Breads and Baking

Wheat allergies and gluten free needs pose a challenge when baking, but there are delicious ways to still make your cake and EAT it too!  When I started baking without wheat flour I tried many combinations of flours and added ingredients to find the one that was the best.  When baking without wheat flour, I found that I was measuring out multiple ingredients like oat flour, tapioca starch, xanthum gum and by the time I measured out the mixture for the 'flour' I was losing interest or being distracted by the needs of one of my three children.  What I liked about baking with wheat flour, is that I could just scoop out what I needed and move on to the next step.  I have found that this combination of flours and additions work great for all of my baking needs, from pizza dough to muffin to cookies.  I make a large batch and store it in a container just like wheat flour. 

GLUTEN FREE OR WHEAT FREE FLOUR MIX

Small batch
2 cups of gluten free/wheat free flour (rice, millet, oat, quinoa, garbanzo bean)
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot powder
1-2 tsp of xanthum gun
1 tsp of guar gum

Large batch (makes about 10 cups of flour mixture)

8 cups or a 2 pound bag of gluten free/wheat free flour (rice, millet, oat, quinoa, garbanzo bean)
2 2/3 cups of  potato starch
1 1/3 cups of tapioca flour or arrowroot powder
2 TBSP of xanthum gun
1 TBSP of guar gum

Notes:  Rice flour will create a grainy texture to baked goods.  Bean flours (soy, garbanzo) and quinoa have very strong flavors and work well when combined with other flours.  If you do not need to be gluten free, oat flour works very well in this recipe for all types of baked goods.  Barley, Rye, and Oats all contain gluten.

What is xanthum gum and guar gum and should I eat it?  Xanthum gum and guar gum are important ingredients for the substitution of gluten.  What makes baked goods made with wheat have a good texture is the trapping of air in the bread.  To gain this structure in baked goods made with gluten free or wheat free flours, gluten substitutes should be added.  Xanthum gum is made from a dried cell coat of a microorganism called Zanthomonas Campestris and is made in a laboratory setting.  Guar gum is a powder derived from the seed of a plant called Cyamopsis tetragonolobus.  Now you know!

Let's bake!

Chocolate Cake

In a bowl mix:

1 1/4 cups of flour mixture
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBSP cocoa

In another bowl mix:
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP vinegar
3/4 cups of cold water
1/4 cup of any type of milk (cow, soy, rice, etc)

• Sift dry ingredients together and blend wet ingredients.  Mix the wet and dry together until well blended.
• Pour into lightly greased baking pan (8-9 inches round or square) or into 12 muffin tins
• Bake at 400 deg F until toothpick comes out clean. Bake for 20 minutes for cake and 18 minutes for muffins.
• Recipe can be doubled and used with layered cake pans for a double or triple layered chocolate cake.

Chocolate Glaze

2 Tbsp Cocoa
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP corn syrup
2 TBSP + 1 tsp of water
1 cup powdered sugar

• Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small sauce pan and stir over medium heat until smooth and shiny, then blend in powdered sugar.
• Glaze the cake and enjoy.

Vegan Carrot Cake (can be made gluten-free also)

1 1/2 cups of flour (wheat or gluten free flour mixture)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup finely grated carrot
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP vinegar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Mix dry ingredients until well blended.
3. Add grated carrots and stir until well blended.
4. Add wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Pour into a 9 inch square or round pan (spring form works well) and bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Muffin baking time is 20-25 minutes.
6. Frost with a dairy free frosting (*see notes) with the zest of one lemon added to frosting.  For added details, color small amounts of frosting orange and green and decorate cake with shaped carrots and greenery.

NOTES: I have been happy with this store bought frosting. It's dairy free. http://www.pillsburybaking.com/products/details/737


 Vegan Banana Bread (can be made gluten free)

3 ripe bananas, over ripe bananas make great banana bread
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour or flour mixture
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash bananas, add oil, vanilla and sugar and mix well. 
3. Sift flour with salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add to banana mixture and mix until blended, but do not over mix.
4. Place batter in a greased and floured loaf pan or muffin tins.
5. Loaf: Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Muffins: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Vegan Pumpkin Bread (can be gluten free)

3/4 can of prepared pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine pumpkin, oil, vanilla and sugar and mix well.
3. Sift flour with salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to banana mixture and mix until blended, but do not over mix.
4. Place batter in a greased and floured loaf pan or muffin tins.
5. Loaf: Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Muffins: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Homemade Vegan (can be gluten free) Brownies

Use mini muffin pan molds for this recipe.  Investing in at least 2-3 mini muffin tins will help make baking the brownies go faster.  This recipe makes about 4-5 dozen mini brownies.

1 1/4 cup of flour mixture
1 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 TBSP vanilla
1/2 cup brewed coffee or hot water
1 cup of vegan mini chocolate chips (see notes)

1. Preheat oven to 325 deg and prepare mini muffin tins with either oil or liners.
2. Whisk together flour through cocoa powder and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix oil, applesauce, and vanilla. 
4. Slowly add flour mixture, stirring to combine.
5. Stir in coffee or hot water until it forms a batter, then fold in chocolate chips.
6. Place 1 TBSP of batter into each muffin tin and bake until toothpick comes out clean, 12-15 minutes.  Let brownies cool before removing from mold.

Notes:  Try Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/chocolate-for-baking/mini-chips/).  This recipe is also adapted from Babycakes Vegan Bakery (http://babycakesnyc.com/)

Oatmeal Cookies "The Best"

2 flax eggs, link:  Flax Egg
2 tablespoons rice milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup non-dairy butter or butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour or gluten free flour mixture
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup oatmeal

Prepare flax eggs.

Tips for flax eggs:  combine the ground flax seeds with the Ener-G egg replacer with a fork to combine well.  Add 1/2 cup of boiling water and stir to mix well.

Combine raisins, flax egg, vanilla, and rice milk and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes.

Cream together butter and sugars.  Add flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda to sugar mixture and mix well.  Blend in raisin and flax mixture followed by oatmeal.

Using a small size cookie scoop, drop cookie dough evenly onto a baking sheet.

Bake for 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip+ Cookies

Yum!  These cookies are egg free and can be made using gluten free flour.  I liked this recipe because it originally asked for one egg.  Substituting one egg is far easier than two or more eggs.

1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
1 cup of flour or choice of wheat free/gluten free four mixture
1 cup of a combination of chocolate chips, butterscotch, white chocolate, dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, raisins). Remember that Enjoy Life chips for allergy free.
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or dairy free margarine *
1 flax egg or 1/4 cup of rice milk or other milk substitute
2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat butter in a large bowl until smooth.  Add flax egg/or milk, vanilla until well blended.
3. Add dry mixture to butter mixture and combine until well blended.
4. Drop rounded tablespoon full of dough into a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 11-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cookies rest on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove.  Let them cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

*Dairy-free margarine:  Choices vary depending on where you live and what is accessible.  A few to try:  Earth Balance or Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine.

To give this recipe as a gift, layer the dry ingredients into a 1-quart glass Mason jar.  Include the directions and ingredients list for the butter, egg substitute, and vanilla.



Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Sunbutter Cookies

This is an adaptation of the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to include extra calories and protein in a 'nut' butter version.  There are a few changes in the ingredients and baking time.

1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
1 cup of chocolate chip (Enjoy Life chips for allergy free)
1 cup of flour or choice of wheat free/gluten free four mixture
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or dairy free margarine
1/2 cup Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)
1/3 cup of rice milk or other milk substitute
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
2. Beat butter and sunbutter in a large bowl until smooth, then beat in milk and vanilla until blended.
3. Add dry mixture to butter mixture and stir until well blended
4. Drop rounded tablespoon full of dough into a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let cookies rest on cookie sheet for 1 minute then remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies



Berry Scones

This recipe has been modified to exclude the one egg from the original recipe and how to make buttermilk on a whim.  Substitute the berries for any kind of fresh berry like cranberry, blueberry, raspberry or blackberry.  Do not use frozen berries.

2 cups flour (regular flour or split 1/2 cake flour and 1/2 regular for a lighter texture)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 TBSP chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped berries
1/2 cup buttermilk (see notes)
1/3 cup half and half
1/2 tsp grated orange or lemon rind

1. Preheat oven to 375 deg F
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour through salt in a bowl and cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture is a course meal.  Add the berries to coat.
3. Combine buttermilk and rind to mixture stirring until moist. Dough will be sticky.
4. Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface with floured hands. Pat the dough into a 10 inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and bake for 30 minutes until golden.

*Notes:  Buttermilk substitution:  Add 1 TBSP of vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let mixture rest for 5 minutes.  For this recipe, add 1 1/2 tsp of vinegar to milk.  This also works for milk substitutes like rice and soy.

Tortilla de Maiz-Corn Tortilla

Makes about 7-9 tortillas

1 cup of masa harina (corn flour)

½ cup, plus a little more, very warm water

Stir the ingredients until blended, and then knead the dough for about 5 minutes.   Add sprinkles of water if the dough seems dry.  The dough should feel like play-doh-Slightly dry and not sticky.  Let the dough rest for 5-30 minutes.

Make golf ball sized balls of masa, place in a sandwich size plastic bag, and press flat with a big heavy book.

Cook on a hot griddle or pan for about 2 minutes per side.  Oiling the pan is optional!

Layer tortillas with any combination of the following-but be sure to add a squeeze of lime to your finished product!

Refried beans

Salsa

Avocado

Guacamole

Cilantro

Cheese

Cabbage

Bell peppers

Basic Pizza Crust

This dough can be made with wheat flour or gluten-free by using the gluten free flour mix.

Sponge:
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 package of active dry yeast
1/4 cup flour

In a small bowl, mix the following ingredients, stir to mix well and allow to sit for 15-30 minutes.

Dough:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 3/4 cup of flour
additional flour for kneading

Add the 1/2 cup lukewarm water, olive oil, salt, and flour to the sponge.  Mix well until a ball forms.  On a floured surface, knead the dough for 10-15 minutes.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl in a warm place, allowing the dough to rise.  After an hour, the dough is ready to shape.

I quarter the dough and freeze the remaining balls of dough for future pizza nights.  My son is the only one who cannot eat regular pizza, so when we are planning on having pizza, I take out some prepared dough, defrost, and shape into a personal sized pizza crust.