Troubleshooting Gluten-Free Baking by America’s Test Kitchen
From crumbly cookies to gummy cakes, gluten-free baking can seem impossible. Don’t be discouraged. America’s Test Kitchen has made the mistakes so we don’t have to. Here are just a few of their easy tricks to help avoid the most common gluten-free fails.
- America’s Test Kitchen, Gluten-Free Trouble Shooting 1
Pancakes
COMMON PROBLEM | POSSIBLE SOLUTION |
---|---|
Dense, gummy texture | Lower burner or griddle temperature and extend cooking time to help pancakes cook through without getting too brown |
Muffins and Quick Breads
COMMON PROBLEM | POSSIBLE SOLUTION |
---|---|
Crumbly texture | Add extra egg and use binder, like xanthan gum |
Dense texture | Use more leavener |
Dry texture | Add additional liquid or sour cream |
Mushy center | Lower oven temperature and extend baking time |
Gritty texture | Let batter rest for 30 minutes before baking |
Drop Cookies
COMMON PROBLEM | POSSIBLE SOLUTION |
---|---|
Excessive spread | Add binder and let dough rest |
Gritty texture | Let dough rest for 30 minutes before baking |
Greasy | Use less butter and swap in a portion of almond butter |
Overly crisp texture | Use more brown sugar, less white sugar |
Overly soft texture | Use superfine sugar and leave cookies in turned-off oven after baking for several minutes to dry out |
Airy, hollow texture | Use melted butter instead of creaming it |
Burnt bottoms | Before baking, place baking sheet of cookies inside second sheet for extra insulation on bottom |
Cakes, Pie and Tart Dough
COMMON PROBLEM | POSSIBLE SOLUTION |
---|---|
Greasy mouthfeel | Swap in sour cream, chocolate, or cream cheese for some of fat |
Dense crumb | Reduce amount of fat, use additional liquid, use additional baking powder, use additional egg |
Gummy center | Lower oven temperature and extend baking time; swap out some of liquid for sour cream |
Edges of cake are tough | Line sides and bottom of cake pan with parchment paper |
Cake doesn’t release | When parchment is not an option, make paste of butter and flour blend and brush into pan |
Yeast Breads
COMMON PROBLEM | POSSIBLE SOLUTION |
---|---|
Crumbly texture | Add binder, such as xanthan gum |
Not flaky | Add small amount of rice vinegar |
Dry, difficult dough | Process butter more thoroughly during mixing |