Living Well Without Wheat: Baking Tips Assure Success for the Home Cook

Your doctor says you shouldn’t eat wheat. Now what?

Well, join the 10-15% of Americans who routinely avoid wheat due to food allergies, autism and other special diet situations such as celiac disease –– an autoimmune condition that affects nearly 3 million Americans. People with celiac disease cannot eat wheat because it contains a protein called gluten (which is also present in barley, rye, and spelt) that prevents the absorption of nutrients.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently reported that celiac disease is 10 times more common than previously thought and is now the nation’s most common genetically transmitted condition. Left untreated, celiac disease leads to anemia, osteoporosis, other autoimmune diseases, cancer, and even death. There is no pill, vaccine, or surgery to cure celiac disease or wheat sensitivities. The only treatment is to avoid wheat, so wheat-free food becomes the medicine.

This diagnosis sends people to the kitchen to make their own medicine with homemade meals because they can’t buy prepared gluten-free meals in stores or restaurants. In their own kitchens, they can choose their own ingredients and control the conditions under which their food is prepared, thus assuring no cross-contamination. “In fact, people can live very well without wheat", says Carol Fenster, Ph.D., a chef who has lived without it for nearly 17 years, “if they use these basic tips."

1. Beginners should choose a cookbook specially designed for wheat-sensitive persons and attend a wheat-free cooking class at a local health food store or cooking school. These cookbooks and cooking classes assure early success and build confidence. You can convert your own recipes to wheat-free later––after you’ve learned the basics.

2. Replace wheat flour with a blend of flours––not just one flour––to get the best results. Choose from a wide array of flours to suit your dietary needs and preferences such as rice, bean, soy, sorghum, potato, tapioca. Then combine these flours according to recipe directions. Each flour plays a unique role and some flours complement others, making flour blends a much more successful approach than using single flours alone.

3. Measure flour by first stirring it with a wire whisk. Flour that sits in a canister becomes compacted and the wire whisk aerates it so it measures more accurately. After stirring, loosely spoon it into a measuring cup. Level top with flat side of a knife. Don't “round" unless specified in the directions and never pack the flour down.

4. Choose the right measuring cup. Use dry measuring cups to measure dry ingredients liquid measuring cups for liquid ingredients. What’s the difference? Liquid measuring cups have spouts and are usually glass or clear plastic so you can see through them. Dry measuring cups nest or fit together and they’re usually made of opaque plastic or metal with spout-less rims. Using the wrong measuring cup can mean either too much or too little of an ingredient and can lead to baking failures because it upsets the delicate balance of wet and dry ingredients that is necessary for success.

5. Use more spices, herbs, and flavorings to compensate for the loss of wheat flavor. Our palates are accustomed to the wheat flavor and must adjust to its absence so boosting the flavor is important. About 1/3 to 1/2 more than normal should do the trick, depending on the recipe and your own individual palate.

6. Use special ingredients designed for gluten-free cooking such as xanthan gum, which compensates for the lack of gluten and improves texture. Without xanthan gum, baked goods crumble and fall apart. This ingredient is available at health food stores and is critical for baking success.

7. Choose baking pans wisely. Use gray (not black), non-stick baking pans rather than the shiny aluminum or glass pans. Avoid the black non-stick pans since they tend to burn gluten-free food or reduce the heat by 25°F and adjust cooking time accordingly. Use several smaller pans (such as three 5 x 3-inch pans) instead of one larger 9x 5-inch pan so the oven heat can reach the interior of the baked dish more quickly. Generously grease any pan before using. Bundt cake pans distribute heat more evenly and are a good choice for cakes and certain types of breads.

8. Take advantage of modern appliances and aids. Use a food processor or heavy-duty mixer for thorough mixing of dough and heavy batter. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, Teflon sheets, or silicone liners to make sure your cookies and other baked goods don’t stick to the pan. Invest in a bread machine, preferably one that is programmable, if you’re hankering for bread but don’t have the time to make a loaf by hand.