Getting to Know Gluten-Free Ingredients
The real magic in gluten-free baking comes from having the right balance of whole-grain and starchy flours to yield the right structure, elasticity, airy crumb, and moisture specific to each recipe.
There are many gluten-free flours in the world, and deciding which ones to purchase can be overwhelming. Aran divides gluten-free flours into two categories: whole-grain flours and starchy flours. The higher the whole-grain flour content, the more flavorful and dense your bread will be. Adding some starch to your recipe will create bread that is airy, open, and a crumb that "pulls" a bit more. However, use too much starch and your bread will be gummy and gritty. Aran has found that a recipe using about 70% whole-grain flour and 30% starch flour yields bread that has great structure, flavor, and open crumb, although there are slight variations from recipe-to-recipe.
Whole-Grain Flours
These flours provide protein, elasticity, and flavor, though the protein content will always be less than that of wheat flour. There is also a variance in how elastic the different whole-grain flours can be which can be subdivided into two categories:
Flours that add elasticity and chew to your bread, such as buckwheat, teff, and oat
Flours that dry out and set your crumb, such as brown rice
(Flours that fall in the middle are sorghum, millet, and chestnut flours.)
Whole-grain flours absorb more water than starch flours. You can substitute one flour for another, though following the recipe you’re baking is always recommended. If you must replace one, substitute flours that have a similar level of protein content and water absorption. (Check out the list of flours in the Whole-Grain Flours and the Importance of Protein lesson.)
Example: Replacing sorghum with millet works, but you will likely have a dough that is moister. In that case, reduce the water amount by about 10%, then add more water if necessary.
Starchy Flours
Like the whole-grain flours discussed in this class, each starch behaves differently. Starches generally have a low protein content as well as very fine particles that can improve the dough, creating a fluffy, tender, and airy crumb. Because of their low hydration level, starches play a supporting role in gluten-free bread. Too high a starch to flour ratio will cause your bread to be gritty or gummy.
What to Buy
Superfine flours that are triple-milled will always work best because they hydrate much better, resulting in better crumb and crust. Also, milling your grains at home is ideal since freshly milled flour has the freshest natural oils, enzymes, and minerals. For practical purposes, the recipes in this class were developed using store-bought milled flours from the following manufacturers:
Photograph by Aran Goyoaga
