Dindin. This uses lots of OYEL so please, oil police look away. You can decant the oil once the sauce is done.
The secret to frying this properly is dividing up the oil so you use some to start it and the left over all to finish the sauce.

Ingredients

2-4 hot peppers
8 large red bell peppers (tatashe)
3 large onions
2-3 cups palm oil (divide)
1 cup chopped onion
Precooked meat and boiled eggs – To taste
1/2 cup crayfish
Salt and maggi cube – to taste

Video Recipe
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Directions

Combine peppers and onion in a blender. Process into a coarse texture.
Pour processed peppers into a strainer, set aside to drain out excess liquid
Set a large pot on medium-high heat, heat up half of the oil. Add in chopped onion and cooked meat. Cook until meat is browned.
 Add in the processed pepper. Cook for 10 minutes
Add in crayfish, salt and maggi and some broth or water. Add in extra meat (egg, shaki etc). Cover the pot and leave to cook for 25mins
Add in left over oil and continue to cook until oil floats to the top or the spirit of your ancestors whisper to you that the sauce is ready.
 Skim off any excess oil
Enjoy!!!

Related Posts […]

Nigerian Stewed Beans and Fried Plantain
God knows I love beans, honestly if I could only cook with one ingredient for the rest of my life it would most likely be beans.
I can’t even begin to count the number of incredible beans recipes I have on this blog, from Moimoi, to akara, to rice and beans (plain), rice and beans (coconut), rice and beans (jollof), Gbegiri, agoyin beans etc.
What defines a great dish of beans for me is texture, the beans should be super soft without being all mushy. My number one trick to achieving this is soaking . This greatly softens the beans making it cook faster without breaking apart. There are also other health benefits including potential reduction to the flatulence effect of beans.
So here is how to go about cooking that perfect Nigerian Stewed beans.
Ingredients

3 cups cleaned beans (brown or black eyed)
1/3 cup palm oil
2 tbspn coconut oil (optional)
1 large onion (minced)
1 cup stew base (substitute 1-2 tbspns ground pepper)*
1 tspn ginger powder
1/3 cup crayfish powder
2 maggi cubes (optional)
Salt – to taste

*You can blend 2 bell peppers, 1 hot pepper and 1/2 small onion as an alternative.
Want to use an instant pot to cook your beans? Watch this video
Direction

Soak the beans in lots of water. Leave to soak overnight or for up to 24hrs. Strain.

Place a large pot on medium-low heat, add in beans. Add in 6-8 cups of water. Simmer for 1 hour or until beans is soft to the touch. Turn off the heat and leave the beans in water while you make the sauce

Place another pan on medium heat, add in palm oil and coconut oil if using. Add in chopped onion. Fry until onion is well fried and golden.
Add in stew base, ginger, crayfish, maggi and salt. Simmer covered for 12-15 minutes

Strain the beans (but reserve the water).

o For thick “woroworo” Beans

Add strained beans into the sauce and 2/3 cup of strained beans water. Stir. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Cover and leave to simmer for 30 more mins on low-medium heat.

o For thick “mushy” beans

Remove 1/3 of the cooked beans from the strainer, mash until smooth. Add both mashed and unmashed beans into the sauce. Add 1-1.5 cups strained beans water. Stir. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Cover and leave to cook for 30 more mins on low-medium heat.

Enjoy beans with fried plain, warm bread or garri. […]

Beske is essentially fried tofu.
It is also called Wara Soya – Different from Wara made from daily milk.
See below video for how I make mine from scratch.
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I also wrote a tofu recipe a few years back. Let me know how it turns out if you do try it.

Related Posts […]

Don’t fret out if you don’t have thyme on hand coz there are a lot of substitutes for thyme that you can use instead. You’ll be surprised how a little detail like this could turn your dish extra delightful.
Thyme has many beneficial uses in both culinary and therapeutic sense. This aromatic herb has been used since ages ago even for fragrance and healing. It has also been added to hot teas for that invigorating experience and to different dishes in cooking.
Even today, thyme is ever popular for its culinary contribution especially in Italian dishes and other savory food. As for me, I love to use thyme in a variety of my recipes like sauces, seasoning mix, marinades, dressings, salads, and even bread. 

What Is The Flavor Of Thyme?
Thyme tastes a lot like individual ingredients to which it is usually named (ex. oregano thyme, orange thyme, caraway thyme and etc.). In addition, it is described to have a sharp lemony, minty, and aromatic sweet flavor.
Fresh vs Dried Thyme

When fresh thyme is dried it loses some of its nutrients, oil, and aroma. The color of the herb becomes dull too, although you can still use and swap both the fresh and dried forms in cooking.
Its flavor becomes more potent when it is dried. Drawing out moisture or water from the herb results in a denser but compact flavor of thyme. Add dried thyme at the end of the cooking process, for example in stews, then turn off the heat right away once you’ve stirred in the herb.
Fresh thyme has a lighter flavor. This means when using fresh thyme, more should be added in the recipe to achieve that bold thyme flavor.

Best Thyme Substitutes
Well of course the best substitute could be herbs of the same family as Thyme.
If a recipe calls for fresh Thyme, then you can substitute the dried form in place of the fresh ones like this Caribbean Rice and Beans Recipe.
Oregano – strong aromatic and sweet oregano flavor makes it a good substitute for thyme. We know that it’s best added to salads, vinaigrette, and tomato-based dishes such as pasta, pizza rolls, soups, and stews. You may equally substitute oregano for thyme.
Rosemary – the robust, minty, and peppery taste of this herb makes it nice to use instead of thyme. Well, I love to use this herb in my steak recipes. But you can also use it in other savory dishes and even in bread (like this Focaccia Bread). Use the equivalent amount to replace thyme in a recipe.
Basil – has a pungent-sweet, slightly peppery with a mellow anise taste. This herb is a favorite in Italian dishes and also goes well with other spices. Because thyme and basil are from the same family, you can use equal proportion in place of thyme.
Sage – its subtle piney mint- lemony taste behind the earthy flavor makes it a great substitute for thyme. Mostly used in creamy pasta, tomato-based dishes, and even in marinades and sauces. Substitute by using half of the amount of thyme needed in a recipe.
Marjoram – same with oregano, marjoram has that refreshing woody and minty flavor, but a layer of sweet delicate notes. Use the equivalent amount to replace thyme in a recipe.
Italian Seasoning – simply put it as Italian favorite herbs and spices blended together. Of course, that includes thyme. You can use equal proportion to substitute for Thyme.
Poultry Seasoning – an easy herb-based spice blend typically made with rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and sage, among others.
Can I Use Bay Leaves Instead of Thyme?
Considering that bay leaves give an aromatic subtle minty flavor, then it’s safe to say that it can be used to replace thyme for different recipes, most especially in beef, fish, and lamb-based stews and dishes.
Here’s how you can substitute: replace ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme or ½ teaspoon of fresh with a piece of dried bay leaf.
Are Thyme And Oregano The Same?
Though both of these herbs can be switched and combined in different dishes, Thyme and Oregano are not the same. They are both from different species of the Lamiaceae (mint family). Easily say that they are relatives and a part of the 600 species of their family.
Are you a big fan of thyme? What’s your favorite dish using thyme? […]