Learning to Cook with Gluten-Free Flour
Hi BuenQamino readers! I am Kathleen from Gluten Free by Kathleen (Instagram: @glutenfree_by_kathleen; Blog: www.glutenfreebykathleen.wixsite.com/website). I’ve been gluten-free for 9 years and I’m very passionate about sharing tips for living a gluten-free lifestyle. Honestly, I wasn’t much of an adventurous cook before going gluten free but that changed after I was diagnosed. I turned to cooking at home more so that I knew exactly what I was putting in my body. Now I’m hooked and love talking about food. I am excited to do a guest blog for you all!
When I found out I had a gluten sensitivity, I felt so much better eating gluten-free that I didn’t think of all my favorite foods I’d miss. Once I started craving those foods, I didn’t know how to adjust recipes to fit my new lifestyle. I tried substituting gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose (AP) flour at a 1:1 ratio but that didn’t taste right. With help from a personalized gift from my sister, xanthan gum came to the rescue. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley that gives dough elasticity and allows bread to rise. Without gluten, baked goods can be quite dense. Xanthan gum can be used as an additive to add elasticity and stickiness that’s missing in gluten-free flour.
