There are a lot of gluten-free mixes, products, and recipes out there. Sometimes I use them! But I also enjoy the challenge of adapting existing wheat-based recipes because it makes me feel “normal” and lets me use my old cookbooks and the multitude of regular recipes online. Substituting wheat flour has been my biggest challenge, and I’m still experimenting. I also make dairy-free substitutions, try to avoid soy if I can, avoid peanut, and swap some ingredients to keep costs down if possible. Below are some of the general guidelines I am currently following…
GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR COMBINING
Most people are familiar with the need to mix flours when replacing wheat. Though this adds to the quantity of ingredients, I don’t think it has to be hard (at least, that has been my quest)! My favorite so far is a post from Gluten Free Girl (here) that recommended a 40/60 ratio when building a gluten-free flour mix, meaning 40% whole grain flour and 60% starchy flour. I have not watched her video, and I think she may have since changed her ratio, but I have found the 40/60 ratio to work well. Sometimes other ratios have worked, too, but this has been the most consistent for me.
WHICH FLOURS FOR BAKING?
My favorites for baking are sweet corn flour and almond meal for whole-grain flours. (Brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and cornmeal are my second tier of whole grain flours.) For starchy flours, I like cornstarch, rice flour, sweet rice flour (which is different from rice flour), and potato starch flour (which is different from potato flour). Are we confused yet?! 🙂 Arrowroot starch is also good since it has neutral flavor, though it is more expensive than other starches, so I do not usually use it. Tapioca flour has worked for some things.
Which one you pick has a lot to do with your personal preference. Taste and texture are affected. There really is no way around the experimentation process, but I can say that, though sorghum flour is quite neutral in flavor, (to me) it still shows up in a biscuit or mildly flavored cake (such as a vanilla or pound cake). When cocoa or cinnamon/fall spices are present in the recipe, the sorghum flavor is masked. So for more neutral foods, I have had success with almond meal and/or a combo of almond meal and corn flour for the whole-grain flours. Tapioca seems to have an off flavor sometimes. Brown rice flour sometimes has been gummy with a strange flavor. Cornmeal is gritty, but sometimes that does not matter.
WHICH FLOURS FOR COOKING?
My favorites for white sauces and gravies are the starches: cornstarch, sweet rice flour, potato starch flour, arrowroot. I also occasionally use potato flour (which is different from potato starch flour) in some things. I use it for food that is okay having potato-ey taste. You would not want to use the whole-grain starches for a gravy, or you will not achieve a smooth texture.
XANTHAN GUM
I use xanthan gum. Some people have had success in gluten-free baking without it. Sometimes I have forgotten it, and sometimes the recipe has still held together, but sometimes it has most definitely not held together. It depends on the other ingredients in the recipe, and I have not really researched why it works, so for now, I continue to use it. I like the recommended amounts found on the Bob’s Red Mill package, http://www.bobsredmill.com/xanthan-gum.html.
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Strangely enough, I have been adding a small amount of instant mashed potato flakes to some recipes and find it seems to add a certain something. It may be all in my head, but for now I’m calling it my “secret ingredient.” 🙂
SUBSTITUTING FATS
When recipes call for butter, I sometimes use Earth Balance Soy-free Margarine or Spectrum Palm Shortening (add salt to the shortening if the recipe called for salted butter). In some cases, I have been able to substitute a liquid oil such as canola (using a lesser amount) instead of a solid.
MILK SUBSTITUTES
My favorite substitute by far for baking and cooking is So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Creamer. I have also used almond milk and rice milk (and sometimes water!), but the creamer is my favorite. It also works if you dilute it.
maisonade 