In these modern times, more and more people are becoming coeliac or intolerant to gluten. If you yourself are not gluten-free, then chances are you have a friend or relative who is. If you enjoy baking and have attempted your favourite recipes by simply swapping wheat flour for a gluten-free blend, then you may have ended up with interesting sandy rocks instead of delicious cakes.
Thankfully I have been practising gluten-free baking since I was a girl and I have some tips to help you adapt your recipes to gluten-free delights.
What goes wrong?
1. Gluten-free flour blends can produce very dry cakes.
To overcome this problem, I usually swap out ¼ of the flour for ground almonds which are oily and retain moisture.
Another thing that helps with moisture is to add 1 tbsp of yoghurt or applesauce to the recipe. Most white gluten-free flour blends absorb a lot of moisture, so the applesauce or yoghurt won’t make the batter too wet. Another reason this helps is that both applesauce and yoghurt are acidic and will react with baking soda and baking powder to help the cakes rise.
As well as ground almonds there are some gluten-free flours that retain moisture such as gram flour (chickpea flour), buckwheat flour, and oat flour. All these flours are wholegrain and will help keep your cakes moist and increase the baked goods’ nutritional value. When adding one of these flour options, I recommend swapping out 1/3 of the gluten-free flour blend for one of the flours listed above.
2. Gluten-free cakes can come out flat and hard.
Gluten-free flour blends don’t have the same elasticity as flour containing gluten so often the cakes don’t rise as much or will sink after rising.
To combat the flat cake problem, I add ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda to the recipe even when using a self-raising gluten-free flour blend.
Another tip to help achieve a real fluffy cake is to separate your eggs. First, add the egg yolks with your wet ingredients. Then beat the egg whites separately into stiff peaks and fold them into the cake batter at the end.
Whilst these tips are helpful, perfecting gluten-free cakes will take some practice and experimentation. Have fun with it!
Below are two great gluten-free recipes. One that I adapted using the tips above and a gluten-free pastry recipe that I developed through trial and error.
Mary Berry’s chocolate cake … turned gluten-free.
Ingredients
225g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing.
225g coconut sugar plus extra for sprinkling
4 free-range eggs
110g gluten-free self-rising flour
55g gluten-free oat flour
55g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
50g cacao powder
For the filling
4 tbsp apricot jam
300ml whipping cream, softly whipped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly butter two loose-bottomed 20cm/8in sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper.
- Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and cocoa in a large bowl and beat for 2 minutes, or until just blended. (An electric mixer is best for this, but you can also beat by hand using a wooden spoon.)
- Divide the mixture evenly between the tins. Level the surface using a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes. The tops of the cakes should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Run a small palette knife around the edge of the tins, then carefully turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Peel off the paper and leave it to cool completely.
- Choose the cake with the best top, then put the other cake top-down onto a serving plate. Spread with the jam and whipped cream, put the other cake on top (top upwards) and sprinkle with caster sugar to serve.
Wanda’s gluten-free shortcrust pastry
Ingredients:
200g plain gluten free flour
50g ground almonds
110 grams diced butter
I egg yolk
About 1 tbs of cold water
Method
Mix the butter, flour, almonds, and egg yolk in a food processor until a breadcrumb texture forms, fold in cold water until you have a soft dough.
FAQs
Use xanthan gum or guar gum: Gluten-free flours lack the elasticity and structure that gluten provides, so adding a binder like xanthan or guar gum can help to hold the ingredients together and give your baked goods a better texture.
What are two gluten free baking tips when preparing a gluten-free food product? ›
Dissolving leaveners in liquid prior to adding to dough will give a better rise to the product. Gluten-free baking at high altitude requires less liquid and either a higher oven temperature or a longer baking time. Start with omitting 2 tablespoons of liquid and increasing the oven temperature by 25° F.
What are the best ingredients for gluten free baking? ›
When all-purpose flour won't cut it, stock your pantry with additional gluten free flours, like oat flour, nut flours, bean flours, even powdered dry milk and others. You'll also need binders, like xanthan gum or psyllium husk, to adjust the structure in what you're baking.
How to make gluten-free baked goods moist? ›
Add more fat or liquid: It might just be that you need a bit more moisture in your recipe, especially if you're converting a regular “gluten-ful” recipe to gluten-free. Try adding anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup of liquid or fat to the recipe and see if that helps.
What is the closest gluten free flour to all-purpose flour? ›
Brown rice flour is about as close to a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour as it gets since it provides structure and a “wheat-like” flavor.
What does cream of tartar do in gluten free baking? ›
A: Yes, cream of tartar can be used in gluten-free bread recipes to improve dough stability and rise.
Should gluten-free cake batter rest before baking? ›
Then, almost by accident, we found that letting batters sit, covered, for 30 minutes before baking made all the difference. It simply gave the flours and starches time to absorb the liquid and soften before baking. It also helped batters become thicker and doughs to firm up so that they were less sticky.
What to avoid for gluten-free baking? ›
Some baking ingredients that contain gluten (and thus are not suitable for a gluten-free diet) include:
- Wheat.
- Semolina.
- Spelt.
- Durum.
- Emmer.
- Einkorn.
- Rye, sometimes referred to as pumpernickel.
- Barley.
If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend. Beat the batter more. Because gluten-free flours provide less structure than all-purpose, the batter or dough you make with them may require more beating than that which you are accustomed.
What is a baking binder for gluten free flour? ›
Binders such as xanthan gum, guar gum, and psyllium husk are essential for replacing structure typically provided by gluten.
One of the challenges is that when gluten-free dough is thickened with additives like starches and gums, it becomes sticky. Some bakers dust sticky dough with flour, but that's problematic with gluten-free formulations.
Which gluten free flours are best for baking? ›
Best Overall: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
This mix, which has all recognizable ingredients (including sweet white rice flour, which is the main ingredient in mochi, a nice light, powdery, starchy flour that doubles as a binder), worked well in all three of our tests.
How to make gluten free baking less crumbly? ›
Add xanthan gum to gluten-free flour. It enhances elastic qualities that gluten-free flours lack, making it easier to work with and less likely to crumble. Add plenty of water to the gluten-free flour to prevent the pastry from becoming too dry when rolling out.
How much longer do you bake with gluten-free flour? ›
Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer.
What tenderizes gluten in baked goods? ›
Fats like butter, egg yolks, oil, or milk, "tenderize" doughs like brioche, challah, and babka because they limit gluten development by coating glutenin and gliadin proteins. Once coated with fat, the proteins have a harder time bonding, and form shorter gluten chains.
Does gluten free flour rise the same as regular flour? ›
One of the first rules of gluten-free baking is managing your expectations; traditional baked goods lean on gluten for their texture and rise. Replicating this is challenging and the results might not be identical, but it can get pretty close with the right flours.
How do you get gluten free flour to bind? ›
Xanthan Gum
Because gluten-free flours have less protein than wheat flours and are not capable of forming the same network required to stretch and surround starch granules, they need reinforcement. Xanthan gum strengthens these networks and also makes them more elastic.
What can I add to gluten free flour to rise? ›
Extra Leavening: Sometimes you may find that adding a bit more baking powder will help, when converting a recipe to gluten free. So, if a muffin recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking powder, for example, I'd go ahead and add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon extra.
