Gluten-free Baking Ingredient Substitutions

[cycler]

Hi!

I really miss my breads and cookies so I've been experimenting adapting the simpler recipes to gluten-free but it's still not perfect.

For example - when baking cornbread it calls for 1 cup of corn meal and 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of liquid so I've used a smaller amount of the rice flour and a little extra liquid but it is still a little grainy.

So - does anyone know the standard proportions that you'd need to change from regular flour to rice flour?

I keep kosher also so I'm not able to use any of the prepared "flour" mixes.

I'd keep experimenting but I don't like to waste the food when it doesn't come out right and I'll be glad to post any recipes that come out great.

Thanks!

[queenofhearts]

I really recommend buying one of Bette Hagman's books, or Annalise Roberts. There is more to gluten-free baking than one formula. There are many complexities depending on what you are making. Xanthan gum is an important addition too-- it helps replace the gluten structure.

There are are also many good recipes in the site index here.

If you pm me with your e-mail address, I can send you the master flour list that I've compiled from multiple gluten-free cookbooks.

Leah

If you make your own mixes you can be sure they are kosher.

[tarnalberry]

You'll find that some of the mixes are kosher, so you'll be able to use them. (I don't know which, but have seen some labeled as such.) In a situation like the one you describe (cornbread), I would probably just do 1:1 with rice flour, but I'd use sweet rice flour, as regular rice flour can be gritty itself, particularly brown rice flour. Take a look at the recipe section here for a number of very good ideas, baking wise.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

So - does anyone know the standard proportions that you'd need to change from regular flour to rice flour?

I keep kosher also so I'm not able to use any of the prepared "flour" mixes.

Thanks!

Hi, Cycler--welcome to the board! I highly highly hihgly recommend the submarine sandwich bread recipe in Annalise Roberts' Gluten-Free Baking Classics--it tastes just like bakery peasant bread--yum! Also, if you do a search on this board, there was a recipe for gluten-free challah floating around a few months ago.

Pardon the ignorance here (I'm Jewish, but not Orthodox), but, as the prepared "flour" mixes contain neither meat,milk nor seafood, why would they be treyf? I thought all grains were parve?

[cycler]

Hi, Cycler--welcome to the board! I highly highly hihgly recommend the submarine sandwich bread recipe in Annalise Roberts' Gluten-Free Baking Classics--it tastes just like bakery peasant bread--yum! Also, if you do a search on this board, there was a recipe for gluten-free challah floating around a few months ago.

Pardon the ignorance here (I'm Jewish, but not Orthodox), but, as the prepared "flour" mixes contain neither meat,milk nor seafood, why would they be treyf? I thought all grains were parve?

It's not only what is in the food but also the factory where it is manufactured - if they manufacture anything else that isn't kosher they won't get the certification. I've seen some mixes which use gelatin which isn't kosher.

[lpellegr]

If you want less gritty rice flour, get it from an Asian grocery store - theirs is very fine, and cheap! I stock up at 3 lbs for $1. They also carry tapioca, potato starch flour, etc.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

It's not only what is in the food but also the factory where it is manufactured - if they manufacture anything else that isn't kosher they won't get the certification. I've seen some mixes which use gelatin which isn't kosher.

Gelatin in a flour mix??? What brand? I just checked a bunch of mixes at the grocery store, and they just have variations on rice flour, corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, and a few of them have garbanzo or fava flour. I wonder why they put gelatin in?

[RiceGuy]

I've yet to try gluten-free baking but I have been doing research on it to prepare. From what I've read thus far, tapioca starch might give better results for cornbread than rice flour. Since xanthan gum is from a microbe, it's kinda gross IMO, so I'm looking to use guar gum. Apparently it produces a spongier texture such as in cakes, while xanthan gum produces a stretchier texture like in breads.

There are a number of other flours though that may help in some way. Green pea flour comes to mind for some reason, though I don't know why ATM. Also fava bean flour, garbanzo flour, and both combined too. The trick is to get the right blend I guess.

[lonewolf]

So - does anyone know the standard proportions that you'd need to change from regular flour to rice flour?

I keep kosher also so I'm not able to use any of the prepared "flour" mixes.

The easiest flour mixture I have found is to mix up 3 C Brown rice flour, 1 C Potato starch, 1/2 C Tapioca starch and 2-1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum. Sift this together 3 times before using. I use it (scant) cup for cup in all my baking and everything turns out great. I tried for years to bake with just rice flour and found very few things that actually worked. Now I use "regular" recipes and just substitute this flour mix. It's also relatively cheap, especially if you can find the flours in bulk or in an Asian grocery store.

[queenofhearts]

Gelatin in a flour mix??? What brand? I just checked a bunch of mixes at the grocery store, and they just have variations on rice flour, corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, and a few of them have garbanzo or fava flour. I wonder why they put gelatin in?

Gelatin is really helpful in a bread recipe as it adds protein-- many gluten-free flours are lower in protein than wheat, & the protein level affects the texture of the bread.

I wouldn't use gelatin in any recipe other than bread or rolls-- you don't need it in cakes &c.

[GlutenFreeGirlie]

So - does anyone know the standard proportions that you'd need to change from regular flour to rice flour?

I keep kosher also so I'm not able to use any of the prepared "flour" mixes.

A general rule of thumb to replace wheat flour with rice flour is 1 cup wheat flour equals 7/8 cup of rice flour. I agree with Queen of Hearts that there is no good rule for everything- different things need different blends. I use the Bob's All Purpose mix a lot- it seems to work well for most things. Plus, it's Kosher.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

? How would I ever fake chocolate?

Carob is a surprisingly good substitute for chocolate. I CAN eat chocolate--and I like carob very much.

[lonewolf]

Good tips. I haven't baked in a while. Where do you buy guar gum and xanthan gum? I could go for something chocolate, but I don't know if I'm allergic to chocolate yet. This stinks sometimes, huh? How would I ever fake chocolate? I can't use wheat, gluten, soy, eggs, or dairy...and the list is growing:-( I think corn could be one, too.

Is there something I could substitute in place of the potato starch? I have problems with soy, dairy, eggs, potatoes, and possibly corn now. I'm dying for something sweet and baked:-( Help?

I agree that carob is great in brownies and cake. I posted a recipe for carob brownies that are gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, dairy-free and potato-free. If I can find it I'll post a link.

Try arrowroot starch for the potato starch.

Edit - I think this link will work for that recipe: Open Original Shared Link

[daffadilly]

Cycler, Cornbread is easy, just use corn Flour in place of wheat flour, no need for any gums etc, or other substitutions. I have been making this for years before I even knew about celiac, because I was mostly wheat free, and totally barley & oat free.

I do not use rice flour in anything - I hate the grit taste.

let me know if you need a recipe. & for anyone that cannot do dairy hush puppies do not have dairy in them. I am making hush puppies tomorrow to go with some fried fish that I am making for company, & baked beans & cole slaw.

[eKatherine]

Try the carob. It's healthy, and you may like it.

My mother hated chocolate and was opposed to it on the principle, so she used to feed it to us all the time. I haven't eaten any since I left home 33 years ago, and that's still too soon for me.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I've made carob brownies for my kids when one of them seemed to react to the caffeine in chocolate (he would stay awake at night for hours if he ate a chocolate brownie).

I didn't tell them it wsn't real chocolate, and they didn't seem to notice!

[LonelyWolf307]

I just made cornbread today actually, and I think it turned out pretty tasty. I just followed the recipe on the corn meal box with the following modifications:

-double the amount of egg whites called for

-replace the wheat flour called for with either white rice flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour

-replace the oils called for with double the amount of flax seed meal, and add as much water as needed to make it the right consistancy

-add one and a half times as much baking powder as called for

That's all I did and I think it turned out pretty tasty.