10 Crucial Gluten-Free Baking Tips

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Ask anyone and they will tell you that Gluten-free eating is the big trendy food deal of the moment. What used to be a consideration for those who suffer from celiac disease, it’s now something people are turning to as a way of feeling healthier – despite the fact that it’s not a dietary requirement for many. To each his own, as they say. If you are one of the many Americans looking to cook gluten-free meals these days, perhaps you should consider the fact that many of these recipes don’t turn out quite as good as the real thing. It isn’t anything you’re doing wrong, however. It’s just the way that it is. The good news, however, is that we can help you to ensure that this does not happen to you. We can give you some tips that will help your gluten-free meals taste as amazing and fantastic as possible, and you needn’t worry at all about them tasting anything less than perfect. Let us help you make the most of your Gluten-free cooking with these simple tips.

Learn What to Avoid

You might think that it’s as easy as reading instructions that say gluten-free on them, but it’s a bit more than that. You need to learn what has to be avoided when baking, cooking and doing other things that are gluten-free, because not everything specifies this information. In fact, some things are naturally gluten-free, and they won’t say that because they don’t feel the need to say it.

No More Expectations

The concept of baking recipes without gluten is not exactly what you think of it. It’s not just like making the same recipes you already make with a different list of ingredients. It’s a completely different process all together, and that makes things a bit more complicated for all involved. Just let go of your expectations and you will be a lot happier.

Practice

This is a good baking tip. You absolutely must practice. You will not get this kind of baking right the first time. It is difficult, but it does get better over time. You will learn that you can make your life a lot simpler by practicing as you bake and letting go of your expectations until you actually find the recipe conversions that you like and appreciate.

Learn with Gluten-Free Recipes

You cannot just remake old recipes into gluten-free recipes. It does not work this way. The best way to learn this art is to start with recipes that were created to be free of gluten from the start. This is going to help you become a bit more comfortable with the entire aspect, and it’s going to make your life a lot easier from the start. Get some of these and learn to bake this way.

Learn the Conversions

You are going to want to learn the different conversions associated with gluten-free baking. They are not the same as regular conversions, and you cannot just exchange one recipe for a gluten-free recipe using the same measurements. Nothing will turn out as expected, and nothing will taste right. Don’t make this mistake in baking; get the conversions.

Buy Flour Pre-Mixed

The easiest way to bake recipes that are free of gluten is to buy pre-mixed flour that’s gluten-free. This is the kind of flour you don’t have to mix and measure and work with to make correctly, so it automatically makes your baking that much simpler. Do yourself a big favor and find this in the supermarket so that you can enjoy baking that’s not difficult, stressful and actually unenjoyable.

Learn to Combine Flour

If you’re going to bake with gluten-free flour, you’re going to want to learn to combine the many different flours. This is, of course, if you choose not to go with the pre-mixed stuff. This is how you are going to get the best flavor, the best consistency and the best results. It’s not a difficult job, but it really does go along with the whole “practice” thing because it is what requires some practice before it’s made perfectly.

Forgo the Xanthan Gum

Many recipes call for this, but you do not have to use it. The reason we say this is because many people find that they feel unwell after consuming this. What does this mean? This means a number of people who have this kind of gum in their system suffer from severe stomach issues that can cause them to feel sick and unwell, and you do not want to be one of those people. Not everyone feels the same, but a lot of people do. If you find that you feel this way after eating this, you should know that you do not need it to make your meals healthier.

Buy a Scale

This is the single most important baking tip you can have when working with gluten-free food. You will need a scale. Things are just not measured the same way when baking with gluten-free items as they are when you bake with regular food. You will need a scale to work your conversions. And you will need a good one. A good scale is going to help you make more successful attempts at baking from the start, which is going to give you the confidence you need to keep baking your newly acquired gluten-free recipes.

Watch for Contamination

This is a very big tip that all bakers should know. Sometimes you bake things regularly and sometimes you have to make things without gluten. It all depends on your household. Say someone suffers from celiac disease and you want to make something for everyone so you make two versions of the same recipe. This is fine and wonderful, but you have to be very careful not to cross-contaminate the gluten-free items you’re making. If you work with regular flour and don’t clean it up off the counter, you could contaminate your gluten-free flour and make your recipes dangerous to anyone who suffers from celiac disease.

Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images for HumanaVitality

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