I guess what coeliacs miss most is bread and pizza. There are many recipes for gluten-free bread, some with flours you may never have heard of or some too complicated. This instead is a very straightforward bread recipe that is quick and easy to prepare and tastes so good... almost like the bread we miss!

I never went back to other recipes after this one. This bread is crusty and so light, just like real bread. It requires three hours to make in all, plus another half an hour approximately to bake, but to prepare? A breeze!

The three flour mixes used are all available in Malta. These are Nutrifree, Farmo and Dr Schar. Using three different blends is what makes the difference.

Gluten flour blends are made up of various ingredients and each brand is different. A combination of these blends helps make this bread taste really good. Weigh accurately, as it is very important.

I suggest the use of digital scales. If you do not own one, invest in one, especially if baking gluten-free foods.

I have used fresh yeast, as somehow bread does come better with fresh yeast (it comes in little cubes). If this is not available, dried yeast can also be used.

As a rule of thumb, to convert fresh yeast to dry yeast, divide the amount by three. For example, for 30g of fresh yeast, use 10g dried.

The amount below is for a small loaf or for six to seven rolls. But you can easily double the ingredients.

Gluten-free pizza Caprese

400g Farmo Fibrepan
50g Farina di Mais Finissima Nutrifree
50g Farina di Riso Nutrifree
370mltepid water
14g fresh yeast or 7g dried/easy blend yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 level tsp salt
2 tbsps butter

Topping
Tomato sauce or passata
Mozzarella di bufala
Sliced egg
Tomatoes
Fresh basil
Seasoning
Olive oil

Pour the water in a bowl, add the sugar and the yeast. Mix until the yeast dissolves.

Place the flours in a bowl and mix. Pour in the yeast and water and start mixing until combined, add the olive oil and salt. Keep mixing and then transfer to a floured worktop. Work the dough until smooth. Place back in the bowl and cover the bowl tightly with clingfilm. Leave to rise for three to four hours in a warm place.

Take out the dough, work it lightly on a floured surface and divide into two or three pieces, depending on how big you want your pizzas.

Flatten the dough pieces using your palm on the work surface and then transfer to a baking paper-lined tray. Using your hands, keep stretching, pressing and pushing the dough gently into a large circle. With a pastry brush, brush the edges with a little melted butter.

Leave to rise for another hour, covered with a damp kitchen towel to keep the bases from drying out.

In the meantime, prepare your topping.

Preheat the oven to 220˚C or the highest your oven can go.

Pour the tomato sauce over the pizza bases. Add some seasonings, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and Italian herbs.

Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until the crust turns golden.

Take the pizza out of the oven, place the sliced mozzarella, the sliced tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, scatter some fresh basil leaves and serve.

Pizza rolls

Dough ingredients
14g fresh yeast
240ml warm milk
1/2 tsp sugar
260g Nutrifree per pane
60g Nutrifree rice flour
1½ tsps baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp Italian mixed herbs
½ tsp garlic pepper

Filling ingredients
1 cup passata di pomodoro
½ cup black olives, sliced
¼ cup capers
2 to 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
200g mozzarella, grated
100g Parmesan, grated
8-10 cherry tomatoes, chopped roughly
Oregano
Fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Extra mozzarella for the top

Place the yeast in the warm milk with the sugar and set aside. Put both flours, baking powder, baking soda, herbs, garlic pepper and salt in a large mixing bowl. Combine well with a whisk. Add the olive oil and work it into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Start adding the milk and yeast mixture and stir until you see the dough coming together. Transfer to a floured surface and work the dough until it feels less tacky. Roll it into a ball and place in a bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside for half an hour in a warm place.

Turn out the dough onto a floured baking sheet. Divide into two. Roll out one piece of dough into a rectangle. Cover the top with passata. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the anchovies, the olives and capers. Top with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan.

Scatter the chopped cherry tomatoes and sprinkle over the oregano and the shredded basil leaves. Starting at one long end and with the help of the baking paper, start rolling the dough. Pinch the ends together and then, using a very sharp knife, cut the dough roll into equally-sized pieces.

Place these pieces onto a paper-lined baking sheet, in muffin tins or even altogether in a round pan. Brush the tops with a mix of olive oil and water. Leave to rise for about two to three hours in the oven, leaving just the light on.

Remove the tray and preheat oven to 220˚C. Place the tray back in the oven and bake the rolls until they start turning golden.

Take them out, sprinkle more cheese on top and bake until the cheese melts.

Bread

(1 small loaF or six rolls)

130g Nutrifree bread mix
60g Dr Schar bread mix
60g FarmoFibrePan
bread mix
10g fresh yeast
1 tsp sugar
210g warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp beaten egg and
water to brush or
melted butter
Sesame or poppy seeds

Crumble the yeast in the water and add the sugar. Dissolve the yeast with your fingers. Set aside.

Put the flours in a large mixing bowl and add the yeast and water. Using a hand-held mixer on low speed to combine the flours with the water and yeast. Increase the speed and keep beating. Add the olive oil while still beating and when that is combined, add the salt. Keep mixing for another minute. Using a spatula, scrape all the dough in the middle of the bowl.

Cover the bowl with a clean dish cloth and if you have an electric oven, put it inside with just the light on to help with the rising. If not, leave covered in a warm place. Let the dough rise for two hours. You will see that it has more than doubled in size.

Sprinkle some flour on the work top and using a pastry scraper, scrape the dough on to the worktop. Do not worry if all of a sudden the dough will shrink again. That is quite normal.

Using just the scraper, work the dough by cutting into it, lifting and turning until it comes together. Form it into either a loaf or else cut out equal-sized pieces. If you can use just the scraper, you will get a better result than if you use your hands. This dough does not like being handled. Try to form the rolls or buns if possible with just the scraper, pushing the dough around. Lift each bun with the scraper and place on a baking paper-lined sheet. Do the same with the remaining dough. Or else just make one large loaf.

Leave again to rise for another hour.

Preheat oven to 220˚C. Put a shallow pan filled with water at the bottom of the oven. This helps give the bread a better crust.

Slash the bread or rolls with a knife. Using a pastry brush, brush the top with combined egg and water wash or the melted butter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds if desired.

When the oven reaches that temperature, place the loaf or rolls in the oven. After 10 minutes, take out the pan with water carefully from the oven and lower the temperature to 190˚C. The bread will start to rise again in the oven. It is ready when it turns golden. Check if the bottom is cooked as well. If not, bake for a little longer, covering the top with foil if it browns too much.

Leave to cool before slicing.