Without gluten, baked goods cannot rise. In the baking process, gluten helps hold baked goods together and gives them elasticity, so that the tiny particles become a homogene mass and form a smooth dough. Gluten is missing in gluten-free flours. Therefore you need to add gluten-free starches and extra binding agents for gluten-free baking so that the baked goods made from gluten-free flours look, smell and taste nicely.
Some of these binding agents are qualified as food additives. Generally, food additives add special properties to industrially processed food and may be of natural origin. They need to be declared on the wrapping of industrially processed food sold in the European Union and are assigned so-called “E-numbers” (EU food additive code).
Binding Agents for Gluten-Free Baking (in an Alphabetic Order)
- Agar (Agar-Agar)/E 406
- Chia Seed Flour
- Eggs
- Flaxseed Flour (Linseeds)
- Guar Gum Powder (Guaran)/E 412
- Locust Bean Gum Powder (Carob Bean Gum)/ E 410
- Psyllium Seed Husk Powder (Psyllium, Fiber Husk)
- Xanthan Gum Powder/ E 415
- Other Binding Agents
Agar (Agar-Agar)/E 406
- MADE FROM: algae; from South East Asia;
- TASTE: neutral flavor;
- SPECIAL BAKING PROPERTIES: very good binding and thickening agent; makes an especially elastic dough; also used as replacement for gelatine; the dry agar (powder or flakes) can be mixed directly into the mixture of dry ingredients of the dough; take 1 teaspoon of agar powder per one cup (240 ml) of water; try to measure exactly as too much agar makes the bread soggy; => back
Chia Seed Flour
- MADE FROM: seeds of the Mexican chia plant; belongs to the mint family; native to Mexico and Guatemala;
- TASTE: neutral, very mild and slightly nutty flavor;
- SPECIAL BAKING PROPERTIES: very good binding agent; use in flour mixes; increase baking time by about 5 %; absorbs liquids and turns into a gel which makes a good substitute for egg and oil in baking; => back
Eggs
- MADE FROM: chicken eggs;
- SPECIAL BAKING PROPERTIES: eggs are very important ingredients when baking gluten-free as they are natural binding agents; also a very good natural emulsifier as egg yolks contain lecithin which has the capability to combine fat and water; beaten egg whites provide baked goods with a light and fluffy consistency and add additional moisture to the dough; this helps baked goods to develop a pleasant fluffy crumb;
- BEWARE OF: if you are allergic to eggs you can use a gel made from either flaxseeds or chia seeds instead; => back
Flaxseed Flour (Linseeds)
- MADE FROM: whole seeds from the flax plant; belongs to the flax family; cultivated worldwide in the cooler regions of the world;
- TASTE: pleasant, nutty taste;
- SPECIAL BAKING PROPERTIES: works as binding agent as flaxseeds contain lecithins (though other binding agents are more effective); gives a good texture to baked goods and has plenty of fiber; mix with other gluten-free flours; up to 25 % of total flour; for one loaf of bread mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of hot water and let it soak until it turns into a dense and viscous gel; then add one heaping tablespoon from this flaxseed-gel to the batter or dough.
- BEWARE OF: mild laxative effect; => back
Guar Gum Powder (Guaran)/ E 412
- MADE FROM: ground endosperm of guar beans (brans and germs are removed from seeds); belongs to legumes; cultivated in India, Pakistan, U.S., Australia and Africa;
- TASTE: tasteless or slightly “beany” flavor;
- SPECIAL BAKING PROPERTIES: very good binding and thickening agent; able to bind big quantities of water in both, cold and warm condition (has nearly eight times the water-thickening potency of cornstarch); gives volume and a good texture to gluten-free baked goods; guar gum as a hydrocolloid is water-soluble and therefore improves mouth feel and builds viscosity; the high viscosity of guar gum (which increases when heated) helps cakes stay tender without the need to use a lot of fat; guar gum increases resiliency (i.e. elasticity) of gluten-free doughs; very good emulsifier (capability to connect water and fat phases); higher water solubility and better stabilizer than locust bean gum powder; capability to considerably increase effect of other plant-based thickening agents like locust bean gum powder (therefore often used together); needs to be measured very carefully: using too little means baked goods will fall apart and turn out brittle and hard, using too much causes them to develop a dense, rubberlike texture and to start shrinking after baking;
- BEWARE OF: may cause allergies; if you are allergic to beans, soy or other legumes you might not tolerate well guar gum; may add to gut issues when consumed in bigger quantities; => back
Locust Bean Gum Powder (Carob Bean Gum)/ E 410
- MADE FROM: endosperm of seeds (skin and germs are removed) of the ripe fruits of the locust bean gum tree; belongs to legumes; cultivated in the Mediterranean region;
- TASTE: neutral taste;
- SPECIAL BAKING PROPERTIES: binding and thickening agent; strong swelling and water absorption capacities (5 times stronger than cornstarch, i.e. it can bind up to 100 times its own weight in water); gives volume to gluten-free baked goods; considerably increases effect of other plant-based thickening agents like guar gum powder (often used together);
- BEWARE OF: may have a laxative effect if intake is too high; may cause allergic reactions; => back
Psyllium Seed Husk Powder (Psyllium, Fiber Husk, Ispaghula, Isabgol, Desert Indianwheat)
- MADE FROM: husks of the seeds of the blond psyllium plant; belongs to the plantain family; native of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan;
- TASTE: bland taste; earthy, “wheaty” taste;
- SPECIAL BAKING PROPERTIES: capability to bind a lot of water as its fibers are very good swelling agents; this helps make gluten-free breads and pastries much less crumbly; also, as plenty of moisture is kept in the dough, it gets smoother and is much easier to form and to roll out (better resiliency); psyllium seed husk powder has the ability to replace locust bean gum powder and other binding agents; it can be mixed directly with dry ingredients; better result though if first soaked in a little bit of hot water (for about 2 to 3 hours) until it turns into a thick and viscous (slippery) gel and then added to the dough; take 1 to 3 tablespoons of psyllium seed husk powder for 1 loaf of bread;
- BEWARE OF: mild laxative effect; => back
Xanthan Gum Powder/ E 415
- MADE FROM: produced by fermentation of glucose, sucrose, or lactose; source product may be corn, wheat (!), dairy, or soy;
- TASTE: neutral;
- SPECIAL BAKING PROPERTIES: very good binding and thickening agent and stabilizer for baked goods; adds volume, elasticity and viscosity to gluten-free doughs or batter; increases binding of water and helps retain moisture; provides stickiness (thereby acting as substitute for gluten) and makes doughs easier to handle and to roll out; helps bread get less crumbly; improves mouth feel and builds viscosity; you need to be very precise when measuring the amount of xanthan gum needed (e.g. acids increase the effect of guar gum): using too little xanthan gum means baked goods will fall apart and turn out brittle and hard, using too much causes them to develop a dense, rubberlike texture and to start shrinking after baking; due to synergy effects with locust bean gum powder you need less of both binding agents;
- BEWARE OF: try to avoid gluten-containing source products of xanthan gum (especially wheat) as these may cause adverse reactions in people very sensitive to gluten; => back
Other Binding Agents
- Carrageenans (Carrageenins, Carrageen) / E 407: extracted from red edible seaweeds; very good gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties; good binding agent; increases viscosity; intake of bigger quantities of carrageenans have potential to develop gastrointestinal malignancy and inflammatory bowel disease;
- Gelatin (Gelatine): hydrolized form of collagen from animal by-products (skin, bones, and connective tissues); for sweet and savory baked goods like butter and foam cakes and muffins, but not for yeast doughs; binding and thickening agent; makes the dough smooth; substitute for eggs; usually not more than 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons required;
- Honey and Agave Sirup (Agave Nectar): for sweet baked goods like cakes, muffins and sweet bread; good binding agent; adds moisture to the dough; add 1 to 2 tablespoons to the dough; do not use if you are fructose intolerant; => back
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