Anyone baking gluten-free will quickly discover a wide range of flours and mixes. You don’t have to miss out on a crisp pizza, moist cakes or good bread — with the right combinations of flours, starches and binders, baking works without wheat or spelt. Used with an Italian wood-fired oven, the results are full of flavour; among others, the Valoriani Baby Holz has proven well for this with us.
Overview of gluten-free flours
Gluten-free flours do not have the sticky, elastic properties of gluten-containing grains. To achieve structure, volume and moisture you therefore need suitable starches and binders in the blend.
Popular gluten-free flours for baking
- Cornmeal (slightly sweet/nutty) – pizza, bread, cakes
- Buckwheat flour (nutty/spicy) – bread, savoury baked goods
- Millet flour (mildly sweet) – muffins, loaf cakes, light quick breads
- Chickpea flour (nutty) – pizza, cakes
- Sweet potato flour (nutty/sweet, with pumpkin/chestnut notes) – loaf cakes, muffins
- Quinoa flour (nutty/slightly bitter) – pizza, bread
- Amaranth flour (nutty) – pizza, bread, biscuits
- Almond flour (nutty) – cakes, muffins
Starches and other gluten-free flours
- Corn starch, potato starch and rice flour – mild, suitable for savoury and sweet applications
- Coconut flour (sweet) – loaf cakes, muffins
- Lupin flour (slightly nutty) – breads, pastries
- Rice starch (mild/slightly nutty) – loaf cakes
- Soy flour (distinct nutty flavour) – breads, cakes
- Teff flour (sweet/nutty) – biscuits, cakes
- Tapioca flour (relatively neutral) – biscuits
Binders for structure and moisture
- Psyllium husk / psyllium husk flour
- Locust bean gum
- xanthan gum
- Glutinous rice flour
- Chia seeds
- Arrowroot starch
- Guar gum
- Egg white
For moister cakes, adding a little yoghurt or quark can increase the batter’s moisture.
Differences when baking gluten-free
- Do not substitute gluten-containing recipes 1:1 with gluten-free flours — adjust the blends.
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature before use.
- Knead the dough for longer, at least 5 minutes. Tip: gentle dough mixers (e.g., Bernardi My Miss Baker) help develop the dough evenly.
- Allow sufficient time for the ingredients to hydrate.
- In a home oven, use top-and-bottom heat rather than fan (convection) and place an ovenproof dish of water inside. In a wood-fired oven, ensure adequate base heat and a closed baking chamber.
Conclusion: With an appropriate combination of flours, starches and binders, a little extra kneading time and rest, gluten-free baking works well — whether pizza, bread or cake.