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Can I use gluten free flour in my usual recipes?

(17 Posts)
rowyn Sat 11-Dec-21 11:58:58

I have a friend who is gluten intolerant and have just bought some gluten free flour, with the intention of baking lemon drizzle cakes or a sponge or tray bakes. However, I have no idea whether any of my usual recipes will be successful if I just substitute gluten free flour for my usual flour.
Advice please!

PerserverencePays Sat 11-Dec-21 12:08:00

They will look nice but have the texture of dry crumbs sucking all moisture from your mouth. Gluten free flour, as in a mix, needs a lot more moisture than ordinary flour to combat the dry crumb.
Try glutenfreecupoftea.co.uk for a very nice Jamaica ginger cake. She has loads of others but I find she has far too much of a sweet tooth for me. Doves farm recipes use the flour mix the same as ordinary and their sponges are awful. Their shortbread biscuits are quite nice though.

annodomini Sat 11-Dec-21 12:39:13

I managed to make gluten free short crust pastry for a quiche last week. I found g/f flour and xanthan gum in my usual supermarket and used a recipe from the internet. The finished article was perhaps a bit shorter than my usual shortcrust, but proved very acceptable. There is plenty of information on-line for g/f recipes.
www.mygfguide.com/easy-gluten-free-shortcrust-pastry-recipe/

kittylester Sat 11-Dec-21 12:44:03

I am gluten intolerant and I make a lovely sponge cake using Delia's all in one method but I use 50% more of everything. It is really light.

I often make the chocolate one with salted caramel butter cream and I get requests from non gf people.

Calistemon Sat 11-Dec-21 12:44:37

My gluten free pastry was just about the worst thing I have ever made, could have been used in the Olympic Games as a discus.

I'll look at your recipe annodomini, thank you ?

Yes, use more liquid in cakes, rowyn, DD's are always lovely.

Nana56 Sat 11-Dec-21 12:46:49

I have used gf flour instead of regular flour and fine. I add an extra spoonful of baking powder.
Not so good for pastry though. You can buy gf frozen pastry and very good.
Enjoy. X

rowyn Sat 11-Dec-21 12:47:33

Thanks, PerseverencePays. Not very encouraging! maybe I should be asking for recommendations for shop bought gluten free goods!!

kittylester Sat 11-Dec-21 12:48:25

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/all-in-one-sponge-cake-with-raspberry-and-mascarpone-cream

Forgot the link.

I don't use any more liquid.

I buy gfpastry but will look at that one too anno.

Calistemon Sat 11-Dec-21 13:16:10

I didnt like the gf pastry I bought last year and the birds benefited from the mince pies.
It was very fatty, I'm not sure what make it was.

kittylester Sat 11-Dec-21 15:02:25

I went on a gf baking course and learnt how to make bread, sponge cakes, éclairs and pastry. I still do the sponges and éclairs but the pastry is awful.

Shelbel Sat 11-Dec-21 15:36:55

I found the Doves self raising ok. They dont keep well when using gf flour though.

Sago Sat 11-Dec-21 16:19:59

Try using ground almonds or coconut flour. GF flour is not easy.

kittylester Sat 11-Dec-21 16:28:41

The recipe I use is fine.

PerserverencePays Sat 11-Dec-21 17:11:48

rowyn

Thanks, PerseverencePays. Not very encouraging! maybe I should be asking for recommendations for shop bought gluten free goods!!

Sorry! Didn’t mean to spoil your fun. GF ingredients can be expensive and a duff recipe can be very dispiriting after putting in the effort. I find the shop bought stuff overly sweet, and over processed, that’s just me though. My friend who is a celiac doesn’t mind the shop stuff at all.

rowyn Sat 11-Dec-21 18:12:25

No need to apologise,*PerseverancePays*! I much prefer honesty.

luluaugust Sat 11-Dec-21 18:36:52

I find a mix of ground almonds and GF flour works for me when making lemon drizzle cake.

ShazzaKanazza Sat 11-Dec-21 19:03:10

We are 3 coeliacs in our family so replace everything with gluten free stuff. I make John barrowmans banana loaf with doves farm and it works well. Everyone looks forward to it coming out of the oven to put butter on. Yum.
During lockdown I made Tana Ramsay lemon drizzle cake and that worked well too but I’m definitely not a baker so that’s all I can advise on baking wise.