Speaking of gluten-free....

[Rachel in KY]

Last year my doctor discovered I was gluten sensitive and told me to stop eating it. I didn't. I wasn't suffering from any ill-effects and did NOT want to give up wheat and its various glorious manifestations. Carbs are good. When I went to see him last week he fussed at me, so I'm giving it a go.

 

After the diagnosis, I was thrilled to find Annalise G. Roberts's Gluten-Free Baking Classics, but became discouraged when I discovered how expensive these alternative flours are. Especially the recommended super-fine brown rice flour from Authentic Foods, which runs $11.95 per 3 pound bag, not counting the $12.20 S&H if purchased from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Foods-Brown-Flour-Superfine/dp/B00021639Y/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1280109248&sr=1-1-catcorr). Roberts emphasizes that this particular product is crucial for excellent results in many of the recipes.

 

I think it's highway robbery to pay $8.05 for a pound of superfine brown rice flour, but I'll do it if I have to. I'm wondering if an Asian grocery would carry a comparable product at a more palatable price.

 

Any helpful hints from you gluten-free veterans would be really, REALLY appreciated.

[Blueridge]

Could you get a grain mill and make your own rice flour?

[keptwoman]

I find Indian and Chinese stores excellent for GF flours, definitely cheaper than health food stores, but still expensive compared with wheat flours. I have enjoyed trying recipies online of late and the flours that seem to be consistently called for are:

Sorghum

Tapioca

Potato

Rice (I have brown rice flour, and honestly, I use that regardless of which rice flour they tell me to use)

 

More occasionally millet, buckwheat and chickpea (called Besan at Indian stores)

[Peela]

I make my own rice flour with my Thermomix (not available in the U.S.)- if you have a wheat grinder, I am sure you could use it for rice as well.

Yes, I dont understand why alternative flours cost so much...but then again the price of rice has gone up in the last couple of years, and brown rice especially is expensive here.

[AMDG]

Could you get a grain mill and make your own rice flour?

:iagree:

 

 

 

Bob's Red Mill carries brown rice flour.

 

Amazon.com sometimes carries obscure GF food. Often if you buy in bulk w/ "Subscribe and Save" (you get a certain amount every 1, 3, or 6 months) you can get up to 35% off. Shipping is almost always free, too.

Edited July 26, 2010 by AMDG

[melissel]

Well, frankly, I went gluten (almost-)free simply by cutting back on baked goods in general. If I need carbs, I eat a baked potato or sweet potato or brown rice. Many of our meals lately consist of a protein, a starchy veggie (corn or peas), and maybe a non-starchy veggie (broccoli or a mixed-greens salad). I do muuuch better on a South Beach-type diet in general.

 

My main flour alternative is Pamela's baking mix, and I only keep that around for things like pancakes or waffles (our dinner tonight). I keep alternative flours on hand for the occasional banana bread or muffins or chocolate chip cookies, but that's rare and a treat. So yes, the alternative flours are pricy, but not so bad if they last you for months.

 

That's how I'm doing it around here.

 

Oh, and yes, someone posted a little while back that they do buy a super-fine rice flour at their local Asian market at a decent price. If you're going to buy alternative flours, you can also look on Vitacost.com and Amazon--they carry quite a few name brands at the best prices I've found. That's where I buy my big bags of Pamela's mix and rice flours. I've also ground my own millet and quinoa flour from grain bought in bulk at Whole Foods.

 

HTH!

[Snickerdoodle]

Maybe if you try to go completely grain free for one month you will find that you really don't crave those things.

 

Just a thought.

[Quad Shot Academy]

I find the only economical way to do GF is to not use replacement products except for pasta. I do buy GF bread so I can have toast and sandwiches. Just change the way you eat. When I really crave something I splurge on the GF mixes or cookies, but other than that I eat basic, plain food.

[Food4Thought]

Maybe if you try to go completely grain free for one month you will find that you really don't crave those things.

 

:iagree:

 

I stocked up on all the GFree flours first thing (I buy Bob's Red Mill brand almost exclusively because I admire the way the company is run). But now I have a pantry full of gluten-free flours, and I almost never use them. Ever.

 

For pancakes, I use masa (corn flour). They are quite delicious. Once in a while, I'll make a batch of sorghum scones. Otherwise, we have no baked goods in the house. We eat a lot of whole foods & rice and very rarely have pasta or breads anymore. Even my husband, who is still a gluten-eater, prefers not to have bread now when given the choice.

 

Also, my favorite flour mix is Carol Fenster's - it's a combination of sorghum (which has a wonderful flavor reminiscent of wheat), tapioca, potato, and masa. The sorghum has a lot of protein and good nutrients, and I think it tastes better than the rice mixes. But I only make it if the kids are begging for chocolate chip cookies or pizza. Check out the bulk prices on Amazon for those flours from Bob's Red Mill. I think I pay $12 or so for 4 16-oz bags.

[Jen in PA]

Maybe if you try to go completely grain free for one month you will find that you really don't crave those things.

 

Just a thought.

 

That's pretty much what I did. I added grains back in slowly, which did help me discover that my issue was wheat, and not gluten. In the process of giving up all grains, I discovered that I really didn't miss them.

[melissel]

The sorghum has a lot of protein and good nutrients, and I think it tastes better than the rice mixes.

 

Good point. Teff, too, is supposed to be great in baked goods and very healthful, but it's more expensive and harder to get.

 

Amy, can you share your sorghum scone recipe? Thanks!

[Food4Thought]

Amy, can you share your sorghum scone recipe? Thanks!

 

Sure thing! I use the recipe on the back of the sorghum flour bag. :D

http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=115

[melissel]

Sure thing! I use the recipe on the back of the sorghum flour bag. :D

http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=115

 

Awesome, thanks! The kids and DH do like the occasional surprise for breakfast, so they'll be happy to see those next week :D

[Nestof3]

My mom has celiac, and the thing she misses the most is bread. She made one that I thought tasted great using this recipe:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/alisons-gluten-free-bread/Detail.aspx

 

She uses Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour mix to make pancakes, which she things taste great. If you scroll down, you can find other recipes to make with it.

http://www.bobsredmill.com/gf-all_purpose-baking-flour.html

 

I make her these peanut butter cookies:

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2006/10/yum-yum-peanut-butter.html

 

and this chocolate cake:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garbanzo-Bean-Chocolate-Cake-Gluten-Free/Detail.aspx

 

(both are delicious)

Edited July 26, 2010 by nestof3

[keptwoman]

Maybe if you try to go completely grain free for one month you will find that you really don't crave those things.

 

Just a thought.

I think this is true, I certainly don't crave grains. However I do like to eat yummy sweet food. Going GF can create a great deal of resentment at how limited ones diet becomes, and the things that others can eat that you must miss out on., and it's not for a period of time, it's not a diet, it's for LIFE. It's hard and I don't think we should make people feel bad that they want to enjoy special foods too. Treats make a big difference in the perception of sacrifice. I had little to no treats for the first couple of years because I was too scared to try cooking and I struggled to find the special flours, I have to say that personally I feel much less resentful now that I can whip up some nice cookies or a banana bread that is delicious and not cardboardy.

Edited July 26, 2010 by keptwoman

[Nestof3]

a banana bread that is delicious and not cardboardy.

 

If you have the time, could you share your banana bread recipe with me? I would like to make my mom some. Thanks!

 

BTW -- I do also like to try other grains out there besides wheat because I think we could all use a little less. Although the flourless chocolate cake is not healthy, I do enjoy making it because I like the fact that the base is beans.

[keptwoman]

Dawn, I actually just use a normal banana bread recipie and sub normal flour for a GF flour mix. The mix I like to use is a premix of maize, tapioca and potato starch and rice flour. So no soy or sorghum which has quite a different texture. I must actually play with it using flours rather than the mix which is very expensive, I'd probably aim for 1/4 of each of the above to start with, with the addition of xanthan gum. I find that it's best to use bananas that have been peeled and frozen as they have a high liquid content, when you sub flours like that you need extra liquid as the GF flours are quite thirsty. But if you only have non-frozen bananas, then add a little more liquid.

[texasmama]

My family has been gluten free for 2 1/2 years and I have never bought superfine brown rice flour.:001_smile: I buy all sorts of interesting flours, though, as cheaply as I can. I like Bette Hagman's flour blend (white rice, tapioca and potato starch flour...I forget the proportions...). I just bought a 25 pound bag of Pamela's bread mix from Amazon (cheapest this way) - I cannot seem to get gf bread from scratch to turn out well and Pamela's makes a good mix. I use regular recipes for cakes, muffins, pancakes, etc. and sub in Bette Hagman's flour blend and they almost always turn out very well. We eat a lot of rice or rice noodles, as well, and we just skip the buns on hamburgers. No one misses them.:001_smile:

[FairProspects]

My family has been gluten free for 2 1/2 years and I have never bought superfine brown rice flour.:001_smile: I buy all sorts of interesting flours, though, as cheaply as I can. I like Bette Hagman's flour blend (white rice, tapioca and potato starch flour...I forget the proportions...). I just bought a 25 pound bag of Pamela's bread mix from Amazon (cheapest this way) - I cannot seem to get gf bread from scratch to turn out well and Pamela's makes a good mix. I use regular recipes for cakes, muffins, pancakes, etc. and sub in Bette Hagman's flour blend and they almost always turn out very well. We eat a lot of rice or rice noodles, as well, and we just skip the buns on hamburgers. No one misses them.:001_smile:

 

Does Pamela's bread mix work if you have to eliminate eggs as well? I cannot get my gluten free bread to turn out in the bread maker, but I have to have it be dairy free and egg free as well, and I'm wondering if that is messing up the baking somehow.

[keptwoman]

Does Pamela's bread mix work if you have to eliminate eggs as well? I cannot get my gluten free bread to turn out in the bread maker, but I have to have it be dairy free and egg free as well, and I'm wondering if that is messing up the baking somehow.

Most GF breads have egg, I think it would be quite hard without.

[sbgrace]

We don't do baked goods generally. Carbs might be a buckwheat dish, teff dish, potato, rice side, quinoa, sweet potatoes, etc. I don't really like gf baked stuff and neither does one of my kids. We can't do egg so that is likely part of it but I just don't care for most flours the amount of starch generally added. We do use Tinkyada brown rice pasta and I highly recommend it.

 

I think it's easiest to adjust to gluten free if you just eat naturally gluten free dishes at least for a while.

Edited July 26, 2010 by sbgrace

[Quad Shot Academy]

Does Pamela's bread mix work if you have to eliminate eggs as well? I cannot get my gluten free bread to turn out in the bread maker, but I have to have it be dairy free and egg free as well, and I'm wondering if that is messing up the baking somehow.

 

I can't eat egg or dairy either and it makes GF baked goods almost not worth eating. I have found a few products that work:

 

Outside the Breadbox Bread

 

Pamela's Brownies

 

Pamela's chocolate cake

[Rachel in KY]

I think this is true, I certainly don't crave grains. However I do like to eat yummy sweet food. Going GF can create a great deal of resentment at how limited ones diet becomes, and the things that others can eat that you must miss out on., and it's not for a period of time, it's not a diet, it's for LIFE. It's hard and I don't think we should make people feel bad that they want to enjoy special foods too. Treats make a big difference in the perception of sacrifice. I had little to no treats for the first couple of years because I was too scared to try cooking and I struggled to find the special flours, I have to say that personally I feel much less resentful now that I can whip up some nice cookies or a banana bread that is delicious and not cardboardy.

 

Exactly!! Thank you! I don't want to have to stop eating stuff I want/like to eat, and I don't intend on settling for gritty, cardboardy baked goods.

[Nestof3]

Thank you!

 

Dawn, I actually just use a normal banana bread recipie and sub normal flour for a GF flour mix. The mix I like to use is a premix of maize, tapioca and potato starch and rice flour. So no soy or sorghum which has quite a different texture. I must actually play with it using flours rather than the mix which is very expensive, I'd probably aim for 1/4 of each of the above to start with, with the addition of xanthan gum. I find that it's best to use bananas that have been peeled and frozen as they have a high liquid content, when you sub flours like that you need extra liquid as the GF flours are quite thirsty. But if you only have non-frozen bananas, then add a little more liquid.

[texasmama]

Does Pamela's bread mix work if you have to eliminate eggs as well? I cannot get my gluten free bread to turn out in the bread maker, but I have to have it be dairy free and egg free as well, and I'm wondering if that is messing up the baking somehow.

 

You can try EnerG egg replacer or flaxseed (don't recall exactly how this works, but it is an egg replacer/binder). We were egg free for one of my kids once for a time, and I found EnerG egg replacer (tapioca-based) to work pretty well in baked goods but not at all in crustless pumpkin pie.:tongue_smilie: There are companies which make frozen gf breads, sold at Whole Foods/HEB stores/etc., and I know that some of them are also egg-free because a friend's dd is on a very restricted diet, including no gluten or eggs. She has found a bread for her. I forget the brand, though...

[texasmama]

My mom has celiac, and the thing she misses the most is bread. She made one that I thought tasted great using this recipe:

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2006/10/yum-yum-peanut-butter.html

 

This links to the peanut butter cookies instead of bread. I would love the bread recipe if you can find it. Always in search of a good, from scratch bread recipe, particularly one I can make in the bread machine.:001_smile:

[PrincessAriel]

After trying many flours over the past 5 years, my favorite is now this one:

 

http://www.julesglutenfree.com/

 

I don't use a lot of flour and have had this bag since Christmas time. She has lots of recipes on her site, demos on youtube, free shipping several times a year. I mostly just substitute it for regular flour in recipes as I don't do much baking anymore. She just came out with a cookie mix that we tried and it is great.

[Nestof3]

I'm sorry. I fixed it. Here it is: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/alisons-gluten-free-bread/Detail.aspx

 

This links to the peanut butter cookies instead of bread. I would love the bread recipe if you can find it. Always in search of a good, from scratch bread recipe, particularly one I can make in the bread machine.:001_smile:

Edited July 26, 2010 by nestof3

[Lisa in Jax]

My mom has celiac, and the thing she misses the most is bread. She made one that I thought tasted great using this recipe:

 

<snip>

and this chocolate cake:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garbanzo-Bean-Chocolate-Cake-Gluten-Free/Detail.aspx

 

(both are delicious)

 

I make this chocolate cake recipe all the time. For awhile, I sold it at a local gfcf bakery. :)

 

Instead of canned garbanzos, though, I bought dried organic beans in bulk. They're very cheap! I cook batches of beans and freeze them so I always have some ready to bake with. (FWIW, it takes about 1 and 2/3 cups cooked garbanzo beans to make this recipe.) We like the flavor of cooked organic beans much better than canned, and the home-cooked beans have no preservatives. :)

 

I top the cupcakes with gluten-free, dairy-free frosting or mock cream cheese icing. They're very high in protein and very rich. :)

 

As for the OP, I've been cooking gluten- (and dairy-) free for almost 5 years, and I've never bought the rice flour you mentioned. I do buy rice flour (Bob's, usually), but it's ~$4 per 24 oz, not $8/lb. If you buy a "case" of flour (4, 8 or 12 bags, depending on the company), they'll give you a 10% discount, too.

 

HIH,

 

Lisa, who'd be glad to share the following GFCF recipes for anyone who wants them. Actually, I think I'm going to start a recipe thread. :)

 

Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Pizza crust/Bread/rolls (all use the same recipe, with different techniques for baking)

Gingerbread

"Birthday" cake

Cinnamon rolls with mock cream cheese icing

Taco seasoning

Orange creme cake/cupcakes

[melissel]

I'm sorry. I fixed it. Here it is: http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/2009/02/another-wonderful-gluten-free-sandwich.html

 

Oh, I've wanted to try that recipe but didn't have the skim milk powder at the time! Thanks for the endorsement, it's always so hard to know. Most bread recipes I've found call for oats, and I can't eat those either--instant searing heartburn :(

 

I'm putting skim milk powder on my list right now!

[Nestof3]

wait -- she actually made this one:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/alisons-gluten-free-bread/Detail.aspx

 

Oh, I've wanted to try that recipe but didn't have the skim milk powder at the time! Thanks for the endorsement, it's always so hard to know. Most bread recipes I've found call for oats, and I can't eat those either--instant searing heartburn :(

 

I'm putting skim milk powder on my list right now!

[melissel]

wait -- she actually made this one:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/alisons-gluten-free-bread/Detail.aspx

 

Got it, thanks!

[rafiki]

.

[melissel]

Sure thing! I use the recipe on the back of the sorghum flour bag. :D

http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes_detail.php?rid=115

 

I just had to come back and bump this post to say that we made these scones this morning. They were incredible!!! They were so tender and moist, and not gritty at all. The recipe is definitely a keeper. Amy, thanks for linking it!

[Food4Thought]

I just had to come back and bump this post to say that we made these scones this morning. They were incredible!!! They were so tender and moist, and not gritty at all. The recipe is definitely a keeper. Amy, thanks for linking it!

 

You're more than welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed them. Now I'm craving a batch. :D

[bettyandbob]

I haven't read all the responses. I have Annalise Robert's book. My kids love the coconut cake. A friend of mine who is also celiac asks me to make it for her family's parties occasionally. I've never used the recommended flour in that book.

 

My standard flour mix is from Rebecca Reilly. I mix it in bulk and keep it in my refridgerator. If I find brown rice flour on sale I buy it, I have found no inexpensive source of brown rice flour. Bean flour or chick pea flour is standard in Indian cooking where it is known as Gram flour, I get this cheap at Indian markets. Tapioca starch and potato starch are used in Vietnamese and Korean cuisines, so I get them at other Asian markets. We used to have big store in my town that had all these in the same store for great prices, but it closed. When I've felt very tight financially I get white rice flour which is cheap at Asian and Hispanic markets and use that instead of brown rice flour.

 

Initially when I started baking gf, it was expensive. As I got used to the ingredients and learned where to look the expense has gone down substantially. But there is a learning curve.

[SophiaH]

Last year my doctor discovered I was gluten sensitive and told me to stop eating it. I didn't. I wasn't suffering from any ill-effects and did NOT want to give up wheat and its various glorious manifestations. Carbs are good. When I went to see him last week he fussed at me, so I'm giving it a go.

 

After the diagnosis, I was thrilled to find Annalise G. Roberts's Gluten-Free Baking Classics, but became discouraged when I discovered how expensive these alternative flours are. Especially the recommended super-fine brown rice flour from Authentic Foods, which runs $11.95 per 3 pound bag, not counting the $12.20 S&H if purchased from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Foods-Brown-Flour-Superfine/dp/B00021639Y/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1280109248&sr=1-1-catcorr). Roberts emphasizes that this particular product is crucial for excellent results in many of the recipes.

 

I think it's highway robbery to pay $8.05 for a pound of superfine brown rice flour, but I'll do it if I have to. I'm wondering if an Asian grocery would carry a comparable product at a more palatable price.

 

Any helpful hints from you gluten-free veterans would be really, REALLY appreciated.

 

 

I did the same thing you did when my family first went GF over five years ago. Superfine brown rice flour, Roberts' cookbook (which I still like) and all. :D

 

Now, I use a few different flour mixes depending on what I'm making. I buy my sweet rice flour (my favorite for thickening), white rice flour, tapioca starch and potato starch from Asian food stores. They're anywhere from $.89 to $1.29 a bag--about 1/4 of the price of health food stores. Then all I really need is brown rice flour (not the superfine, the 'cheap' stuff) and sorghum flour (about $3/bag). My most used flour mixes are Carol Fenster's Corn-Sorghum mix (love this cookbook! my absolute favorite out of all that I own, and we just had pizza using her pizza dough recipe...yummy!) and the "Workable Wonder" mix which is great as a one-to-one flour substitute in things like pancakes, waffles, cookies, and other non-baking recipes. Here's my favorite bread/pizza dough mix.

 

Oh, and here's a list of mainstream foods that are GF that I made up for a friend, if you're interested. As always, please verify the gluten-free status of any food for yourself, especially as this list is a couple of years old and I haven't updated it. But maybe it will give you a start...

 

Don't worry...you'll find your groove. You'll decide what you want to spend time baking, what you want to buy pre-made at a health food store, and what you want to just go without.

[melissel]

You're more than welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed them. Now I'm craving a batch. :D

 

Well, it was so incredibly easy to make, I'm sure it won't take you long :lol: Really, such a snap! I can't get over it. I didn't even use a food processor. Honestly, I prefer it to the wheat/oatmeal scones I used to make, and the kids asked for it all day long. I love finding new GF favorites :D

 

If I find brown rice flour on sale I buy it, I have found no inexpensive source of brown rice flour.

 

http://www.vitacost.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Whole-Grain-Brown-Rice-Flour

 

Betty, I'm not sure what you normally pay, but this is the cheapest I've been able to find it. I buy a lot of my GF items through Vitacost.