gluten free Hamelman

My dad has been on a gluten-free diet for years. Mom makes a gluten-free flour mixture and replaces it cup for cup in any recipe that calls for regular flour. She says that the addition of guar gum or xanthan gum and arrowroot and tapioca flour are essentials to stop the finished product to be too grainy and dry. (This is the main problem with gluten-free baked goods. There's a reason that we all use wheat!! )

There is a good flour mixture listed here: http://www.ellenskitchen.com/faqs/glutfree.html

I've made bread, cake and muffins for Dad when my parents visit. He says they're good... (but he's polite.) Muffins are definitely more successful than bread. And of course, because there is not gluten to develope, there is no kneading. I don't know if you ever make cakes as well but "No Egg" cake made with rice flour instead of wheat flour is very successful.

There are a number of forbidden ingredients for the gluten-free diet that may come as a surprise. This list of "Foods to Avoid" from the Canadian Celiac Association may be handy: http://www.celiac.ca/EnglishCCA/egfdiet2.html#avoid

Hope that helps.

-Elizabeth

(No matter what anyone tells you, spelt is forbidden to those on a gluten-free or wheat-free diet. It's an early form of wheat.)

I have been experimenting lately with yeasted gluten free breads, first bringing a mixture of 2:1 water:rice flour just to a simmer and stirring/whisking to make a thick paste.  Then adding other softer textured flours (quinoa, millet, etc.) to make a very stiff batter, adding an egg and a very little xanthan gum as well.  So far these have come a little bit denser than desired, but are very moist and not at all grainy.   The latter was the result of pre-cookng the rice flour.  Interestingly enough, after adding other ingredients it all comes to a nice warm temperature which encourages the yeast.

Cinnamon raisin has been wonderful, especially when toasted.  I have also found that these keep very well out of the fridge for at least 5 days and stay moist.

After doubling in size (second rise in a bread pan), there has been some shrinkage factor when baked.  I plan on continuing the work to see how we can improve!!  But we have been happy with and encouraged by the initial results.

Work in Progress,

Pizzameister

Mark,

The author you are probably unknowningly referring to is Bette Hagman.  Mike Avery has mentioned that he tried some of her recipes years ago and that customers did not even know they were eating a GF bread.  He didn't remember which recipes though.

PM

I was reading various posts in the round up of Weekend Herb Blogging #121 and came across the blog "Gluten-Free Bay: Cooking, Eating and Thriving Without Gluten". There are a number of posts about gluten-free bread. It appears from the photos that there are a number of successful gluten-free bread recipes there as well as links to other gluten-free sites.

If I were you (and next time I have to make bread for my dad), I would be inclined to approach some of the gluten-free bloggers to consult with them. These four look like they are actively searching for decent bread recipes:

• Gluten-Free Bay: bread
• I Am Gluten Free
• Gluten Free [Cooking School] (recipe index)
• Gluten a go go - Cook's Log: bread

I'll be really interested to hear what you think about the various breads you come up with, Mark.

-Elizabeth

I noticed this book at our local library, but can't recommend it one way or another.

The gluten-free gourmet bakes bread : more than 200 wheat-free recipes / Bette Hagman.

I  remember that Gourmet Magazine once featured 3 gluten free baked goods that their staff insisted were as good as the regular versions - chocolate chip cookies, lemon cake & something else.  At any rate, I'm sure you could find it at their website.  Does your bakery do sweets as well as breads?