Tips for gluten-free baking (2024)

Table of Contents
Cakes Breads Pastry FAQs

It’s Coeliac UK Awareness Week (May 9-15), so a good time to shine a light on gluten-free baking – surely the hardest part of cooking without gluten.

If you have a gluten intolerance, wheat allergy, coeliac disease or you're gluten-free by choice, it's likely you already know that making high-quality, gluten-free baked goods poses a particular problem. It's gluten that gives bread its elasticity and cakes their lightness.

Gluten-free flour is now available in most large supermarkets. But these flours are a little more difficult to work with than regular flours. It's just a matter of getting used to cooking with them.

The good news is that you can also use plenty of naturally gluten-free flour alternatives (rice, soy, chestnut, buckwheat, corn, potato and chickpea flour) for cakes, breads and pastries. And there are many recipes to show you how.

Cakes

Tips for baking gluten-free cakes

  • Make your own blend of flours or ground nuts and flours. Adding sorghum or tapioca flour to a blend increases softness and absorbency, which is ideal for lighter cakes and pastries. Gluten-free oats and oat flours add texture, which works well in biscuits and breakfast muffins. Ground almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts are ideal in a blend for dense cakes, traybakes and biscuits.
  • Polenta has a grainy texture, but is very absorbent and so brings moisture to cakes. It is commonly used in Northern Italian cakes and lemon polenta cake.
  • Adding xanthan gum, to some extent, replaces the elastic qualities that gluten-free flours lack. This helps to reduce the risk of your cake crumbling and falling apart. If the flour you are using doesn't already contain xanthan gum, combining quarter of a teaspoon to every 200g/7oz of gluten-free flour will help to improve the crumb structure of your bake. You can also use guar gum or a combination of the two.
  • Adding slightly more gluten-free baking powder than the recipe requires can help make a lighter and fluffier cake.
  • Adding more liquid than stated in the recipe may be necessary in order to rehydrate gluten-free flour. Add the liquid a tablespoon at a time until the mixture reaches dropping consistency.
  • Baking the cake for an extra 5–10 minutes may be necessary, due to the extra liquid content. You can test if the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre to see if it comes out clean.
  • Decreasing the temperature slightly and increasing the cooking time could diminish the risk of a burnt top as gluten-free bakes may brown quicker.

Watch out for…

  • Gluten-free baking powder is available to buy in supermarkets so don’t forget to buy the gluten-free version.
  • Bicarbonate of soda is naturally gluten-free.
  • Icing sugar is gluten-free in the UK, although in other countries it might contain modified starch as a bulking agent – typically cornstarch is used, but wheat starch could also be used.
  • Oats don't contain gluten, but they are often prepared in an environment where wheat may be present so it's best to check the label and purchase gluten-free oats.

Breads

As there is no gluten in the flour, no kneading is required! Don't be concerned that your dough has a wetter consistency – it may be more like batter than traditional dough.

Tips for baking gluten-free breads

  • Make sure your bread is completely cooked before taking it out of the oven. The best way to do this is using a cooking thermometer. The centre of the bread should be between 95–100C. Continue to cook the bread until it reaches this temperature.
  • Gluten-free loaves continue to develop their structure until they are completely cool, so open the oven door and leave the loaf inside until it cools to room temperature. This help to avoid the bread sinking.
  • Bake your bread in the middle of the oven. The top of the oven can be hotter, causing the top of the loaf to rise and cook far quicker than the rest.

Tips for gluten-free baking (3)

Pastry

Converting a regular pastry recipe into a gluten-free version is tricky. But we have some tips to help you create the perfect gluten-free pastry.

Tips for baking gluten-free pastry

  • Add xanthan gum to gluten-free flour. It enhances elastic qualities that gluten-free flours lack, making it easier to work with and less likely to crumble.
  • Add plenty of water to the gluten-free flour to prevent the pastry from becoming too dry when rolling out. It should be a little sticky before covering and resting in the fridge.
  • Choose a chilled (or even frozen) hard fat with a high melting point, such as butter or lard.
  • Resting the pastry is very important. This will give the flour enough time to absorb the water so it will become more manageable. Refrigerate for a minimum of an hour or overnight if preferred.
  • Try rolling out the pastry between two sheets of cling film, as the dough may be delicate, sticky and crumbly.
Tips for gluten-free baking (2024)

FAQs

Is there a 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.

What is the trick to making good gluten-free bread? ›

Tips and Techniques to make better Gluten Free Bread
  1. Use psyllium husk powder.
  2. Let the dough rest (not exactly the same as a bulk proof)
  3. Mix or knead thoroughly.
  4. Use less yeast.
  5. Bake in a tin with tall sides.
  6. Bake for longer, often at a lower temperature.
  7. Create steam in the oven.
  8. Use the tangzhong or scalded flour method.
Jun 14, 2022

How much longer do you bake with gluten free flour? ›

Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer.

How to make gluten-free baked goods moist? ›

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.

What is the closest gluten-free flour to all-purpose flour? ›

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.

Should you let gluten-free batter rest before baking? ›

We recommend covering your batters and doughs and letting them rest for at least half an hour.

What is the biggest challenge of making gluten free bread? ›

However, these alternative flours do not have the same properties as wheat flour, which can make baking gluten-free bread a challenge. One of the main challenges in making gluten-free bread is achieving the same texture and rise as traditional wheat bread.

Why add vinegar to gluten free bread? ›

Apple Cider Vinegar – Superpower your Gluten-Free Kitchen! Apple cider vinegar is often used in baking, but why? It is a great leavening agent, but it also has powerful flavour enhancing properties. I find it adds the perfect amount of depth of flavour, and helps activate baking soda creating a lovely airy texture.

What helps gluten free dough rise? ›

Eggs are natural leaveners that help boost the rise and volume of bread. Eggs also add moisture, flavor, and protein to gluten-free bread recipes. If you select a gluten-free bread recipe that includes eggs, you have a better chance that the resulting bread will have good color, more volume, and softer texture.

What to avoid for gluten free baking? ›

Some baking ingredients that contain gluten (and thus are not suitable for a gluten-free diet) include:
  • Wheat.
  • Semolina.
  • Spelt.
  • Durum.
  • Emmer.
  • Einkorn.
  • Rye, sometimes referred to as pumpernickel.
  • Barley.
Mar 29, 2021

What does cream of tartar do in gluten free bread? ›

A: Yes, cream of tartar can be used in gluten-free bread recipes to improve dough stability and rise.

Should I add baking powder to gluten free bread? ›

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

Why are my gluten-free baked goods gummy? ›

These ingredients take longer to set than regular gluten-containing flour, meaning they may remain slightly “gummy” or sticky until they have cooled. That's why when you test your gluten-free cakes with a toothpick, even if it looks done, your toothpick might not come out completely clean!

How can you improve the texture of gluten-free baked goods? ›

Besides eggs, which are protein-based, two starch-based products often used to bind and thicken gluten-free baked products are guar gum and xanthan gum. These products are largely interchangeable and are used in small amounts (1/2 to 1 teaspoon per cup of flour) to add volume and texture to baked goods.

Is it harder to bake with gluten free flour? ›

Gluten-free batter is almost always more wet than traditional batters, and gluten-free baked goods are almost always more dry. The more you practice, the more you'll adjust to this new reality and tweak recipes and baking times accordingly. Never try to make a wheat bread recipe gluten-free. It just won't work.

Does gluten free flour rise the same as regular flour? ›

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 I substitute gluten free flour for baking? ›

Substitute by weight, not volume. Moreover, because they are finer, they weigh less than all-purpose flour, so it is a good idea to substitute your blend for the all-purpose by weight, rather than by volume. If the original recipe calls for 260 grams of all-purpose flour, substitute with 260 grams of your blend.

What can you add to gluten free flour to make it rise? ›

If a recipe calls for self rising flour, you can easily make your own gluten free version. Simply whisk together my gfJules Gluten Free Flour plus a leavening agent (baking powder) and a touch of salt.

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