Have you been having trouble when it comes to baking with gluten and wheat-free flour? Although it is a healthy alternative to regular plain flour, baking with it can also be a bit of a challenge, especially for those of us who aren’t used to cooking or baking without using gluten-free products.
Balancing out the flavours can also be tricky as the texture tends to be drier, and if not careful, your recipe can fall apart when it comes out of the oven. To ensure that your recipes turn out like they are supposed to, here are some of the biggest mistakes people tend to make when baking with wheat-free and gluten-free flour.
Turn down the heat!
Does opening the door of the oven only to see your dish is burnt yet the inside isn’t even cooked all the way through sound too familiar? Many people have experienced this headache when switching from regular plain flour to gluten-free and wheat-free flour. Remember that the recipe will list the recommended oven temperature – but only according to the original recipe. If you’ve changed some of the ingredients to wheat and gluten-free flours, it will take longer to cook – yet can brown much quicker. The thing to always remember is to lower the temperature and cook it a little longer when switching to gluten-free flour and ingredients.
Only using one type?
The biggest thing to remember is that wheat-free and gluten-free flours act in different ways which means they each have different tastes. Unlike using plain and all-purpose flour, cooking a dish that uses an alternate wheat or gluten-free flour will require you to experiment with other types of wheat and gluten-free flours until you find the flour that best suits your tastes. Often, this can require a blend of various flours until you find the right balance.
Is everything falling apart?
When first baking with gluten-free flour, many people find their recipes either not holding together or too dry. This is because wheat and gluten-free flours can lack the stickiness that gluten adds to the texture. However, there are many different ways to get around this. Eggs can help bind the mixture together and fruit purees can add some much needed moisture.
You sure it’s gluten-free?
Another common mistake that people can make when first cooking with gluten-free ingredients is avoiding cross-contamination. All it takes is a tiny mistake, such as forgetting to keep the gluten-free ingredients separate from the other gluten ingredients, which ends up cross-contaminating the food. Always remember to keep the ingredients separate from each other and wipe down your countertop and baking tools after each use. All it takes is a microscopic amount of gluten to end up with cross-contamination.
So, keep these tips in mind to avoid making these mistakes the next time you are baking with gluten and wheat-free flour. To find the best one, search for an online gluten-free food supplier in Australia that can offer high-quality wheat-free and gluten-free foods!
