If you have never baked gluten free before, as with anything else in life, practice makes perfect. Even if you follow a recipe to the letter, you will be shocked that your outcome is sometimes not what you expected, or even close to what is in the pictures. But the good news is that it usually does not take away from the great taste. So don’t worry if your first items are not picture perfect, what matters is that it tastes good. The rest will follow with time.
Here are some tips and tricks to follow.
Do yourself a favor and invest in a kitchen food scale with a removal bowl. If you like great baked goods, it’s a must in my book. It works so much better to measure in grams instead of using the cup system. Especially since gluten free baking uses so many varieties of flours. Gluten free baking is not harder, it’s just different, and has a bit of a learning curve. For this reason, all of my recipes will be listed in grams.
As for baking dishes, glass works the best for gluten free baking. If not available use light shiny surfaces. Black or dark metal pans absorb heat more quickly, which becomes a problem. Make sure your oven temperature works correctly as well, since home ovens are frequently off.
Other great items to invest in for more home cooking/baking:
- wooden rolling pin
- pastry mat
- high speed blender
- Instant Pot
- hand held mixer
- crockpot
- candy melter
- double boiler
Most gluten free flours are best stored in the fridge.
Now don’t go out and buy 35 different flours!! Make sure you know what you can tolerate or not and work with those flours only, otherwise its just a waste, since gluten free is not cheap to begin with.
Ground rules:
Mix the flour varieties very well before starting any batter or dough.
Beating the batter or dough longer, gives it better structure.
It’s always best to let gluten free dough or batter sit for 20-30 min.
If you are completely new to gluten free baking, start simple with cookies and pancakes, and most importantly stick to the recipe. Every little change affects the outcome with gluten free baking. Once you start to get the hang of it, then start experimenting.
Patience is key!