Gluten Free Baking Recipes – As someone who loves making, teaching and eating real bread, I’m dismayed at the massive increase in the number of people who are unable to eat gluten. Just to be clear, gluten is not some demonic pathogen, but rather a naturally occurring protein found in grains like wheat and rye. Wheat gluten’s two main constituent parts, Glutenin and Gliadin, are great for bread making as they have the synergistic functions of elasticity and extensibility, but they are not particularly easy to digest. Gliadin has been scientifically identified as the catalyst peptide which sets of a negative reaction in people suffering from Coeliacs disease.
But why the rise in wheat intolerance? Intensive agriculture and selective breading of wheat over the past 200 years has certainly altered its molecular structure. Wheat is now not only de-natured, but it is highly refined and when you compound this with the industrial baking process, which makes use of additives & “improver” enzymes and does not allow the dough to ferment properly, it’s no wonder so many people are finding industrial bread and wheat products hard to digest.
Old varieties of wheat like spelt and einkorn seem to set off fewer reactions in wheat sensitive folks, as does long fermented and sourdough breads. However, it seems that once a person has developed a sensitivity to gluten, it can be a long and onerous journey back to restoring digestive health.
The food industry has capitalized on this by creating lots of gluten free products which are highly processed and generally lack nutritional goodness. They are making massive profits from people’s discomfort and personally, I find this most objectionable!
In response to this, I’ve been working on a set of gluten free baking recipes which are made from simple and natural ingredients. Specifically, I’ve developed a fuss free sourdough rice bread which is enriched nutritious seeds and oils.
I hope enjoy these Gluten Free Baking Recipes
