The Chemistry of Gluten Free Baking

Imagine a life without the following foods:

Gluten Intolerance Gluten the Protein Non-Grain Alternatives Chemistry of Gluten-Free Starches Gluten-Free Baking Tips Pulling It All Together: Eating the Chemistry References

Source:  Against the Grain Gourmet Business Plan Presentation, Feb. 2006

For 3 million people suffering from Celiac Disease, or gluten intolerance, these foods are poison.  All of them contain gluten, found in wheat, rye, barley, triticale, and sometimes oats.  Traditional baking relies on a gluten reaction to create all the tasty baked goods shown above, that most people take for granted. Gluten free baking relies on non-grain alternatives such as rice flour, corn flour, tapioca flour, potato flour, quiona, and sorghum.  The chemistry of the proteins in these starches in baking, freezing, and storage is significantly different from wheat-based baked goods.  Traditional bakers take gluten for granted--gluten free bakers have to use a lot of chemistry in their craft to simulate the look, taste, and feel of gluten-based baked goods.  You can actually eat a chemistry project!