1. Buy or make a gluten free flour mix. If you simply need to coat something in flour before you cook it, you can get away with single grain gluten free flour. For thickening sauces and gravies, use cornstarch or potato starch. For baking, gluten free flours work better when used in combination.
Start with a gluten free flour mix that can be substituted one-for-one for wheat flour in recipes.
Nature’s Choice and Health Connection has three different flour combinations available; Nature’s Choice/Health Connection gluten free cake flour, Nature’s Choice/Health Connection gluten free self raising flour and Nature’s Choice/Health Connection gluten free high fibre flour. You can also buy the flour and make your own mix.
2. Bake breads and rolls in containers with walls. Without gluten, bread loafs and rolls don’t hold their shape. Bake bread in loaf pans and use muffin pans for rolls.
3. Add gums to your gluten free flour. The elastic effect created by gluten can be simulated to a certain extent by adding gums, for instance, guar gums or xanthan gums. These gums are only added to recipes in small amounts (such as 1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour) this is however already included in the gluten free self raising flour.
4. Try some old favourites. Take the time to experiment with your favourite recipes in order to make them gluten free.
5. Store gluten free flour in the refrigerator or freezer. This advice is particularly important if you buy your flours in bulk.
If you store your flours in the freezer, let them settle to the room temperature before use.
6. Gluten free mixtures are usually softer than regular mixtures. Do not add additional flour after mixing the liquid and dry ingredients as gluten free mixtures, especially breads, are softer than regular wheat flour mixtures.
7. Add additional moisture and fibre. Due to the lack of gluten, gluten free baking tends to dry out more quickly. Limit this by adding (where possible) fruits such as banana. Most gluten free flours are very refined, add fibre through the addition of seeds, fruits, vegetables and nuts.
8. Make use of Nature’s Choice aluminium-free baking powder as most other baking powders contain aluminium compounds. With so much in the scientific literature linking aluminium to Alzheimer’s disease, it is an essential substitution. Only mix enough aluminium-free baking powder for one day’s baking.
9. Do not leave any mixture to stand for long amounts of time once the liquid has been added.
Unless otherwise stated on the recipe, make sure the oven is pre-heated and immediately place the pan in the oven after mixing.
10. Do not over beat any mixture. If the recipe calls for the addition of components such as apple cider or lemon juice, add these last and blend in.
11. Line all baking tins with greased wax wrap, you will also find that bread bakes in a small loaf tin.
12. If you add jam and cream as a filling for Swiss roll, it will become soggy after a few days. Rather add these to each slice just before serving.
An easy way to remember the flours that contain gluten is to remember the ‘brow’ abbreviation, barley, rye, oats and wheat. They are additional flours that contain gluten which aren’t commonly available.
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