Gluten free recipes

[Deathraystare]

In a fit of possible madness I bought both Sainsburys free from flour - plain and the other one (cannot think what it is called!!!!). However, now whenever I look at a gluten free recipe it tells you to mix a few flours (say rice/potato and almond or chickpea). I am wondering to just use them 'as normal' (though I know you sometimes have to add Xanthan gum) and cook away. Feeling cross now as you'd think the Sainsbury site would help but most of the gluten free recipes actually are for things that would never have had gluten free in the first place or they go down the add these 4 flours together.

Basically I have these two bags of flour and want to use them for cakes, biscuits, bread etc etc.

Anyone found some sensible (just add GF flor kind of recipes, please???

[Namelesswonder]

Have a look at the Doves website - they have recipes using their flour. But, be warned, the texture is different and gf flour doesn’t behave the same as normal flour - the gluten adds elasticity.

[CMOTDibbler]

I've found any Delia/Nigella/Mary Berry cake or biscuit recipe can be substituted directly with Doves Farm GF flour.

Don't bother trying to make bread! And pastry is not a good idea really.

But most GF recipes, unless they have coconut or tapioca flour in, you can use your ready blended flour in

[Deathraystare]

Thanks for the reply, yeah I will do that but trust Sainsbogs to be unhelpful! They sell the flaming flour!!!

I think adding Xanthan Gum helps with the elasticity.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

The internet is an amazing source for GF recipes my best search results are checked chocolate brownies and lemon and elderflower cake using standard or self raising GF flour.

[pastabest]

If you look at the ingredients on the GF flour it probably is a mixture of some of those flours so your recipes might still work any way.

I use this recipe for gluten free rock buns, but I add a teaspoon of xantham gum at the rubbing in stage as well.

supercoeliac.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/gluten-free-rock-cakes-baked-by-mum-eaten-by-me/

I have 3 coeliacs in my family and they all think they are pretty good.

Are you GF baking because you are coeliac/intolerant?

[Deathraystare]

Pasta - you are right about the flour. Sadly cannot get into the link - NHS computer won't allow it!!


Not sure if intolerant but when eating baguettes or pasta I do get painful cramps so want to avoid. I know it might be something else but wanted to try it out. I can eat cotton wool (cheap white) bread ok, but also pastries give me cramps.

[bedtimestories]

I just replace normal flour with gf like for like. Cakes don't rise as well but while the kids don't mind I'm going to carry on. Biscuits are fine

[pastabest]

Well with gluten free baking generally you can use normal recipes but substitute the flour for gluten free flour and the result will just be a drier version of the normal recipe. You can try adding a bit more liquid to compensate but generally for the best results if you go for recipes that are already pretty moist (e.g lemon drizzle/carrot cake/banana bread) the dryness is automatically compensated for.

It's trial and error basically!

As a PP said it doesn't really work for homemade GF pastry unfortunately. JusRol do a reasonable GF puff pastry though!

[CMOTDibbler]

TBH, its not what I'd call a puff pastry - it behaves like a rough puff really. A bit of flakiness and rise, but not a proper puff. The frozen shortcrust is quite nice.

[pastabest]

Yes you are right CMOT

When I use it I tend to cut it into thinner strips first and then place the strips on/around whatever I'm making and it does seem to puff up slightly better than using it in one piece.

Best of a bad bunch though...

[LapsedHumanist]

If you don’t want to go the xantham gum route, adding a little bit mashed banana helps with biscuit/cake/muffin texture. Not bread though, not strong enough.