Can You Bake Well Without Gluten?

Do the alarm bells in your head start ringing as soon as you hear the word gluten? You’ll probably be relieved to know that in Germany only 1 in 100 people are actually gluten intolerant. The other 99% can enjoy bread, oatmeal, and other doughs without any repercussions.

But for those who are trying or have to avoid gluten, the question remains: Is there a way to bake well without it?

What Contains Gluten?

If you’re gluten-intolerant or have Celiac disease, you’ll know well the inflammatory reaction the consumption of gluten causes in your intestine. Even the smallest bite of gluten-rich food can cause bloating, cramps, and even diarrhea.

Therefore, choosing the right ingredients is very important. This can be harder than it seems, since more than just bread, cake, and pasta contain gluten—any other industrially produced product could be dangerous, since gluten is often used as binding agent. The list is long: from ice cream to soy sauce and ketchup, gluten can be found in many more products than it seems.

What to Look For?

No matter if you chose to avoid gluten or you can’t imagine life without it, it’s always good to know how to substitute for it, should the need arise. One simple way is to get to know pseudo grains like quinoa, amaranth, or buckwheat, which naturally don’t contain any gluten.

Thanks to gluten-free flour mixes, breads, cakes, and cookies are now back on the meal plans of many people with gluten sensitivity. Since gluten acts as a binder, you’ll have to make sure to substitute it while baking with, for example, a flax- or chia-egg. Alternatively, you can use xanthan-, guam-, or carob gum to bind gluten free doughs. You can find these in most health food stores and organic markets, but you could also try adding more widely availaby corn-, potato-, or rice starch to your flour mixes to aid binding.

How to Make Your Own Gluten-Free Flour Mix?

To make gluten-free baking as easy and successful as possible, here’s what to do:

To replace glutinous flour, you’ll need a mixture of 3 components: gluten-free flour, starch, and a binding agent. The ratio should be as follows:

Happy Baking!