Baker to the core, gluten might be my best friend. Hand in hand, we skipped through bread hills on the regular. Even during the vegan days, gluten was a food source shaped into lumpy chewy chunks called Seiten and dried chips of TVP (texturized vegetable protein) were stirred into soups and stews. All those chewy strands of protein keep my breads happy and pop up just delicately enough to hold together cakes, cookies, muffins and scones. Now with the carb heavy and wheat-centric diets of most of north america, gluten has gotten a little too big for its britches…and dangerous for those three million American’s who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Sadly, still 95% of Celiac sufferers are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. A gluten-free diet might be better for digestion, even for those who can tolerate gluten. I’m always one to want to try natural approaches to health, diet and the ways food we eat directly reflects on our health and well being.
Gluten-free folks get my total support as I know how trying a medical condition that makes you alter your food and eating can be. Here’s a little piece I wrote for all those out there trying to work some gluten-free magic in their own kitchens….
Baking Gluten-Free From a Pastry Lady
Having been a baker for as long as I can remember, my course of real kitchen work started at a Vegan and organic cafe and co-op. There I did a great deal of vegan baking and started getting requests for gluten free items even back in the early 2000′s. Over the course of more health food store baking, gluten-free was needed on the shelves everyday. As more and more people are finding out about sensitivities to gluten and wheat, it is more important than ever to me to share what I have found with gluten free baking. Currently much of what interests me outside of all the pastry I play with day in and day out are gluten free goodies that give people hope in enjoying their favorite treats again in a new safe and gluten free way. Let me share a few tips and background on gluten and baking with you.
Why does gluten matter in baking anyway? Gluten is a protein that is found in mainly grains such as wheat, spelt and barley to name a few mainstream ones. Made of glutenin and gliadin (two proteins), gluten develops when mixed in doughs into a network of structure and cause the dough to rise, swell and develop that chew and fluff we know of traditional baked goods. Gluten is more needed in items like breads and less needed in items like cakes and cookies, where a tender crumb is desired. Baking is relatively simple if you can follow a recipe and use a typical all purpose flout….the issues come when you take the gluten out as many of you out there know.
Simply substituting a gluten free flour will not make a very desirable baked good. A blend of flours, gums and starches is the easiest way to get each of the desired characteristics that mimic wheat flour. Think one for texture, one for structure, one for chew, one for moisture content, etc. I completely support items in stores that are called “gluten free flour blends.” Companies spend time, money and research to achieve a balance in these blends that has been tested for using in traditional recipes. There is no shame in using a major companies hard work for your benefit! There is no guarantee that a 1 to 1 substitution of these will be the same as your old recipes, but play around with these if you want. Here is a flour blend I also use and have had success with many times:
Gluten Free Flour Blend
2 cups rice flour(I use white, brown is more gritty.)
2/3 cup potato starch(not potato flour or flakes)
1/3 cup tapioca flour(sometimes called tapioca starch)
1 teaspoon xantham gum*
*this gum is pricey but well worth it if you plan on baking more gluten free and you will need to add a little more to recipes outside of what is in this baking blend…for example, a cookie might require 1/4 to 1/2 of a teaspoon more xantham gum. Cakes or quick breads need more such as 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon more and breads or yeasted doughs could require up to 1 teaspoon of more xantham gum.
TIPS & TIDBITS!
1. Use a light hand with your flour blends and store your flours or flour blends in the freezer for the freshest products. Bring to room temp when baking. GF items can be hockey pucks and something dry is never that appealing….
2. Look for recipes that are high in moisture to begin with, such as items made with sour cream if it’s a cake, coconut, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, etc. Breads and cakes that are moist make good options for trying GF. Sugar holds moisture as well, so trying a low sugar recipe might not be the best idea. Natural sweeteners such as turbinado, honey, maple syrup or sweet ingredients like banana can be used as well.
3. Though moisture is important, GF can sometimes be super gummy if an incorrect ratio is used with the GF flours or there is too much moisture. A balance will come with practice and time.
ABOUT: Xantham gum is used to add volume, structure and viscosity when there is no gluten present. It also stabilizes and emilsifys. When used too much will make a very gummy product, that is sticky, slimy and heavy. It does lose its gumming properties the longer it is mixed in the beginning which I saw when making a gelatin free mousse over the past year. It is used in items such as salad dressings to make them come back together when shaken and then served. From corn, if you have a corn allergy as well, avoid this and try a different gum such as guar gum.
4. GF batter and doughs can be gummier and stickier, so make sure to scrap the sides of your bowl down well as you mix and blend. Using a mixer is usually preferred over a spoon as you can get a smoother texture and avoid lumps in your batters.
5. Properly spray, butter or line pans with parchment to insure your products do not stick to their baking pans. Cookies work best on a parchment lined baking sheets.
6. GF items need more leavening also, so increase baking powder and baking soda. NOTE: Don’t forget how baking soda works… it is alkaline and will react with acid ingredients such as buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, bananas, cocoa and any vinegars in a batter.
7. Speaking of baking powder, make sure you have a GF one. Check other ingredients such as Vanilla and Chocolate chips, as these are NOT always gluten free. Read labels or call companies if you have any questions or concerns. The same goes for vinegars and mustards in your other cooking and/or baking.
8. Increase vanilla and other spices for the best full flavor in your GF baked goods. Find a good gluten-free vanilla and use it as much as you like.
9. Watch out for Oats… there can be cross contamination in the growing process or flour facilities though some gluten free folks can tolerate oats. You know your condition better than anyone else. If you want oats, there are GF bagged oats available, or experiment with coconut chips (unsweetened and dried) or quinoa flakes for a crunch. Puffed rice cereal is also fun to make bars or cookies with for some GF crunch and crisp.
10. There are many flours that some forget about trying out such as Quinoa flour and Coconut flour. Try these if you’re in baking mode!
Other safe options include:
Amaranth flour, arrowroot, brown and white rice flour, buckwheat flour, corn meal, millet flour, chick pea or garbanzo bean flour, potato flour and potato starch, soy flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour/starch and teff flour.
If you include soy in your diet, soy flour is a great option due to its higher protein content. Many of these flours are not ideal on their own and some, such as potato flour (not potato starch) and millet flour really do not do any good in GF baking, ever.
11. Like with regular baking, make sure you have all your ingredients before baking and bring eggs, milks and butter to room temperature for proper mixing. Wash hands and make sure you are not at risk of crossing gluten containing ingredients if you are baking in a kitchen that has not-gluten-free items stored in the same cabinets. Preheat your oven, roll your sleeves up, pull hair back and get set to create!
12. Keep a sense of humor, an open mind and an open palate. These baked goods may not taste exactly like your old ones but they can be just as (and sometimes MORE) delicious as their wheat counterparts. You might not always have success, but trying it will give you experience and the more you see how ingredients work in your own kitchen and in your own recipes, the better luck you will have overall.
Compile a list of safe and great recipes as you find them that you know you can turn to and get the results you desire. Write any and all notes of what you did to make the recipe so ideal. Pastry chefs have to do the same thing when we’re developing recipes so that anyone can make the same recipe again which means ingredients are weighed in grams or ounces and technique is noted accurately from time of mixing to which spoon used or how many folds of a batter. There is nothing worse than getting a recipe perfectly and then never being able to do it again.
Going gluten free is not the end of your baked goodies, but the beginning of a new time and new tastes! My best advice is to stay true to your tastes in the end and accept your condition with an open heart. What I saw the most from gluten free customers was wanting things out of just not being able to have them. So if you were not into cakes before going gluten free, it might not be the most ideal time to want to start eating cakes. I also think finding things that are “accidently gluten free” is a great option. Flour-less chocolate or nut tortes are simple to make and gluten free. Nut flour based cookies and cakes are also gluten free. Meringue cookies, jelly candies or other egg based based custards, mousses and puddings are all sweet, delicious and gluten free treats.
Here is a cake I had early success with and it is delightful with almond extract or made into a lemon cake with lemon juice and zest. This is the simple basic yellow vanilla version. Do not let the mayo frighten you, as it works much like butter or oil and is a secret ingredient in some of the top chocolate cakes used in restaurant desserts. It is also dairy free if you use a good full fat soy milk and Veganaise (a vegan mayonaise.) Also, try to use local and/or organic eggs.
More gluten free baking recipes to come… up next? A gluten free chocolate chunk cookie with a nutty version, too!
Gluten Free Yellow Cake
Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 2 (8-9 inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment rounds in the bottle and grease that as well.
Mix in large bowl with a whisk:
1 1/2 cups rice flour (white is lighter)
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xantham gum
Combine in another bowl with a mixer until fluffy and creamed:
4 whole eggs
2/3 cup “mayo” or Veganaise
1 1/4 cups sugar
Have ready:
1 cup milk (dairy or soy)
1 tablespoon GF vanilla
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk (IE: add 1/3 dry, 1/2 wet, another 1/3 dry, the rest of the wet, and ending with the last 1/3 of the dry.)
OPTIONAL. Coat the bottom of the cake pan with chopped pecans or sliced almonds. This adds a layer of complexity and makes a nice little snack cake that way.
Divide batter between prepared pans evenly.
Bake until fluffy and tests done. The cake will be springy. Do not brown too much as the edges will become dry and hard.
Simply sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with cooked fruits or ice with your favorite icing.
