Gluten free Egg Bread

For Chanukah this year I decided to have a small group of friends over for dinner.  It was nice to share with friends some of my family's traditional Chanukah foods.  One food item I have really been craving since developing my gluten intolerance was challah bread.  I think it's a combination of the sweetness and richness that the eggs provide that almost makes this a dessert bread.  So, I was skeptical to try and recreate this gluten free, but I was pleasantly surprised by the result!

Gluten free Challah/Egg Bread (adapted from Gluten-Free Baking)
1 lb gluten free flour blend (*see below)
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
4 oz sugar
2 tsp xantham gum
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup oil
14 oz sparkling water

1. Combine flour, salt, yeast, sugar, and xantham gum in mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl combine egg yoks, oil, and sparkling water.
2. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix for 4 minutes on medium speed.
3. Pour batter into 2 greased 8.5" x 4.5" x 2.5" loaf pans and proof in a warm humid environment, covered for 40 to 50 minutes.  I heated 2 cups of water in a microwaveable measuring cup on high in the microwave for 5 minutes, then placed the loaf pans covered with plastic wrap in the microwave.  Halfway through the proofing I re-microwaved water for 2 minutes and then put the pans back in the microwave with the door closed.
4. Bake at 325 for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the sides are pulling away from the pan and the internal temperature is 200.
5. Remove bread from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.

*Flour blend:
6 oz white rice flour
4 oz tapioca starch/flour
4 oz soy flour
2 oz whey powder

The texture of the batter makes braiding the challah impossible, but the taste was still great!  And it made for decent sandwich bread later in the week, and froze well too!