Baking gluten free can be complicated!

Baking without gluten means everything you make will lack the elasticity and binding that gluten naturally provides unless you know the proper supplements.

Common gluten supplements:

Xanathan gum and psyllium husk are often used in place of gluten to work as a binder. Xanathan gum is a thickener and stabilizer, and psyllium husk is able to mimic some of the structure and moisture retention as gluten.

Gluten free flour blends:

There are a number of gluten free flour blends you can find in stores, and every gluten free baker has their own preference. Some of the most popular are:

• Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free All Purpose Flour
• King Arthur Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
• Cup4Cup
• Caputo Fioreglut Gluten Free Flour

You can make your own as well with a mixture of gluten free flours such as sorghum flour, rice flour, millet flours, and tapioca or potato starches. When buying a gluten free flour blend, check the ingredients on the back to see if they already include xanathan gum in them.

Mix and match your own gluten free flour blend:

• Take 500g of a starchy flour of choice- such as arrowroot starch, cornstarch, potato starch
• 250g of a lighter protein flour such as superfine brown rice flour or millet flour
• 250g of a heavier protein flour, such as light buckwheat flour, oat flour, sorghum flour, or white teff flour.

For example, you could make a gluten free flour blend out of 500g of tapioca starch, 250g millet flour, and 250g of sorghum flour.

Whisk them together until thoroughly combined and store in an airtight container. Shake the container before use.