Gluten-Free Sourdough Coffee Cake         

Makes 1 8-inch square cake

This slightly sweet, natural yeast-leavened cake is part pastry and part sourdough bread.  It’s perfect for transforming an average weekend brunch into a celebration! Get ahead by mixing up the cake a day in advance and letting it raise overnight in the refrigerator. The cake can be baked in the morning and eaten for breakfast or brunch – warm from the oven. Serve thickly sliced with sliced fresh fruit, preserves, or even lemon curd.

1 ½ cups mature Gluten-Free Natural Levain Starter Culture

½ cup whole coconut milk, at room temperature (about 72 degrees F)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup whole cane, palm, or date sugar

4 tablespoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt, finely ground

½ teaspoon baking soda

4 ½ – 5 ½ cups Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

½ cup unsalted butter or ghee, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan and brushing the top of the cake

In a large mixing bowl combine the mature starter, coconut milk, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the sugar, chia seeds, sea salt, and baking soda. Add the all-purpose flour about 1 cup at a time. Use a wooden spoon (or the paddle attachment) to mix the batter well after each addition. Reserve the final cup of flour. Add by the tablespoon until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers when pressed lightly. Add the butter or ghee. Continue mixing until the butter or ghee has been fully incorporated.

Lightly grease an 8-inch square by 2-inch deep baking dish. Scoop the batter into the pan. Smooth it into an even layer.

Cover loosely and set in a warm, about 75 degrees F, place until the dough puffs to within ½-inch of the top of the pan, about 3-4 hours. Alternately, the cake may be prepared the day prior to baking. Cover it tightly (see cooks note). Store in the refrigerator overnight. The cake will slowly raise and be ready for baking the next day (about 12-24 hours later).

Adjust the oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the top of the cake with melted butter or ghee. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes (80-90 minutes if baked cold from the refrigerator). Serve while still warm, or if baked in advance, reheat in a warm (about 250 degrees F) oven for 20-30 minutes before serving. Store tightly covered.

Cooks Note:

To make a tight and non-reactive cover in a plastic-wrap-free kitchen first cover with wax paper just large enough to cover the pan. Then cover with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap down the sides of the pan. Save the cover for re-use by brushing off any bits of dough and folding into quarters. Store right next to the wax paper.

Variation:

Streusel Topped Coffee Cake

This topping is sprinkled over the cake just before baking.

1/3 cup tapioca or arrowroot flour

1/3 cup whole cane, date, or palm sugar

2/3 cup crispy nuts, roughly chopped

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, chopped nuts, melted butter, cinnamon, and sea salt. Use a fork to combine. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the cake after brushing the top of the cake with melted butter or ghee. Bake as called for in the recipe above.

Meet my friend Daisy, the gluten-free sourdough starter

Questions? Gluten-Free Q & A

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Real Food Wednesday.