What is gluten’s role in baking?
Gluten provides structure in baked goods as it provides the glue. Various structures can be seen in a baguette made with bread flour (extra gluten) or in cakes made with cake flour (low gluten). While some foods can be reproduced without gluten more easily, others may require a shift in expectations. Chances of success improve the more you can focus on foods with structures that can be created by other means – such as binders, leavening, egg, etc.
What is the difference between a gluten-free flour and gluten-free flour blend?
Gluten-free flour is a single flour/grain such as brown rice flour or oat flour. A gluten-free flour blend is a mixture of various gluten free flours/grains (and sometimes nuts) and starches and may also contain a binder such as xanthan or guar gum.
In order for a gluten-free recipe to be successful in many cases, there needs to be a mixture of the right proportions of various flours and starches along with a binder. This combination/ratio creates a gluten-free flour mixture/blend that can be used as an “all purpose flour,” or 1-to-1 substitution for wheat flour. There are some exceptions such as gluten-free yeast breads and Brazilian Bread Sticks. For gluten-free yeast baking, see my Gluten-Free Yeast Baking Basics page for information. One cannot simply substitute a gluten-free flour blend for wheat flour in a yeast bread recipe. For the Brazilian Bread Sticks, only tapioca flour/starch is used as the “flour”. You can easily find gluten-free tapioca flour in your local grocery store or online.
For additional information on gluten-free baking discussion classes and other gluten-free session, see my events page or contact me for a free 30-minute health coaching session.