Newbie Help With Baking Gluten Free

[TinaM]

Hi everyone! I'm not a newbie to being gluten free, just to baking gluten free. Now i have a 18mo who has a sensitivity to wheat, eggs, soy and milk. My middle dd was also allergic to corn, but has since outgrown it. So for good measure and until i can food trial it on the baby, I'd like to stay away from corn as well. One more thing, she hasnt had any kind of rice either, which i will try out next week. Whew.....I get confused sometimes.

So, can you guys give me some gluten flour mix suggestions. I'd like to have one with rice and then one without(in case she is allergic to rice as well). I've found guar gum, thank goodness, too.

Does anyone know if Knox is gluten/soy/egg/milk/corn free too? I saw a post on bread that said it was all these things but used knox unflavored gelatin. I emailed the company but havent gotten a response yet.

Can i use Knox in place of guar gum?

I'm going shopping next week for some basic ingredients to get me started on this. Thanks for any help!!

[purple]

I use a recipe from Carol Fenster

1 1/2 cups sorghum (closest to wheat)

1 1/2 cups potato starch or cornstarch

1 cup tapioca flour

Some use more sorghum, I do sometimes.

Open Original Shared Link

Found these the other day:

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Open Original Shared Link

Karina is allergic to lots of things so she is a very experienced cook/baker and her recipes are amazing. I have tried many of them. Latest fave is her peanut butter bars-no eggs. Check out her vegan recipes for no egg ideas.

Here's some bread making tips:

Open Original Shared Link

mentions gelatin/pectin

Hope this helps!

[TinaM]

Thanks Purple! I will definitely start with that until i find out if she is okay with rice or not.

What brands do you use? I'm not familiar with many.

[purple]

Thanks Purple! I will definitely start with that until i find out if she is okay with rice or not.

What brands do you use? I'm not familiar with many.

Bob's Red Mill is the only one our store carries. I don't mail order...yet.

Here is a wheat, corn, rice, egg, soy and dairy free waffle recipe...we love it, I use 1 1/2 cups almond milk.

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Banana nut waffles

Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour ingredients:

garbonzo bean flour, potato starch flour, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, fava bean flour.

[BenevolentKitchen]

I -never- use gums of any kind and I have been an alternative baker for over 13 years -- they are not necessary in gluten free baking -- they have just been used for years b/c they seemed necessary by the folks in the 60s but we have come along way since then -- so don't waste your money on gums -- especially with multiple allergies since guar and xantham can have various building sources

try these mixes:

These flours are great for cookies, cakes, plus quick and yeast breads, thus making them pretty much all purpose. So grab your favorite cookbook and get baking!

good flour mix for that whole grain taste, texture, and flavor:

1/2 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 cup teff flour

1/2 cup white buckwheat flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1 3/4 cups brown rice flour

2 cups cornstarch

2 cups potato starch

looking for a bit lighter, more cake flour type blend? try this one:

2 cups sweet rice flour

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour (or sorghum flour)

2 t of double acting baking powder (optional)

Either way, as with -any- gluten free flour:

Store in an air tight container with tight-fitting lid.

WHISK before using.

Will stay shelf stable for at least a couple of months if it does not get hot. otherwise, fridge it!

more recipes at:

Open Original Shared Link

[TinaM]

Bob's Red Mill is the only one our store carries. I don't mail order...yet.

Here is a wheat, corn, rice, egg, soy and dairy free waffle recipe...we love it, I use 1 1/2 cups almond milk.

Open Original Shared Link

Banana nut waffles

Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour ingredients:

garbonzo bean flour, potato starch flour, tapioca flour, white sorghum flour, fava bean flour.

Thanks again Purple!

The thing I'm concerned about with Bob's red mill is contamination issues. Well, i guess any company that makes several kinds of flours can have contamination issues.

Thank you for all the links in your other post as well. I bookmarked them. They are very helpful. I love Zaar. I go there often looking for recipes. My cookbook is full of gluten free stuff now. Thanks again!

[TinaM]

I -never- use gums of any kind and I have been an alternative baker for over 13 years -- they are not necessary in gluten free baking -- they have just been used for years b/c they seemed necessary by the folks in the 60s but we have come along way since then -- so don't waste your money on gums -- especially with multiple allergies since guar and xantham can have various building sources

try these mixes:

These flours are great for cookies, cakes, plus quick and yeast breads, thus making them pretty much all purpose. So grab your favorite cookbook and get baking!

good flour mix for that whole grain taste, texture, and flavor:

1/2 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 cup teff flour

1/2 cup white buckwheat flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1 3/4 cups brown rice flour

2 cups cornstarch

2 cups potato starch

looking for a bit lighter, more cake flour type blend? try this one:

2 cups sweet rice flour

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour (or sorghum flour)

2 t of double acting baking powder (optional)

Either way, as with -any- gluten free flour:

Store in an air tight container with tight-fitting lid.

WHISK before using.

Will stay shelf stable for at least a couple of months if it does not get hot. otherwise, fridge it!

more recipes at:

Open Original Shared Link

From what I've read, xanthum/guar gum is used as the binding agent in the flours, correct? So what do you use for that? Thank you so much!!

[RiceGuy]

I have used agar agar powder in place of gelatin, and it works well. But the majority of gluten-free bread recipes don't need gelatin anyway, so I'd say it's not necessary for good results. Some type of binder however, is certainly needed. I've tried several, and xanthan seems to provide the best results for breads. Guar gum, though similar, seems better for cakes, and may give better results than xanthan when a more cake-like texture is desired. Xanthan is said to lend a more stretchy texture, while guar a more spongy texture. The flours and other ingredients you use will obviously factor into the equation.

As for rice flours, I stopped using them once I tried sorghum and millet flours, because I found rice flour to be gritty by comparison. That is with the exception of sweet white rice flour, though I've read that there are super-fine brown rice flours that aren't gritty. IMHO, you should be able to use sorghum (or millet) flour and rice flour interchangeably. But sweet white rice flour is not the same as ordinary white rice flour. It is more starchy, and more similar to tapioca and other starches (though not the same).

Also, note that potato flour and potato starch are two different things, and in most cases cannot be used interchangeably.

[purple]

I have used agar agar powder in place of gelatin, and it works well. But the majority of gluten-free bread recipes don't need gelatin anyway, so I'd say it's not necessary for good results. Some type of binder however, is certainly needed. I've tried several, and xanthan seems to provide the best results for breads. Guar gum, though similar, seems better for cakes, and may give better results than xanthan when a more cake-like texture is desired. Xanthan is said to lend a more stretchy texture, while guar a more spongy texture. The flours and other ingredients you use will obviously factor into the equation.

As for rice flours, I stopped using them once I tried sorghum and millet flours, because I found rice flour to be gritty by comparison. That is with the exception of sweet white rice flour, though I've read that there are super-fine brown rice flours that aren't gritty. IMHO, you should be able to use sorghum (or millet) flour and rice flour interchangeably. But sweet white rice flour is not the same as ordinary white rice flour. It is more starchy, and more similar to tapioca and other starches (though not the same).

Also, note that potato flour and potato starch are two different things, and in most cases cannot be used interchangeably.

Thanks RiceGuy for all your informational posts, I love to read them.

I use rice and sorghum interchangeably most of the time except in pastry and probably tortillas-the sorghum is sticky. Sorghum is my fave. I use it for all sweet breads, muffins, cookies, some yeast breads I have tried, donuts, cakes and brownies.

I went to buy agar I couldn't find it so the next time I looked for guar and they were out I may have to buy xanthan still, haven't tried the others yet.

[purple]

Thanks again Purple!

The thing I'm concerned about with Bob's red mill is contamination issues. Well, i guess any company that makes several kinds of flours can have contamination issues.

Thank you for all the links in your other post as well. I bookmarked them. They are very helpful. I love Zaar. I go there often looking for recipes. My cookbook is full of gluten free stuff now. Thanks again!

You are welcome!

[TinaM]

Are Tapioca Starch and Tapioca Flour the same thing?

I know that Potato Starch and Potato Flour are not the same thing, correct?

[RiceGuy]

Are Tapioca Starch and Tapioca Flour the same thing?

I know that Potato Starch and Potato Flour are not the same thing, correct?

Tapioca starch is the same as the flour. And yes, potato starch is different from potato flour.