I'm a big fan of using gluten-free flours in place of regular flour, and even whole wheat flour.
Not because gluten is inherently a bad thing, but because many
gluten-free flours are lower in carbs, higher in protein, fiber, and
heart-smart fats, and have a lower glycemic index.
Essentially, more of the stuff we want, and less of what we don't
want – including gluten, for those with celiac disease, wheat allergies,
or sensitivity to wheat or gluten.
If you're switching out your regular all-purpose flour for something more nutritious, though, make sure it's really worth it.
Almond flour, coconut flour, flax meal, chickpea flour, and black
bean and white bean flours are some of my favorite gluten-free flour
replacers.
Other gluten-free flours, however, like rice flour, arrowroot flour,
and tapioca flour really aren't any better than regular all-purpose
flour – and in many cases they have more carbs, with the same – or less –
protein.
But simply buying gluten-free flours is one thing; knowing what to
do with these flours can be the challenge.
Gluten is a protein naturally found in wheat, rye and barley. It
gives dough its elasticity, and is also part of what makes bread rise,
giving texture, structure, and shape to baked goods.
Which is exactly why cooking and baking with gluten-free flours can
pose quite a challenge. It's incredibly easy – and not uncommon – to end
up with a dry, crumbly product on our first attempt with gluten-free
baking.
But with just a little know-how and a few strategic ingredient
tweaks, cooking and baking with gluten-free flours can be relatively
simple and deliciously rewarding.
We turned to the experts for their advice, including the folks at
Bob's Red Mill, one of the largest producers of flours and grains,
including a full range of gluten-free flours, and one of my favorite
gluten-free baking experts, Carolyn Ketchum of
AllDayIDreamAboutFood.com.
Ketchum is a talented baker and blogger, and, since she was diagnosed
with type 1 diabetes in 2010, she has become quite the expert in all
things low-carb, including gluten-free baking and cooking. She is
currently working on her first low carb, gluten-free cookbook, due out
in fall 2017.
Here's a summary of their tips for a beginners guide to gluten-free
baking, including seven good-for-you gluten-free flour alternatives to
try, and how to use them.
Almond flour
Ketchum considers almond flour to be one of the most versatile low
carb ingredients. And she's quick to point out that almond flour and
almond meal are two very different products.
"Almond flour should be so finely ground that you can make beautiful,
fine-textured cakes that rival their wheat-based counterparts," says
Ketchum. "Almond meal (which is less pricey) is better for products
that don't need a fine texture, like muffins and breads. And you don't
even have to buy almond meal; you can make it yourself with a food
processor."
When it comes to substituting almond flour for wheat flour, there is no guaranteed formula, says Ketchum.
Almond flour is ground almonds, so it's full of fat and moisture,
entirely without gluten, and not nearly as powdery, fine and dry as
wheat flour. So there are a variety of factors to account for when
adapting a wheat-based recipe to a gluten-free recipe with almond
flour.
For almond flour baking newbies, Ketchum recommends sticking with
tried and true recipes for a while, to get a sense of how almond flour
"behaves" in baking.
For those who are looking to experiment, however, she suggests using
more flour than the original wheat flour recipe calls for – up to 50
percent more flour – and cutting back on the liquid by as much as 50
percent – to account for almond flour's lower density and natural
moisture content. She also often adds whey protein to make up for the
lack of gluten, and to give the finished product more structure,
allowing it to rise and stay risen.
Ketchum cautions that almond flour batter will almost always be
thicker than batter for wheat-based recipes. But resist the urge to
thin it out with liquids, she says, or we're likely to end up with a
soggy mess.
Coconut flour
Coconut flour is very finely ground dried coconut, with the natural sweetness and richness of coconut.
"Coconut flour is a very useful
low carb and gluten-free ingredient,"
says Ketchum, "but it's a strange beast that behaves in strange ways.
If you attempt to treat it like wheat flour, it will taunt you out of
pure spite." Or, as the folks at Bob's Red Mill put it, baking with
coconut flour is a "unique experience."
One of the highest-fiber flours, coconut flour is powdery and
extremely dense, and it "soaks up liquids like nobody's business," says
Ketchum. Coconut flour recipes also require more eggs, and often other
binders like xanthan gum, to help keep the final product intact.
Her recommendations for modifying wheat-based recipes for coconut
flour are essentially the opposite of what she does for almond flour:
Use less coconut flour – as much as 50% less than wheat flour – and more
eggs and other liquids. As a general rule of thumb, Bob's Red Mill team
suggests an equal ratio of liquid to coconut flour.
And if you don't like the taste of coconut, you might want to try
another flour, as baked goods can still taste pretty coconutty,
especially if they don't have other strong flavors to mask it, like
cinnamon, chocolate, or savory herbs and spices.
If you're not looking to remake an entire recipe, but just boost the
fiber and nutritional value a bit, coconut flour can be used to replace
up to 20% of the wheat flour called for in a recipe – just remember to
add an equal amount of liquid, as well.
Garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
With one-third less carbohydrates than regular whole wheat flour,
garbanzo bean flour adds creaminess along with a sweet rich flavor. It
can be used to replace up to 25 percent of regular flour in baked goods,
and it also works well to thicken soups, sauces, and gravies.
Black bean flour
A good source of fiber, black bean flour can be used as a base for
black bean soups and dips, or added to veggie burgers, enchiladas,
burritos, tacos and more. Because of its rich, earthy flavor, black bean
flour works best in savory recipes. If you're using it for sweets or
baked goods, try pairing it with bolder flavors like chocolate, mocha,
or chipotle.
White bean flour
Similar to black bean flour, white bean flour can be used as a
thickener for sauces and gravies, as well as a base for soups and dips.
Its lighter color and milder flavor give it more versatility than black
bean flour, however, and it works well in both sweet and savory recipes
from flatbreads to crackers to pancakes or cookies. You can replace
about 1/8 of the flour called for in a recipe with white bean flour, to
boost the fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Flaxseed meal
Flaxseed meal is rich in magnesium, fiber and heart-smart fats, and
is one of the top food sources of lignans, which can have a protective
effect against cancer. Add flaxseed meal to breads, pancakes, muffins,
bars, cookies and other baked goods for an extra nutritional punch and a
mild nutty flavor.
While flaxseed meal is not a replacer for 100 percent of a flour, you
can use flax meal to replace up to 25 percent of the flour in a
recipe. Flaxseed meal can also be used as an egg replacer in recipes
for baked goods, using one tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three
tablespoons of liquid to replace each egg called for in the recipe.
Commercial gluten-free flour blend
If you're new to gluten-free cooking, and experimenting with a
variety of gluten-free flours is overwhelming, you can always try a
store-bought gluten-free blend like
Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix to eliminate much of the guesswork – and cut carbs by nearly 50 percent.
With a blend of gluten-free flours and grains like oat bran, wheat
bran, soy flour, rye flour and flaxseed meal, Bob's Red Mill Low
Carb-Baking Mix can be used cup-for-cup to replace all-purpose flour in
most recipes, both sweet and savory.
More gluten-free baking tips:
In addition to gluten free flours to experiment with, Ketchum also
recommends keeping a stash of xanthan gum or psyllium husk on hand.
Xanthan gum is used in many gluten-free recipes,
improving the texture of baked goods. It acts as an emulsifier and a
binder, and adds volume to gluten free breads, cookies, and cakes.
Ground psyllium husk, often used as a fiber supplement, can be used as a substitute for xanthan gum.
Weighing versus measuring. Gluten-free powders are
often more finely-ground and powdery, making them a bit more challenging
to measure with measuring cups. Using a kitchen scale to weigh flours
is a more precise approach, especially for recipes where small
deviations can be significant.
And finally, be patient. "Please, please let your
baked goods cool completely," says Ketchum. "It can be tempting to start
cutting them up soon after they are baked, but try to resist, or you
can wind up with a heap of crumbs. The texture and cohesiveness of
gluten-free baked goods always improves upon cooling and sitting.
Crackers, cookies and tart crusts will crisp up better and breads and
muffins will hold together better when left to sit for an hour or two."
- NOLA.com
