After struggling with GI issues for many years, I recently have
decided to take my diet in hand. I had
previously gone “Dairy-Free” for the same reason and experienced some success,
but I still wasn’t where I wanted to be, gastrointestinal-ly speaking. Gluten, a storage protein in wheat that gives
baked goods that elasticity and lightness, has long been touted as a
contributor to aforesaid GI issues. My
sister had already gone gluten-free for the same reason. There was only one thing standing in my
way: my undying and uncompromising love
for baked goods. I didn’t see how I
could ever give them up and experience a satisfied diet. So, I went in search of gluten-free
alternatives.
First, I bought several packaged brands of breads, bars, and some
sweets. They were, for the most part,
pretty horrible: dry, tasteless, heavy,
just not a good “mouthfeel.” I found one
or two bread brands that I liked, but I certainly wasn’t eating a sandwich
every day. A little discouraged but
still somewhat hopeful, I turned to homemade goods.
I have always loved to bake.
It is relaxing and rewarding for me, and I enjoy trying new recipes. Since I have quite a bit of experience in the
baking department, I figured that this would be a cinch. There are many gluten free (GF) flours
available out there: rice, brown rice,
soy, almond, coconut, to name a few. I
would simply substitute one of these flours for any white flour the recipe
called for.
The first item I tried was GF pancakes. Easy!
Same ingredients, just substitute the GF flour. The pancakes were rubbery with a gritty
mouthfeel. Just in case I missed
something, I tried again…with the same result.
This was not a pancake that I could recommend or, for that matter,
serve. After trying muffins, quick
breads, cakes, cookies and brownies, I was discouraged. It was at this time that I discovered the
Twist Bakery in Millis. This lovely
little gem has not only gluten-free baked goods, but also dairy- and nut-
free. They have many selections, and
everything I tried there was simply delicious.
I live in Canton and can only get over there once in a while, so
unfortunately Twist would not become my baked goods supplier. It did, however, inspire me to do some
research…if GF baked goods can be this good, I can learn how to make them.
I went into the Minuteman Catalog and typed in a search for Gluten-Free
Baking. One of the books that came up
was The How Can It Be Gluten-Free
Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen (ATK).
Intriguing. After reading the
introduction, I could see that good GF baking comes down to understanding the
relationship between the amount of glutenin (a wheat protein) and its reaction
to water and mixing. It’s not just a matter of using gluten-free flour. If the gluten is taken out, something else
must be substituted, or one ends up with the aforementioned pancakes.
Three main factors come into play when one is using a gluten-free
flour. First, the amount of glutenin in
the flour is very important, as more glutenin=more strength and
elasticity. With bread flour, for
example, there is more glutenin and using it results in a nice mouthfeel for
bread. Cake flour, on the other hand,
has a lower glutenin content and produces a soft structure that is perfect for
cakes. Second, water is a big factor in
the development of gluten. The more
water, the stronger and more elastic the gluten is. This makes gives the baked good an “airier”
result and is pleasing to the palate.
Finally, mixing time is very important.
The less a mixture is stirred, the less gluten will develop. In the case of muffins, this is why all
package directions warn you not to “overmix.”
Result? Tough, hard muffins that
do anything but melt in the mouth.
Now we come to the substitutions for gluten. In the recipes from HCIBGF, America’s Test
Kitchen, after literally thousands of tries, has developed a flour blend that
can be used to produce pretty yummy baked goods. Their secret?
A mix of GF flours, a mix of starches (for that elasticity), and nonfat
milk powder (to help with browning). And
for DF folks, we can use soy milk powder in place of the milk powder, with the
same result. One other element is
necessary with GF baking, and that is a Binder.
A Binder acts as strengthener and gives the baked goods desired
elasticity. ATK basically recommended
xanthan gum, and, though it is not added to the ATK Flour Blend at the outset,
each recipe calls for the flour blend AND a teaspoon or so of the xanthan gum.
