Fresh Living Network

Gluten free recipes

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Tips and hints for making bread
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and rye flours.  During baking gluten traps air in the dough and also holds moisture in the baked product.   Breads made with gluten-free flours are generally heavier and more crumbly (drier) than regular bread.  The taste and texture can be improved by using two or more flours.

Potato flour improves the texture of the baking when used in small amounts and also acts as a binder.  It is food starch prepared from whole potatoes which is steam cooked and then dried - about 2.5 kg of fresh potatoes makes 500g of potato flour.  Potato flour must be thoroughly blended with the other dry ingredients before mixing or else lumps form and spoil the dough or batter.  It may also be creamed with the shortening.  Potato flour is best used in small amounts with other flours.

Soya flour is usually used in a ratio of 1 cup to 4 cups of the total flour content (use soya flour for 1/4 of the flour needed in a recipe).

Gelatine is a useful binder and provides moisture to batters or doughs made using flours with a low gluten content.  It can also be used to replace eggs in a recipe.

Pectin can be used as a binder to replace both gluten-free flours and eggs.

Eggs are used to help the batter or dough rise during baking, especially when the whites are beaten separately to trap air and folded gently into the mixture.  Eggs also bind the mixture together.

Wheat-free chocolate cake

200g slab of bitter chocolate
125g butter
5ml vanilla essence
100g (125 ml) castor sugar
5 eggs  
100ml potato flour
10ml baking powder

  • Preheat oven to 180°C.
  • Melt the butter and chocolate over hot water or in the microwave and whisk until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.
  • Place a mixing bowl over a pot of hot water and whisk the sugar and eggs until they are very thick and pale. If you have a large mixer you won't need the hot water.  Whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed until it is thick.
  • Sift the potato flour onto the eggs and sugar and add the melted chocolate. Fold in with a metal spoon or whisk.
  • Lastly fold in the baking powder and pour into a deep papered 23 cm cake tin.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until baked.
  • Remove from the oven and invert onto a cooling rack.  Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before loosening the sides and turning the cake out.

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    The cake will sink slightly as it cools. It is a moist chocolate cake that keeps well for 2 weeks in an air tight container.

    Corn Bread

    250ml maize meal
    750ml minced corn
    15ml sugar
    20ml baking powder
    60ml cornflour
    60g butter, melted
    1 egg, beaten

  • Preheat oven to 180°C.
  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
  • Pour mixture in a greased 1.5 litre loaf pan.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

    • Wheat-free crumpets

    150ml polenta or mealie meal
    30ml cornflour
    30ml rye flour
    30ml sugar
    7½ml baking powder
    pinch of salt
    ± 150ml buttermilk
    1 egg
    15ml oil

  • Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  • Beat together buttermilk, egg and oil.
  • Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix well.
  • Preheat a lightly oiled frying pan and fry crumpets over medium heat until golden on both sides.

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    Serve immediately.

    Wheat-free almond rusks

    6 egg whites 
    200g (250 ml) sugar
    5ml vanilla essence
    175ml rice flour
    100ml potato flour
    200g shelled almonds

  • Preheat oven to 160°C.
  • Beat the egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar, beating well after each addition, until stiff.
  • Beat in the essence. Mix in the sifted flour and lastly the nuts.
  • Line the base of a loaf tin with baking paper and grease the sides.
  • Pour the mixture into a loaf tin and bake in preheated oven for ± 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the loaf is lightly browned.
  • Remove from the tin and once cool, wrap and leave in the fridge for 2 days.
  • Slice the loaf very thinly and place on cooling racks in a cool oven ± 110°C for 45 mins - 1 hour or until rusks are lightly browned and dry.
  • Store in an airtight container.

    • Wheat-free savoury bread

    250 ml soya flour
    250ml pea flour
    15ml baking powder
    10ml salt
    3ml finely chopped rosemary
    freshly ground black pepper
    250ml cheddar, grated
    50ml grated Parmesan
    10ml olive oil
    30ml margarine
    2 onions, finely chopped
    2 potatoes, grated
    150ml buttermilk
    2 extra large eggs 
    grated Parmesan and chopped rosemary to sprinkle

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Mix all the dry ingredients together, including the cheeses
  • Heat the oil and margarine in a pan and sauté the garlic and onions until soft, leave to cool.
  • Add the cooled onion and potato to the dry ingredients
  • Beat the buttermilk and eggs together and add to the dry mixture to form a wet dough
  • Spoon into a greased 20 X 10 cm loaf tin
  • Sprinkle with some Parmesan and rosemary
  • Bake for 60 – 70 minutes

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    Variation:
    Replace 100 ml of the chopped onion with chopped sundried tomatoes.

    Wheat-free seed bread

    500ml oats
    500ml soya or chickpea flour
    10ml instant yeast
    10ml sugar
    10ml salt
    125ml raisins
    50ml sunflower seeds
    35ml sesame seeds
    15ml poppy seeds
    25ml linseeds or 125 ml mixed seeds
    150ml buttermilk, warm
    30ml olive oil 
    Approx. 100 ml warm water 

  • Preheat oven to 180°C.
  • Mix together the dry ingredients.
  • Mix the oil and buttermilk together and add to the dry ingredients.
  • Slowly add the water and mix well to form a doughy consistency, knead a little until the dough holds it’s shape (it will be sticky, just add a little flour and keep on kneading).
  • Place into a 25 X 10 cm greased loaf tin and proof for 30 minutes (the bread will not double in volume).
  • Put in the oven and bake for + - 45 minutes.
  • Check when done by tapping the bottom for a hollow sound.
  • Cool slightly.
  • Serve warm with butter, jams and cheeses.

    • Wheat-free orange and nut cake

    Recipe yields 20 portions
     
    3 egg whites
    200ml castor sugar (160g)
    250ml margarine (230g)
    3 egg yolks 
    75ml fresh orange juice
    2ml grated orange rind
    375ml potato flour (260g)
    12.5ml baking powder
    Pinch of salt
    125g chopped nuts

  • Whisk the egg whites until light. Gradually whisk castor sugar into egg whites. Set aside.
  • Cream the margarine, egg yolks, orange juice and rind until light and fluffy.
  • Add chopped nuts.
  • Sift together potato flour, baking powder and salt. Add to margarine mixture. Beat the mixture at high speed for 3 minutes.
  • Fold whisked egg white mixture into lightly creamed mixture. Spoon the batter into a greased loose-based tube tin.
  • Bake at 160°C for 70 minutes.

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    Notes:
    This cake is very crumbly and is difficult to remove from the tin. It can also be baked in and served from a glass container.

    Taken from South African cookbook for allergies and food intolerances, Hilda Lategan

    Entice Savoury Muffins

    Makes 10-12 muffins

    375ml (1½ cups) Entice self-raising self binding rice flour
    15ml (1 Tbs) sugar
    5ml (1 tsp) salt
    2 eggs
    250ml (1 cup) milk (or rice milk)
    80g (5 Tbs) wholegrain mustard
    50g chopped Peppadews
    10ml (2 tsp) fresh chopped marjoram
    10ml (2 tsp) feta cheese, optional
    90ml (1/3 Cup) butter, melted and cooled slightly

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C
  • In a bowl, mix rice flour, sugar and salt. Whisk together the melted butter, eggs and milk.
  • Add the milk mixture to the rice flour mixture and stir to combine.
  • Fold in the Peppadews, mustard, herbs and cheese.
  • Pour into a greased muffin pan.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until ready.

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    For more Entice recipes go to: http://www.daisyhealth.co.za/

    Entice Light and Tasty Bread

    330ml (1 1/3 cup) Entice self-raising self-binding rice flour
    15ml (1 Tbs) sugar
    5 ml(1 tsp) salt
    2 eggs
    330ml (1 1/3 cup) milk or rice milk
    80g (5 Tbs) butter, melted and cooled slightly

    Optional extras
    2 tsp seeds mixed into the batter and sprinkled on top - suggestions are caraway, or a combination of linseed, sunflower and or sesame seeds OR
    80ml (1/2 C) pecan nuts

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C
  • In a bowl, mix rice flour, sugar and salt. Whisk together the melted butter, eggs and milk.
  • Add the milk mixture to the rice flour mixture and stir to combine. The batter is quite liquid.
  • Fold in the optional extras, if desired.
  • Pour into a greased loaf pan.
  • Bake at 220°C for 20-25 minutes, or until ready.

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    For more Entice recipes go to: http://www.daisyhealth.co.za/

    Entice Sweet or Savoury Waffle Mix

    For a sweet waffle:
    250ml (1 cup) Entice self-raising self-binding rice flour
    250ml (1 cup) Jungle Oats
    45ml (3 Tbs) sugar
    5ml (1 tsp) salt
    30ml (2 Tbs) oil
    500ml (2 cups) water
    5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

     

    For a savoury waffle:
    Reduce the sugar to 1 Tbs
    Do not add the cinnamon
    Add seeds such as sunflower, linseed and or sesame seeds
    Eat topped with avocado pear, or any other topping of your choice.

  • Preheat the waffle iron.
  • In a bowl, blend all ingredients together into a smooth batter.
  • Pour a ladleful of batter into the waffle iron and cook.
  • Serve with honey or as desired.

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    * The batter keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, or wrap in plastic and freeze the cooked waffles.

    For more Entice recipes go to: http://www.daisyhealth.co.za/

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