Celiac Disease Program and Support Group

Baking without gluten can be challenging even for the most experienced bakers. Gluten-free (GF) baked goods lack the gluten structure required to provide the strong & stable foundation to trap the leavening gases, & impart elasticity to the dough.

"Regular" bread is inherently high in gluten, unlike cakes & cookies, which is why GF bread is much more prone to failure than their less gluten-dependent cousins (i.e. the brick like result). GF flours are also very sensitive to changes in the environment & moisture, requiring one to moderate the amount of liquid needed in the raw batter each time before baking.

• Use a high-powered tabletop mixer (we're partial to KitchenAid) and the batter beater (not the dough-hook). Give the mixer time to fully blend the ingredients and incorporate air into the batter (to help the rising process or "leavening").

• To determine true batter consistency, ALL liquids (including eggs, fats, or substitutes) should be at lukewarm temperatures [unless stated otherwise]. Let ingredients sit out for at least 1/2 hour before using.

• Follow the recipe or mix instructions (not the bread machine or the substitute). Modifications may yield less successful results.

ALWAYS INITIALLY WITHHOLD 1/4 cup of the milk substitute from the raw batter to start and blend the mix well. Use batter consistency as your guide, and if it appears too dry, add 1 TBSP of the reserved liquid & blend again, repeating this until the batter consistency is the same as stated on the label.

When using rice milk, if may help to add a few tablespoons of oil to the batter PRIOR to adding more milk substitute (it helps to better visualize the batter texture accurately).

There are many wheat flour and flour blend substitutes on the market. Each differs in starch content, taste, ability to absorb moisture final end product texture, and the amount of added binder needed gluten content (gluten is found in wheat, oats -- from potential cross contamination in the field -- barley, & rye).

Breads rely on gluten for their structure, cakes to a lesser extent, and cookies almost none. The best option is to blend several flours for lighter end product & softer crumb use use a blend of predominantly starchy, lighter flours.

For a heavier, heartier crumb use a blend of predominantly less starchy, heavier, grittier flours. A good basic blend often used is Bette Hagman Flour Blend. The recipe for this is based on ratios of flours (heavier flour/rice flour to starchier flours/potato and tapioca starch (also known as tapioca starch flour).

For every 3 cups of flour you use 2 cups white or brown rice flour + 2/3 cup potato starch + 1/3 cup tapioca starch and xanthan or guar. The basic rule of thumb for adding a binder as needed for gluten-free flours is based on the type of baked good you are making:

For every cup of gluten-free flour you use approximately:

• 1 tsp xanthan or 1 ½ tsp guar gum for cakes.
• 2 ½ tsp xanthan or 5 tsp guar gum for breads or pizza.
• ¼ tsp to no xanthan or guar gum for most cookies.

Baking times are only estimates. Everyone's bakeware and oven works slightly differently. Use proper tests for doneness, per package directions. Color may not be a good indicator of doneness. If the outside browns prematurely before inside, cover the outside/top loosely with aluminum foil until done. Some use a water bath method to prevent overbrowning the crust & more even baking inside. To do this, place the uncooked loaf of bread in the pan inside the center of another large roasting pan filled 1-1/2" with water and bake.

Try to remember that baking in general, even with gluten, can be frustrating. Big industry commercial mixes tend to put a lot of extra dough enhancers and conditioners in the mix, that most gluten-free companies purposely avoid, to ensure prefect results every time. So if it fails, dont hesitate to try again.

Need More Help? Call 800-891-0083. Happy Baking!