How to use gluten-free flour blends
This method of baking has come a long way in just the past decade
I realize that not every recipe is for every person. Interest, diet, skill, equipment: They’re all variables that make it impossible to please everyone all the time. One of the most common questions I get on my baking recipes is something like this: Can I make this with glutenfree flour?
Gluten-free baking used to be “pretty dismal,” says Charlotte Rutledge, test kitchen manager at King Arthur Flour. Things have come a long way in just the past decade. “It’s sometimes hard to distinguish something that’s gluten free versus something with the conventional counterpart.”
Here’s what to keep in mind if you’re baking with gluten-free flour blends, particularly with a recipe originally designed for all-purpose flour.
Understand how they work and what’s in them
While recipes with wheat get their chew and structure from gluten, which is formed when proteins in the flour interact with water, gluten-free flours rely on the starches from alternative grains. When those starches are combined with water, they provide structure as well. Typical grocery store blends feature white or brown rice flour and sorghum flour, as well as starches such as potato or tapioca. You can, of course, make a blend at home to use in a variety of recipes, though I’d recommend following a recipe from a reputable source before attempting it. Or you can follow the lead of Jeffrey Larsen, whose recent book, “Glutenfree Baking at Home,” offers customized blends for each recipe to ensure the best results.
One thing to note: Several brands, including King Arthur Flour and Bob’s Red Mill, offer two versions of gluten-free blends. If you’re looking for something that can be substituted directly for all-purpose flour, look for those labelled as one-to-one or measure-formeasure. (Cup4Cup is another widely available brand.) These formulations include xanthan gum, which Rutledge says serves as a stabilizer and emulsifier to help with structure.
Know where they work best
“Pastry is probably the broad category of things that generally lend themselves well to gluten-free baking,” Rutledge says. By that, she means treats like cookies, pie crusts, muffins and scones, which are generally not intended to have much chewy structure anyway. If you’ve ever been warned not to overmix baked goods made with wheat flour, that’s less of a concern here.
Be prepared to adjust
Ideally, a recipe using measurefor-measure flour won’t require you to change too much else. In some cakes, Rutledge says, you may find you need to hydrate with something that will provide you with more structure, such as an egg. Flaxseed can help with this, too, when combined with water. Avoid using more fat, such as oil or butter, which can further weigh down the batter.
If your recipe calls for something like pieces of fruit or grated vegetables, be extra vigilant about draining as much moisture as you can to avoid dense or even raw dough. “Reducing the amount of moisture is absolutely crucial in gluten-free baking. Regular baking is so much more forgiving,” Larsen says. “The gluten strands that are formed during mixing can hold a great deal of moisture both in terms of oil and liquid. In gluten-free baking, you have to be really precise.”
For cookies, Larsen borrowed a technique from cake baking and likes to cream the butter and sugar first and then gradually add the eggs one at a time. “The creaming method ensures that all ingredients are well combined and suspended in the fat and sugar,” he says.
Start gradually
Naturally, the trickiest glutenfree endeavour is yeasted bread, so if you’re just starting to dabble in gluten-free baking, it’s best to work your way up to it after you’ve become familiar working with wheat-free doughs and batters. “There’s kind of this hierarchy of skill level,” Rutledge says.