A little background about this blog
Ever since I was young girl, I secretly wanted to be a writer the way other people want to be rock stars or Wimbledon champions or astronauts. I never told anyone. And it took decades for me to actually have the chance to give it a try. There’s something about a seven year career itch that takes 20 years to start itching. You don’t take it seriously at first. But there it is, itching at you day after day: try it try it try it.
I listened carefully to what I was saying deep inside and realized that I would finally need to yield to this longing. But how would I start and what would I write? I considered going back to school for my PhD in philosophy; it is something I had always wanted to do. But that might have required moving to a new part of the country for a teaching job afterwards, and my husband and two sons would not be able to move with me (at that point in time). Next.
There is a common sense dictum that you can be “successful” if you do what you love, and another one that writers should write about what they know. I knew I loved philosophy and asking lots of questions, but I also loved to eat and entertain and I knew a lot about cooking and baking. I merged the two- I would write about food. I would be a “food philosopher”. And so my new writing career took shape.
I started writing at the beginning of 2002. But as so often happens, life throws curveballs: after decades of carting around a challenged immune system that led to bad seasonal allergies, two bouts of mono and more cases of strep throat, bronchitis and pneumonia than a person is entitled to have in one lifetime, I was diagnosed with celiac disease at the end of 2002.
After three published books, a revised/expanded edition, one Foodphilosopher.com website, hundreds of classes, demos and speeches, and commitments for several more books, I’ve been getting that same seven year itch again – but after only nine years. Oh my. What to do? I think Wimbledon will have to wait. I am going to road-test the immediacy of the blogosphere with the hope that it will be interesting and fun and keep me going until my next seven (or nine or twenty) year itch arrives.
So welcome to My Gluten-Free Table. It will give you a taste of life in and around my kitchen. I’ll be serving up delicious recipes, commentary, and classic tales of baking and cooking in a home where food is excitement and eating is a celebration.
About Annalise Roberts
After being diagnosed with celiac disease in 2002, Annalise devoted herself to developing gluten-free baked goods that taste just as good, if not better, than their wheat flour counterparts. Gourmet magazine featured several of her recipes in its November, 2005 issue; she was the first gluten-free writer to have her work published in a mainstream food magazine. Since then, her recipes have been featured in newspapers and magazines across the country, including Yoga International, American Dietitian, Today’s Diet and Nutrition, Living Without, Gluten-Free Living, Autism Advocate (magazine of the American Society of Autism), and Today’s Dietitian.
Annalise is the author of three gluten-free cookbooks that are sold in North America and overseas. Translated editions are available in South America and Eastern Europe. An expanded and revised edition of her best-selling book, Gluten-Free Baking Classics (April, 2006), was released in September, 2008. Gluten-Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine, a collection of recipes developed for the Zojirushi bread machine was released in April, 2009.
Annalise and her sister, Claudia Pillow, PhD, joined forces to write a third book, The Gluten-Free-Good Health Cookbook (January, 2010). The focus of this unique work is on managing daily food-related decisions in order to strengthen the immune system, prevent disease and lose weight by eating real food. It provides food choice explanations and guidance, cooking advice, and more than 140 flavorful, culturally diverse, gluten-free recipes.
Annalise works with celiac support groups across North America and teaches gluten-free cooking and baking classes in the New York metropolitan area. She writes for and manages the www.foodphilosopher.com website with her sister, and recently started a new blog MyGluten-FreeTable.com. More cookbooks are in the works.
Annalise’s background has largely been in communications and marketing. She graduated as a Henry Rutgers Scholar from Rutgers College, earned an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business, worked at CBS, Inc., Dow Jones & Co., Merrill Lynch, two New York City ad agencies, and taught at the Rutgers University School of Business. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two sons.
Dear Annalise,
I want to thank you for your wonderful cookbook, GF Baking Classics. You can’t imagine how much joy it brings me to bake from your recipes. I want to share one of my all-time favorite experiences. When my celiac-diagnosed son went away for a weekend with a church group, I offered to organize all the food. My son would rather starve than bring attention to himself by eating “special” food, so I made an effort to make all the food for the group gluten-free. My son was mortified by the thought of sharing “weird food” and hoped no one would know who was responsible for it until he overheard one girl ask, with evident amazement, “Who made these muffins?” and another girl reply, “God???” Clearly, your chocolate ricotta muffin recipe did more than provide a tasty treat. Your recipe allowed my son to feel “normal”, even proud, a gift for which I will always be grateful.
Thank you!
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth!
Thank you so much for sharing that story. It brought a big smile to my face and touched my heart. And I can really identify- my son is not big about self-identifying either. Like you, it was really important for me to figure out a way to make delicious food at home. I didn’t want him to feel deprived. It was bad enough when they served pizza, cake, etc. at school, at parties, and after sports. It was really important for him to come home and feel “normal”.
And we love those muffins, too!
Very best regards,
Annalise
Can you make your bread recipes from Baking Classics in a breadmaker?
hi!
You can’t make them in the large 2 pound machines, because the bread recipes in my book are for smaller (more llike 1 pound) breads. And they also need a bit of tweaking for a machine. What machine did you want to use and what size? I am currently finishing up recipes for the 1 pound Zojirushi!
very best regards,
Annalise
Hi! I am so excited to have found your blog! I just purchased your Gluten Free Bread Machne recipe cookbook and was wondering if I could use those recipes in my Zojirushi BB-PAC20 with the gluten free cycle or if I would have to manual input the settings! Thanks! I know this is a newer model so I wanted to be sure before I baked anything!
Thanks so much!!
hi!
I contacted Zojirushi about this just to be on the safe side. It appears they have programmed the new machine based on my book! They also seem to have tested my recipes in the new machine with the new gf setting and they said it worked well. That said, I have not tried the new machine. But they maintain it is just like the old one except for the color and this setting for the most part. So if it were me (because I am a big tester!), I would try it first with the new GF setting and then with my settings to see if it makes a difference in your bread.
Please let me know how you make out. I’ll be looking forward to hearing back from you.
very best regards,
Annalise
Thanks so much for your quick response! I will hopefully be making some tomorrow! I will let you know!
Hi! I made the French Italian bread today in my Zojirushi bb-pac20. I added the liquids first first, then added the dry ingredients next making a well for the yeast at the top just like my machine advises. I did not preheat anything as my machine has a 33 minute rest time where it raises the temperature. I set it on the GF setting, dark crust. When I removed it, it was only about 2.5 inches tall in the middle. Why do you suppose it fell a little short. It was crusty on the outside and tasted good, although rather light on top. Should I have preheated everything first? Should I try again using your settings manually? Any advice to get a taller laf would be great! Thanks so much!
hi!
Well, for a true test, it might be best to preheat. Even though my preheat is shorter, a jump-start can help. In fact, when your home is warm, it sometimes helps to preheat more than the temperature in the recipe (see page 18). What is the temp in your home today?
You might want to try my settings next (with the preheating), see how it goes and then revisit there GF setting.
best,
Annalise
Have you experimented with sourdough gluten-free bread? I truly miss that flavor and am a very experienced baker. I’ve just started experimenting to make my own sourdough starter from wheat, but, I would love to try it with a gluten free alternative. Let me know if you need a tester for any of your recipes, or if you explore this alternative. I just received some of the Authentic Foods flour. It is not carried near me, so I had it shipped from the company. Thanks for all the good work you do. I love both books: Gluten-Free Good Health and Gluten-Free Baking Classics.
Charli Vogt
hi!
I have– but I haven’t come up with a sour dough that I think is excellent (but I am really fussy). I will keep your information for when I am finally successful so I can find out if you might want to test.
I’m glad you are enjoying my other recipes!!
very best,
Annalise
If you could, please include me in your sourdough discovery process! So far, I’ve tried adding vinegar, buttermilk, sour cream and yogurt, but still searching for that authentic taste. Thank you!
hi!
I will indeed. Funny, I’ve tried all those additions myself, as well as the famous “potato water” starter. But because I was used to really amazing wheat based sour dough, none of comes close.
But fear not- you are now on my list!
Happy holidays!
very best,
Annalise
Thanks so much. I’ll be watching for your note.
Charli Vogt
Hi Annalise!
When my son was diagnosed with celiac disease 3 years ago, your book, Gluten Free Baking Classics was the first gluten free cookbook I bought, and it’s still my favorite! You have done a wonderful job of finding great flour blends and developing recipes to replace the things he loved but could no longer eat. I am forever grateful. I was wondering, now that strawberry season is upon us, if you have a recipe for gf shortcakes?
Thanks so much.
Erin Gora
h!
I’m glad you are enjoying my work! And although I don’t have an actual recipe for strawberry shortcake, I do make it several ways with my recipes: with my vanilla layer cake or my vanilla sponge cake or my biscuits (made with a little extra sugar). I make fresh whipped cream and either create an actual layer cake (with the sponge cake or vanilla layer cake recipes), or serve the biscuits with a big spoonful on the side. I hope this give you some ideas to create your own version!
very best regards,
Annalise
Hello Annalise,
We recently discovered a family member who has been diagnosed with celiacs disease and used it as an excuse to upgrade our 12 year-old bread maker to a Zojirushi BB-CEC20 which looks (I think) almost exactly like your Zojirushi BBCC-X20 and perhaps has the same timer functions that we can easily follow the recipes in your book, “Gluten-Free Classic Recipes for the Bread Machine”.
Thanks for authoring the book, it has made us more confident to make gluten-free breads for our family!
Jerry Kuchera
hi!
I hope you find some recipes that you really like. Please let me know if you have questions as you start baking. I also hope you are able to try some of my recipes for bread made in the oven. You’ll be able to find the Rustic Flat Bread recipe here on this blog and the hamburger bun recipe on my Foodphilosoher.com website. And Gluten-Free Baking Classics has artisan breads and even flour tortillas.
Very best,
Annalise
Annalise,
I was diagnosed with Celiac disease about 4 months ago and with all the internet surfing I’ve done I just found your website and blog. How refreshing to read some of your postings and replies to your readers! There is so much misinformation about eating and cooking gluten free. You seem to have a very balanced approach. I am a microbiologist although I haven’t worked in the field for years but I am a scientist at heart. My husband is a physician who is boarded in both Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine. He had warned me when I started researching to go to trusted sites and even with that I find lots of conflicting information. I will be reading your blog with interest and using your recipes. I have been an avid baker and that has been the most challenging and disappointing change I’ve had to make. It seems that everything I bake is an experiment and many times a failed one. Thanks and I’m looking forward to better results!!
hi!
I’m very glad that you are able to find recipes and information here to help you on your new gluten-free journey (and you will find a lot more recipes and information on http://www.foodphilosopher.com, the website my sister Claudia and I have been writing and maintaining since 2003). And yes, you are so correct about all the well intended but fact-light information of the internet. Beware of chat rooms everywhere- they seem to contain the widest variety of not-always-dependable-information. Try Gluten Intolerance Group of America for correct listings for GF food, drink and medicine.
And please let me know if you have any questions as you start baking and cooking your way through my recipes (or others). I am here to help.
very best regards,
annalise
Yesterday was my birthday and I modified our favorite family birthday cake (chocolate) using your flour mix and a little xanthan gum. It was amazing! My husband and son say that you would never know it’s GF. It looked and tasted like a cake baked with wheat flour. I used Authentic Foods superfine flours and they are worth the price. I bought xanthan gum months ago but had only used it once because I had read about sensitivity to it with reactions similar to gluten. I notice that your recipes use less x-gum than many others I see. Thanks again. This was a momentous occasion in my kitchen!!
hi!
So glad the my brown rice flour mix worked well for you. As for the xanthan gum issue, yes I do use less than most other gluten-free recipe developers, but I think I should let you know that the proportion of people who have reactions similar to gluten is extremely small. It just might seem large because some of those very few people who are sensitive are very vocal about it on the web. But the reality on the ground is that most people who consume xanthan gum have no problems. It is actually used in many, many everyday foods that are not produced for the GF community. Moreover, most GF products on the market use xanthan gum because it is widely tolerated (and most recipes do as well).
Very best,
Annalise
Hello Annalise,
Having some friends with Celiacs, I have been challenged to find recipes for baking that taste great. Since purchasing your book a few months ago, I feel like Julie and Julia as I rush through making something from every category! Yesterday, it was your apple pie recipe, absolutely delicious! My Grandmother, who taught me everything about food, would never know it was gluten-free. Next it is on to the breads, have to master this. One of the questions my friends ask is how much sugar, fat, etc is in the recipe. Do you have calorie and fat information for your recipes? I have voluntarily gone off of gluten for the past eight weeks since reading a book about the multiple effects of gluten on the body, and have lost 10 pounds, eat less and feel better.
Thank you for your great work, it is inspiring.
Kind Regards,
Michael
hi!
I love the image of you working your way through my recipes like Julie and Julia (are you blogging about it?)!
And the apple pie recipe has been a favorite recipe in my family for decades (even when it was made with wheat- although it is actually better now with my gluten-free crust).
I’m afraid to disappoint you with my answer to your question, however, in that I don’t have calorie or fat information for any of my recipes. It really comes down to me not being a believer in treating baked goods as a main component of our diet; they should be a happy, occasional, carefree indulgence. And they should be as good as possible. And they should be made with as little fat and sugar as possible in order to make them fabulous — and that typically means they will have fat and sugar and calories. In any case, my breads have relatively little fat or sugar- but just enough to make the bread as good as it can be. I hope you give some of them a try.
Congratulations on sticking to an eating routine that is making you feel good!
Very best regards,
Annalise
Hi Annalise,
Could you give me some direction in making a decent pancake! I used your classical flour blend with a pancake recipe …okay with like 15 different pancake recipes. They all come out AWFUL!!! gooey, sticky, stuck to the pan, greasy… yucky…okay well I guess that explains enough. I need help and my kids would really like a nice fluffy pancake. …oh and did I mention they are allergic to eggs? so I usually just make flax eggs…which could be the problem, not sure but don’t know what else to do/try. Thank you for any wisdom you can pass along!!
Blessings Dearie, and thank you for all the hard work you put in for us gluten free foodies!
Allison
aka gypsy mama
Hi!
Not sure which recipe you are using, but you don’t need a flax egg in any pancake recipe. Just make the recipe without it and add a touch more baking powder if you think you need it. I have a recipe in my book Gluten-Free Baking Classics, but since you can’t use eggs, you would have to tweak many of the recipes. Cybale Pascale has recipes that are gluten and egg free and she uses my flour blends. Hope this helps some!
Very best,
annalise
Dear Annalise ,
I prefer not to use canola oil and many if not all of your baking recipes call for canola oil.What do you suggest as a substitute? Truthfully, I like your book a great deal but would not have purchased it had I been aware of the frequent inclusionof canola oil in many of the recipes as an ingredient!
Btw, you might want to read up all some of the controversial health issues related to use of canola oil, cold pressed or otherwise. In Europe, many chefs will no longer sanction the use of canola oil due to the omega 3:6:9 oils imbalance that heavy canola oil use can create for some individuals.
Great website.
hi!
Thank you!
The only other oil that comes close to replacing canola oil in my recipes is grapeseed oil. My recipes are not calibrated for a heavy, flavorful oil like olive oil (except in the recipes where I do use it, mostly in my breads). Some people have used coconut oil in my breads as well- but it really changes the flavor. If you try either of them and have a problem, let me know and I will help you.
And, I am aware of the controversy about canola, but I don’t use much of it, so I’m not concerned at this point. In fact, I don’t really eat a lot of any baked goods (just small quantities as a weekend treat and small tastes when I test recipes). In addition, I make sure I eat enough of the other better-for-me fats I need to be healthy. I can’t imagine what kind of food people would be eating in which they would have a heavy use of large quantities of canola or any vegetable oil. If they stick to vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, lean meat and fish, with the occasional grain dish (including rice, pasta, bread, cookies, oatmeal, quinoa, etc. , they’d be a lot better off. This is what The Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook, that I wrote with my sister Claudia, is about).
Let me know if you have any other questions!
very best,
Annalise
Hi Annalise,
Since we have 8 family members on a Gluten Free diet and I’ve
tried every cookbook out there, yours is still number one.
Any news about the publication of your new book?
I also wondered if you have a recipe for an apple cake?
Regards, Jola
hi!
It is very good here that you and your family are enjoying my recipes. Thank you for posting this and letting me know.
And I have been actively working on some incredible new recipes for the last several years, but only semi-working on getting them published. The gluten-free cookbook market has become very crowded with new entries and there is, in my opinion, a glut of books shouting for attention. I’m waiting for the dust to settle.
What kind of apple cake are you hungry for? I do have a couple of new ones.
Very best,
Annalise
I hope the dust settles soon because I’m looking forward
to your next book.
The apple cake I remember had the apples incorporated in the
batter with walnuts as an option. Some recipes call for sour
cream in the mix.
Just a cake that would go with a hot cup of cinnamon apple tea.
Thanks so much, Jola
hi!
I know just the cake you are talking about! I will contact you by email to so we can work out the fine points.
Very best,
Annalise
First, thanks for your book GF baking classics for the bread machine. I have been having a lot of fun with it.
But I have a question.
Before your book I found that I was getting the best results on my Zo.. Bread machine with Pamela’s GF bread mix with a little added baking powered. But I did not like the eggy taste so I experimented with a mix of one egg and then homemade egg sub of flax and water. It made a pretty good loaf of bread. My only complaint was that it was a little too moist for a long time.
I have now made about 3 loaves of bread with your cookbook (basic and rye sandwich breads). The bread tastes better and I think the consistency of the bread is better…. On the day of the baking. But the next morning the bread is much dryer than I like it and after a few days the bread likes to crumble…. Or it’s much easier to fall apart in a sandwich.
Also my bread only rises to about 3 1/2 inches. That does not bother me except your book mentions 4 to 4.5 inches.
So. Is there something that i can do or not do to make the bread stay a little moister for longer than 12 hrs
hi!
Well there could be several things going on with the height of the bread.
The millet and sorghum flour- which brands?
What brand and how old is your xanthan gum?
What kind of milk are you using?
What is the temperature of your house and what is the humidity?
Where are you putting your machine when it is running? and how close to a wall is it? Is there anything directly over it?
Are you whisking the dry ingredients together well?
Let me know the answers and we will work from there.
On the bread drying out, yes, it doesn’t last long, but you should be good for two full days. After several days
though, my gf breads get old like many homemade breads (even the ones I used to make with wheat). My recipe
doesn’t have enough fat, sugar or preservatives to keep it in good shape for much longer. GF whole grain flours tend to be dry to begin with, and the starches tend to dry out faster.
But some questions:
Are you leaving it out on the counter?
How are you wrapping it?
Very best,
Annalise
PS. I also got your email and have answered your questions there as well! You can respond back to my questions in either place.
Finally checking in at your blog. Love your Baking Classics is an understatement. Have been gf since diagnosis in 2006. Yours is the only book I’ve trusted. Recently started using Babycakes Coves the Classics as a friend is dairy and egg free and wanted to experiment there. Everything I make from your book gets glowing reviews: not the least of which come from my four children (both gf and non) who barely leave crumbs on plates. Most recently did pecan pie, apple pie with crumb topping. A favorite is lemon pound cake and sour cream coffee cake. Those and so many others are just divine. in fact I made both chocolate and vanilla cakes for a “black and white cookie” effect and children lined up for seconds!
Questions: I have been using Bob’s because that’s what my locals stock. I am so used to mixing my own blend based on your recipe that I never bothered to order AF classic. I’m always worried it won’t be right. Should I worry? I’d be eager to taste the difference based on your analysis in terms of grit or shrinkage.
I’ve been looking into cake pops and I’m of course looking to you. Everything I’m finding seems lacking. What recipe if any would work from your book? I was hoping either a cake or donut hole recipe would work.
Thank you thank you thank you for all your work and dedication. You are amazing!!
hi!
So glad to hear you are enjoying my recipes (and that everyone around you is enjoying them, as well). It’s good to hear that my work has helped you to adjust to a gluten-free life.
I do think that Authentic Food GF Classic Blend is an excellent, dependable product and I use it myself pretty much all the time now (it is my brown rice flour mix made with their extra finely ground brown rice flour). I used to make my own brown rice flour mix with their extra finely ground brown rice flour and locally bought potato starch and tapioca starch (usually Bob’s Red Mill). But it’s just so nice to be able to open a bag of flour and bake that I pretty much switched over. Bob’s Red Mill is a great alternative, although it is slightly less finely ground, and as long as you have had good results, you could stay with it. However, some day it might be nice to throw caution to the wind and order up a bag or two of the GF Classic Blend from AF; do a side by side to see for yourself whether the larger expense is worth it to you at this point.
As for cake pops- fun idea isn’t it? I think you could use any of my cake recipes, but cut the recipe in half (just like my vanilla cupcake recipe is really just my vanilla layer cake recipe already cut in half). I’ve used my cake recipes to make mini-cupcakes, and making them into a cake pop is pretty much the same thing. If you have more questions about it, I’m here!
very best regards,
Annalise
Hi, I have the same concern as bobkeenan…..my bread isn’t reaching your height so I was wondering what you suggested?
By the way, love the chocolate chip cookie recipe and so does my family!
hi!
There were several things we tweaked. He was using a Fleischmann’s RAPID rise yeast. We switched to Red Star active dry yeast. (And by the way, both my testers and I have had significantly better results with Red Star active dry yeast tthe last four years in terms of rise). He also might have had one of the weird/bad batches of Xanthan gum that Bob’s Red Mill sold late last summer and into fall (I got stuck with a bag myself. It was like xanthan gum on steroids- way too strong). So he bought a new bag. We raised the temperature of the liquids (try 90º F).
For you, I’d also want to make sure that your machine is away from the wall and that you are using skim milk (instead of 1 or 2% because the fat will reduce the rise a bit).
Please let me know if you have already tried these things and if so, I will work with you on trying some others.
very best regards,
Annalise
Used Fleischmann’s active yeast but will look for Red Star and I did use 1% so I’ll switch to skim for baking. As well I’ll try the temp raise just to check off all suggestions
All other suggestions were covered. Thanks
hi!
Good! Please let me know how it works out.
Very best,
Annalise
Hello!
I was recently shopping at a Fruitful Yield store. The gentelman behind me noticed my cart full of GF items and the first thing he told me was that I needed to purchase your book and go to your web page ! I am looking forward to trying these great recipes. Thank you!
Denise
hi!
I hope you find something you like! Please let me know if you have any questions as you go along.
Very best,
Annalise
Hi — and THANK YOU for the amazing book! When my child was diagnosed with celiac a few years ago as a toddler, several other moms told me this was a must-purchase. I was too overwhelmed by the prospect of making a flour blend at the time, but after trying some of your recipes at my pals’ homes, I was hooked. We have our own droplet-covered copy of your book now and it is my family’s go-to source for baked goods.
I am happy to see that you have replied to comments here recently b/c I have one for you! My child has been wanting to make a bundt cake for many months and he tells me this is the weekend, as it is his dad’s birthday. Do you think your chocolate cake recipe (chocolate fudge cake, p. 57) would work in a bundt pan….??
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this — and thanks again for this treasure of a book! It is not an exaggeration to say it has improved our lives immeasurably!
Monica
hi!
I happen to know that there at least several people who have successfully used my chocolate fudge cake recipe in a large bundt pan because they have written to tell me about it. Although I have not done it myself, I would say that you’d have to start checking for it to be done after 40-45 minutes. And here’s a chocolate ganache glaze for you:
CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Combine chocolate, heavy cream, and corn syrup in a small, heavy saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir to blend. Cool slighlty before drizzling over cake (cool glaze until it has thickened but is still pourable).
Cooks Note: extra glaze that drips down under the rack can be scraped up, rewarmed and drizzled back over the cake to make a thicker topping.
©2012 by annalise roberts
Please let me know how you make out on the cake or if you have any other questions. And thank you very much for your very kind words about my work.
very best regards,
Annalise
Wow… thank you SO MUCH for such a speedy reply! Truth is the birthday is tomorrow, so we made the cake today. It looks great so far — I have successfully gotten it out of the pan (greased it with canola and dusted with sweet rice flour). I’m a little worried it’s going to sink overnight, but either way, I’m sure it will be delicious. I would include a photo, but I don’t see a way to do that here…
Thanks, too, for the ganache recipe. I will have to try it next time, as the head baker has a vision that includes red hearts frosted onto the top and sides of this thing… Next time, though!
Once again, THANK YOU again for such a speedy reply. And all the scrumptiousness.
Monica
hi!
You’re welcome. Not sure why it will sink unless it’s underdone. But in any case, I’d keep it in the frig over night and then take it out a couple hours before you’re going to serve to let it get to room temperature.
And red hearts are always a good way to go!
best,
annalise
I just bought your GF Baking classics for the bread machine and was very excited. My 18month baby girl has JIA – juvenile Arthritis.. and loves bread. But she cannot have sugar or potato’s as it aggravates inflammation in her joints. Every recipe of yours contains sugar and potato starch in the book. So I was most disappointed. Can I substitute these items? please give me hope. thanks
hi!
My advice for the potato starch is this:
Is there a good substitute for potato starch?
Option 1: replace all the potato starch with more tapioca flour. This will give you a light baked good but without that “certain something” in the way of richer mouth-feel that the potato starch gives. It will also be a little softer, and much mushier in texture. Ultimately, it will be less likely to hold as much of it’s rise.
Option 2: replace 1 cup potato starch with 1/2 cup more tapioca flour and 1/2 cup corn starch first in an simple recipe. Then replace that 1 cup of potato starch with 1/2 cup tapioca, 1/4 corn starch and 1/4 cup sweet rice four, make the same recipe and see which version you like best.
Option 3: One enterprising baker on the west coast created his own concoction for his son with my mix: he divides the total amount of potato starch in half and uses 1/2 arrowroot and 1/2 extra finely ground sweet rice flour. So when the mix calls for 1 cup potato starch use 1/2 cup arrowroot and 1/2 sweet rice flour. But arrowroot is expensive (at least where I live). So if you want to try a less expensive version of this arrowroot/sweet rice flour option, replace 1 cup potato starch with 3/4 cup tapioca (which is much like arrowroot) and 1/4 sweet rice and adjust from there (or 1/2 cup tapioca and 1/2 cup sweet rice and see which you like best).
I don’t use a lot of sugar in any of my bread recipes; what little there is helps to balance the flavor and feed the yeast. But if you need to leave granulated sugar out entirely, can use things like coconut sugar or date sugar?? If not, although I don’t specialize in sugar-free baking and haven’t spent much time dealing with it, I’d try a sugar substitute like Splenda.
Please let me know if you have more questions about this or need help when you start testing with substitutes.
very best,
annalise
this is great.I will try it. I also have beetroot sugar, so I think I will try this as well. And where I live Arrowroot is the same cost as all the replacements.
excited to try this. Hope renewed. thanks for your guidance and prompt reply.
I want to make your Irish soda bread but don’t have buttermilk powder. I have buttermilk…if I replace the water and powder in your recipe will the bread still turn out?
Can’t wait to have a favorite addition back on the menu for Saint Patricks Day.
Thanks!
hi!
As long as it’s not a full fat buttermilk, you will be fine. The buttermilk powder is low fat and so it’s not really, really thick like full fat buttermilk. The full fat version would make the bread heavy and dense and it won’t rise as well.
I hope you enjoy it! I really look forward to making it each year.
very best,
Annalise