Gluten Free Baking

I have been doing a lot of gluten free baking as of late and thought that I should share some of my gluten free pointers with you!  Baking gluten free is very different from baking with “gluten-full” flour and wheat products.  It is kind of like a science experiment or a form of art, trial and error is real and creative.  Sometimes your baked goods will turn out fantastic and other times they may be a flop, but that is o.k.  It is fun to learn!

Hopefully some of these tips will assist you in being a productive gluten free baker!

Gluten free baked goods are known to be either too dense and heavy OR crumbly and falling apart.  Learn to rise above those myths and get gf baking.

• meticulously measure- be exact, level off the top and do not take shortcuts
• mix up your own blend of gf flours for baking

My go-to blend of flours for all- purpose baking is:

Gluten-Free Baking Classics, is where you will find the following recipe.  It was one of the first books that I purchased for baking gluten free years ago and I still use it to this day.

Brown Rice Flour (extra fine ground)     2 cups    or   6 cups

Potato Starch (not potato flour)             2/3 cup  or   2 cups

Tapioca Flour                                          1/3 cup  or   1 cup

*For a small, per batch amount use the measurements in the first column. Or, mix it up in bulk using the measurements in the second column and store it in an air-tight container so that you’ll have it ready on hand whenever you need it.

• purchase ready made gf mixes for baking- make sure that it is for baking

The types of flours added will differ when comparing an all-purpose flour to a baking flour.  For example an all-purpose flour will typically have bean flours added such as garbanzo bean flour or fava bean flour.  Where as baking flours tend to use flours that are lighter in texture and density as well as on the sweeter side, such as brown rice flour, sweet rice flour or tapioca flour. I have compared and used many gluten free baking flour mixes and my favorite is King Arthur’s Flour gluten free baking mix

Another great basic is Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking flour

• add Xanthan Gum

What in the world is that you say?! Xanthan huh??

Xanthan gum is used to replace the gluten in flour.  When you remove typical (gluten full) flour from a recipe you are taking out the binding agent.  Gluten helps keep baked goods together, it is literally the “glue”, root word of GLUTEN, that holds it together and gives it elasticity.  So, when you are baking with gluten free flours, it needs to be added back in.  This can be done with the use of Xanthan gum or Guar gum.  If you use too little xanthan gum your baked goods will crumble and fall apart AND on the side, if you use too much it will cause your baked goods to shrink and grow tighter.  My typical rule of thumb is 1 tsp. xanthan gum per 1 cup of gf baking flour.  It is easy to find in health foods stores and farmers markets in the baking section, I like to use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free xanthan gum

• get creative or keep it simple- basic is a great starting point

Head on over to my Pinterest where you find GF Baking recipes under the following boards: GF and Protein Packed, GF Breads, GF Breakfast Yummy AND GF Desserts.

And, with the Fall and Holiday Seasons approaching you can bet that I will be posting some delicious recipes HERE ON THE BLOG!  So, follow and stay tuned!

XOXO, Your GF Girl