How to Make Gluten Free Bread: Baking Tips for Making Good Bread without Gluten

Why is it so Hard to Bake Gluten Free Bread?

So why is gluten free bread baking seen as being something of a challenge? What is it about gluten free that causes so much drama? Well the answer to this probably lies in the fact that gluten is the component of bread (within the flour) which gives it elasticity. Without gluten, products which are baked tend to be brittle, crumbly and more prone to falling apart when cooked or eaten. Many people and companies have developed gluten free breads which can be bought off the shelf (often as part of a wider gluten free product range), and some are most definitely better than others. It is worth experimenting a little with off the shelf gluten free breads before you set about baking your own. Many people tend to combine some off the shelf breads with their own baking efforts, in order to add a little variety.

Because these breads are typically made from a combination of rice, potato starch, sorghum, or other flours, getting the right mix is important. There also needs to be other ingredients that make the dough elastic and rise when baked. Xanthan gum is a popular binding-ingredient that’s added to flour mixtures to create a more ‘sticky’ dough. So it’s not only hard to bake, getting the right mixture of flours and additives is also difficult.

The Tricks to Getting Gluten Free Bread Right

There are a few tricks to getting your gluten free baking efforts right:

• Don’t start with a recipe which is too hard, or involves many carefully measured ingredients (unless of course you are someone for whom baking is a real pleasure and you enjoy spending time preparing and creating in the kitchen)

• Check the source of your ingredients, and make sure you are using flours which have not been contaminated with other grains during the packing processes

• Read the instructions carefully and make sure you measure accurately

• Smooth down the top of a loaf with a wet spatula so you get a smooth top surface (without losing half your mix onto the spatula)

• Clean down your cooking surfaces well and check your utensils are clean to avoid cross contamination

• Add in a few variations to a basic gluten free bread recipe (add some linseeds on top of a loaf, or some grated cheese, or a few sesame or poppy seeds)

• Try making a sweet loaf by adding currants or sultanas to the mix, along with some nutmeg and cinnamon

A Word on Fibre

It’s worth remembering with gluten free bread that most gluten free flour mixes don’t have a lot of fiber in them. They are generally blends of several different flours, along with some xanthan or guar gum for extra elasticity. So anything you can do to add a bit of fiber is a good idea. Try adding some psyllium husks, or mixing in linseeds to the whole loaf, or eating gluten free bread with some other high fibre toppings such as baked beans.

Once you have gained some confidence with baking gluten free bread, you will find the baking task becomes just another part of your weekly routine rather than a challenging, difficult concept. Give it a go!