Gluten-Free Makeovers (4 page)

I try to list as many alternatives as possible in my own recipes here. Corn, dairy, eggs, and nuts are the big ones that I address. But don’t fret if one of your specific allergies is not mentioned. Just insert a food from your customized list that works for you. Life will look a lot more delicious when you look beyond what you can’t have and enjoy the foods you can eat.

Gluten-free bakers are fortunate to have a wonderful cadre of gluten-free flours to draw upon, each one with specific properties and functions. I categorize these flours into high protein, high fiber, starches, and light flours (like rice flour). I build blends that will deliver memorable texture and taste, drawing from flours in these categories. (See chart, page 14, for a breakdown of these ingredients.)
The chart includes all of the flours with similar properties so that you can use them interchangeably. If you don’t like, can’t have, or are allergic to one flour, select another one from that group. (Those that are not interchangeable have been left out.) Here’s a description of our gluten-free flours listed alphabetically.

Almond flour
is made from finely ground almonds and imparts a sweet, nutty flavor to baked goods. High in protein, fiber, and fat, almond flour and almond meal should be refrigerated and used within a few months to keep from becoming rancid. Make your own almond flour by finely grinding blanched nuts in a clean coffee grinder. (Don’t overgrind; almond flour can turn into almond butter very quickly.) Leaving the skin on the almonds will darken the final baked product.

Amaranth
is an ancient food used by the Aztecs. The seeds from this broad-leafed plant are milled into flour or puffed into kernels. High in protein and nutrients, this mildly nutty-tasting flour adds structure to gluten-free baked goods and helps them brown. Use 20 to 25 percent amaranth flour in your baking.

Buckwheat
, despite its name, is not a kind of wheat. It is a fruit that is related to rhubarb. Buckwheat has a strong, robust flavor that combines well with other gluten-free flours. It’s a great source of protein and is high in fiber and B vitamins. Light buckwheat flour is preferred for baking. For breads and rolls and pancakes, use up to 1 cup per recipe to impart a taste and texture that comes close to whole wheat. Use less when baking delicate cookies or pies.

Chestnut flour
has a nutty, earthy flavor. It is used widely by Italian bakers to make everything from pasta and breads to cakes, pancakes, and muffins. Low in fiber and protein, it is best used in combination with a high-protein flour, such as bean, amaranth or soy flour, for structure in gluten-free products. Use up to 25 percent of the total flour blend in baking recipes. Chestnut flour should not be confused with water chestnut flour, which is a very starchy white powder.

Coconut flour
, a low-carb, high-fiber flour with the subtle, sweet fragrance of coconut, is an ideal flour for people with food allergies as it is usually well tolerated by people with multiple allergies. Coconut flour can be as much as 15 percent of the flour blend in recipes for baked goods. People on low-carb diets often bake with 100 percent coconut flour.

Corn flour, cornmeal
, and
cornstarch
have diverse baking properties. Corn flour is finely ground and suitable for breads, cakes, pancakes, and such. Cornmeal is coarsely ground and used primarily for making corn bread, breading, or polenta. If a recipe calls for corn flour and all you have is cornmeal, simply grind the cornmeal in a clean coffee grinder. Cornstarch is a fine white powder. While it provides
little flavor or nutritional value, it’s a key ingredient in many gluten-free flour mixes because it gives baked goods a delicate taste and lighter texture. It’s also a good thickener for soups and gravies, as it gives a lovely sheen to the finished dish.

Expandex
, the brand name for modified tapioca starch/flour, increases the moisture content of baked goods. If using Expandex to replace tapioca starch/flour in a recipe, reduce the amount of Expandex by 1 to 2 tablespoons and reduce the xanthan or guar gum by ½ to 1 teaspoon.

Flax seed and flax seed meal:
Whole flax seed is not digestible so buy flax seed meal (ground flax seed) or make your own by grinding the seeds in a clean coffee grinder. High in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of flax seed meal to recipes for baked goods or sprinkle it on yogurt or cereal for a nutritional boost. A mixture of flax seed meal and warm water is used as an egg replacer in vegan and egg-free baking (see page 268). Store both seeds and meal in the refrigerator or freezer.

Legume (bean) flours
are high in protein, fiber, and calcium. Chickpea (garbanzo) flour is the most popular choice for gluten-free baking, but navy, pinto, red, and soy flour are also available. Garfava flour is a blend of flours made from garbanzo, fava, and Romano beans. Bean flours, particularly garfava and chickpea, tend to impart an aftertaste that some people find unpleasant, so use no more than 25 percent of these flours in a blend. The taste can be offset by adding brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, or spices to a recipe. For those who don’t like the fairly pronounced flavor, quinoa flour is a good substitute.

Mesquite flour
, ground from the pods of the mesquite tree, is a pleasantly sweet flour that’s rich in nutrients and high in fiber. Mesquite flour imparts a dark color and slight molasses flavor to baked goods. Add up to 25 percent mesquite flour to other gluten-free flours. This flour is great for pancakes, brownies, and gingerbread but is not recommended for most breads, rolls, and delicate pastries.

Millet
is an ancient food, possibly the first cereal grain used for domestic purposes. Millet flour has a mildly sweet, nutlike flavor and is nutrient rich. This high-protein, high-fiber flour creates light baked goods with a distinctive flavor. For best results, use no more than 25 percent millet flour in any flour blend.

Montina
is made from perennial Indian rice grass, a dietary staple of Native Americans before the introduction of maize. Recently rediscovered and now grown in the western United States, Montina is a powerhouse of protein and fiber. Use up to 30 percent Montina flour in a flour blend to produce bread with a whole wheat taste and texture like my high fiber bread on page 36.

Oat groats, oat flour
, and
oat flakes
are high in fiber and protein. Oats add taste, texture, and structure to cookies, breads, and other baked goods. Be sure to select only certified gluten-free oats. (See discussion about safe gluten-free oats below and the Pantry, page 274, for sources of safe oats.)

Oat groats are minimally processed whole oats that can be used as hot cereal or cooked like rice.

Oat flour is made from grinding oats into a fine powder that can be used in baking bread, rolls, quick bread, and pancakes.

Oat flakes are sold in several cuts from steel-cut to quick-cooking oats.

• Quick-Cooking Oats are thinner, flat flakes that cook in 1½ to 3 minutes. They are the best for most recipes in this book.

• Steel-Cut Oats are cut into small pieces. They are chewier and require a longer cooking time than flat cut oats. They are not suitable for most recipes but make great breakfast cereal

• Instant Oats are great for a quick breakfast, but become too mushy when used in baking. They will not produce the chewy, nutty texture that is so desirable when baking with oats.

Potato flour and potato starch:
Potato flour, made from dehydrated potatoes, is a fine yellow-white powder that’s high in fiber and protein. It is often used to replace xanthan gum or guar gum in gluten-free baking as it adds great structure to baked products. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons per recipe (reduce or eliminate the gum ingredients accordingly) to lend a soft, chewy mouth-feel to baked goods, homemade pasta, breads, and pizza crust.

Potato starch, made from the starch of dehydrated potatoes, is a white powder often used as a one-to-one substitution for cornstarch in recipes, although it produces a bit heavier consistency. It has excellent baking qualities, particularly when combined with eggs. Gluten-free recipes often call for ½ to ¾ cup of potato starch. Since it contains no protein or fat, it must be added as part of a flour blend. Potato starch is the “flour” of choice for Passover baking. Potato starch tends to clump so it should be stirred first for accurate measuring.

Quinoa flour
, milled from a grain that’s native to the Andes Mountains in South America, has high levels of B vitamins and all eight amino acids, making it a complete protein. It also is a good source of other important nutrients and fiber. This flour is easy to digest and has a delicate, nutty flavor similar to wild rice. Mix it with other flours to increase the nutritional value and structure of your recipes. Using large quantities (more than 30 percent of the total flour blend) can overpower the flavor in baked goods.

Rice flour
is the gluten-free flour most people try first. Years ago, it was about the only alternative to wheat flour, so it was the key ingredient for many gluten-free baked goods. Relatively heavy and dense, rice flour works best in recipes when combined with other flours. It’s available as brown rice (higher in fiber and nutrients), sweet rice (short grain with a higher starch content), and white rice. The texture varies, too, from fine to medium to coarse. The fine or medium grinds are more suitable for baked goods. Coarsely ground is best for cereal and coatings.

Sorghum flour (also called milo and jowar)
, available in red and white varieties, has a slightly sweet taste and is high in fiber and protein. It works best when blended with other flours. Use no more than 30 percent sorghum flour in any flour blend.

Teff flour
, milled from one of the world’s smallest grains, is a staple food and a key source of nutrition in Ethiopia. Teff flour is available in dark and light varieties. High in calcium, protein, and fiber, it has a mild nutty flavor that adds taste to quick breads, pancakes, and waffles. Combine teff flour with Montina in an all-purpose flour blend to produce high-fiber bread with a whole wheat taste. I prefer light teff flour but both will work.

Tuber and other root starches
, made from tapioca, arrowroot, and sweet potato, are usually well tolerated by people with multiple allergies. These flours give baked goods a chewy texture. Arrowroot flour is pleasant-tasting and versatile, good for making breads and bagels. Sweet potato flour, which has a yellow-orange hue, imparts its color to baked goods and has a taste that works well in recipes that use
chocolate, molasses, and spices. Tapioca starch/flour, made from the cassava (manioc) plant, is a good choice in breads, tortillas, and pasta. All three starches can be mixed with water to thicken sauces and stews. Expandex is a modified form of tapioca flour (see page 11).

Use this chart as a guide to help select substitute flours for all your baking. Find the flour you wish to change and select another one from the same list. The properties, while not identical, will be similar and serve the same function in building the structure in a particular recipe.

Bread flours
, which need to expand to allow the yeast to rise, require the most elasticity and therefore at least one third of the blend should come from a high protein flour. In addition, a bread blend requires 1 teaspoon of gum (xanthan or guar) per 1 cup of flour to ensure the end result will be a satisfying loaf with a chewy texture. Bread Flour #1 gets its protein from sorghum flour and amaranth flour while the protein in Bread Flour #2 comes from chickpea flour. Some people don’t care for chickpea flour so I’ve included both formulas.

BREAD FLOUR #1

(Great for All Breads)

1¼ cups white rice flour (6.5 ounces) or brown rice flour (5.5 ounces)

1¼ cups sweet white sorghum flour (5.25 ounces)

½ cup amaranth flour (2 ounces)

¾ cup cornstarch (3.5 ounces) or tapioca starch (3.2 ounces)

3 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

BREAD FLOUR #2