Gluten/Dairy free baking. Trial 1

Introduction:

Today begins another series of baking experiments: Gluten free baking

Three of my coworkers have gluten allergies and have sparked this new endeavor. The challenge with baking gluten-free is finding other methods to replace the elastic nature and texture which gluten brings to a recipe.

For my first recipe to explore this gluten-free variable I chose a quick and easy bread sticks recipe (because who doesn't love bread sticks?) Trial 1. was the control group: gluten-free flour, but no additional attempts to supplement the missing gluten molecules.

Proceedure:

Ingredients:

1.25 cups gluten-free flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

0.5 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup margarine (softened)

1/3 cup water

3 tablespoons margarine, melted

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 
• Add softened margarine and water and stir to form a soft dough
• Roll out until approximately 0.5 inch thick see Fig 1.
• Cut into breadsticks. 
• Add melted margarine to 9" x 13" pan. Place breadsticks in the margarine. see Fig 2.
• Bake at 450 degrees F for 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. see Fig 3.

Figure 1. rolling out glutenless dough

Figure 2. bread sticks ready for baking

Figure 3. Finished product

Results and Observations:

The dough was very stiff, brittle, and crumbly like shortbread, but otherwise was buttery and delicious as normal. My three non-gluten coworkers enjoyed the bread sticks, so the end product was a success and trial 1 should serve well as a control group for future trials. I will keep you posted on my progress.

From fresh pumpkin to purée Trial 2: Baked

Introduction:

It is once again Autumn and this means pumpkin flavored foods of all kinds (especially baked). The challenge living in France is that canned pumpkin does not exist, but fresh pumpkins like the one in Figure 1. are sold everywhere. 

My current experiment is determining how to turn fresh pumpkin into a viable pumpkin puree for soups and baked goods. There are a variety of methods proposed: boiling, baking, and microwaving. Trial 2. is baking.

see Trial 1. here

Figure 1.1 The pumpkin test subject

Figure 1.2 Pumpkin with baguette for scale

Procedure:

• Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out guts. See Fig 2. (Save seeds for roasting. See Fig 4.)
• Place on baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil (see Figure 3.)
• Bake at 375^oF (approx 190^oC) for about 1.5 hours or until soft)
• Allow to cool
• Scoop out flesh and mash/blend until smooth

Figure 2. cut and gutted

Figure 3.

Figure 4. seeds for roasting (future post to come)

Results and Observations:
The end result from the baking produced a purée better suited for baked goods than the waterier purée  from boiling the pumpkin. Baking took longer than expected, around two hours, and I cut the pumpkin halves into quarters to facilitate faster baking (see Fig 5.) Once scooped out and blended, the pumpkin purée turned out well (see Fig 6. for how much purée was produced from one pumpkin).

I have already used the purée for pumpkin snickerdoodles (recipe to come). Any excess pumpkin will be frozen for later baking adventures.

Figure 5. Halved halves

Figure 6. The finished product ready to be used or frozen for later

Baking Fresh Sweet Potatoes

Introduction:

Because such Fall favorites as sweet potatoes and pumpkin are essential for much of my upcoming baking, and because they are not available in canned form here in France, I have decided to learn how to bake my own in order to have them as an ingredient in my near baking endeavors.

This post is how to turn raw sweet potatoes into sweet potato purée fit for use in casseroles and other Fall recipes

Figure 1. Raw sweet potatoes

Procedure:

• Wash sweet potatoes and place in clean oven sheet
• Do not poke or pierce with a fork. When I described the idea of poking a potato before baking it to some French friends they said they had never heard of such an idea. It's not terrible if you have already poked the potatoes, it's just not French
• Place in an oven preheated to 400^oF (approx 204^oC or 200^oC if your oven is as non-precise as mine) for 45 minutes
• Verify the tenderness of the sweet potatoes by now piercing with a fork. (see Fig 2.)
• Skin sweet potatoes and mash with a potato masher (see Fig 3.)

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

Results and Observations:
The sweet potatoes turned out great. Baking was easy, and the skins peeled off effortlessly once the sweet potatoes were done. The potato masher left the purée more fibrous than one may want for baked goods, but a blender would resolve this issue.

I say this experiment was a success!