Allergy Friendly Baking

Baking can seem challenging on a good day, but take away gluten, eggs, and most dairy and it can seem like an overwhelming task. After acquiring multiple adverse reactions to gluten, eggs and all dairy except butter, I had to reinvent baking. Not everything you try at first will turn out, I still have not been brave enough to try gluten free pie crust after my first attempt turned out gooey. Still have no clue how I managed that one. Be patient, and keep trying and experimenting. Embrace the challenge and have chickens on hand to eat what goes really awry. 

Gluten
There are so many alternative flours out there it can be hard to wade through them all. They all have different textures, uses, and tastes which influence where they work best. I use the following blend for nearly all of my baking: 

5 Cups Brown Rice Flour
3 Cups Sorghum Flour
2 ⅔ Cups Tapioca Flour Can also use cornstarch, but I found I feel better when I use tapioca flour
 1 Cup Potato Starch
⅓ Cup Potato Flour


Run through a mesh sieve, mix all together and store in a jar.
When baking substitute for wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio and add gelatin at the rates of per cup of flour: 

• Cookies: 1/2 teaspoon 
• Cakes: 1 teaspoon 
• Muffins and Quick breads: 1 1/2 teaspoon
• Breads: 2 to 3 teaspoons 
• Pizza Crust: 4 teaspoons

I have found that gluten free baked goods dry out faster than those with gluten. To compensate I use a slightly shorter bake time, usually the minimum stated in the recipe, and check from there. After baking I freeze most of what I make, leaving out enough for a few days or what I can eat before it gets too stale. Another trick is to pop something in the microwave, 20 seconds in the microwave and it is warm and fresh. 

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Eggs
Eggs are used to bind baked goods together and add moisture. There are several ways to substitute eggs. The one I use all the time is a flax seed “egg” and I have found it to work great in muffins, quick breads and cookies. Take note that replacing more than two eggs in a recipe will alter the recipe too much. 

To Replace one egg: 



Flax Seed: Mix 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 Tablespoons water, mix and let sit a few minutes until it “gels”

Applesauce: Three Tablespoons mixed with 1 teaspoon baking powder. Can also use any other kind of pureed fruit such as banana or pumpkin at the same ratio. Be careful to match the flavor of the fruit to what you are baking. 

Baking powder: Mix 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 ½ Tablespoons water and 1 ½ Tablespoons oil. 

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Dairy
Milk: Milk is one of the easiest things to substitute. Replace dairy milk at a 1:1 ratio. You can use: 

• Nut Milk: almond, cashew, 
• Soy
• Rice
• Oat
• Coconut milk. There are two different types out there; the stuff in the can is quite thick and rich and can be made into whipped cream. The kind that comes in the carton is much closer to the dairy milk that you would normally drink or bake with.  

Buttermilk: for one cup buttermilk mix one cup milk alternative (listed above) and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and let sit five minutes to sour. 

Butter: To replace 1 stick (½ Cup)

• ½ cup shortening
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ margarine or non dairy butter alternative