2
Wheat is everywhere. Of the foods we eat in the United States, more are made with wheat than with any other grain.10 Wheat is grown in forty-two of our fifty states. One acre of farmland yields forty-two bushels of wheat, and each bushel of wheat yields between forty-two and ninety loaves of bread. The result is a whole lot of bread, and a massive number of products in our grocery stores based on wheat. Our food supply is heavily wheat-based because it is available and affordable to produce.
As Americans, we didn’t always eat as much wheat as we do today. In fact, wheat is not indigenous to the United States; it was first grown in this country in the late 1700s. Wheat is believed to have made its way to Europe from the Middle East (Syria and Turkey), and later brought to the United States.
Yet, wheat makes so many of us sick. In his book Healthier Without Wheat, Dr. Stephen Wangen writes that “many millions of (Americans) have not been fortunate enough to inherit the genetic makeup that allows us to enjoy the nutritional benefits of wheat without suffering from one or more of the many potential illnesses that a reaction to wheat can cause.”11 Those illnesses include autoimmune reactions such as food allergies and celiac disease, as well as intolerances (where a person lacks the enzyme needed to properly digest the food).
When you walk the center aisles of the grocery store, a large proportion of the processed foods you inspect will contain wheat. So much of what we eat every day, including bread, pasta, and desserts, is made from wheat. Even a loaf of bread that is sold as oat bread most likely has wheat as an ingredient, possibly even the first ingredient. That’s the bad news.
The good news? There are many great grains (some you may be hearing about for the first time) that can replace wheat, and these foods are becoming more readily available. Before we take a look at the grains that you can eat, let’s explore what to avoid.
Common wheat belongs to a genus of grasses known as Triticum. The genus itself is also sometimes referred to as wheat. Those who are allergic to wheat need to avoid all of the Triticum grains, including triticale, durum wheat, kamut, spelt, and einkorn. While these grains are sometimes suggested as alternatives to wheat in recipes, if you are allergic to wheat you must avoid them all. Any grain in the wheat or Triticum family must be labeled “wheat” on processed food packages, as discussed earlier.
Gluten is a protein found in certain grains, which gives the grain special properties. First, gluten brings elasticity to the flours made from these grains, which gives them the fluffiness and stretchiness we typically associate with bread. Gluten also traps the gases released by yeast, both before and during the baking process. When you bake with gluten-free grains, you will use some different techniques than traditional bakers use.
Wheat contains gluten. Rye and barley also contain gluten. If you are allergic to wheat, you may be able to eat rye and barley, but there is a strong association of cross-reactivity with wheat, rye, and barley allergies. If you are gluten-intolerant or have celiac disease, you must avoid all of the gluten grains (wheat and its brothers, rye and barley). If you are allergic to wheat, you should work with your allergist to determine whether you also need to avoid rye and barley. While some people believe that oats also contain gluten, this is incorrect; oats are naturally gluten-free, but are often subject to contamination.
If a grain is gluten-free, we know it’s not wheat. But here’s the catch—while most products on the grocery store shelves that are labeled “gluten-free” are indeed wheat-free, the proposed gluten-free labeling laws in the United States and established laws implemented in other parts of the world do allow for a small amount of gluten to remain in products labeled “gluten-free.” That opens the door for manufacturers to process wheat and create wheat-based products with most of the gluten removed. One example is a product available in the United Kingdom known as Codex wheat starch, a wheat starch that has been processed to remove the gluten to a level that is within the United Kingdom’s Codex gluten-free standard. Even though this product is considered gluten-free, it is not safe for someone with a wheat allergy.
If a product is wheat-free, that does not necessarily mean that it is gluten-free, as it may still contain other gluten grains. Remember that while all food products containing wheat must be clearly labeled, there is not yet an FDA labeling standard for gluten; you must still read the detailed ingredients list when a product is labeled “gluten-free.” Also, as noted earlier, keep in mind that the proposed gluten-free labeling standard will be voluntary and will still allow a small threshold of gluten (and therefore possibly wheat) to be included in the product (see more). Both the wheat-allergic and those who need to eat gluten-free should avoid all products that have wheat listed as an ingredient.
All of the recipes I share with you in this book are intended to address the needs of both the food-allergic and the gluten-intolerant. For that reason, and because rye and barley are usually processed side by side with wheat (leading to a high possibility of contamination), I have focused on grains that are both wheat-free and gluten-free in my recipes.
The only bread we had in my childhood home was white bread. I actually believed that bread in its natural state was white. Imagine my surprise when I started exploring alternative grains and discovered that they came in all shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. Let’s take a look at some of the many grains you can eat, and the flours you will be using as you bake allergen-free.
Rice: Rice flours are among the most commonly used flours in gluten-free and allergen-free baking. They can be made from any of the rice grains by grinding down the grains. Common rice flours include white rice flour, brown rice flour, and sweet rice flour. Brown rice flour is a whole grain, whereas white rice flour is the processed version of that grain (with the bran and germ removed). A simple way to think about it is using this analogy: White rice flour is to brown rice flour as traditional white flour is to whole wheat flour. Sweet rice flour comes from a sticky type of rice, and will perform differently from its cousins. You should be aware that rice flours of all varieties are high in carbohydrates and calories, and low in fiber.
Rice flours are commonly used in gluten-free flour blends. One of the reasons for this is the flour’s mild taste, which helps it to mimic a traditional taste in breads and baked goods. On the flip side, rice flours can be grainy. All rice flours perform best when they are very finely milled. The finely milled rice flours will be more expensive, but they are worth it.
Oats: Oats have gotten a bad rap. I mentioned earlier that some people believe oats contain gluten. The reason for the confusion is that most oat crops are processed in the same facilities and on the same equipment as wheat, making them off-limits to those with wheat allergies and celiac disease. Until recently, gluten-free oats have been difficult to find, but some manufacturers are stepping up to the plate and offering oatmeal and oat flours that are certified gluten-free; I have used these products with great results. Oat flour is simply ground oats (you can easily make your own with a food processor or high-speed blender). It offers a nice consistency for baking, as well as additional protein.
Oat flour has a somewhat sweet taste, and works extremely well in baking when combined with other flours. If you want an oat taste in your baked goods, I recommend replacing up to half of the flour blend you are using with oat flour; one example of this combination is in the Banana Bread recipe.
Corn and millet: Corn (also known as maize) is one of the most widely grown crops in the Americas. Corn flour is finely milled from corn grain. Cornmeal is a coarsely grained version of the same crop. Like most non-gluten grains, corn flour and cornmeal perform best when combined with other flours. For example, the corn bread and muffin mix I use to make Spicy Corn Bread combines cornmeal with rice flours and starches. When a recipe calls for cornmeal, look for a product with a medium grind unless the recipe specifies otherwise.
Most people associate millet with birdfeed, but is it just for the birds? I don’t think so. Millet is a highly nutritious grain with approximately 3 grams of protein per ¼ cup serving (similar to wheat) and is rich in iron, thiamine, and riboflavin. It can easily be grown without pesticides, and it’s considered one of the easiest grains to digest. In fact, given these great characteristics, it’s surprising we don’t eat a lot more of it.
One of the first over-the-counter breads I found that my son could eat (one that didn’t contain wheat, milk, soy, or eggs) was millet bread by Food for Life. Since that time, millet has become a favorite in my home. It has a distinctive whole-grain taste, similar to corn. For that reason I like to use it as a featured grain, combining millet with a favorite gluten-free flour blend, as you will see in Millet Baguettes. Because corn and millet are related grains, those with corn allergies will usually need to avoid both.
Sorghum, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, and teff: These whole grains are used to make flours that pack a powerful punch. While each of them has its own unique taste, they are all nutrient-rich, with generous amounts of protein, fiber, and minerals. Sorghum has a rather bland flavor, but mixes well with rice and bean flours. Buckwheat has a strong, nutty taste, and is one of my favorites. Despite its name, buckwheat is not wheat—in fact, it’s not even a close relative, being far removed from wheat in the family of grasses.
Quinoa and amaranth are becoming more popular and more widely available. They can be found in cereals and pastas, as well as flours. In my experience, people either love these grains and can’t get enough of them, or they have a strong preference for other flours.
Teff is very fine—the smallest grain in the world. It has a brownish-gray hue, and a slightly sweet (yet still mild) nutty taste.
As with all gluten-free varieties, flours made from these grains perform best when mixed with others. Some of my favorite gluten-free multigrain flour blends contain many of them. Although the recipes in this book use flours made from buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, and teff, they can all be cooked in their whole, pre-ground form and served as side dishes or the basis for a meal, similar to rice.
Beans: In addition to grains or grasses, flours can also be made from beans, including fava and garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas). Bean flours are far more popular in parts of Asia and India than in the United States and are commonly used in Indian cuisine. They are high in carbohydrates, but also high in protein, making them a more balanced replacement for wheat than the popular rice flours. Garbanzo and fava bean flours are sometimes combined into a single flour blend, called garfava. You might expect bean flours to come on strong, but they have a surprisingly mild taste. This makes them a great replacement for rice flours in your flour blends, especially if you are looking for more protein.
As you consider using bean flours, keep in mind that beans are legumes, as are peanuts. Please check with your doctor, as there is potential for cross-reactivity to beans if you are allergic to peanuts.
Starches: Starches are, by definition, not whole foods; flours referred to as starches are produced by extracting a portion of the whole food from the heart of the plant. Popular starches used in baking are tapioca, potato, and corn starch.
Tapioca starch is derived from the root of a cassava plant. There is no difference between tapioca flour and tapioca starch; you will find this product referred to by both names on the market. Potato starch, on the other hand, is different from potato flour. Potato flour is made from whole potatoes (including the skins), and should be used when you want flour with a potato taste. (One example would be for potato pancakes.) Potato starch is the starch extracted from the potato. Likewise, corn starch is the starch extracted from corn. These starches are essentially tasteless and won’t affect the flavor of your baked goods.
Starches provide little in the way of flavor and even less in terms of nutrition. They are nearly pure carbohydrates, with virtually no protein and minute amounts of fiber. However, starches play a very special role in gluten-free baking as thickening agents. They are used to thicken fruit fillings and sauces, and—even more important—to help hold gluten-free flours together. Note that when mixing your own flour blends you should always include at least one starch. Take care to not use corn starch if you are allergic to corn, or potato starch if you are allergic to nightshades.
It’s important to note that the buckwheat pancakes at the pancake house or the corn tortillas at the Mexican restaurant may contain as much wheat as they do buckwheat or corn. Never assume ingredients based on the name of a dish; always check to be sure they are safe for you.
Even when made from the same grain, not all flours are equal, and that is especially evident when it comes to rice flours. I learned this the hard way as I attempted to make Poured Pizza Crust with an off-the-shelf (rice-based) gluten-free flour blend. After partially baking (when it was time to add the pizza toppings) I flipped the crust and watched it crumble in my hands. Instead of wasting my toppings on a subpar crust, I decided to start over with King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-purpose flour, another rice-based flour blend. This time my crust held together and browned nicely, creating a perfect pizza. As you work with flour blends, you will discover your own favorites. A superfine rice flour will give you a better result. King Arthur Flour, Bob’s Red Mill, and Authentic Foods all market finely milled rice flours.
Many flours, including gluten-free flours, pick up moisture easily, and should be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Most packaged flours are safe in the pantry until opened. Once opened, I suggest storing flours that you use frequently in the refrigerator. Those you use infrequently can be stored in the freezer. Whether refrigerated or frozen, flours perform best in most recipes when brought to room temperature before baking. Note that flours can go rancid; if you notice a foul odor when you scoop out your flour, you know it is time to replace it.
A friend asked me recently whether a flour blend I had recommended would have “that gluten-free taste,” reminding me to let you know that many of the gluten-free flours mentioned here, especially the whole grain and bean flours, do not taste like wheat. Of course, there is no such thing as a gluten-free taste; it’s the flavor of the various grains and the unfamiliar texture that she was experiencing. There is a world of grains to explore, and you and your family will have your preferences. I love buckwheat and oat, while my son craves millet. I know some families that swear by quinoa, while others like to stick to the more mild-tasting rice grains. Keep experimenting until you discover what you love—there’s a grain out there for everyone.
There’s one final point to consider as you select flour: Avoid buying flour that has been packaged at the store. One of the first things I see when I enter my local health food store is a refrigerated section that contains all variety of flours in plastic bags with twist ties. Opt for flours that are packaged and sealed at the manufacturing site, instead of these. There’s just no way to ensure that the scoop used for the rice flour or the buckwheat flour wasn’t the same scoop used for the spelt or wheat flours. The same caution goes for cereal, granola, and other products packaged locally. Even if the ingredients appear safe, and even if their label says “gluten-free,” unintentional contamination is what you need to be concerned about here.
Nearly all recipes for wheat-free baked goods and gluten-free baking mixes will include an ingredient called a gum; most often this is xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide (a chain of three different forms of sugar) created by combining bacteria with corn sugar. That sounds kind of yucky, so let’s look closer. Xanthan gum is a carbohydrate. It’s made from all natural ingredients, and is similar to more familiar polysaccharides, including corn syrup. Are you concerned that xanthan gum is made from bacteria? Consider that yogurt is made from combining bacteria with milk. Similarly, adding lactic acid bacteria to milk makes buttermilk. They are all made using fermentation processes.
Because it’s a created food, some may think that xanthan gum should be avoided, but it’s very helpful (possibly even indispensable) when baking without gluten. Like starches, gums will help thicken a batter or sauce, but they go a step further: they have binding properties that help bring back some of the elasticity we lose in our flours when we eliminate gluten. The same recipe made with and without xanthan gum will have very different results: the quick bread made without xanthan gum will fall to pieces as you bite into it, whereas the bread with xanthan gum will have a bit of springiness to it—not quite like a wheat bread, but enough to allow you to slice it.
If you can’t use xanthan gum (those with corn allergies may need to avoid it), an alternative is guar gum. Guar gum is less commonly used in packaged flour blends and baking mixes, but can be found in specialty food stores and online. Like xanthan gum, this product (which is extracted from the guar bean) has thickening and binding qualities. If you need to forgo the gums completely in your gluten-free baking, I suggest that you choose flour blends that are high in protein and increase the amount of starch (tapioca, potato, or corn starch) you add to your flour blend.
When you go shopping, you will quickly notice that gums are very expensive. Xanthan gum costs as much as three dollars per ounce, but keep in mind that you will use very little (¼ to ½ teaspoon) in each baking project. Depending on the amount of baking you do, one 2-ounce cylinder of xanthan gum could last you many months. Resist the urge to buy larger quantities to decrease the cost, as xanthan gum does go bad after about a year. Store opened containers of xanthan gum in the refrigerator.
Not surprisingly, there’s a right way and a wrong way to use gums. The first key to using gums is to use the right amount. Only a tiny amount is needed to achieve the desired result. I recommend no more than ¼ teaspoon per cup of flour used. While some gluten-free recipes suggest much more, I find this ratio to be just enough to achieve the desired result—great baked goods that hold together.
The next thing to keep in mind when baking with gums is that they glob up very quickly when the powder mixes with liquid. No, glob is not a technical baking term, but it’s appropriate to describe what happens. Try this experiment:
The Effect of Xanthan Gum
Mix ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum with 1 teaspoon of warm water in a small glass or stainless-steel bowl. Use a toothpick to mix the powder with the water. Notice that within seconds, the mixture thickens and a gel forms. Within five minutes you will have a gluey ball, and within fifteen minutes you will be able to easily lift that ball out of your container with just a toothpick. (If you wait longer, it will be harder to lift because the ball will stick to the bowl.)
If a lump of xanthan gum is left in your cake before you put it in the oven, it will harden when baking, creating a mass that certainly won’t taste good but could also be a choking hazard. I’m not trying to scare you, but I do want to stress that gums must be used properly. The right way is to use a tiny amount and mix it in extremely well with your dry ingredients. When this very fine powder is well blended with your flour, in the right amounts, it will do wonders for your breads, muffins, and cakes.
When I was baking with wheat I rarely thought about the flour I used; simple all-purpose baking flour (made from one grain—wheat) would usually do. When I started baking wheat-free, selecting flours became more complicated. I found myself buying lots of individual packages of flour—rice, potato, tapioca, sorghum, quinoa, teff—and in different varieties—sweet rice, brown rice, white rice, and so on. Who knew there were so many grains, varieties, and brands to choose from? We’re certainly lucky that we have that choice, but trying to find the right flour for the job can be a challenge.
One thing that all gluten-free bakers agree on is that flours must be blended together to get great results. If you try to make muffins with just rice flour, they will be bland, dry, and crumbly. If you attempt to make yeast bread with just millet flour, you will have a rock-hard loaf. Even a quick bread with just oat flour will result in too strong a taste and a bread that sinks to the bottom of your stomach. Flours must be mixed to get the best results.
Gluten-free flour blends take a lot of the guesswork out of that task. These blends, now available from food vendors that focus on the gluten-free and allergen-free markets, as well as from many larger food vendors that are expanding their product lines, make life much simpler for allergen-free bakers—and they take up a lot less room in the pantry and the refrigerator.
Many gluten-free bakers also suggest that more than one flour blend is needed to address the varying needs of cakes, cookies, pies, and breads. Richard Coppedge, a certified master baker at the Culinary Institute of America, suggests five different flour blends in his book Gluten-Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America, ranging from weak (high carbohydrate) to strong (high protein).12 Although some of Chef Coppedge’s blends won’t be options for the food-allergic (as they contain soy and milk proteins), the concept he teaches makes sense. Depending on what you are baking, different flour blends will work better than others.
To simplify this for you, I have chosen to classify flour blends in two categories: Those that I am calling “white” flours are primarily rice flours and starches, and those that I am calling “multigrain” contain flours made from higher-protein grains and beans.
One of the ingredients you need to pay special attention to in a flour blend is xanthan gum (or other gums). Some flour blends include them, others do not. If the flour blend you choose contains xanthan gum, then you should leave out the xanthan gum in your recipe. There’s no need to double up on this ingredient.
Even if they have similar ingredients, not all flour blends perform equally. I have tried dozens of gluten-free flour blends, and have selected the ones that follow to share with you here. I recommend these because they perform consistently, taste great, and are readily available, but new gluten-free flour blends are popping up on the grocery store shelves as food vendors address this growing need. Always make sure that any flour blend you choose—these or others—will be safe for your family’s food allergies, but once you’re comfortable with baking, feel free to experiment with new flour blends as you find them. I’ll be trying them, too! I always keep my pantry stocked with at least one white flour blend and one multigrain flour blend.
Recommended Wheat-Free and Gluten-Free Flour Blends
|
With xanthan gum |
Without xanthan gum |
|
|
White flour blends |
Authentic Foods Multi Blend Gluten Free Flour Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour |
King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend |
|
Multigrain flour blends |
Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend |
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Whole Grain Flour Blend |
Let’s take a closer look at each of them:
|
Authentic Foods Multi Blend Gluten Free Flour |
Contains: Brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch, potato starch, and xanthan gum This is a finely milled flour blend. |
|
Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour |
Contains: Expandex modified tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, corn flour, white rice flour, and xanthan gum This flour is unique in its use of a special starch that emulates the properties of wheat. |
|
King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour |
Contains: Rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, and brown rice flour This is what I would describe as a white flour using only the finest ingredients. |
|
Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend |
Contains: Brown rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour Very similar to the Multi Blend Gluten Free Flour by the same brand, this flour contains no corn ingredients or xanthan gum. |
|
Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend |
Contains: Sweet brown rice flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, sorghum flour, and xanthan gum This flour combines rice with other grains. |
|
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour |
Contains: Garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, and fava bean flour This higher-protein flour blend swaps out the rice in favor of bean and sorghum flours. |
|
King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Whole Grain Flour Blend |
Contains: Sorghum flour, brown rice flour, amaranth flour, quinoa, millet, teff, and tapioca flour You may not be able to find a better combination of whole grains than with this flour blend. |
While almost all of these flour blends describe their usage as “all purpose” they vary considerably in their ingredients, taste, and performance in different recipes. Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour is, hands down, the best I have found for baking yeast breads. The Expandex modified tapioca starch in this blend gives bread an elasticity that I haven’t found with any other flour blend on the market today. When I want white flour for cakes or muffins, I reach for King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-purpose blend. However, I often find myself choosing the Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend or the King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Whole Grain blend; these two flours are my favorite everyday gluten-free all-purpose flours. Note that they both contain multiple whole-grain flours, one with and one without xanthan gum.
To keep things simple, I suggest using gluten-free flour blends in my recipes. Any of the blends recommended here will work. I have made each of my recipes dozens of times, and each of them with at least two (often three) of these flour blends. I suggest you try a few and see which you and your family like best. Availability of each of these flours varies depending on where you live; in the United States today, Authentic Foods products are easier to find on the West Coast, while King Arthur Flour is easier to find on the East Coast. Which you select is up to you. Always check the ingredients and scrutinize the warning labels. Choose flour blends that are safe for your family and stock your pantry with at least two or three of them. If you live outside the United States, look for gluten-free flour blends with similar ingredients, paying special attention to whether the gums are already added.
One technique I like to use is to combine a flour blend with a featured flour. You can see examples of this in the Millet Baguette recipe, where I combine millet flour with a gluten-free flour blend, and the Banana Bread recipe, where I use half oat flour and half gluten-free flour blend. This technique really gives your baked goods some variety with a pop of flavor.
While many great gluten-free flour blends are available on the market today (and more are being introduced every month), there are a few reasons why you may want to mix your own. It’s possible that you aren’t able to find a blend that addresses your family’s particular food allergies, they may not be available in your local markets and you don’t want to purchase them online, or you may just prefer a different combination of flours than you can find in a packaged blend. You may be a do-it-yourselfer who wants to control the exact ingredients of your blend. Whatever the reason, you should keep in mind the following when mixing your own flour blend:
Formulas for a 2-Cup White Gluten-Free Flour Blend
|
Higher-Starch Formula |
Lower-Starch Formula |
|
1 cup rice flour ½ cup potato starch ½ cup tapioca starch |
1⅓ cups rice flour ⅓ cup potato starch ⅓ cup tapioca starch |
If you are mixing a rice-based flour blend, I recommend you stay within the above proportions. If you prefer more protein in your flour blend, you can reduce the total starch within your blend to as little as ½ cup per 2 cups of flour. The protein in conjunction with the starch will help to hold your baked goods together. Here are a couple of suggested multigrain flour blends for you to try:
Formulas for a 2-Cup Multigrain Gluten-Free Flour Blend
|
Sorghum Blend |
Amaranth/Quinoa Blend |
|
¾ cup brown rice flour ¾ cup sorghum flour ½ cup tapioca starch |
½ cup brown rice flour ⅓ cup quinoa flour ⅔ cup amaranth flour ½ cup tapioca starch |
As you experiment with your own flour blends, always try to keep at least 25 percent of the blend as a starch.
Some gluten-free product vendors have introduced what they call a biscuit and baking mix—an all-purpose mix with which you can make a variety of baked goods. These are sometimes called pancake and baking mixes. They differ from the all-purpose flour blends (which are typically just flours or flours and xanthan gum) in that they include baking powder, baking soda, and salt right in the mix. They are the gluten-free world’s response to the classic Bisquick baking mix.
Biscuit and baking mixes are convenient to have on hand, but note that they do vary—each with a different blend of flours. I have featured one of these mixes in chapter 12, with the Blueberry Pancakes, to show you how easily these can be used in allergen-free baking. They can also be used to make simple biscuits, or crusts. Try this simple recipe for a mock potpie crust:
Mock Potpie Crust
Makes one crust
⅔ cup gluten-free biscuit and baking mix
1 cup hemp or rice milk
3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water (equal to 2 eggs; see instructions)
Whisk all of the ingredients together well. Pour the mixture over your potpie and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned.
Most of the recipes I share with you in this book call for a gluten-free flour blend, but you can substitute one of these biscuit and baking mixes by eliminating the added salt, baking powder and/or baking soda, and xanthan gum.
Every baking class I have taken has included a discussion on baking by weight rather than volume. The rationale of the master bakers who teach these classes is that weights don’t lie. Your cup of flour may not weigh the same as my cup of flour. One of us may be packing it down, while the other is sifting or keeping it loosely packed; we all measure differently.
When working with gluten-free flour blends and different grains, the problem is further complicated. Consider that King Arthur Flour All-Purpose [wheat] Flour and King Arthur Flour Whole Wheat Flour both weigh 120 grams per cup. One cup of oat flour weighs just 110 grams, whereas rice flour is very heavy, some varieties weighing upward of 160 grams per cup. That is a huge variation, and it does make a difference when you are baking. A rice-based flour blend that weighs considerably more per cup than another flour will suck up the liquids in your muffins, leaving them too dry. Conversely, a flour blend that is too light will leave your cake a bit soggy.
Master bakers usually advocate weighing all of your ingredients, from the baking powder, to the eggs, to the flour. I am going to make it simple for you and suggest that you only need to worry about the weight of the flour. Why? You’re not using eggs, so you don’t have to worry about the difference between a large and a medium egg, and the weights of most of the other ingredients you will be using are fairly standard. Furthermore, flour is the top ingredient in most baked goods, causing it to have the greatest impact on the end result. It’s primarily the flour-to-liquid ratio that you need to be concerned about, and the way to take care of that is by adjusting the amount of flour used.
Note the variance in the weights of the flour blends in the following table; there’s a full 40-gram difference between the heaviest of these flour blends and the lightest.
I know what you’re thinking—Does it really matter? Yes, it does. To give you an example, I made Double Chocolate Muffins dozens of times with the Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend, and they were indeed perfect. I tried them with the King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour (without adjusting for weight) and they were so dry that even the deer scavenging in our backyard didn’t want them. When I adjusted for the weight of the flour, they fluffed up and tasted great. It may seem counterintuitive, but my muffins were larger when I reduced the amount of flour because the ingredients had the proper space to interact and do their job.
There’s no need for you to make the same mistake. The recipes in this book have been developed to work best with a flour blend that weighs between 128 and 130 grams per cup. Does that mean you should only use the blends in that range? Absolutely not! The key is to adjust. You can do this either by using a kitchen scale and weighing as you go, or by making adjustments per the table below. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just close.
Weight Adjustments for Gluten-Free Flour Blends
|
grams per cup of flour |
How to adjust |
|
|
Authentic Foods Multi Blend Gluten Free Flour |
160 |
Reduce each cup of flour by 3 tablespoons |
|
Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour |
148 |
Reduce each cup of flour by 2 tablespoons |
|
King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour |
160 |
Reduce each cup of flour by 3 tablespoons |
|
Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend |
128 |
Use 1 to 1 |
|
Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend |
129 |
Use 1 to 1 |
|
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour |
136 |
Reduce each cup by 2 teaspoons |
|
King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Whole Grain Flour Blend |
120 |
Add 1 tablespoon per cup |
To measure flour for your recipe, simply add or reduce by the amount listed in the table. For example, if you choose to use King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour, and the recipe requires 2 cups of flour, reduce the amount you use by 6 tablespoons. Keep in mind that it’s easier to compensate for too much liquid than too much flour once you’ve started baking. Err on the side of a bit less flour if you’re not sure how much to use; you can always keep your baked goods in the oven a little longer. If you are mixing your own flour blend, aim for one that is in the range of 128 to 130 grams per cup.
When a recipe calls for a featured flour (e.g., Sugar Cookies, which use ½ cup of buckwheat flour and ¾ cup of a gluten-free flour blend) adjust the weight for only the flour blend. Single-grain flours can vary dramatically in weight due to the differences in the grains. For example, oat flour is a lightweight at just 110 grams per cup, whereas buckwheat flour, at the other end of the spectrum, weighs in at 180 grams per cup. The recipes I have developed for you have taken the weight of these flours into consideration; there is no need to adjust for weight, unless you choose to use them to replace the gluten-free flour blend. See Appendix D for the appropriate weights of these featured flours and other key ingredients.
