My Gluten Free Chocolate Traybake Recipe (dairy free, low FODMAP) (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

While visual cues like the toothpick test and pressing the top of the cake will still help, the best way to determine if your baked goods are perfectly done is with a timer and oven thermometer. This is because gluten-free treats often look underdone and slightly wet inside after baking.

Brown rice flour is about as close to a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour as it gets since it provides structure and a “wheat-like” flavor.

Then, almost by accident, we found that letting batters sit, covered, for 30 minutes before baking made all the difference. It simply gave the flours and starches time to absorb the liquid and soften before baking. It also helped batters become thicker and doughs to firm up so that they were less sticky.

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

Try to use butter substitutes that come as a stick, rather than in a tub as these will contain a similar amount of moisture than regular butter. Shortening, coconut oil, olive oil and silken tofu are all suitable substitutes. Using combinations of these ingredients will work best.

Remember, baking times for gluten-free foods vary greatly, and it's important to keep a constant eye on your creation to monitor for the colors and textures that indicate doneness. These recipes often call for longer baking times at a lower temperature compared to traditional recipes.

Baking without gluten (as found primarily in wheat-based flours) can be challenging because gluten contributes important properties to various types of baked products like cookies, cakes, pastries and breads.

It's not all good news though as gluten-free flours simply cannot fulfil this same function of leavening which is why you might have experienced flatter and denser bakes when using these flours. At this point you will need to turn to other sources to help your gluten-free baked goods to rise.

How do you get gluten free flour to bind? ›

Xanthan Gum

Because gluten-free flours have less protein than wheat flours and are not capable of forming the same network required to stretch and surround starch granules, they need reinforcement. Xanthan gum strengthens these networks and also makes them more elastic.