Gluten Free Baking.....i Just Can't Do It!

[BeckyW]

I have had more problems baking gluten free. Today we made a pumpkin bread and substituted Bette Hagman's 3 flour mix for the wheat flour, cup for cup. We baked the bread longer than it said, almost 2 hours and it still came out gooey on the inside. The outside looked good but once we cut it it was like raw inside. Should I be using xanthum gum or something else with this? I have had this with regular bread in the bread maker and then our pizza dough last night. Does anyone know if I am doing something wrong or should I be adding something else to the bread mix? Thanks for any help you can provide!

[AndreaB]

Yes you do need to use xanthum gum. I'm not sure about the amounts. For a regular gluten free bread recipe that I use it calls for 3/4 tsp. It varies from 1/2 tsp to 2 tsp. depending on what you're doing.

[BeckyW]

Yes you do need to use xanthum gum. I'm not sure about the amounts. For a regular gluten free bread recipe that I use it calls for 3/4 tsp. It varies from 1/2 tsp to 2 tsp. depending on what you're doing.

What exactly is xanthum gum? Would leaving it out cause my dough to not cook and remain gooey? I am new to Celiac and want desperately to be able to make breads, cookies and all the old favorites wheat free!

[eKatherine]

What exactly is xanthum gum? Would leaving it out cause my dough to not cook and remain gooey? I am new to Celiac and want desperately to be able to make breads, cookies and all the old favorites wheat free!

It makes the dough hang together, just as wheat gluten would.

I suggest that first, before you start getting creative, you should make a couple of different recipes (the recipe index on the board here is fine) without substituting anything for the ingredients. That will give you a better idea of what to expect for gluten-free baking.

[lonewolf]

It does take some time to get used to gluten-free baking. Keep trying though, you'll get better with practice. I've been baking (or should I say trying to bake) gluten-free for 10 years, and I've only had success in the past 3. For me, it was finding a good flour mix - it all came together after that. I started with pancakes, then cookies, then muffins and moved up from there.

I do have my best luck with "regular" recipes that I just substitute the flour and eggs. Xanthan gum is very important, but it's tricky to get the right amount. I always sift my flour right before measuring and often add a tsp. of egg replacer even if it's not "needed" in the recipe.

[Guhlia]

I've found that the only way I can successfully cook gluten free bread loaves is by doing them in mini loaves, otherwise they're always uncooked in the middle no matter what temperature I try the recipe on. My oven is accurate, so I don't know what the deal is.

[eKatherine]

I've found that the only way I can successfully cook gluten free bread loaves is by doing them in mini loaves, otherwise they're always uncooked in the middle no matter what temperature I try the recipe on. My oven is accurate, so I don't know what the deal is.

The dough is wetter, and due to the lack of gluten, it doesn't rise as much. I have found that cooking at a lower temperature for an extended period of time - until the internal temperature reaches 200°F with an instant read thermometer - will guarantee bread that is cooked in the middle.

[Guhlia]

The dough is wetter, and due to the lack of gluten, it doesn't rise as much. I have found that cooking at a lower temperature for an extended period of time - until the internal temperature reaches 200°F with an instant read thermometer - will guarantee bread that is cooked in the middle.

Without burning the crust?

[Cheri A]

((hugs))

I also had many failed attempts with bread! I also found that yeast bread cooked best in smaller pans like the mini loaf pans. My first success was with banana bread/muffins from Carol Fenster (www.savorypalate.com) Quick breads are easier than the yeast ones, I've heard. Then I moved to cookies and have recently found a bread recipe that works for us cooked in a bread pan a little smaller than the normal ones. Keep trying!!

[jerseyangel]

It's like learning to bake all over again

Since I'm also intolerant to grains, I was happy to find the cookbook "The Gluten Free Kitchen" by Roben Ryberg. It's a great book--lots of simple, straightforward recipes.

The problem I'm having with the breads is that I'm following the recipes to the letter but they have a layer of thick moistness (can't think of a better way to put it) on the bottom, despite being cooked in the middle.

The muffins I made came out fine--I'm wondering if doing mini loaves of the breads would work out better.

[Guhlia]

It's like learning to bake all over again

Since I'm also intolerant to grains, I was happy to find the cookbook "The Gluten Free Kitchen" by Roben Ryberg. It's a great book--lots of simple, straightforward recipes.

The problem I'm having with the breads is that I'm following the recipes to the letter but they have a layer of thick moistness (can't think of a better way to put it) on the bottom, despite being cooked in the middle.

The muffins I made came out fine--I'm wondering if doing mini loaves of the breads would work out better.

For me, I could NOT get the center of bread loaves to cook without having a blackened crust. When I make mini loaves and cover them with foil for the first 30-40 minutes of baking, they turn out great. I'm sick of mini-sandwiches though. I can make awesome muffins, cookies, mini-loaves, quiches, etc... It's just the full sized loaves that I can't make work. Maybe that's just the nature of gluten free bread. Or maybe I need to pull out my bread machine again. I remember making great gluten free loaves in the bread machine, no burnt spots. Maybe I should just go back to that. I just hate that I can't leave the house while they're cooking, it takes so long.

Patti, try the mini loaves. I'm imagining that they will turn out much better. That's the only way I've had success with oven loaves.

[jerseyangel]

Angie--Thanks, I'm going to try the mini loaves. With the recipes that use potato starch, she says not to use a bread machine--they are great for rice or other grain based breads, but too strong for the recipes that call for starch. It's always one thing or another!

When I made the banana muffins last weekend, I used the banana bread recipe, and baked them as muffins. I'll bet that's why they came out as well as they did. I also tried the pumpkin bread--in a loaf pan--and got the soggy bottom there, too. It tasted fantastic, though--the next time, I'll just do them as muffins.

[Guhlia]

Angie--Thanks, I'm going to try the mini loaves. With the recipes that use potato starch, she says not to use a bread machine--they are great for rice or other grain based breads, but too strong for the recipes that call for starch. It's always one thing or another!

When I made the banana muffins last weekend, I used the banana bread recipe, and baked them as muffins. I'll bet that's why they came out as well as they did. I also tried the pumpkin bread--in a loaf pan--and got the soggy bottom there, too. It tasted fantastic, though--the next time, I'll just do them as muffins.

Patti, you may want to try making bread in large muffin tins. I've done this before. They're just slightly smaller than rolls and work very well for sandwiches or a side dish with a meal. The mini-loaves also work extremely well. I've just found that the muffin tin rolls are easier to package and freeze in single serving sizes.

Yum... Banana bread... I may have to make some today now that you said that. We haven't had banana bread in months!

[jerseyangel]

Angie--I think I'm gonna get a large size muffin tin. I'm thinking, after what you said, that those would be easier to deal with, and a better size also.

[Guhlia]

Yeah, the muffin tins are really nice for making roll-like breads. Just remember if you're making a yeast bread that it will likely more than double it's size. I learned that the hard way. Ugh... They make like super-sized muffin pans that are shallow, but really large, almost as big as a hamburger roll. That's what I bought. I don't know what it was actually intended for, but the sides are steep rather than slanted like a muffin tin. For all I know, it was made for rolls. Either way, the end result is just like a roll or a biscuit.

[eKatherine]

QUOTE(eKatherine @ Sep 23 2006, 10:57 PM)

The dough is wetter, and due to the lack of gluten, it doesn't rise as much. I have found that cooking at a lower temperature for an extended period of time - until the internal temperature reaches 200°F with an instant read thermometer - will guarantee bread that is cooked in the middle.

Without burning the crust?

You turn the temperature way down from what you expect. If you are "blackening" the exterior, we're not talking a few degrees, we're talking at least 50°F. Actually, halfway through I put a doubled wet paper towel on top of it with foil over it to keep it from getting too tough as well.