Individuals suffering from gluten sensitivity and celiac disease would have to forgo their favorite desserts. This would relate to all kinds of tarts, cookies, cakes and every other item made of non-wheat flours. If you find yourself at this juncture, don’t worry or lose heart. There are plenty of ways you can enjoy these desserts without worrying about the gluten that comes with them. Just take a look at these amazing 7 gluten free baking tips.
Understand that cooking with non-wheat flour is not that hard
The common misconception is that cooking with non-wheat flours tends to lead to mistakes in addition to making the whole baking process harder. The truth is that baking with non-wheat flour can be easier than using wheat in certain cases. This is because using non wheat flours would require lesser and easier steps than using wheat based alternatives.
There is no need to blend different flours
Gluten free baking usually results in starchy or mushy results, or so as some say. This is a misconception. Instead of combining different types of flours for gluten free baking, you can use a single kind like corn, oat or chestnut, etc. to create flavorful desserts that would taste nothing like all those bland health substitutes you have heard of.
Experiment with different flours
Don’t expect to get great results with just one try. Experiment with different kinds of gluten free flours to see which one works best for your creations. Some of the varieties you can experiment with include teff, amaranth, brown rice, oat, white rice, quinoa, peanut, almond, hazelnut, coconut, soy and chickpea flour. A couple of tries and you can narrow down the gluten free flours you find the most comfortable.
Start with small recipes
Don’t jumpstart your gluten free baking trial by baking something big and hard. Start off with a simple recipe like a pancake to see how the results shape up. This way, you can correct mistakes and polish your skills before moving onto the bigger items like cakes.
Stick to the recipe
Even seasoned bakers can make mistakes with gluten free ingredients. So make sure you stick to the recipe, especially if you are using different kinds of gluten free flours in the same recipe. Don’t substitute any ingredients with alternatives you think may be better. Measure accurately and follow the steps in precision to ensure that your gluten free baking attempt does not go in vain.
Get some help for stickiness
It is the gluten in wheat based flours that lends to the stickiness in the foods when baking. Gluten free baking would therefore, lead to less sticky results that can easily crumble. In order to prevent this from happening, you can choose to get some extra help for the stickiness. You can do this by adding sweet rice, gelatin, agar-agar or gum to the baking mix.
Bake longer and at lower heat
When baking with gluten free flour, make sure you bake for longer intervals at a lower heat than traditional flour. This is because gluten free flour cooks faster on the outside than the inside, and can burn easily if you keep the heat high. Gluten free foods usually take 15 minutes more than conventional foods to cook properly. So keep checking the progress at regular intervals in between.
Make smaller food items
Gluten free foods can crumble faster. So bake smaller sized portions to maintain shape and consistency for longer periods. Instead of standard sized bread, cookies, biscuits and cakes, go for mini sized alternatives.
Opt for pre-made flour mixes
If you find it difficult to mix the right kinds of flours in the right proportions, consider buying pre-made flour blends. Mixed with the right consistency, these gluten free flour blends would help you bake all your favorite desserts with minimal hassles. All you would need to do is open the bag, add it to the baking mix and proceed to baking.
Gluten free baking does not need to be hard. From using the right kinds of flours and binding agents to following the instructions to the ‘T’, these gluten free baking tips will help you bake your favorite desserts in a healthier manner.