Gluten/wheat allergy

[Judy Trickett]

For those who do bake a lot - can I take a favourite recipe and substitute a different kind of flour? Or should I stick to gluten/Wheat free recipes?

I was/am a wonderful baker and baked a lot more before I went GF. If you understand the intrinsic value of wheat then you will know that gluten is what gives wheat most of it's special properties - you know, the stuff that gives anything baked that great mouth feel. So, the short answer is NO, you can not just toss in an different type of flour (like rice flour) into a wheat flour recipe. That's why I included a flour blend you can make. The Xantum gum (Guar gum also works equally well) is very important. Wheat gluten gives breads and baked goods structure so if the xantum acts as that structure. If you don't use the gums then your baked goods will fall.

A great GL baking cookbook is by Elizabeth Barbone:

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Gluten-Fr...en+free+baking

There is also a Culinary Institute of Amercia GF baking cook book BUT I would not buy that book unless you are already an experienced baker or you will not do well with it. But if you are an experienced baker it really does turn out a superior product:

http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Ba...ree+baking+CIA