Gluten-Free Squash Bread

We grow a lot of squash on the farm - with the Crown Prince leading the way in terms of flavour and texture. These veg are so versatile, great in soups, stews, roasted whole or even used in sweet recipes such as muffins or bread. If you struggle to get kids to eat their veg hiding it in baked goods is always a winner! This squash bread not only brings a healthy dose of beta carotenes to your diet but it can also be made entirely without gluten. We stock a range of gluten-free flour alternatives, including some fantastic blends by Dove's Farm. I believe gluten-free baking is a little more experimental, there are so many options out there. I find brown rice flour easy to use but spelt flour works well too. Coconut's surge in popularity in recent years has meant coconut flour is now far more readily available too. Delicious as it is, it does bring the distinctive flour of coconuts with it so you only use this when you think a coconutty taste will complement your recipe! With all of these flour alternatives, you might need to play around with quantities of baking powder or raising agents to get the texture you're looking for.

Gluten-free Squash Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 small Crown Prince Squash or other variety

• 300g Gluten-free flour (you can try a mixture of spelt and rice flour, or all-purpose gluten-free flour)

• 2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

• 1 teaspoon herbs (really this is up to you, I love cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and ginger)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 200C or gas mark 6.

2) Place squash in oven on a baking tray and roast for 45 mins until very soft. Remove from oven and cool.

3) Peel the skin and remove the seeds from the squash. Transfer to a bowl and mash well. Season to taste. You will need around 375g of squash for the ingredient rations above, so adjust ingredients where required so as not to waste any squash.

4) Add the flour, baking powder and herbs to the squash and mix well. Add mix to a food processor and blend. Add in olive oil and enough water to make a doughy texture (65ml water). Remove mix from food processor and place on a lightly floured board and knead until soft and spongy. Adding a little more oil or flour to get the right texture.

5) Form the dough into a round loaf. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray. Make a cross on top of the dough with a knife and sprinkle with some sesame seeds (optional). Bake in the oven at 200c for 30-35 mins. To test to see if it’s ready to remove from the oven and tap the base if it sounds hollow, then you’re good to go.