Guide to gluten free baking

Best flours, powders, tips and tricks to successful gluten-free baking!

FLOURS:

  • -Almond flour/almond meal:

Tasty and rich in fiber, just like many other gluten-free flours does not form starch by itself, so you’ll need to use some booster with it, for example baking powder and psyllium husk. Some almond meals/flours that you can find in stores are rougher and include almond shell. The rougher almond meals are full-fat, which means they do not bind as much moisture as the finer almond meals.

  • -Coconut Flour:

Slightly sweet coconut flour is one of my favorites. Coconut flour swells in liquids, so you need it less than half of normal flour.

  • -Nut/Almond flours:

Different kinds of nut flours can be used to provide a variety of taste nuances. They are usually best when used with other flours. You can prepare nut and almond flour yourself by grinding the nuts in an effective blender. Beware, however, not to blend too much so that the flour does not transform into nut butter, which, too, is certainly an excellent ingredient in baking!

  • -Oatmeal:

Gluten-free oat flour is created easily at home by grinding gluten-free oatmeal in a blender. Oatmeal has a great viscosity but the dough can easily become too slimy. Use alongside with other flours, psyllium husk and xanthan.

  • -Buckwheat flour:

Versatile and easy flour, and works superbly on its own or mixed with other flours. Gives nice rye flavor to baked goods. For very sweet pastries use only with other flours.

Try also these gluten-free flours: Rice flour, corn flour, soy flour and potato flour!

STARCHES:

  • -Psyllium seed husk:

The powder made of the ground seeds swells in liquid. It brings about thickness to gluten-free dough and facilitates processing. For example perfect for almond or coconut flour! When using psyllium, the amount of flour should be reduced about 10-30%. You should try different brands because the quality and thereby the result may vary a lot.

  • -Tapioca powder/tapioca starch:

The mild-flavored tapioca powder is obtained from Cassava root. It gives pastry lusciousness and structure, and can also be used as a thickener.

  • -Flax or chia meal:

Flax meal or chia seeds used with liquid combine to a gel that works well as the binding agent in baking. Use flax meal or chia seeds as they are or finely chop the flax seeds, whisk about 1 tablespoon seeds/meal and 3 tablespoons water, and keep the mixture in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. This will give you the so-called flax egg, which can be used to replace the egg in many recipes.

  • You may also try ripe banana, peanut butter, soy protein and agar agar to give viscosity to your gluten-free dough!
  • Other tips:
  • -Golden rising tip: Add to the pattern a little more baking powder and something acidic, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar – this way you get beautifully risen pastries.
  • -Gluten-free doughs can easily glue to your hands. Oiling your hands will make them easier to process.
  • -Make your very own gluten-free flour mixture by mixing, for example, buckwheat flour, almond flour, psyllium fiber and xanthan.
  • -Experiment boldly a variety of gluten-free flours to find your favorite and to learn how different flours behave and what kind of recipes each is best suited for.