Expandex Modifed Tapioca Starch

[AlysounRI]

Hi All:

I've recently acquired Carol Fenster's 1000 gluten-free Recipes.

Most of her baked goods use Expandex modified tapioca starch.

And I am wondering if anyone has used it and what have they thought?

Also about how expensive is it? And how much do you get?

Is is comparable to the amount and price of xantham/guar gum?

Thanks for your replies!

Her baked goods look yummy and I can find it in Rhode Island.

But I am so curious before I do what people here have thought if they have used it.

Many thanks,

~Allison

[Ginsou]

Hi All:

I've recently acquired Carol Fenster's 1000 gluten-free Recipes.

Most of her baked goods use Expandex modified tapioca starch.

And I am wondering if anyone has used it and what have they thought?

Also about how expensive is it? And how much do you get?

Is is comparable to the amount and price of xantham/guar gum?

Thanks for your replies!

Her baked goods look yummy and I can find it in Rhode Island.

But I am so curious before I do what people here have thought if they have used it.

Many thanks,

~Allison

I also have Carol's book, and although I have a supply of Expandex, have not had a chance to use it. You will notice that many bakeries that deal with gluten free goodies use modified tapioca starch. I hope to be able to try her Quinoa Zucchini Mini Quick Breads this weekend. It costs approx. $5.99 for 20 ounces.

[Ginsou]

I also have Carol's book, and although I have a supply of Expandex, have not had a chance to use it. You will notice that many bakeries that deal with gluten free goodies use modified tapioca starch. I hope to be able to try her Quinoa Zucchini Mini Quick Breads this weekend. It costs approx. $5.99 for 20 ounces.

Haven't had a chance to try the Zucchini recipe yet, but I did make some Living Without Snack Bars using Quinoa Flakes in place of oatmeal, and substituted about 3 Tablespoons of Expandex for the flours and these bars were very, very moist. They freeze well. I had previously used this recipe using oatmeal, and the bars were a bit dry. I hope to try Expandex in a bread recipe next.

[AlysounRI]

Haven't had a chance to try the Zucchini recipe yet, but I did make some Living Without Snack Bars using Quinoa Flakes in place of oatmeal, and substituted about 3 Tablespoons of Expandex for the flours and these bars were very, very moist. They freeze well. I had previously used this recipe using oatmeal, and the bars were a bit dry. I hope to try Expandex in a bread recipe next.

I posted the same to the bread machine thread and I'll do the same here.

it has been suggested to me by someone who is better at baking that I am, that it doesn't work all that well in the bread machine and that you are best off using Expandex in combination with a regular oven. But if you experiment, please let me know how it went. The only loaf I made with Expandex in the bread machine collapsed in the middle though it did bake through. And the texture was most def. more spongy.

What is the suggested percentage of expandex as a replacer? If you add 3 cups of gluten-free flour mixture and want to use expandex how much of the flour do you leave out and substitute? That hasn't been made clear to me yet

I'm glad that you've used it too!!

~Allison

[Ginsou]

If you add 3 cups of gluten-free flour mixture and want to use expandex how much of the flour do you leave out and substitute? That hasn't been made clear to me yet

I'm glad that you've used it too!!

~Allison

Each recipe using Expandex calls for different amounts. I only substituted about 3 Tablespoons for the snack bars.

Carol Fenster suggests 2 Tablespoons of Expandex in a recipe that uses 3 cups of flour to bake French Bread. She has a French Bread recipe in her latest book, and it does not use Expandex.

I tend to agree with you about using Expandex in a recipe for bread baked in a regular oven. I think I made the bread recipe a while ago from the company that makes Expandex, and it only came out so so. I'm always baking at different altitudes, and I'm learning to make notes on my recipes as to what altitude I was at, and what oven I used. Thank goodness I'm retired and have the time to experiment.

[Ginsou]

Haven't had a chance to try the Zucchini recipe yet, but I did make some Living Without Snack Bars using Quinoa Flakes in place of oatmeal, and substituted about 3 Tablespoons of Expandex for the flours and these bars were very, very moist. They freeze well. I had previously used this recipe using oatmeal, and the bars were a bit dry. I hope to try Expandex in a bread recipe next.

Tonight I made Carol's Quinoa Zucchini Mini Quick Bread using Expandex, and it baked up beautifully, rose high, and did not fall when I took it out of the oven. I'm baking at 4400 ft. in altitude. I used Quinoa flakes instead of flour, and used 2 pans, 7 1/2 x 3 3/4" and 5" x 3".

This baked up very, very moist....a keeper. My husband usually doesn't eat "my" food, because he knows how much time and effort and expense I have to deal with...but he has already eaten the smaller loaf, and I will definately be making this recipe again.