But I Love My Recipes!

[reichhoff9]

So I've just been diagnosed with Celiac by biopsy and am trying very hard to convert over to the "glutten free" side. It's harder than it looks! I thought with all these friendly faces here waiting for me, it would be a happy place. But for now, not so much. Does anyone have any suggestions on which all purpose flour blends give the best results with your previous recipes...your pre-celiac passed down kinda recipes. The ones I still wanna eat!! or are there mixures I can make myself and use in the same way...as a substitute for the flour I would usually use? What should I expect to be different? Can I make it taste close to what it did before? Any advice from you Pros would be appreciated and welcomed! Thank You!!! Have a great day!

[lonewolf]

It takes a few tries to get the hang of baking, but if you like to do it, you'll be successful. I make almost all of my "old favorites" and use recipes from Betty Crocker. Yeast breads are the one thing that I can't replicate.

I make a homemade mix for "all purpose" flour. It's simple and I use it cup for cup in most recipes.

3 C Brown rice flour

1 C Potato starch

1/2 C Tapioca starch

2 tsp. Xanthan gum

Sift this together 3 times and store in the refrigerator. I use it for cookies, muffins, pancakes, waffles, cakes, pie crust (with a little extra xanthan gum) and even homemade pasta. In some recipes you need to add a little extra liquid (like pancakes), but mostly it's straight across.

It does take some trial and error, but it's very do-able. Good luck and happy cooking and baking!

[happygirl]

We use a pre-mixed flour mix called better batter gluten free flour. It has a great mix of flours, and already has xanthan gum in it. We use it one for one in all our 'regular' recipes - it's the best mix we have used in the past 4+ years.

Open Original Shared Link

[Darn210]

The flour mix I prefer to use is basically the same as Liz's (lonewolf). I do use the superfine ground brown rice flour from Authentic Foods which is expensive but now that I've tried it, I won't go back.

I use all my old recipes and sub in 1 to 1 whatever the recipe calls for for the regular wheat flour. I also add more baking powder and baking soda than the original (gluten) recipe. In order to figure out how much I should use, I look at a similar gluten-free recipe (either on-line or from one of my gluten-free cookbooks) and use "about" the same amount (as long as the overall recipe is for about the same amount of end product). Like Liz, this has worked great for me for all things except for yeast bread.

Also, because I never actually made cake from scratch before so I didn't actually have a preferred recipe, I use the gluten-free yellow cake recipe on allrecipes.com. (Just do a search, it's not hard to find). I mention it specifically because I don't use my flour mix for it, I use what they call out.

[MaryJones2]

I also had a lot of family recipes to fix. I've never found a single all-purpose gluten-free flour that works for every recipe. For gluten-free recipes sure but when trying to fix old recipes I've found that I just have to play around and experiment until I find the right combination that produces the flavor you are looking for. Wheat flour has a very definite taste so you'll have to get used to the taste and texture of other flours - in time you won't notice any difference. I generally keep tapioca and rice flour in the house and just buy pre-made gluten-free mixes for bread, cakes and such. I think everyone has a different answer for this one. You'll just have to experiment and find what works for you.

[celiac-mommy]

I'm known here for my obsession with Pamela's pancake and baking mix. I use it for everything other than yeast breads. You can use it in pancakes, waffles, crepes, cornbread, quickbreads, muffins, cake, cupcakes, pies, pie crust, breading.......the list goes on FOREVER.

In baking, I decrease the amt of fat by 1/2 to 2/3 depending on how many cups the recipe calls for. I've done a lot of experimenting with this baking mix, and I've been nothing but pleased. If you buy it and want to try it, PM me and I'll give you my easiest and most commonly used recipes. In general, I use my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook for everything. I got a new cookie cookbook last weekend that I'm going to try this weekend (over 600 recipes!!!), I will post any successes I have.

Happy baking

[ek327]

authentic foods has a multi-flour blend that works really well cup for cup in most recipes--even baking cakes and cookies and stuff. I feed it to nonguten-free people all of the time. I have the recipe for it in one of my books--can't remember which. it is listed as "wendy's flour mix".

[Mtndog]

I use the Pamela's mix too (and swear by them!)! My other recommendation is Gluten Free pantry's Beth's All Purpose Flour. One cup of it equals one cup of flour.

Oh, and GFP's Chocolate Truffle Brownie mix could be mistaken for brownies. My husband couldn't tell the difference!!!!

[JennyC]

I use the featherlight mix for most things. For cakes and breads I add in a higher protein flour, like sorghum or occasionally fava bean flour. You also need xanthan or guar gum.

Featherlight Mix:

1 cup rice flour

1 cup tapioca starch/flour (same thing)

1 cup cornstarch

1 TBSP potato flour (I never add this anymore.)

~1 tsp xanthan gum/cup of flour

[Guhlia]

I use Kinnikinnick brand flours with the following mix:

3 parts white rice flour

2 parts potato starch

1 part tapioca starch

Add one teaspoon of xantham gum per cup of flour.

I've found this to be the closest to "regular" flour. I've had NONE of my old recipes fail when using this mix. I have, however, had recipes fail with other brands of flour. I swear by Kinnikinnick.

[Gibbo]

I use the featherlight mix for most things. For cakes and breads I add in a higher protein flour, like sorghum or occasionally fava bean flour. You also need xanthan or guar gum.

Featherlight Mix:

1 cup rice flour

1 cup tapioca starch/flour (same thing)

1 cup cornstarch

1 TBSP potato flour (I never add this anymore.)

~1 tsp xanthan gum/cup of flour

Hi JennyC: new to these boards, here is my question: When you add in a higher protein flour, how do you do that? Do you replace all of one kind with another?

Thanks

Gibbo

[Wonka]

Hi JennyC: new to these boards, here is my question: When you add in a higher protein flour, how do you do that? Do you replace all of one kind with another?

Thanks

Gibbo

This is the formula for mixing your own flours that I like to use.

You want four main types of flour in your mix--

Bodifiers-- Teff, Sorghum, Rice, bean flours, brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, and cornmeal are a few options. These provide bulk and protein as well as the vitamins (if any, teff is a great source of vitamins).

Modifiers-- Tapioca starch, cornstarch, potato starch, arrowroot powder. These provide lightness and smoothness to the mix.

Moisturizers-- potato starch (this is a duel status item and should be counted in the ratio as a modifier, but if you use too much it will over moisturize the mix), potato flour. These counterbalance the drying tendencies of modifiers.

Extenders-- guar gum, xanthan gum, pectin, (to a degree) fruit acids, and, to a degree, flaxseed. These substitute for gluten and add extra body and stretch to the flour mix, as well as extend the shelf life of your baked goods.

A good ratio to make is 2 cup bodifier: 1 cup modifier: 1/4 cup moisturizer: 3 tsp. extender

Most recipes, with the exception of bread recipes, are easily converted. The easiest recipes to convert are the ones that don't use too much flour to begin with ie: brownies. Cookies I've often had to add more gluten free flour than the wheat flour called for in a recipe. Just place one bit of cookie dough in the oven until you get the cookie you want (making note of the amount - I say this because I've often gone back, realized I didn't make notes and have had to start from scratch again, lol. And I hate that!)

[The Kids Folks]

Hi - we're new to the gluten intolerant world too! A lovely lady told me about Tom Sawyer gluten free flour. You have to order it online.

Its awesome. (kindof expensive) but you can cook/bake normally - cup for cup! I made an old family apple cake recipe and you couldn't tell the difference. Even my gluten hubby said that it was the best he's ever had!

The Kids Folks