Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Money Saving Gluten Free Master Bread Mixes


If you are striving to live a gluten-free diet, you have probably found that it can be a bit on the pricy side.  I knew when I made the decision to go GF that I wouldn't be able to give up carbs, nor would I want to!  I love to bake and have enjoyed the challenge of learning to bake GF.  Pre-made mixes that you can buy at your local grocer or health food store are not only expensive, but they are often small in quantity as well.  
A few months ago, I decided that investing in quality ingredients and proper storage containers and learning to bake from scratch would be worth my time and effort.  I must say it has truly paid off!  After scouring the internet for recipes and GF blogs, I have found a wealth of information that has helped make GF baking more efficient, more cost effective and more delicious!
Here are two master mixes that I use every week, one for baking quick breads/muffins and the other for baking and artisan or sandwich style bread.  I purchase most of my flours in bulk from Vitacost.com, store them in labeled OXO Canisters  (find them at Target and Kohls), and place any leftover flours in sealed Ziploc bags in the freezer for later use.  I make big batches of the master mixes, because I bake often.  If you don't bake as often, you might want to reduce the master mix recipes by half and store  them in the refrigerator to keep them fresher longer.  

After carefully measuring the ingredients for each mix, use a whisk to combine them thoroughly. When you use the mixes for baking, whisk the flours again, and do not pack them into the measuring cups when measuring for your favorite recipes. You can substitute the quick bread mix in most recipes that are labeled gluten-free, replacing the mix for the total amount of flour and leavening ingredients that they suggest.


Quick Bread Mix Recipe:
This is a mix is the result of my alterations/combinations of 3-4 other recipes.
Find my favorite banana bread recipe here - just sub flour & baking soda!

1.5 cups white rice flour
1.5 cups oat flour
3 cups sorghum flour
1 cup tapioca starch
8 tsp baking powder
4 tsp xanthan gum

Artisan Flour Blend
Recipe and Substitutions from No Gluten, No Problem!
Use this flour blend to make the Sandwich Bread recipe from N.G.N.P.

5 cups brown rice flour
3 cups sorghum flour or 1.5 cup teff flour & 1.5 cup oat flour
2-2/3 cup cornstarch or 1-2/3 cup arrowroot flour
1-1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 Tbs + tsp xanthan gum



3 comments:

  1. That looks great Susan! I am not a huge fan of GF breads and other items (except for cookies!), so I have just stopped making many of those things all together. I use coconut flour to make treats like donut holes or cookies for the kids, but that is it.

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  2. I have not baked with coconut flour, but would love to try it!! The breads I bake from scratch with these master mixes are really yummy, the boys even ask, "Hey, is this gluten free? Because, it tastes like the 'real' thing!" That's when you know you're making progress!

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