Introduction

What is Gluten?

Gluten is the a protein contained in the elastic a substance in flour starch. When mixed with water it makes the flour bind together. It is stretchy and holds air well which is why flour  high in gluten makes excellent bread.

Coeliac Disease

Coeliac disease is a condition in which the lining of the intestine is damaged by gluten. This interferes with the normal absorption of nutrients from digested foods and can lead to an illness that resembles general malnutrition. the disease is controlled by excluding gluten in the diet. In recent years medical research has indicates that some allergies may be caused by too much gluten consumption.

Gluten-Free Flours and Grains

Gluten is present in wheat, oats, barley and rye. Other grains such as rice, maize and
millet are gluten free. Spelt is an ancient wheat-like grain which, although it contains some traces of gluten, appears not to affect some people who would otherwise be allergic to gluten.

Flours can be made from all these and also from potato, soya, chickpea (gram), tapioca and sorghums to make useful alternatives to the regular cereal grains.

Be careful with cornflour which, although made from maize, sometimes has wheat flour added to it. Polenta is  a coarse maize flour and is also gluten free.

Rice

Brown rice has only the indigestible husks removed. White rice has husk, germ and outer layers removed which takes away much o the protein, almost all the B vitamins, and most of the minerals.

Soya Flour

Soya flour is the flour from soya beans. It is highly concentrated and higher in nutritional value than other bean flours?  When used in baking it should be used 1 part soya flour to 2 parts grain flour, to avoid flatulence. Added to soups, gravies and casseroles, soya flour is an easy way to achieve the best protein balance for a meal.

Millet

 All whole grain millet has been hulled as the outer casing is too hard even for budgerigars to crack. It is one of the most important grains in Eastern and African diets.
Millet flakes are processed for quick and easy cooking and can be used in gluten free mueslis, biscuits and crumble toppings.

Carob

Another name for the carob plant is Locust Pod, which supported St John the Baptist in the wildererness, and not the insect locust. The pod is ground into a fine flour and can be used in sauces, drinks and baking.

775grams (5oz) of carob flour contains 252 calories , compared to 375 calories in the same amount of cocoa.
Carob is naturally sweet, it  is caffeine free, very low in fat and very suitable for people trying to avoid chocolate.

Maize

Maize or corn is the largest cereal and often reaches 3 metres (10ft) in height. There are many varieties of maize, but the main types are- dent corn which is dried and ground into meal, popcorn, fresh sweetcorn and those grown for animal feed.

Popping corn comes from hard grained varieties of maize. Partially dried, the moisture that remains in the grain expands and ‘pops’ them when they are heated.

Buckwheat (roasted and flour)

Despite the name, buckwheat is not a cereal but a member of the sorghum family which includes rhubarb, sorrel and the common dock plant. another name for buckwheat flour is Sarrasin flour.

Buckwheat flour is completely gluten free and can be used with other flours in baking.

Buckwheat groats are the crushed and hulled seeds of the plant which look rather like a beechnut in shape. The unroasted groats are  a light brown in colour. Roasted groats are darker and tastier.. the traditional name for roasted buckwheat is Kasha.

Chickpea (Gram) Flour

Also referred to a Legume flour or pea flour, Gram flour is made from grinding chick peas.
It is an excellent source of protein,
especially when combined with grains.
It is also a good source of iron, calcium, potassium and vitamin B.

Gram flour is most often used in a spicy Indian batter coating for deep fried vegetables called Pakoras.

It is especially useful as a gluten free substitute for wheat and flour to make sauces and custards. The flour should always be well cooked in any recipe, this will ensure that there is no bitter flavour and that it is easily digested.

Baking with Alternative Flours

The  benefits of gluten in bread making are not always appreciated until it is missed out. Other flours simply cannot replicate the spongey effect obtained from wheat, even when yeast is added. The result, most often, is that gluten free bread ends up stiff and solid, like a heavy cake.
This effect can be partly overcome by introducing xanthan gum.

To make life easier, at DBC we stock some useful gluten free flours already blended for bread making or baking.

Other Gluten free products

The market for gluten free products has really opened up in recent years.

You will find a whole wall of products devoted to pre-packs containing no gluten,

ranging from Ogran pasta to ready-made cakes and biscuits