Stunning Gluten Free Blueberry Swirl Bread
If you're looking for a visually stunning and absolutely delicious gluten free bread, this Gluten Free Blueberry Swirl Bread is it. Pillowy, lightly sweet gluten free bread swirled through with a punchy blueberry filling, this bread will put a smile on anyone's face, whether they're gluten free, dairy free, or vegan!
I used to think breads like this weren't really possible without gluten. Going into the process of developing this recipe, my assumption was that I would have trouble keeping the filling from seeping out of the bread, and that the bread itself would struggle to keep enough structural integrity to stand up by itself.
Attempt number one saw the filling burst through the dough in places, and it was a pretty gooey experience trying to wrestle it into the tin. The result, however, was promising. Super soft bread with a really flavourful filling - there was just more filling than bread!
Attempt number two was better. I halved the amount of filling, rolled the dough a bit thicker for shaping, and it was overall much easier (and less gooey!). The bread was still lovely out of the oven, but this time not enough filling!
Attempt number three was disappointing. I'm still not sure why, but having just increased the amount of filling a bit the bread didn't proof properly, and ended up dense with a huge air pocket. On to attempt number four...
Attempt number four passed without much difficulty, and finally! A beautiful loaf of bread with generous blueberry flavour, enough of the best gluten free bread to keep its shape, and just look at that swirl inside!!
How to Make Gluten Free Blueberry Swirl Bread
I promise this bread isn't as complicated to make as it looks - and it's even fun to do! Here's how to do it:
Make the Blueberry Filling
The filling for this bread is a kind of blueberry compote, which is thickened with cornstarch to make sure it stays inside the bread. To make it, frozen blueberries are simmered over medium heat with sugar and lemon juice until they soften and release their juice. Then, they need to be mashed - I use a potato masher, but a fork works well too. It doesn't need to be smooth, just roughly broken up is enough. Then the berries are simmered for a little longer to thicken the juices, before a slurry of cornstarch and water is added to get it really nice and thick - that should only take 30 seconds or so of stirring on the heat. Remove from the heat and stir through a little lemon zest for added punch, and it's into a bowl to cool completely to room temperature.
Mix the Dough
The first step of mixing the dough is to prepare the yeast with some water and sugar, and the psyllium with the rest of the water. Over just a few minutes, the yeast will come to life and start to froth, and the psyllium will form a gel - this is what makes it possible to shape gluten free dough into exciting swirls like this!
Once the yeast and psyllium are doing their thing, it's time to measure all the dry ingredients. I measure mine into the large bowl of my stand mixer with the paddle attachment, but if you don't have one just choose a nice large bowl and a sturdy spoon or rubber spatula. Once the flours, starches, salt and remaining sugar are all in give it a good whisk to make sure there are no clumps of starch or anything left - this makes it easier to get a smooth dough later on.
Next, the wet ingredients - in this case melted butter and apple cider vinegar - are added to the bowl along with the yeast and psyllium mixtures. If you're using a stand mixer mix the dough on low speed (so your flour and water don't get thrown back out all over you!), giving the bowl a good scrape down halfway through, until the dough is smooth. If you're mixing by hand, start off with your spoon or spatula until the dough comes together. Then, get in there with your hands and give it a good squish and knead to make sure it's smooth.
Proof Number One
I like to drizzle my doughs with a little bit of olive oil before the first proof, which is extra insurance against them drying out - no one wants nasty crusty bits in their bread dough! Once coated, the dough needs about 45 - 60 minutes to double in size. If you have a warm place it'll rise faster, but if you're working with a cooler room temperature it will be on the slower side.
Kneading the Dough
Once the dough has doubled in size it's time to tip it out onto a lightly floured bench top and give it a knead to knock all the air out and get it nice and smooth. it shouldn't take long, just a minute or two of kneading. Dust the dough with a little more flour if need be to stop it from sticking.
Shaping the Blueberry Swirl Bread
The first step to shaping this loaf is to roll the dough out into a rectangle measuring roughly 25 x 35cm and around 8mm thick. The rectangle doesn't have to be perfect, but the more even it is the easier it will be to roll and shape the dough, and the more even the loaf will be.
Once the dough is rolled out, the cooled blueberry filling gets spread on in an even layer, leaving a 2cm border of bare dough on all four sides - this helps to keep the filling inside the dough where we want it. The dough is then rolled up from one long side into a long sausage shape - a bit like a swiss roll cake. I like to brush the far edge with a little bit of water, which helps it stick in place once it's rolled.
Now the tricky part! Once you have your long sausage of rolled up dough, it's time to twist it a bit. Bring the two ends of the dough towards you so you have a kind of arch of dough. Then, lift the ends and cross them over into a bit of a twist. Work confidently, and don't worry! Any little tears that appear won't matter in the end! I use a bench scraper to help me pick up the dough and place it on my baking paper - any largel flat utensil you have will be helpful. Then all we need to do is use the paper to lift the dough up and into the loaf tin!
Proof Number Two
I find the second proof is the one that needs a bit more judgement. I give my bread about 40 minutes to begin with and then check where it's up to. I give it a gentle prod with my fingertip, and if it feels really super light and airy and full of bubbles it's ready to bake. If, on the other hand, it still feels a bit dense and tight, I give it another 10 minutes and just repeat this process until the dough is ready.
Egg Washing the Bread
I like to give this loaf an egg wash and a little sprinkling of raw sugar before baking. The egg gives it a lovely gloss, and the sugar brings the most amazing caramelised topping! If you can't have eggs, swap it out for your favourite milk instead. It won't be as shiny, but the milk will still help the top go nice and golden.
Baking the Gluten Free Blueberry Swirl Bread
This loaf has a fairly long bake time of 50 minutes at 200ºC fan. This bake time helps to make sure the interior of the bread can set enough around the juicy filling. I bake my breads on the middle shelf of the oven where the heat is the most even - do whatever you find best for your oven.
Cooling Time
Like most breads, this Gluten Free Blueberry Swirl Loaf sadly needs to cool before you can eat it. It's especially important for this loaf because the filling makes it a bit more structurally precarious than a regular loaf! However, you can slice it when it's still slightly warm. It'll be soft and tricky to slice, but absolutely delicious.
Watch How to Make Gluten Free Blueberry Swirl Bread
Storing the Gluten Free Blueberry Swirl Bread
This bread keeps pretty well in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. It will start to dry out from day 2, but you can refresh individual slices in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or lightly toast them to bring the bread back to life.
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