Gluten-Free Coconut Bread

I like to eat something "bread-like" for breakfast - a muffin, a scone, a croissant, my favorite bagel from Old School Bagel, maybe even a piece of cake! So going gluten-free this year as part of Lent and to experience what Katie experiences every day being allergic to wheat, it has been a challenge to continue satisfying my bread-for-breakfast desire. I made this bread a couple times before with whole wheat flour and it was delicious. But I have now made this bread several times gluten-free - phenomenal! It is seriously one of the best breakfast breads I've tasted. It's extremely moist and so flavorful. Emily doesn't usually like anything that's gluten-free. She says she can always tell if something is made gluten-free. This bread she declared "sooooooo good." She said it's impossible to tell this is gluten free. I love toasted coconut (the best is the kind you buy on the road to Hana in Maui, Hawaii), so I always make some extra to just eat as a snack.

     

Gluten-Free Coconut Bread

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 cups shredded coconut

3/4 cup turbinado sugar (sugar-in-the raw)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum*

1/2 cup white rice flour*

1/2 cup sorghum flour*

1/2 cup coconut flour*

1/4 cup almond flour*

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 (13.5 ounces) can coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

*If you're not worried about making this bread gluten-free, you can just use 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour plus 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and eliminate the xanthan gum and other flours.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with 2 tablespoons  melted coconut oil.

Spread the shredded coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 7 to 10 minutes, watching VERY carefully. The coconut can burn easily, so keep a careful watch on it and use a spatula to stir it periodically so that it gets evenly browned. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the shredded coconut, sugar, xanthan gum, flours, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup of coconut milk, 1/4 cup of coconut oil, and the vanilla. Slowly stir the wet mixture into the large bowl with the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon, until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the bread and lightly tap the bottom if needed to remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. 

To make a glaze, combine the powdered sugar with about 1/4 cup of coconut milk in a bowl until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If the glaze it too thick and won't pour easily, add coconut milk a teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Pour the glaze over the cooled bread, allowing some to drip down the sides of the loaf. Sprinkle toasted coconut (if you haven't eaten all the extra yet) over the top of the glaze while it is still wet. 

Cut the bread into slices to serve. Enjoy!

recipe adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook by Sara Forte