Going with the Grain
Tips for Gluten Free Cooking
The key , as with most things.. is to keep things simple. Here's how I do it: I don't keep sacks of ten different alternative flours in my fridge.
Oh, I did in the beginning. Based on advice, I mixed my own blends. I stockpiled. I I ground my own almonds. And guess what? I ended up tossing out bags of rancid flour [who knew brown rice and bean flours spoil alarmingly fast?] not to mention, the pounds of alleged bread I baked from scratch. I chewed endless rawhide cookies and scraped the filling off sawdust piecrusts. The solution? I found some tasty gluten-free baking mixes that agreed with me, and I keep one of each on hand, in the pantry. My personal favorites?
Flours for baking
* Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix is very consistent.. I have even used it to thicken sauces and soups. It'sgreat used in flourless quiches, muffins, and pancakes. The only drawback is - it contains dairy .
For those of you looking for a dairy-free nut-free sugar-free all-purpose baking mix [Pamela's baking mix contains almond meal and buttermilk] I recommend Namaste mixes [the muffin mix works as well as Pamela's in baking recipes].
For General All Purpose Baking-
* There are many other basic gluten-free flour and baking mixes on the market: Namaste - as mentioned - Arrowhead Mills, Authentic Foods, Bob's Red Mill, Gluten Free Pantry, to name a few. Check your local supermarket's natural foods aisle. Well stocked health food stores usually carry several.
Baking Times and More-
Baking and rising times vary depending upon many factors:
* Where do you live †high altitude or sea level? High altitude gluten-free baking usually requires a little less liquid [start with 2 tablespoons less] and a higher oven temperature [increase oven temp by 25 degrees F] or a longer baking time. If I use a self-rising mix such as Pamela's in my baking recipes, the only change I make for high altitude baking is to add 25 degrees F to my oven temperature.
* Ice cold ingredients or room temperature? I find baking with room temperature ingredients works best when baking gluten-free. When making gluten-free bread, eggs at room temperature are a must. Yeast needs a warm environment to rise properly - a temperature of 100 to 110 degrees F is ideal.
* Baking pans may require more or less baking times - see your pan manufacturer's advice.
* Oven temperatures vary slightly from oven to oven. Tune in to yours and notice if recipes tend to take longer - or shorter - to bake. Adjust baking times accordingly.
* Place pans in the center of a pre-heated oven †not too close to the top or bottom †for even baking.
Just remember to read the label carefully for any additional problematic ingredients [for those with lactose intolerance, casein, soy, legume or nut allergies, note that some gluten-free mixes may contain dairy, soy, bean flour, sugar or nuts. Don't be like me and assume that just because a product declares itself "Gluten-Free" you can eat it!]. Remember - it's an intuitive thing, this gluten-free baking deal. There is really no substitute for experience. The trial and error method is your best teacher. That and a sense of humor.
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Takeaways
- Baking tips
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