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Can A Celiac Bake With Regular Flour And Not Get Sick?


mochimps

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mochimps Newbie

I have been doing some holiday baking for friends recently using regular white flour. I do not eat what I make, though I have been told by some that I should be careful about inhaling the flour dust. I have not had any sort of reaction to it, but should I be worried about it? I love baking, but am not very good or motivated to bake gluten free. My husband loves the brownies I make, and I would be sad to have to stop making them if it is not good for me. Any help or suggestions?


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Mtndog Collaborator

I think that technically, the answer is yes you can do it, but I know I couldn't do it. You'd have to be VERY careful about not only inhaling the flour but also the particles that get under your fingernails. I don't think people realize how often they put their fingers near their mouths.

If I were going to do (can't- way too sensitive) I'd probably wear those rubber kitchen gloves.

I'll be interested to see what other people think.

MaryJones2 Enthusiast

I would get sick too as I am very sensitive. I can't really be in the same room when someone is making stuff with flour. There are several gluten-free brownie mixes on the market that get rave reviews from the gluten eaters. My husband loves the Trader Joe's mix.

curlyfries Contributor

I know it would make me sick. Even if you're not that sensitive, I would worry about that flour dust getting on everything, and I mean everything in the kitchen.

lizard00 Enthusiast

I've cooked with regular flour ONCE since going gluten-free. I was sick the rest of the day. I'm not really sure you could use it without inhaling it, or eating it for that matter. It does go EVERYWHERE.

There are great recipes out there and great mixes. You could probaby make your husband gluten free brownies and he'd never know. If you post the recipe, we can probably help you make it gluten free.

If I can bake gluten free stuff that tastes good, so can you!! Trust me... ;)

purple Community Regular
I know it would make me sick. Even if you're not that sensitive, I would worry about that flour dust getting on everything, and I mean everything in the kitchen.

I bake in a mixed kitchen but my dd who is gluten-free does not live at home (she is not sensitive and is gluten intolerant). It is SO EASY to cc! Everything gets flour, even forgetting to wash hands or switch strainers or dish rags. Handling containers or egg/milk cartons, the phone, etc. CC! As curlyfries said...EVERYTHING!

Brownies...the best recipe I ever tried so I got to stop searching!

Open Original Shared Link

I think I bake them a little longer b/c my pan is 12x8. Let them cool or they are really gooey!

pele Rookie

I tried to bake things for my husband with white flour and got sick every time. The explanation I got is if flour is airborne it lands in your mouth and you swallow it. We no longer have any gluten-containing flour in the house.

Fortunately, brownies are one of the easiest things to bake gluten-free, because brownies are really all about the sugar, butter, eggs and chocolate, with only a bit of flour to hold them together. Almost any kind of flour will work--rice flour, corn flour, garbanzo flour, or Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour mix. You can add a teaspoon of xantham gum if you want. Chances are, no one who eats them will even notice they are gluten-free.


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mochimps Newbie
I tried to bake things for my husband with white flour and got sick every time. The explanation I got is if flour is airborne it lands in your mouth and you swallow it. We no longer have any gluten-containing flour in the house.

Fortunately, brownies are one of the easiest things to bake gluten-free, because brownies are really all about the sugar, butter, eggs and chocolate, with only a bit of flour to hold them together. Almost any kind of flour will work--rice flour, corn flour, garbanzo flour, or Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour mix. You can add a teaspoon of xantham gum if you want. Chances are, no one who eats them will even notice they are gluten-free.

I am just thinking that I have been baking with regular flour for a while now and have not had any gluten reactions at all. Is it possible that I am just not that sensitive to it, and am able to bake this way? I know there are great gluten free recipes out there, but I have some very stubborn people in my life who do not care for any of the gluten free stuff.

curlyfries Contributor

Has there ever been times you thought you were glutened and couldn't figure out from what? Could be from touching something days or weeks later that unseen flour had settled on, and then ingesting it.

pele Rookie
I am just thinking that I have been baking with regular flour for a while now and have not had any gluten reactions at all. Is it possible that I am just not that sensitive to it, and am able to bake this way? I know there are great gluten free recipes out there, but I have some very stubborn people in my life who do not care for any of the gluten free stuff.

Apparently different people react to different levels of guten. One study showed that MOST celiacs do not react to under 10 mg of gluten, but at the thime I was baking with wheat, I must have been one of the few.

This brings to mind the fact that some celiacs do not experience "reactions" to gluten that they can identify, however, the immune system is still reacting. Could you be one of those? If so, the stubborn ones are putting their preconceived notions of baked good quality ahead of your health!

  • 3 weeks later...
nb-canada Apprentice

Hi Mochimps, I recently made regular meat pies for my husband with ready made pie crust. But, I stupidly used regular flour to roll out the crust. I don't know what I was thinking, I could have used gluten free flour. I did not have an immediate reaction, but three days later I was having mild headaches (a new symptom for me) and just did not feel up to par for a few days with a few mild celiac symptoms. I feel that it was from the flour, it does fly everywhere. I will not take another chance, I will get rid of the regular flour. My husband does eat some of my gluten-free baking so if there is something else he wants he can buy it ready made. :)

I also tried the brownie recipe that Purple listed. It was great! Even my husband agreed and Brownies are his favourite dessert. :) Very moist and rich. Num Num

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