Jim asks: I made some corn bread using gluten-free flour, soy milk and flax seed for eggs, but it came out heavy. Everything I try comes out the same. I am allergic to all three. Please help.
Baking S.O.S. says: It is a real challenge to make baked goods that taste good and have a good texture, too, when you need to avoid so many allergenic ingredients. I understand your frustration.
The good news is that I was presented with this exact same challenge just last week when I catered a luncheon for a group of people that needed gluten-free and vegan cornbread. Even though I am a “purist” when it comes to baking–I like to use white flour, eggs, butter, etc.–I feel like my vegan, gluten-free cornbread recipe turned out pretty tasty, so I will share it with you here! (Note: This recipe does not have a substitute for eggs, so I was skeptical that the cornbread would be too “loose” with nothing to bind it together, but it turned out just fine.)
Gluten-Free, Vegan Cornbread
Ingredients
•1 cup of gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Brand, found in the Natural Foods section of the grocery store)
•1 cup of ground cornmeal
•2 tsp baking powder
•½ tsp salt
•¼ cup corn or vegetable oil
•¼ cup pure maple syrup
•1 cup soymilk
•1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
•1 cup sweet corn kernels
Directions:
1) In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. 2) Add the vegetable oil, syrup, soymilk and vinegar; stir just until blended. Stir in corn kernels. 3) Pour batter into a greased 8×8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Yield: 9-16 servings
I am a purist in that I never use animal products and I also bake professionally, in this field there is also quite a bit of demand for gluten free products so I have done my fair share of research and and practice. Contrary to conventional wisdom, you can have out of this world results with both, there are just some different sets of rules.
For one, most gluten free recipes require xanthan gum or guar gum to get a good consistancy. They are interchangeable and actually work best together although are fine alone. Without one of them you will never quite hit the texture nail on the head In The absence of gluten.
Other great flours for gluten free baking are teff, rice and sorghum. Avoid potato flour at all costs as it tastes foul in sweet things. Tapioca flour is also good but some say it too has a funky taste. Cornstarch is also used like a flour in gluten free baking. It’s best to combine at least 2 or 3 types of flour when going gluten free. I like sorghum, teff, rice and cornstarch personally. Of course, it’s convenient if you have access to a gluten free all purpose flour.
If you are looking to substitute eggs one quarter cup of soy milk mixed with one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar is equivelant to one egg. Allow the mixture to sit for a few moments before mixing and it will coagulate. it acts as a binding agent and the acidic nature will leaven alongside baking soda. One quarter cup of yogurt, soy or traditional also binds and leavens due to it’s natural bacterial fauna. One quarter cup of silken tofu also binds and leavens as would one old school egg.
However, I suggest using established recipes that are already gluten free and vegan from trustworthy sources, substituting is often a game of roulette although you are usually good substituting up to two eggs in a traditional recipe. More than that and you have an egg heavy recipe and a tested and true recipe would save you a lot of time and frustration.
Thanks for the thorough explanation of tips and tricks for making substitutions in vegan baking.
I agree completely: it gets too complicated when attempting to alter a traditional recipe to make too many adjustments. I always feel it is best to do just as you suggested: seek out recipes that have already been tried and tested for the ingredients or substitutions you are looking for. Thanks for the great advice!
And speaking of using recipes that have already been tried and tested, I should mention that this recipe I offer here–Vegan and Gluten-Free Cornbread–is one that I adapted by combining a vegan cornbread recipe from my workplace with one that I found here at The Post Punk Kitchen. As I later learned, one of my co-workers happens to be The Post Punk Kitchen’s sister! Small world!!