okay… i’ll admit… the poor dietitian hasn’t had a chance to speak in a long, looong time.
not that she has nothing to say, it’s just that the bossy cook takes over too much. and this time the dietitian has something to clear up for the cook.
if you know much about gluten-free baking, you know that some kind of binder is required. if you don’t know what i’m talking about, read this post to learn more.
for three years i have posted gluten-free recipes on this site and even wrote a gluten-free cookbook full of recipes that were all created without using gums as binders. instead, i’ve most frequently used golden flaxmeal to add some structural support to my gluten-free goodies. i’ve been thrilled with the results. and i’ve also been satisfied with the nutritional profile flaxmeal added to my recipes.
however….. there is an entire category of baked goods that i have never felt confident making with only the structural assistance of flax. things like yeasted breads, many pastries, and biscuits.
i’ve tried. i’ve failed. i’ve added other healthy, good things, like whey, egg yolks, and more but never with great success.
though i’ve never been a fan of baking with xanthan gum, i have consumed it for years in almost every store-bought gluten-free product out there. some have issues with it, as it can cause GI distress. thankfully, i do not seem to be one of them. but because i do seem to consume a lot of it through the products we buy, i wanted to limit consumption by not including it in the things i made at home too.
the purpose of this dietitian’s speech is to say i have surrendered.
not whole-heartedly, though. i do not plan to include it in the things i don’t feel need it. but i will throw it in for the success of some otherwise unreachable recipes. you may have already noticed my soul-feeding salted soft pretzels and my no-lie best-ever gluten-free biscuits. they are both made possible by the help of the previously forbidden binder.
i hope this isn’t a grave disappointment to any of you readers. i promise to use it responsibly and only when deemed necessary.
and i’m also really excited about the door of recipe possibilities that seems to have just opened wide!
