There are a few things you need to know before we start baking together.
Soon after I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance, I searched for a gluten-free flour mix that I could use at ease for my recipes. I tried commercial ones, with different results. But it was becoming very expensive, and, honestly, none of them was able to produce consistent results.
In my search I was lucky enough, and yes, determined enough, to find a great inspiration for what later became a staple in my pantry, Simona’s Flour Mix. Carol Kicinski’s book, Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts introduced me to the use of sweet rice flour, or gelatinous rice flour.
In my years of baking gluten-free, I have learned that the flours and starches we use can make a great deal of difference. For this reason I want to suggest you buy the best, finest, rice flour available, from Authentic Foods, directly or on Amazon. In addition to this, I confess that, personally, I do not like the taste of tapioca starch. In my opinion, everything prepared with the commercial tapioca starch has the same aftertaste. So, I thought I won the jackpot when, by stroke of luck, I stumbled on Expandex, a modified tapioca starch. The brand I use is carried by Judee’s.
Lastly, thanks to British baker Phil Vickery, I found that adding glycerin to some baked goods adds moisture and cohesiveness to the final product. Vegetable glycerin, or glycerol, is a clear, odorless liquid produced from plant oils, typically palm oil, soy, or coconut oil. I buy food grade vegetable glycerine, usually from Amazon.
Now, before I give you the recipe for Simona’s Flour Mix, I would like to make a suggestion. Growing up in Italy, I used scales in the kitchen my whole life. They ensure precision, and replicability in a recipe. I can ensure you that there is a kitchen scale in every household in Italy, and that millions of people use it everyday. I know that it can be a little intimidating at first, but once you try it – and have fun with it – believe me if I say that it becomes second nature. Now my American husband uses it too, and my kids love to help me read the numbers on it when we bake together. You can find a digital scale for less than $20.00 on Amazon. Try to buy one that has both ounces and grams. When I write my recipes, I write the measurements in volume and weight, though I can only attest to the success of the recipes if weight is used.
And now a final request. I have shared my recipe for a gluten-free flour with the intent of having more and more people enjoy gluten-free baked goods. I have always known that the risk was that someone could take advantage of its availability, and claim it as their own. But I have also always firmly believed in kindness and fairness. So, I would humbly ask whoever decides to use it, if they could please acknowledge its origin. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing your magic recipes with us!
It’s my pleasure, Kim. Enjoy!
My daughter is your biggest fan and simply loves everything you make! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with the public!
It’s my pleasure! Please, let me know if you try any of my recipes, and how they came out!
great blog site! Please add me to your email list!
Thank you, Beth!
Any tips on how to mix this flour so it’s a pretty even mixture of these flours??
Best,
E
Hi Elena,
I usually wear a couple of latex gloves and use my hands to mix it thoroughly. Though, a stand mixer would do the trick too.
Let me know how you like the flour!
Best,
Simona
We have an opportunity to attend an exceptional vendor/manufacturer of gluten-free foods event and eight very good speakers next Saturday in Hartford. The speaker topics are attached. Admission is $10.00, kids under 13 years old are admitted free. GFAFwellnessevent-hartford.blogspot.com
Location is: Hartford/Windsor Marriott Airport, 28 Day Hill Road, Windsor, CT 06095
Our next Western Mass Gluten Free/Celiac support Group is on 21 October at Sylvester’s Restaurant in Northampton, MA, 7p.m. We will share info on the very confusing FDA labeling law, setting the allowable gluten limit at 20ppm. Why are we measuring just one element? Why, before the regulation, was the allowable limit zero ppm?. Why is there so much push back to label oats gluten-free? What happened to Gluten-Free Cheerios, and why the Cheerios GF process was never a good idea anyway?.
And much more gleaned from recent EXPOS, the International Symposium, lectures, seminars, and other sources. Big changes are continually happening in our food supply and science of gluten free. Stay up to date, we remind each other to remain vigilant about what we put in our mouths and on our skin, what we breathe (flour in a pizza shop or Panera’s for instance), and more. Please come. We need you to help spread the word and skill set to others in our community, and our own families who may be just learning or in denial.
Bruce, homsteadhealth@live.com 413.527.7524
Thank you, Bruce, for the update!