Gums

[missmellie]

Before going gluten-free (and dairy, soy, egg, etc. free), I was a "from scratch" baker: cakes, cookies, biscuits, pancakes, quick breads, you name it, for a large family. None of it lasted long, 'cause it was gobbled down. Now, I live alone and cook EVERYTHING I eat - no going out because of the multiple intolerances, but I'm not happy with the results. Sometimes the kids and grandkids come over for cookouts and MeMaws cooking.

Despite concentrated efforts at producing something edible, I'm still very disappointed in the texture of my baked goods. I suspect that the problem lies not only in the difference in flours, but also in the lack of eggs in the dough/batter. Now, all of my pancakes, biscuits, cakes, etc. are very wet and gummy no matter how long I cook it. I've tried cutting back on the gums. Didn't change much. My baking powder and soda are fresh and the goods rise, but are still quite "wet". I usually use an egg substitute like Orgran (mixed with stick blender before adding to the recipe), but have also recently tried using ground flax soaked in warm water.

The only thing I have made that I'm pretty happy with are some substantial cookies that have enough protein and dried fruit, that I eat one for my breakfast. They contain some of the heavier flours and are quite dense. It seems like the heavier nut flours and all the fruit compensate to keep them from being so wet.

I would love to make pancakes, biscuits, and cakes that are light and "fluffy". Is that even possible? Can anyone give me some hints, please? Thanks!

[ciamarie]

Wet and gummy, yum! (j/k) Yeah, I've had that happen at least a couple times, it was just inedible and I hate throwing stuff away. I do bake with eggs, but not always as many as the recipe calls for, but I've heard the substitutions should do the trick as far as eggs go. I think the wet & gummy is due to the heaviness of the flours and there isn't enough 'lift'. I've recently been using rice flour only (combo of white and brown), and sometimes a bit of tapioca flour. In addition, I now use baking soda only, since the baking powder is out due to sulfites (corn or potato starch).

I was getting better results when I tried using rice flour from an asian market, but I think I started reacting badly to it; but it might have been something else so I can't say for sure until I test it again down the road. At any rate, the reason it behaved better was because it's ground a bit finer than the other rice flours from a traditional market. Since I have a vitamix blender, I tried taking some of the 'regular' rice flour and grinding it finer in the dry container I have, and that is certainly helping. I just put about 3 cups in, and blend it for about 5 seconds, shake the bowl a bit and blend again another 5 seconds. Or I think one could use the flat blade mixer with the magic bullet, or something similar like a spice grinder?

Also, if you're using a traditional recipe, add a little extra baking soda (or powder) than it calls for, about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour I think should work, you might need to experiment a bit. If you're using baking soda alone you need to add an acid of some sort to get it to rise -- such as milk, yogurt or vinegar. I've been using 2 teaspoons vinegar to 1/2 to 1 teaspoon baking soda with good results. And, have your oven pre-heated, maybe even start it off a little hotter than the recipe calls for then turn it down; since it also needs heat to react.

[bartfull]

Ciamarie, you can make your own baking powder by mixing baking soda with cream of tartar. Some folks do a one to one ratio, others go with twice the amount of cream of tartar. I only used it once so far and did the one to one ratio. It worked.

[ciamarie]

Ciamarie, you can make your own baking powder by mixing baking soda with cream of tartar. Some folks do a one to one ratio, others go with twice the amount of cream of tartar. I only used it once so far and did the one to one ratio. It worked.

Thanks for the suggestion bartfull! Only problem is, that cream of tartar is a by-product of wine making and thus also full of sulfites. I've heard arrowroot might work; I'll try that some day. In the meantime, I'm making nice fluffy pancakes and applesauce cake with baking soda and vinegar.

[bartfull]

Well, baking soda and vinnegar, huh? I am the world's worst cook, but I think I'd like to try that sometime when I'm feeling brave. Thanks! (And could you pass along that applesauce cake recipe?)

[missmellie]

Yes, Clamarie. Please do pass along that applesauce cake recipe. And, thanks for your advice. I will give it a try. Edible pancakes would be a good place to start. I happen to love apple cider vinegar, so trying the soda/vinegar combo and using lighter flours will be the first thing I try. And, I intend to start trying the baking again as soon as it's less than 100 degrees outside every day. :-)

[come dance with me]

I use golden syrup in place of eggs in cakes, but I made shortbread using just Nutellex (no dairy, gluten, soy, egg, nut), Orgran plain flour, CSR icing sugar and a little bit of vanilla essence.

[Takala]

Is the original poster okay with garbanzo bean flour, or must she avoid all legumes ?

I have found that for eggless gluten free recipes, a 1/3 combination of potato starch, buckwheat flour, and garbanzo bean flour makes great pancakes and flatbreads.

*Other flours such as amaranth or an amaranth/almond mixture could be substituted for the garbanzo.

recipe will work without the cream of tartar

instead of gums, try a spoon of chia seed soaked in cold water to make a "gel" - but original recipe needs neither

Buckwheat Pan- Flatcake

1 heaping tablespoon of ground up toasted buckwheat (kasha) kernels (use coffeegrinder or kitchen mortar. can also use gluten-free buckwheat flour. kasha tastes better)

1 heaping tablespoon of gluten free chickpea (garbanzo) flour*

1 heaping tablespoon of potato starch

pinch of cream of tartar

pinch of salt

good sized pinch (about a quarter teasp.) of baking soda

spice to taste, optional. (cumin, cinnamon, cloves, curry, anise seed, caraway, grated orange peel - can be very versatile)

sweetener to taste, optional. I use a tiny glop of molasses and agave

pure apple cider vinegar, about a half teaspoon

olive oil, about a teaspoon

water, small amount

olive oil (or other) for frying in skillet. preheat oil in pan, carefully.

In a bowl, put the oil, vinegar, agave/molasses if using, and a tablespoon or two of water, and mix. Add the buckwheat first, and stir to soften, while you are measuring out the other ingredients. Then add them. Add enough water to make a thick pancake consistency, and stir well til blended. Pour batter into heated oiled pan. Cook until bottom is done, edges are drying, and bubbles are coming up thru, then flip and finish cooking.

[ciamarie]

Yes, Clamarie. Please do pass along that applesauce cake recipe. And, thanks for your advice. I will give it a try. Edible pancakes would be a good place to start. I happen to love apple cider vinegar, so trying the soda/vinegar combo and using lighter flours will be the first thing I try. And, I intend to start trying the baking again as soon as it's less than 100 degrees outside every day. :-)

Yeah no kidding about waiting for cooler weather for baking. Thankfully our 90's have cooled down to 70's-80's. I started a new thread for the applesauce cake recipe, here:

Enjoy!

[ciamarie]

I thought I'd add yet another message to this thread to let you know I don't have it all figured out yet, when it comes to baking items that come out gummy, soggy, or my favorite description is gloppy. I made a flat bread today, rice flour only (combo brown & white rice) that by all appearances looked like it rose mostly o.k., but was a bit gloppy in the center. I managed to toast it and it's mostly edible, but it's not my best result. So I don't have all the answers, in case anyone else wants to jump in with advice. Still a work in progress!