Gluten free gums...

 

Today we will be discussing gluten free gums in baking. Gluten is the one main thing lacking in all gluten free flours. Yes, I know, real bummer, right? Life just isn't easy sometimes. Most all gluten free storebought mixes already contain gums in their ingredients list, mostly, if not all list xanthan gum in the ingredient list, so you are pretty much limited on your choice of the two. Xanthan gum or guar gum.

These premade mixes usually work best in baked goods such as cookies and muffins, however they limit you in choosing to use one gum over the other because they are already in the pre made mixes. Therefore, if you make your own GF home blended mixes you can save yourself a few $$$ and choose which gum you would prefer to use. The two basic gums I'm going to discuss today are xanthan gum and guar gum.

 I prefer to blend my own homemade mixes "WITHOUT" any added gums, then I can add the amount I need according to whatever recipe I am making, Ex: Cookies, cakes, etc. You will find Xanthan gum in many products that you consume already on a daily basis. It’s in most salad dressings, ice cream, and even yogurts. It’s also used in many cosmetic products like lotions and shampoos.  

First you might want to consider the cost of both. Guar gum costs nearly half as much as xanthan gum.  Guar gum is made by grinding a bean like seed from the guar plant into a fine fibrous powder. Some people find that guar gum can cause digestive problems even when used in small amounts and be unable to digest baked goods that use guar gum, therefore xanthan gum might be a better choice. If too much guar gum is used it can cause dense, stringy texture to your baked goods.

Xanthan gum is probably the most commonly used gluten substitute of the two in gluten free baking. It is made by fermenting sugars (glucose, sucrose, or lactose) with a microbial called Xanthomonas campestris. Sometimes corn sugar. It should be used sparingly. Too much can cause results that can be dense, gummy and sometimes slimy.

Since I mix my own gluten free flour blends, I prefer to add the gums to my recipe as needed instead of mixing it into the blends, that way I can be more precise in using the right amount for the particular recipe I might be making.

When using Xanthan Gum follow this chart:

To make:

Cookies: 1/4 teas per each cup of gluten free flour

Cakes & Pancakes:  1/2 teas per each cup of gluten free flour

Muffins & Quick breads:  3/4 teas per each cup of gluten free flour

Breads: 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons per each cup of gluten free flour

Pizza dough: 2 teas per each cup of gluten free flour

EX:  If your recipe calls for 2 cups of flour for a cookie recipe you would add just ½ teas of xanthan gum to the flour in the recipe.

 

To use Guar gum: 

Cookies; 1/4 to ½ teas per cup of gluten free flour

Cakes and pancakes:  ¾ teas per cup of gluten free flour

Muffins & quick breads:  1 teas per cup of gluten free flour

Breads: 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons per cup of gluten free flour

Pizza dough: 1 Table per cup of gluten free flour

EX:  If your recipe calls for 2 cups of flour for a cookie recipe you would add just ½ to 1 teas guar gum to the flour in the recipe.

 

 

I personally have been using xanthan gum for years just because that is what I have always had on hand so I personally cannot tell you how guar gum will work on any of the recipes I post. It’s a personal preference.

There are other alternatives such as flaxseed and ground chia seed. They will not give you the same mouth feel in your baked goods so therefore I do not personally use them, unless specifically called for in bread recipes. They will however reduce the crumbliness that your baked goods would have without adding anything. Also, because these need to be added to water before using, most recipe might require a tweaking of the liquids in the recipe. Kind of like adding 5 eggs to a recipe when it only calls for 3. 

I have surfed the web over the years and found countless "MOCK" flour mixes. Some I have used; some I haven’t gotten to yet, but I will be sharing a few with you soon. I’m still waiting on my stove to be delivered. September 1st can't come soon enough!!! I am having a surprise birthday party for my grandson who will be turning 18 this year on the 13th of September and I need to get baking. 

I hope this helps answer most of your questions about gums to add structure to your baked goods. I look forward to finally being able to try four of the "MOCK" gluten free flour mixes I have mixed and sitting on my shelf ready to make brownies and compare the results of each with you very soon.

Until next post,

Sharon