Gluten Free Cooking; Degree Required

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JustJoel

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I really really feel for those of you who who live with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease! I’m making some dinner rolls, some coffee-cake, and the gravy for dinner at my MIL’s, all gluten-free, and I’ve spent more time reading and studying than I’ve spent cooking! All the different flours and flour blends, the gums and leaveners! The chemistry! The math! And you all who are afflicted by CD or gluten intolerance have to do this every day!

My first attempt at Parkerhouse dinner rolls was a qualified success. The original recipe mixed up so soupy that I had to add (I thought) a bunch more flour. When it still didn’t come together, I looked through some other, similar recipes and discovered they all have xanthan gum, which my recipe was lacking. So I dumped a tablespoon in and the dough came together enough for me to form the rolls by hand. I don’t think I let them rise enough before I baked them.

They came out looking and feeling like little bread rolls, rather than a traditional dinner roll. They looked and felt like bread, a little crusty on the outside (I used an absurd amount of butter), with a good crumb. But they taste like, well, nothing. They don’t taste bad, they just don’t taste!

I’m trying a different recipe today, one that includes some vinegar. I hope the vinegar will punch up the taste a little, although I know it’s there primarily for chemistry.

I didn’t foresee having to cook gluten-free very often, so I’m just using prepared flour blends; I hope that’s not a mistake!

I prepare menus and meals for Rose (my MIL) a few times a year, so if you have any suggestions about making traditional bread items gluten-free with the least amount of hassle, or any sure-fire recipes, please share! GF isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle, and it takes a lot of study and a lot of work, even if one is only an occasional GF cook.
 
Best Gluten-free Coffee Cake

I posted this link in another thread as well, but I had to place it here for my cooking friends who practice a gluten-free lifestyle, either for their own benefit or to accommodate others.

I made this coffee cake yesterday for my MIL’s Thanksgiving feast, and it was the HIT of the day. Moist, dense, sweet, nutty. Best coffee cake I’ve ever had, and I’m Jewish! (I think coffee cake is in the Torah someplace. Doesn’t God offer Moses coffee and a little “go-with” when he was chatting at the burning bush?)
And you don’t have to tell anyone it’s gluten-free!

You can find the recipe here: Gluten-Free Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe - Genius Kitchen The only modifications I made: I used a ten inch springform pan instead of a bunt pan. The bunt pan made no sense, as the topping would’ve ended up on the bottom of the cake! I also added raisins to the center layer. Delish!

If this is the only dessert you make for the rest of the year, you will not be sorry. I promise!
 
Links that promice wonderful gluten Free recipes. I haven't tried them, but know that there are several grains that are gluten free. It's the part where you need something to capture the CO2 bubbles from the leavening agents. These grains all have flavor as well. I hopoe that these may givi you what you're looking for. I did look each site over and they look legit.

https://www.glutenfreeandmore.com/landing/breadrotw071514.html?s=GL_PD_AtriaSearch&st=PPC&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoLCg9uXX1wIVR7XACh3HyQ5OEAAYAiAAEgIuA_D_BwE

https://www.faveglutenfreerecipes.com/Gluten-Free-Breads/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoLCg9uXX1wIVR7XACh3HyQ5OEAAYBCAAEgIRU_D_BwE

https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/best-gluten-free-bread-recipe-ever/

https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/how-to-make-homemade-gluten-free-bread-that-doesnt-suck

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
I have been cooking and baking gluten free (among other things) for over 15 years now. It can be daunting but it doesn't have to be. I also worked as a special diets cook for many of those years.

These days there are literally hundreds of blogs, sites, and books with recipes for better than average results.

If I just need flour for thickening, coating or in a topping (ie a fruit crisp), I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 flour. I have used it as is in some basic recipes, but prefer actual gluten-free recipes for cakes, cookies, etc.

I would be happy to answer any questions either here or in a PM at any time. :)

EDIT: Even though I am known for making everything from scratch, when it comes to gluten-free sometimes it is better to leave that to someone else. I have found XO Bakery mixes so close to traditional homemade flour items no one can tell if they don't know. I even use the chocolate cake mix from my GF cake orders (and disclose to the customer) because it doesn't go crumbly over night. The loaf mixes are awesome!
 
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