Inspired by “The Joy of Cooking,” adapted by Fletcher Johnson

Be sure to watch the video at the bottom of the page.

Intro

I grew up watching Julia Child with my mom, and I love The Joy of Cooking cookbook. Even now, whenever I reach for her cookbook, I know whatever I make will be tried and true.

(Unlike some Pinterest recipes that leave me wondering… did anyone actually test this?)

Bread has been a staple food for thousands of years — the earliest evidence dates back over 6,000 B.C. to ancient Stone Age hearths. It’s been praised, demonized, reinvented, and yet it remains one of our most comforting and universal foods.

There’s just something about warm bread with butter… or dipped in olive oil… or piled high as a sandwich. Personally, I love a good sandwich — so simple, satisfying, and grounding. But for those of us who are gluten-free, that joy can be harder to find.

Most store-bought gluten-free breads taste lifeless, like cardboard, and a lot of homemade versions turn out gummy and dense. After having enough Pinterest fails, I thought:

“I bet Julia has a good bread recipe!”

I adapted it with gluten-free items I already had in my pantry.
The result was light, fluffy, flavorful bread that held up for several days on the counter (also unusual!).

A Moment for Mindful Eating

To make this simple staple even more satisfying, try eating it mindfully.

• Notice the smell as it's baking, and again before you take your first bite.
• Take one slow bite, chew thoroughly, and notice what happens physiologically.

Are there emotions or memories that come up?

When we slow down and truly experience food, we find it’s more fulfilling — making it more likely that we naturally stop when we’re satisfied.

This means less bloating, less food coma, less sluggish lymph, less overall puffiness, and fewer digestive issues.

• Does this sound like something you might benefit from?
  If so, try my 5-day mindful eating course, Savor.

 

Gluten-Free Fast White Bread Recipe

Yield

One 9 × 5-inch loaf

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• ½ cup Millet flour
• ¼ cup Tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon Organic coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon Psyllium husk powder
• 1 teaspoon Xanthan gum
• 1½ teaspoons Salt

Wet ingredients

• 1 cup Very warm water (110–115 °F) + 2 tablespoons extra water
• 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) Active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil (I used the butter-flavored one from The Olive Orchard (see my note below the video about this awesome shop🤩)
• 1 large Egg
• 1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Activate the yeast

In a small bowl, combine the warm water (1 cup), coconut sugar, and yeast.
Let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.

Make sure to take the temperature of the water — if it’s too hot or too cold, the yeast won’t activate and the bread won’t rise.

Mix the dry ingredients

In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the 1-to-1 flour, millet flour, tapioca flour, psyllium husk, xanthan gum, and salt.

Combine

Pour the yeast mixture, olive oil, egg, vinegar, and the extra 2 tablespoons of water into the dry mix.
Beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes (or stir vigorously by hand) until the batter is thick and smooth — closer to cake batter than traditional dough.

Pan & rise

• Line a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with parchment and lightly oil it.
• Spoon in the batter and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
• Gently score the top with a single line down the center for proper expansion.
• Cover loosely with a towel and let rise in a warm place (75–85 °F) for 40 minutes.

Bake

• Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
• Bake 40–45 minutes, until golden brown and an internal thermometer reads ~205 °F.
• If the top browns too quickly, tent lightly with foil halfway through.

Cool completely

• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
• WAIT at least 1 hour before slicing so the crumb can set. Extremely important!

If you decide to make this bread, please let me know how you enjoyed it.
Feel free to tag your pictures on Facebook or Instagram

Notes From My Kitchen

I want to share a real-life moment from making this loaf today — because gluten-free baking is truly a science experiment sometimes!

This time, my loaf didn’t rise quite as tall as usual and the color was a little different than other times I’ve made it (of course this would happen on the day I’m photographing it for the blog 😂) — and here’s why:

• My kitchen was cooler than normal (GF dough is very temperature-sensitive)

• GF breads can vary in color depending on the oil you use, humidity, and how your oven heats

If your loaf looks a little different than you expect, don’t panic.
Tasting good, bringing joy, and not upsetting your stomach are the things that truly matter.
We all have days we don’t look our best — bread included. 😉

This is also why I always use a thermometer.
Gluten-free breads often look underbaked even when they’re fully done.
Once your loaf hits ~205°F internally, you can trust it’s baked perfectly. (I accidentally let this one hit 210°F, and it still turned out delicious.)

Real-life baking that elevates your health 💫

Fletcher 

Watch the video here:

P.S.

When I was putting away my ingredients after filming this video, I realized that I accidentally used the garlic-flavored olive oil instead of the butter flavor.

Guess what?! It’s delicious too!

That’s what happens when you have so many yummy options from tasting everything in person at The Olive Orchard. If you’re ever in Rehoboth Beach, DE, stop by for healthy, high-quality, and truly delicious culinary staples (with fun twists).