Gluten-Free Living: Cooking Tips (2024)

FAQs

Is there a trick to baking with gluten free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

“Properly balancing the starches, proteins and hydrocolloids is essential.” Aaron Reed, senior food technologist, Cargill, echoed that bread is the hardest product to replicate when developing a gluten-free product.

Avoid foods that list gluten-containing ingredients such as ale, barley, beer, bleached flour, bran, bread flour, brewer's yeast, brown flour, brown rice syrup (unless the food is labeled gluten-free), bulgur, couscous, dextrin (unless the source is gluten-free), durum, farina, farro, hydrolyzed vegetable (wheat) ...

Brown rice flour is about as close to a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour as it gets since it provides structure and a “wheat-like” flavor.

We recommend covering your batters and doughs and letting them rest for at least half an hour.

Eliminating gluten is the only way to treat celiac disease, an allergic reaction to gluten that damages the lining of the small intestine. However, as part of a new diet fad, many people are going gluten-free to lose weight.

Some people report feeling dizziness, nausea, extreme hunger and even anxiety and depression when they suddenly go from eating a lot of gluten to being gluten-free. These symptoms usually go away after a few weeks on a gluten-free diet, but talk to your health care provider if they persist.

Save dishes that held gluten-containing foods for last when hand-washing dishes. While gluten cannot be “killed off,” dishes must still be washed thoroughly to eliminate any remaining particles on them. Dish soap combined with warm water accomplishes this much more effectively than simply running dishes under water.

Can celiacs share pots and pans? ›

Answer. As long as the non-stick pans are cleaned with water, dish soap and a clean sponge/brush, then rinsed, they should be fine to use.

Non-Stick Pans, Bake Sheets, Muffin Pans –

Stainless steel or solid aluminum pans and lids with no non-stick coating on them do not require replacement, and in fact, can be shared between gluten and gluten-free foods as long as they are sterilized in between uses.

In general, avoid the following foods if you have celiac disease: Cereals, breads, or other grain products that include wheat, rye, barley, or oats. This includes white or whole-wheat flour (including cookies, crackers, cakes, and most other baked goods), semolina, couscous, bread crumbs, most pastas, and malt.

Avoid einkorn, emmer, spelt, kamut, wheat starch, wheat bran, wheat germ, cracked wheat, and hydrolyzed wheat protein. Stay away from emulsifiers, dextrin, mono- and di-glycerides, seasonings, and caramel colors because they can contain gluten. Check the labels of all foods.

Gluten Free Diets May be Nutritionally Inferior

In addition, they are more apt to have higher levels of nickel, which is highly allergenic to some patients. These diets may also contain higher levels of arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead, and higher levels of fat, saturated fats, and cholesterol.

Remember, baking times for gluten-free foods vary greatly, and it's important to keep a constant eye on your creation to monitor for the colors and textures that indicate doneness. These recipes often call for longer baking times at a lower temperature compared to traditional recipes.

It's not all good news though as gluten-free flours simply cannot fulfil this same function of leavening which is why you might have experienced flatter and denser bakes when using these flours. At this point you will need to turn to other sources to help your gluten-free baked goods to rise.

Substitute by weight, not volume. Moreover, because they are finer, they weigh less than all-purpose flour, so it is a good idea to substitute your blend for the all-purpose by weight, rather than by volume. If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend.

Don't overmix: Overmixing can cause gluten-free baked goods to become tough and dry.