There seems to be another food trend catching on these days – and that is the one of flourless baking. The thing is, that this is not so new! My native ancestors had diets of mainly meat, berries, corn, squash, and wild herbs. It is only a fairly recent introduction to flour products that have brought foods such as bannock to the forefront.
Plenty of people have opted to go flourless for primary and specific health reasons. Some do so because the gluten in flour may aggravate other medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis or asthma.
Yet others are simply tuned deeply into the functioning of their own body, and they can say without a doubt that avoiding flour makes them feel better. In many instances, flourless food may fall under the umbrella of a “Paleo Diet”.
Have you ever been curious about what a traditional American Indian meal would look like? Have a look at Spirit of the Harvest and The Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook.
Celiac disease is one of the main reasons for going flourless, as it is one of the main attributing factors to autoimmune diseases. In the last half century alone, would you believe that one in 133 people have been diagnosed with this intensely difficult disease? This statistic alone has heralded good reason for many people to adopt a diet of foods without flour.
The outright elimination of flour from your diet can improve your health. Going with an all-natural diet like the Paleo Diet, can help free the body from chronic diseases such as the following:
- Obesity and Cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis)
- Type 2 diabetes and Osteoporosis
- Cancer of many types
- Autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.)
- Acne and Gout
- Myopia (nearsightedness), macular degeneration, glaucoma
- Varicose veins and Hemorrhoids
- Diverticulosis and Gastric Reflux
There are so many reasons to go flourless, that it could be worth it even just to try it out for awhile and see for yourself the difference in your health. It could be an allergy to wheat or gluten. You may want a more natural diet that reduces many diseases and health problems. Maybe you just want to reduce the amount of carbs you take in every day. Going flourless may be very beneficial and just what the doctor ordered!
Some Helpful Tips for Flourless Baking
Flourless baking can be a real trial-and-error process. Flour, when used in baking, adds body, structure, texture and flavor to baked goods. It often acts as a binder, attaching ingredients together. When you remove the flour, you have to provide a substitute in its place that will perform the same function so that your recipes won’t suffer.
Here are some tips to help achieve better baking results when going flourless:
- To increase the nutrition value, substitute up to 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds plus 1/4 cup water for 1/4 cup flour in a recipe (flax will absorb more moisture).
- To add more moisture to your recipe, add gelatin, extra egg or oil. Honey or rice malt syrup helps retain moisture.
- Substitute brown sugar for white for more moisture.
- To enhance the flavor of flourless foods, add chocolate chips, dried fruits or nuts and double the amount of spices called for.
- For better structure, add dry milk solids or cottage cheese to the recipe. Replace evaporated milk for regular milk.
- Add extra egg or egg whites if your recipe is too crumbly.
- Don’t overbeat since the kneading time is shorter with no gluten to develop.
- You can use ground oats in place of flour, but you need ingredients like banana or eggs to bind the ingredients together.
- Eggs can replace many functions of gluten such as binding enhancing texture setting the structure of the recipe. Two other starch-based products you can use to bind and thicken are guar gum and xanthan gum. They are interchangeable and used in small amounts.
The magic key to your adventures in flourless baking is to test things out, try new things, and experiment. You may have to try different ingredients or amounts to get the flavor and texture you want. (Take a peek at Fabulous & Flourless: 150 Wheatless and Dairy-Free Desserts and Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes) Try not to let any ‘failed’ attempts deter you, as with anything, once you gain a deeper understanding of it and how it all works you will be adept at it in no time!
How to Prepare Your Flourless Baking Pantry
If you are embarking upon a journey of trying your hand at flourless baking, then you may need to re-stock your pantry in order to prepare. Filling your pantry with flourless alternatives is a bit different from a ‘traditionally’ stocked baking pantry.
Although there are many alternatives to wheat flour, for our purposes, we’re sticking with non-flour ingredients. Let’s have a look at some of the things you will need to get yourself going:
- Black or White Beans, Garbanzo beans (drained, rinsed and pureed) when substituting for flour. Use 1 cup of bean puree (about a 15 oz can) instead of 1 cup of flour, when baking.
- Rolled Oats offer a nutty taste and course texture. Oats can be used instead of flour in muffin recipes. Use 1 cup of oats for every 1 cup of all-purpose flour. You may also need to add 1 or 2 teaspoons of baking powder or soda, per cup of oats. Ensure moisture from ingredients like eggs or mashed banana.
- Nuts can be ground and added to baked goods in place of flour. There is an incredible selection of nut flours available to us these days, even in most general supermarkets. Although, it is very satisfying to get hold of a mortar and pestle, and grind your own!
- Flaxseed is of course, the seeds of the flax plant. They have a deliciously nutty taste. The whole seeds need to be ground into meal for baking. A simple spice or coffee grinder can do this in seconds.
- Chocolate, Chocolate chips, Cocoa Powder. I don’t think I need to say too terribly much about this one … chocolate is a delectable, tried and true food that has withstood the tests of time.
- Eggs – and of course, free range organic is always best!
- Guar gum and xanthan gum are used in gluten-free cooking to bind, thicken and emulsify gluten-free ingredients.
- Corn Meal is a rich and delicious grainy meal which can be used in pancakes, muffins, cornbread and tortillas.
- Fruit purees such as applesauce and pumpkin.
- Seasonings to take things up a notch and spice them up!
- Almond Meal is ground almonds, good for flour substitute in muffins.
- Peanut Butter, generally a favorite amongst most family members.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder
- Sugar, Brown Sugar, sugar substitute – to sweeten things up, of course.
- Molasses, Honey – to sweeten and rich-en things up!
- Unflavored Gelatin can be used as a binder, thickener and egg substitute when mixed with water.
- Millet is a seed with a rice-like texture when cooked. It can be used for cereal, a base in stews or for millet cakes.
- Pumpkin seed meal is a fabulous flour alternative that adds a nutty flavor.
- Sesame seed meal, which of course comes from ground sesame seeds.
- Sunflower seed meal is a flour alternative made from ground sunflower seeds.
- Chia seed meal is made from ground chia seeds. You will want to adjust liquid levels and cooking times when used in baking.
Whatever your reason for going flourless, experimenting and filling your pantry with alternate and substitute ingredients will give you a well-stocked arsenal to begin using flourless recipes! Have fun with it.
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