Gluten is a protein found in many foods and grains, such as wheat, rye and barley. Gluten makes baking dough elastic and stretchy and helps trap gas within the dough. This causes baked goods to be airy and light in their structure. Gluten-free baking requires you to substitute gluten-containing ingredients with gluten-free starches and flours, such as corn starch.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a condition associated with gluten sensitivity. People who suffer from celiac disease must avoid gluten because the protein can cause inflammation and damage to the cells of the small intestine. The Colorado State University Extension reports that a gluten-free lifestyle is the only remedy to manage celiac disease. Many baked foods such as breads, cakes, cookies and pastas contain gluten. People with celiac disease must avoid these foods or replace them with gluten-free alternatives.
Gluten-Free Diet
A gluten-free diet means avoiding several grains and starches that contain gluten, such as wheat, barley, durham, graham flour, rye, matzo meal, spelt and kamut. In addition, some grains, such as oats, might be made in facilities that contain wheat or other gluten-containing ingredients and thus may be contaminated with gluten. More and more people suffer from celiac disease. Due to this, a wide variety of gluten-free foods and baked goods are available on the market. In addition, many bakeries provide you with gluten-free options. However, since contamination happens easily, make sure the bakery does not bake gluten-containing and gluten-free foods on the same days.
Gluten-Free Baking
Since it is the gluten protein that contributes to many important properties to baked goods, gluten-free baking can be challenging. Cakes, pancakes, bread and other batter-based baked foods need gluten for its ability to produce the typical airy and light structure. Gluten-free baking is typically done with a combination of gluten-free flours and starches to produce high-quality baked goods. Great gluten-free flours, grains and starches include corn meal, corn flour, corn starch, tapioca, buckwheat, flax, quinoa, rice, potato flour, potato starch and soy flour.
Corn Starch
Corn starch, derived from corn, works well for gluten-free cooking. Corn starch is a good thickening agent and is most commonly used to thicken sauces, gravies and pie fillings. You can also use corn starch for baking. Baking Bites website says that corn starch helps add structure and tenderness to baked foods, and you can use it for baking in conjunction with flour. According to Peggy Woodward, a registered dietitian and a contributor for Taste of Home, corn starch lacks protein that gives baked goods structure and, thus, it cannot alone substitute for flour in baked goods. Use other gluten-free flours such as tapioca, rice, buckwheat or cornmeal, together with corn starch, to bake gluten-free foods.
