Should I Use Mixees Or Buy Individual Items?

[BusyBof3]

I am new to the gluten free diet and am trying to decide on the most economical way to make pizza crust, breads and muffins. Should I purchase mixes or the indivudual ingrediants? If I purcahse a bread or muffin mix can I alter it with bananas or bluberries? Will I need anything extra with these mixes?

Thanks for the help.

[mushroom]

I think it is probably easiest at first to buy some of the mixes and find out what kinds of flour combinations you like or (as for some of us) are tolerant of. Bob's Red Mill makes a couple of bread mixes, a pizza crust mix, etc. Lots of folks swear by Pamelas mixes. Generally all you have to add are oil/butter/shortening, eggs, water/milk, sweetening. I went mad at first and bought all different kinds of flours that I didn't know what to do with and, it turns out now, I cannot have potato starch or flour. As you build up your recipe file of things that sound good and find out what kind of flours you like, then is the time to branch out and do the from-scratch stuff, IMHO. There are oodles of great recipes here and elsewhere on the net but don't be in a rush, get a feel for gluten-free flours first before you start broadening your horizons, would be my best advice.

[BusyBof3]

I think it is probably easiest at first to buy some of the mixes and find out what kinds of flour combinations you like or (as for some of us) are tolerant of. Bob's Red Mill makes a couple of bread mixes, a pizza crust mix, etc. Lots of folks swear by Pamelas mixes. Generally all you have to add are oil/butter/shortening, eggs, water/milk, sweetening. I went mad at first and bought all different kinds of flours that I didn't know what to do with and, it turns out now, I cannot have potato starch or flour. As you build up your recipe file of things that sound good and find out what kind of flours you like, then is the time to branch out and do the from-scratch stuff, IMHO. There are oodles of great recipes here and elsewhere on the net but don't be in a rush, get a feel for gluten-free flours first before you start broadening your horizons, would be my best advice.

Thanks for the response. The health food store I've been using for the past 10 years carry's Bob's Red Mill. I just may try it.

I had no idea that I could still be intolerant of gluten free flours. Why is this?

Thanks.

[happygirl]

Most people do fine with the gluten free flours. Some find that they prefer some over another, and some cannot tolerate certain grains.

www.betterbatter.org has a versatile gluten free flour, and The Gluten Free Pantry has many great mixes.

[sixtytwo]

The first person to your request kind of said it all. I use Bob's Red Mill mix for my bread, I make two mixes at a time, and put them in eight smaller loaf pans. They seem to bake nicely in 20 minutes at 375--calls for one egg and lots of whites, I use all the egg so there are less required. If you are a Weight Watcher, if you cut each loaf in eight, they are two points apiece.

The BRM pizza cruat mix is great, first really good pizza I have had in five years since going gluten-free. Pamela's make a great chocolate cake mix and brownies. The BRM brownies are good too. For an interesting frosting, when the brownies come out of the oven, dump a lot of Junior Mints all over the warm brownies and just let them sit. The are the most awesome brownies.

Barbara

[BusyBof3]

Most people do fine with the gluten free flours. Some find that they prefer some over another, and some cannot tolerate certain grains.

www.betterbatter.org has a versatile gluten free flour, and The Gluten Free Pantry has many great mixes.

With the gluten free flour can I make a variety of breads, muffins and pizza crust?

Thanks.

[BusyBof3]

The first person to your request kind of said it all. I use Bob's Red Mill mix for my bread, I make two mixes at a time, and put them in eight smaller loaf pans. They seem to bake nicely in 20 minutes at 375--calls for one egg and lots of whites, I use all the egg so there are less required. If you are a Weight Watcher, if you cut each loaf in eight, they are two points apiece.

The BRM pizza cruat mix is great, first really good pizza I have had in five years since going gluten-free. Pamela's make a great chocolate cake mix and brownies. The BRM brownies are good too. For an interesting frosting, when the brownies come out of the oven, dump a lot of Junior Mints all over the warm brownies and just let them sit. The are the most awesome brownies.

Barbara

Barbara~

Thanks for your post and for the clarification. You mention that you use all egg so that you can use less. How many eggs in total do you use per batch?

I also do the WW so the points break down is a HUGE help.

How long will the loaves last? Can you freeze them like regular bread?

With the pizza crust, what else do you have to mix to the mix?

Thanks.

[happygirl]

With the gluten free flour can I make a variety of breads, muffins and pizza crust?

Thanks.

The website has a recipe for everything you could imagine, using that flour. Click on Recipes.

[BusyBof3]

The website has a recipe for everything you could imagine, using that flour. Click on Recipes.

I did that, but it seemed like every recipe stated that I would still need to add xanthan gum and other things that I assumed would already be in the mix. Maybe I wasn't doing it right?

[happygirl]

If you aren't interested in adding things (with any flour blend), then you may be interested in mixes.

[lpellegr]

I had no idea that I could still be intolerant of gluten free flours. Why is this?

Thanks.

[BusyBof3]

I had no idea that I could still be intolerant of gluten free flours. Why is this?

Thanks.

Some people can't have some of the ingredients blended into the premade flour mixes, like soy or corn or potato, and some people just don't like the taste of some of them, like the ones with bean flour. After you have weeded out the gluten in your diet, you could still find new allergies or intolerances.

If you have always been comfortable with baking for yourself then buying the individual flours and mixing them could be for you, but every recipe seems to have a different combination, and they can be expensive and hard to find. Start with the mixes until you have a better idea of how these different doughs turn out - if you are used to working with gluten doughs you will find that these are more like batters than kneadable doughs. Check around on this website and you will find ways that people modify them or jazz them up with added ingredients. They tend to be pricey, so you may want to eat pizza or cookies or bread less often than you used to.

I do like cooking/baking from scratch and am very comfortable doing so.

Being more vegitarian than not I would find it hard to illiminate bread and pizza from my diet. I am a BIG couponer (even started my own Yahoo group), so I've been able to stock pile and save quite a bit on my weekly grocery bill (at least 60%). Knowing this, I am hopeful that I can afford to spend a bit more on specialty items for my gluten free diet.

Thanks for the heads up.

[BusyBof3]

I found this pizza crust recipe on www.recipezaar.com. I got rave reviews from people that were fans of Kinnickiniks individual pizza crusts. Here is the recipe found at Open Original Shared Link

SERVES 6 (change servings and units)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dry yeast

2/3 cup brown rice flour or gram flour or fava bean flour (I use 'garfava' flour which is a blend)

1/2 cup tapioca flour

2 tablespoons powdered milk or non-dairy powdered coffee creamer (Dairy alternative, 2 T tapioca flour or sweet rice flour in place of 2 T dry milk powder or non-dair)

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

2/3 cup water (110 degrees F)

1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey or agave syrup

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Directions

1Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2In medium bowl using regular beaters (not dough hooks), blend all ingredients on low speed.

3Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.

4(If mixer bounces around bowl, dough is too stiff. Add water if necessary, one tablespoon at a time, until dough does not resist beaters.) Dough will resemble soft bread dough.

5Put mixture on lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan or 11 x 7-inch pan (for deep dish version).

6Liberally sprinkle rice flour on dough, then press dough into pan, continuing to sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking to hands.

7Make edges slightly thicker to hold toppings.

8Bake pizza crust for 10 minutes.

9Remove from oven.

10Spread pizza crust with your favorite sauce and toppings.

11Bake another 20 to 25 minutes or until top is nicely browned.

My question is, if I use Bob Red Mills all purpose flour mix instead of the brown rice are there other ingrediants that I need to leave out?

Thanks,

Brandy