If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be eligible to receive gluten free foods on prescription. Simply select your country of residence, and, if you live in England, fill in your postcode to check if your area is prescribing.
Your country is prescribing gluten free foods*. Request your Glutafin Taster Box by clicking the button below to sign up.
* Please note: local policies are constantly updated, and issuing a prescription is at the discretion of your GP.
Gluten free baking can be daunting, whether you are an experienced baker or new to baking. Don’t panic! We are here to help. You will soon be perfecting light and fluffy cakes, crisp and buttery pastry and gluten free bread that you can enjoy fresh from the oven.
We have our some top gluten free baking tips for you, along with specific guidance for baking bread, cakes and pastry. What’s more, we’ve collected our top gluten free baking recipes for you to experiment with. Grab your apron, and let’s get started!
Baking with gluten free flour mixes can feel different to baking with conventional flour when you first start. Here are some Q&A’s and tips about our flour mixes from our gluten free baking experts here at Glutafin. Remember, if you have any questions, no matter how big or small, please give our friendly Careline a call.
Gluten is a protein that is commonly found in wheat, rye and barley. Gluten helps to trap air into bread and cakes, enabling them to rise during baking. A key contributor to texture, without gluten pastry can be crumbly, and bread can be denser and less chewy.
Gluten free flour mixes have a much stickier texture when mixing. Some gluten free baking methods are different to those used for regular flour. For example, kneading is necessary for gluten free pastry but not gluten free bread – the exact opposite of conventional flours. Some gluten free baking recipes that involve rolling or stretching, such as pastries or scones, will include xanthan gum for better results.
Xanthan gum is a natural starch that is often used in gluten free baking to improve results. It can be purchased in the Free From aisle of the supermarket.
We recommend using butter, as it has a standard fat content and gives significantly better results than margarine when used for gluten free baking. It is best used at room temperature.
Certain flours are naturally gluten free, such as buckwheat flour. Glutafin flour mixes have been developed as a replacement for conventional flours, to make it easier to cook gluten free versions of everyday foods. Flour mixes contain a mixture of different flours, including rice and corn, to combine the nutritional benefits of various ingredients and to get the best results in gluten free baking.
Some gluten free recipes may recommend combining gluten free flour with buckwheat, rice, or potato flour. With Glutafin mixes there is no need to do this as they already contain the perfect mix of ingredients to give you great results with your gluten free baking every time.
Yes, we have tested our mixes and they can be used as a substitute for traditional flours. We would recommend following the Glutafin recipes for breadmaking as these recipes will give you the best results, however, for other gluten free baking such as cakes, pastry, sauces and biscuits, feel free to use Glutafin flour mix in place of your usual flour.
Glutafin mixes
Finding a bread that you like can be one of the biggest challenges when you’re first diagnosed with coeliac disease. Some people find they prefer making their own bread, either by hand or using a breadmaker.
If you’re baking in a breadmaker, we recommend using a Panasonic Breadmaker.
We’ve found that the best results come from using recipe specific settings. Call the Careline on 0800 988 2470 for recipes that have been tried and tested in your particular machine.
It’s a common misconception that baking gluten free pastry is challenging. With right techniques, you can be sure that you’ll be perfecting your quiche, flan or pie in no time!
If you are using ‘pure’ gluten free flour (e.g. millet flour / cornflour) it is important to follow a specific recipes for your gluten free baking. Glutafin flours are a combination of different flours and starches, which means that they can be used as a substitute in most mainstream recipes.
A combination of different flours provide the best results for gluten free baking. Glutafin mixes have been specifically formulated to mimic the properties of gluten containing flours, so provide fantastic results for your gluten free baking!
The rules for gluten free baking are different to mainstream. Kneading pastry before it is rolled is key, whereas when baking bread the mix is often treated more like a cake mix.
No, replacing flour with a gluten free flour does not work in a mainstream recipe. If you choose a pure flour (such as millet flour or rice flour) you will need to choose a specific gluten free recipe. Glutafin flour mixes have been specially formulated to mimic mainstream flour, so they can be used as a substitute in many mainstream recipes.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to gluten free baking. Finding the right flour for the recipe you are making, and understanding that there are some differences when you bake a gluten free recipe, for example, pastry needs to be kneaded first.