Gluten Free Baking in a Whole Foods Kitchen
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Gluten Free Baking in a Whole Foods Kitchen
- Guest Column from our own Chef Del Sroufe
A gluten free diet is one completely free of the protein found in
wheat, barley, rye and the hundreds of food products made with
gluten. People eat a gluten free diet for many reasons, the most
common one being a diagnosis of Celiac's Disease. Whatever the
reason, living gluten free, no longer means living an isolating
experience. Most large grocery stores offer gluten free foods, and
there are many online stores and communities offering support,
education and of course, products for sale. But if you want whole
grain, dairy free, low fat, gluten free products, made without oil (in other words
products you would find in the Wellness Forum Pantry), your choices are a little more
limited.
Too many of the gluten free products found on store shelves mirror the Standard
American Diet - processed foods full of dairy, oils, white sugar and refined flours. Even
most gluten free cookbooks are full of recipes made with these unhealthy ingredients.
What to do?
Well, if you really want to make healthy gluten free baked goods in your own kitchen,
you need to know where to find the right ingredients and what to do with them once
you have them. Here are a few tips and resources you might find helpful.
1) Converting your favorite recipe to one that is gluten free is not as easy as replacing
whole wheat flour with brown rice flour. Gluten serves a specific purpose in baked
goods. The protein, when mixed with water, forms strands that give bread its chewy
texture and that trap gases during baking that make baked goods lighter. Without the
gluten, or some other agent to manifest a gluten-like property, your finished product
can be dense and lifeless, mmmmmm.
To achieve the best results for your recipe, use a gluten free flour blend made with
whole grain flours like amaranth, millet, quinoa, or brown rice flours, and binding
agents like tapioca flour and a little xanthum gum. You only need ½ tsp of xanthum
gum per cup of gluten free flour and how much tapioca flour you use is almost up to
you. As little as 10% in a recipe, and as much as 30%, depending on the recipe, can
make all the difference in the final outcome of your product. Here is my favorite flour
blend. If you don't like the flavore or texture of this blend you can certainly play around
with different blends of gluten free flours like those listed below and others like
garbanzo, sorghum or buckwheat flours. For a list of possible whole grain gluten free
flours visit Gluten Free Mommy website
Del's Favorite Gluten Free Flour Blend
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup millet flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 ½ tsps Xanthan gum
Mix well and store in an airtight container refrigerated.2) Gluten free, oil free, whole grain-that's a mouth full. It's one thing to go gluten
free, it's another to go gluten free, oil free and whole grain---that kind of thinking
requires a paradigm shift in the way you look at your cookies. For a llttle help visit
http://getoffgluten.blogspot.com/. The blog's author has several recipes that are
whole grain and oil free (Did I mention that she cites The China Study as one of her
influences for health?)
3) Where to shop-once you've re-written your favorite recipes to conform to your
healthy Wellness Forum-inspired, gluten free pantry, you need to go shopping. Check
your local grocery store first. Many of the larger stores carry a selection of gluten free
flours and other baking supplies. If they don't here are a few online resources:
z www.nutsonline.com
z www.vitacost.com
z www.glutenfreemall.com
My best advice for successful gluten free baking in a healthy kitchen is to keep a
journal of your baking experience, and to enjoy the journey. You may not like every
recipe you try, but with patience and a little determination, you can create your own
collection of recipes that you and your family will love.
PART 2 - ONLINE AND CENTRAL OHIO RESOURCES
There are a few good resources out there, especially if you want to do your own
baking. There are many sources for whole grain ingredients and some are worth
mentioning here. Also worth mentioning are a few of my tips for making successful,
tasty, healthy gluten free baked goods in your own Wellness Forum approved kitchen.
Determining what foods are safe---truly gluten free, and what foods are unsafe, can
be a matter of life and death for some people. It can also be an overwhelming task.
Thankfully, there are many resources that can help and a few of them are worth noting
here. None of these resources is meant to be a substitute for the advice of a qualified
health care practitioner.
Local Gluten Free Resources
Raisin Rack
2545 Schrock Road, Westerville
(614) 882-5886
www.raisinrack.com
Probably the best source for gluten free products in the Central Ohio area. They carry
a wide selection of baking ingredients and an even larger selection of prepared foods
Whole Foods
3670 W. Dublin-Granville Rd, Columbus
1555 West Lane Avenue, Upper Arlington
(614) 481-3400
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Whole Foods has two location in Central Ohio. Their Lane Avenue store is conveniently
located nearby and their Sawmill location has a large selection of everything GlutenFree. The s\website link above lists the gluten free ingredients carried in their stores. Clintonville Community Market 200 East Crestview, Columbus 614-261-3663 www.communitymarket.org This local co-op has a great selection of gluten free baking ingredients given the size of the store. Located in the middle of Clintonville on a side street, it is not the easiest place to find parking, but it is worth the trip Local Bakeries Holiday Baking Co 1000 North High Street, Worthington (614) 846-9300 www.holidaybakingcompany.com Gluten Free Web Sites It seems as if there are as many gluten free websites as there are gluten free people. Don't be overwhelmed by the resources available. It used to be that we had one or two good websites and not many more recipes to choose from. We'll look at a few of our favorites here but certainly feel free to roam the net and pick your own favorite. Most websites also have Facebook and Twitter pages so you can interact with them. Many have discussion forums so you can ask questions or offer information. www.glutenfreegang.org This website has a list of local resources including restaurants, a gluten free basics class, and regular meetings and events for people living within the gluten free spectrum Glutenfreeda.com This website boasts the largest collection of gluten free recipes in the world. Celiac.com This is one of my favorite websites and one of the oldest on the net. If you are going to choose one website, this is the one. In addition to information about celiac disease, the site has lots of information about gluten free living including recipes, product reviews and a list of safe gluten free foods/unsafe foods. Glutenfreeville.com Recipes, book, product and restaurant reviews, articles (including foods to avoid on a gluten free diet) Blogs
Glutenfreevegan.wordpress.com
If you are vegan and gluten free this is a great website for you---no translating
recipes to make them vegan, and a resource section of other vegan websites. My one
complaint about this blog is that its recipes are not organized in an easily accessible
manner, and there are not a lot of recipes.
PART 3 - RECIPES
Gluten Free Flour Blends
Every gluten free flour has its own properties - different flavors, different textures,
and different roles in determining the final outcome of the finished baked good. Most
gluten free flours can not be substituted 1:1 for flours containing gluten without the
help of some binding agent.. Gluten traps gases during the baking process that make
baked goods light and palatable. Therefore, it is always a good idea to combine gluten
free flours with other ingredients like cassava (tapioca starch), potato starch or
xanthum gum to give the final product the desired consistency. Here is a list of the
more popular flours and their properties
z Almond Flour - Sweet edible nut used whole or ground into flour. This flour,
alone or in combination with other flours, is used in breads, cakes and pastries.
z Amaranth Flour - Related to spinach, beets and pigweed. Tiny seeds are
commercially available whole, or ground into a light brown flour with a nutty
taste. Highly nutritious.
z Arrowroot Flour - Herbaceous tropical perennial. The starch, extracted from the
rhizomes, is used as a thickener and blends well with gluten-free flours.
Interchangeable with cornstarch.
z Besan (gram, chickpea flour) - Pale yellow flour made from ground, dried
chickpeas; very nutritious, high in protein. Used in dough, dumplings, and
noodles; as a thickener for sauces; and as a batter for deep fried food.
z Brown Rice Flour - Ground form of brown rice with a nutty taste, and to some, a
slightly bitter taste and grainy texture. Brown rice flour can be used alone, but
works well with other flours
z Cassava (tapioca, manioc, yuca) - Starch, extracted from the root, is ground
into flour, which is used as a thickener for soups, fruit fillings and glazes, much
like cornstarch. or tapioca starch,
z Millet Flour - Produces light, dry, delicate baked goods and a crust that is thin
and buttery smooth. For yeast breads up to 30% millet flour may utilized, but it
must be combined with glutinous flours to enable the bread to rise
z Potato Flour - Commercially ground from the whole potato, used as a thickener.
Retains potato flavor.
z Potato Starch - Commercially prepared from cooked potatoes that are washed of
all fibers until only the starch remains. When a recipe calls for potato starch, do
not substitute potato flour. Potato flour is heavier and can significantly change the
texture of the finished product.
z Quinoa Flour (pronounced keen-wa) - is the most nutritious grain available. It is
also one of the oldest cultivated grains in the world. Quinoa is high in protein,
calcium and iron. Use this delicate flour when baking. You can substitute this flour
for half of the all-purpose flour in many recipes or completely replace wheat flourin cakes and cookie recipes. Xanthan Gum While xanthan gum has multiple uses in varied products, some people report food allergies to this additive. Those who are sensitive to corn and corn-based products are at a higher risk of manifesting xanthan gum allergies When converting a recipe and using xanthan gum as the binding agent, add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum for each cup of flour called for in the recipe. Baking with Whole Grains in a Gluten Free Kitchen Gluten free kitchens face the same challenges that kitchens using wheat and other gluten products do when it comes to using whole grains - texture, flavor, workability. Whole grains have a grainier texture and can be more difficult to work with. Getting around that requires that you be willing to make a decision-Do I sacrifice flavor for some of the health benefits achieved with a whole grain product? The flour mix we've created below is our answer to that. We use mostly whole grain flours in this recipe. You can experiment by using different flour from the list above, but we think the potato starch and the tapioca flour are important for giving the finished product a little lightness and some binding properties not easily achieved with a 100% whole grain flour mix. Gluten Free Recipes Del's Gluten-Free Mix Ingredients: 1 cup brown rice flour 1 cup millet flour 1 cup amaranth flour 1 cup potato starch ½ cup tapioca flour Directions: In a large bowl, whisk to combine well. Refrigerate in an airtight container. Makes about 4½ cups. Chocolate Cake - A moist cake with a delicate crumb Ingredients: 3 cups gluten free flour blend 2 Tbsp gluten free baking powder ¾ tsp sea salt ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa 1¾ cup unsweetened applesauce 1¾ cups plant milk 1¾ cups sucanat 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Oil and flour 1 9x13 inch pan. Knock out the excess flour. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour blend, baking powder, sea salt and cocoa. Make a well in the center of the dry mix and add the remaining ingredients. Incorporate the wet mix together and slowly fold in the dry mix. Pour the batter into the pan. It will be very wet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool before frosting. Chocolate Ganache Ingredients: 9 ounces dark chocolate, chopped ¾ cup almond milk Directions: Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the almond milk in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the milk has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy. Pizza Crusts This crust has a little bit of a biscuit like texture. You can substitute 1 cup of the gluten free flour blend with 1 cup of tapioca flour to get a more bread like crust, but you lose some of the whole grain goodness. Makes two crusts Ingredients: 1 cup warm water 1 tsp sucanat 1 package or 2¼ tsp active dry baking yeast 3½ cups gluten free flour mix ½ tsp xanthan gum 2 tsps sea salt Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Have all ingredients ready before you start the dough. Once you make the crust you will form and shape it, top it, and bake it right away. Combine yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes or until yeast has started to foam. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. It won't take long! Divide the dough into two pieces and form each into a ball. Place one of the pieces of dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll it out to ½ inch thick. Remove
the top piece of paper and place the crust onto an non-stick baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Let sit for 15 minutes. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is brown. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting. Blueberry Muffins Ingredients: 2 cups gluten free flour blend 1 tablespoon xanthan gum 2 ½ tsps gluten free baking powder ½ tsp salt ¾ cup applesauce ¾ cup plant milk 1/3 cup sucanat ½ tsp vanilla 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries Directions: Line muffin tins with paper. Stir together dry ingredients. Make a well in center of mixture and add applesauce, milk, sugar and vanilla. Stir together just until ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide mixture into muffin tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Recipe makes 12 muffins. Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients: 2 cups gluten free flour blend(or use 1 cup of almond meal and 1 cup of gluten free flour blend) ½ tsp of xanthan gum 2 tsp of baking powder ½ tsp of salt 1½ tsp of cinnamon (optional) 1 cup of sucanat ½ cup applesauce 1 tsp of vanilla extract ¼ cup of plant milk at room temperature Mix the first four ingredients and cinnamon, if desired. In a separate bowl, combine the applesauce, sucanat, plant milk and vanilla. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry. Add the chocolate chips. Roll into quarter-sized bowls and place on a cookie sheet. Flatten with the fingers and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees, turn the pan and bake another 4 minutes.
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