Gluten Free Baking

When we first decided to lead a gluten free lifestyle I found it a little tricky. Thanks to the wealth of information on the Internet I soon adjusted our meals and it's been no trouble at all. I thought I'd share with you what I've learnt about baking without gluten.

 I'll be doing this over a few weeks, so if you'd like to receive emails each week with the recipes, sign up in the box below.

Subscribe via Email

Lexi and I spontaneous bakers, so I like to keep some of these pantry items handy:

• A variety of flours. I usually keep rice, potato, coconut, almond and millet flour. Flours like almond and coconut go rancid fairly quickly, so I prefer to keep them in the freezer. Just remember to take out what you need and wait for it to warm to room temperature before using it.
• Sweeteners. Our favourites are honey, agave, maple syrup, coconut sugar, raw apple and mashed banana.
• Baking powder. Did you know that baking powder is loaded with harmful stuff like aluminium? I didn't! I have switched to this baking powder from Faithful to Nature, free of yucky stuff. 
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla
• A variety of nuts and seeds
• Oats
• Coconut oil

I also buy a all purpose gluten free flour mix. I tried a few before I found one that works for us. If you can't find one, you can mix up this one from Minimalist Baker. I really liked this mix!

This great breakdown of the gluten free mix is from Minimalist Baker. Check out the link above for the full recipe.

One of the biggest secrets to adapting recipes is, don't make too many changes! Replacing regular flour 1:1 one with gluten free flour usually works just fine. 

Gluten free baking tends to be crumbly, so you may need something to bind it. There are so many options. Xanthan gum, guar gum, arrowroot powder, psyllium husk, chia seeds and flax seeds have all worked for me. I avoid cornstarch because I can't get one that is not genetically modified (grrrrr!).

Avoid using binding agents where you can, some people don't react well to some of them. The stomach cramps are not fun!

In my experience you only need a binding agent in breads and pizza dough. Even then, 1/4 teaspoon should be plenty.

If you're keen on gluten free baking then subscribe and each post will be delivered directly to your inbox. In the next few weeks I'll be sharing these recipes (and our baking experience) with you:

• chocolate cake and brownies
• waffles and pancakes
• cookies
• bread and pizza dough

Subscribe via Email