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Celiac.com 05/11/2023 - Because of the critical role gluten plays in providing structure, texture, water-holding and other attributes to bread and baked goods, formulating delicious and appealing gluten-free foods can be challenging. But new ingredients and technologies and product improvements are helping bakers deliver even tastier gluten-free items. Ingredients that play a major role in the overall qualities of gluten-free bread, include: Gums Gums like xanthan, guar or even carrageenan can help hold onto moisture and some hydrocolloids have gelling properties, which can assist with gas retention. Starches With gluten-free products, starch retrogradation is always a concern, so including ingredients that can slow this process is often helpful. For example, modified tapioca and corn starches can help keep the texture of gluten-free baked goods soft. Tapioca starch is typically softer than corn starch. For a softer product, formulators can use higher rates of tapioca; for a firmer product, they might add more corn starch. Alternative Gluten-Free Protein Sources Chickpea flour can be used as a source of protein, dietary fiber and several different vitamins and minerals not found in whole-wheat fiber. Many alternative and ancient grains are also well suited to support the plant-based and gluten-free markets. Other ingredients that offer major advantages in formulating gluten-free bread include: Coffee Flour Scientists are looking to make environmentally friendly gluten-free flour from high fiber waste from coffee production. Coffee cherries are the fat, pulpy coating around the famous coffee bean. When coffee is harvested, the cherry is removed and discarded before the beans are processed and roasted. But the coffee cherry pulp happens to be free of wheat, rye or barley proteins, it happens to have high levels of natural gluten that makes it ideal for baking. Cricket Flour Insects offer one of the most concentrated and efficient forms of protein on the planet, and they are a common food in many parts of the world. A San Francisco Bay Area company, called Bitty Foods, thinks high-protein gluten-free flour made out of crickets can change the future of gluten-free foods. The company is making flour from slow-roasted crickets that are then milled and combined with tapioca and cassava to make a high-protein flour that is gluten-free. Cockroaches Cheaper and more nutritious than standard flour. Gluten-free flour made from cockroaches could change the way bread is made? Two scientists from the Federal University of Rio Grande in Brazil have developed gluten-free flour made from ground cockroaches that contains 40 percent more protein than normal wheat flour. Excited yet? Grossed out? Green Banana Flour Banana flour not only produces light, fluffy baked goods with a good nutrition profile, it is also easy to use. When substituting banana flour for wheat flour in a recipe, simply use about 30% less banana flour. Wet-Milled Rice Glour Hiroshima University researchers claim to have perfected the science behind a new bread-baking recipe. Developed by Japan's National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, NARO, the method uses wet-milled rice-flour to produce gluten-free bread with a similar consistency and volume to traditional wheat-flour loaves. Mango Flour A Philippine company produces gluten-free mango flour enriched with egg whites and other "healthy" alternatives. The resulting gluten-free mango flour is good for making many types of muffins, bread, energy bars, and sandwiches. Plant Proteins Coeliac UK is collaborating with Innovate UK to foster the creation of three novel plant-based proteins, aimed at assisting manufacturers in producing enhanced gluten-free bread. Nandi Proteins is spearheading the development of protein concentrates that possess the potential to enhance the quality of gluten-free bread on a commercial scale. The project will concentrate its efforts on three ingredients presently undervalued within the food industry: broad beans, residual components of rapeseed, and hull-less oats. Psyllium Fiber A study found that adding around 17% psyllium husk to gluten-free bread resulted in similar structure, appearance, texture, and acceptability to wheat bread, with delayed staling during storage for up to 72 hours. The researchers suggest that this technique could lead to the production of better-tasting, softer, and longer-lasting gluten-free bread. Wine Flour Wine flour? Yes, it's a thing. As in flour made from wine grapes. The mashed post-crush grapes is used to make top wines are indeed being milled into a unique gluten-free flour that has some great baking properties. Gluten-Free Flour Changing Rapidly Gluten-free formulations are constantly changing as new ingredients become available, in addition to the ingredients listed above, other ingredients, such as pea protein and soluble corn fiber are helping to deliver better glute-free food, and better nutritional profiles. But replacing gluten is usually a matter of making numerous ingredient adjustments, and finding a combination of ingredients that work in harmony to provide the best solution. For effective gluten-free formulation, it's often best for manufacturers to look at how any given ingredient can contribute to the overall product. Stay tuned for developments on gluten-free breads made with these and other types of gluten-free flour.

Celiac.com 08/09/2018 - Whatever one might say about crawfish, shrimp and crustaceans in general, Americans don’t typically eat bugs. Can a former Ralph Lauren marketing executive turn the world on to flour made from crickets? Over the last few years, Americans have been presented with a buffet of alternative proteins and meals. Robyn Shapiro’s company, Seek, has created all-purpose, gluten-free, and Paleo blended flours, which can be used cup for cup in any recipe calling for flour. The company, which makes pure cricket powder for smoothies, ice creams, and other liquid-based foods, is now selling cinnamon-almond crunch cricket protein and snack bites. To get the public interested in its cricket protein and cricket flour products, Shapiro has collaborated with famous chefs to create recipes for The Cricket Cookbook. The book’s cast includes La Newyorkina chef Fany Gerson, a Mexico City native known for her cricket sundaes; noted Sioux chef and cookbook author Sean Sherman; and former Noma pastry chef Ghetto Gastro member, Malcolm Livingston, among others. Other companies have sought to promote the benefits of insect protein, including Chapul, which makes cricket protein bars and powders, and Exo, which makes dairy- and gluten-free cricket protein bars in flavors like cocoa nut and banana bread. These companies, along with others in the business tend to aim their products at Paleo dieters by promising more protein and no dairy. Seek’s chef-focused approach makes it unique. By pairing with noted chefs who already use bugs and bug protein in their cooking, Shapiro is looking to make the public more comfortable and confident in using bugs to cook and bake. So far, the response has been slow, but steady. Seek has already raised nearly $13,000 from 28 backers, well on its way toward its $25,000 goal. Seek’s cricket flours and other products will initially only be available via Kickstarter. If that goes well, the products will be sold on Seek’s website. Early backers will get a discount and a chance for a signed copy of the book. Seek hopes to debut their products nationwide starting in the fall. Could gluten-free cricket flour and the new cookbook be the next big gluten-free Christmas gift? Stay tuned for more on this and other gluten-free stories. Source: grubstreet.com