Making bread that is free from gluten
Gluten is a protein found primarily in wheat and in small proportions in grains such as barley, rye, triticale and oats, and hence in bread. FILE PHOTO | NMG
What you need to know:
- To enhance palatability of such flours, one can make bread.
- Gluten-free flours are made from tapioca, corn starch, millet, sorghum, sweet potato and potato, among others.
- Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are problems most people in Kenya may be suffering from without their knowledge.
Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are problems most people in Kenya may be suffering from without their knowledge.
Gluten is a protein found primarily in wheat and in small proportions in grains such as barley, rye, triticale and oats.
Gluten-free flours are made from tapioca, corn starch, millet, sorghum, sweet potato and potato, among others. Some can be bought from supermarkets. Alternatively, farmers can dry some of their produce and mill them in.
To enhance palatability of such flours, one can make bread. In the absence of gluten, an ingredient which will provide the elasticity is required. This is the xanthan gum (found in supermarkets).
Ingredients
•3 cups of flour or flour blend; 3 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons instant yeast; 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; 1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum; a cup warm milk; 4 tablespoons soft butter and 3 large eggs.
Procedure
1. Place the flour or flour blend, sugar, yeast, salt, and xanthan gum in a bowl. Mix till combined.
2. Using an electric mixer, hand mixer, stand mixer or simply a bowl and wooden spoon, add milk while beating the mixture the entire time. Add the butter and beat until thoroughly blended.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating each in thoroughly before adding the next.
4. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and then beat at high speed for three minutes to get a smooth and thick batter.
5. Cover the bowl, and let the thick batter rise for an hour.
6. Grease a loaf pan and add the dough into the pan.
7. Level the dough using a spatula.
8. Cover with greased plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise for about 45 to 60 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 1800C.
9. Bake the bread for 38 to 42 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, turn it out of the pan.
10. Apply butter on the crust so that it softens and cool on a rack.
One can also make gluten-free cakes. Gluten in cakes gives them their structure. Without gluten, the cakes become dry and crumbly.
To improve texture, it is important to add xanthan gum in the batter, just as in gluten-free bread.
The writer is based at the Department of Dairy, Food Science and Technology, Egerton University
