Americas Test Kitchen: Gluten
April 25, 2014 by FaveGlutenFreeRecipes
This past Tuesday, the editors of FaveGlutenFreeRecipes and RecipeLion had the opportunity to attend a gluten-free cooking event presented by Americas Test Kitchen Editorial Director, Jack Bishop. Americas Test Kitchen is the most-watched cooking show on public television, and is now in their 14th season. They recently launched a new cookbook entitled, The How Can it be Gluten Free Cookbook, which was at the center of this presentation.
As a huge fan of the Americas Test Kitchen TV show, I was thrilled to attend this event. Ive watched Bishop run the taste test segment for years, so it felt like I was meeting a celebrity!
I learned a lot about gluten-free cooking at the presentation. Bishop was very knowledgeable about the topic and discussed everything from how to make a gluten-free flour blend to tips on making the perfect gluten-free pie crust. It was fascinating to learn all of the complexities of cooking for this particular diet. As I do not personally follow a gluten-free diet, I did not have a wide knowledge of gluten free cooking. I received a good taste of it that night, though .
We learned a lot about gluten free cooking at this event, and Id like to share a few things right here:
Americas Test Kitchen Goes Gluten
Thats a lot of exclamation points in one headline. But I kind of get excited when an institution like Americas Test Kitchen gets all up in our gluten-free business by publishing The How Can It Be Gluten-Free Cookbook and creating their own ATK gluten-free flour blend. Woot! The experts are in the hiz-ouse.
These lovely folks sent me the book, a canister of pre-mixed gluten-free flour blend along with a solid bread pan. Which is why I just had to test out a bread recipe. Since I love the cheese so much I made their Cheddar Cheese Bread and wowza! This bread disappeared in like 5 minutes as my kids grabbed it right out of my hands before I even had a chance to make grilled cheese sandwiches.
Since I hid two pieces behind my back, I was able to make myself a toasted turkey, cheese and arugula sandwich. I say toasted, because I just wanted a little buttery crunch instead of a melty mess since the bread was so light and nice. Lookee
I SWEAR there was more arugula in there. Im not just trying to pretend I eat vegetables up in here. Anyhoo. This gluten-free bread was incredibly easy to make, and was ready in no time.
Now, youre probably wondering how you can get some of this gluten-free cheddar cheese bread right up in your mouth asap, right? Heres how:
Gluten-Free Cheddar Cheese Bread
Makes: 1 Loaf
Substitute for ATK Flour Blend: 2 1/4 cups King Arthur Gluten-Fere Multi-Purpose Flour or 2 1/2 cups of Bobs Red Mill GF All-Purpose Baking Flour .
Ingredients:
Whole Grain Gluten Free Waffles
Americas Test Kitchen whole grain gluten free waffle recipe
I decided to try their whole grain flour mix because it does not call for powdered milk like the all-purpose one does and I wanted to try it exactly their way without substitutions or omissions. Since milk is the thing that upsets my stomach the most Id have to leave out or replace the powdered milk in the standard blend. I found I had to make a substitution in the whole grain blend after all though. The Flax USA brand of ground golden flaxseeds they recommend is not available in any local stores near me and when I tried to order it online every source I checked said it was out of stock. Not knowing if any other brand would be as finely ground as their recommended one should I bother to order it online, I just got what the local store had which was the Bobs Red Mill they said was too coarse.
waffle made with Americas Test Kitchens whole grain gluten free waffle recipe
You May Like: Publix Gluten Free Pizza
There Are Two Ways To Make A Fruit Tart With The Gluten Free Tart Crust Recipe
- You can pre-bake tart crust and then fill with fresh fruit as I did with the below strawberry tart.
- You can make baked fruit tarts, , as seen here with the cherry berry tart.
- Add cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until dough forms.
- Turn dough onto sheets of plastic.
- Flatten, wrap well in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
- Once you are ready to roll, take out and, if necessary, let it sit out on counter to soften a little.
- Roll into a 12 inch round. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly round.
- Put dough in tart pan and reserve scraps to press in.
- Place prepared tart pan in freezer for for about 15 minutes, prior to baking.
- Bake and fill as needed for recipes.
- If you need to bake completely without filling , bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F.
- Cover with Parchment paper that has been greased or sprayed with a baking spray.
- Fill with pie weights . Make sure to cover edges so they don’t burn.
- Cool completely before filling.
Did You Make This Recipe
Tag on Instagram and hashtag it #thismessisours
Want to learn more about The How Can It Be Gluten-Free Cookbook? My girl Beth of Tasty Yummies had the amazing opportunity to review their new cookbook as well and is sharing her thoughts and their classic sandwich bread recipe over on her site. Just look at those gorgeous slices of gluten free bread! So go ahead and enter our giveaway then hop over to read Beth’s review and check out the recipe for this gorgeous loaf of bread by clicking here.
Congratulations to Karolyn Bolay for winning the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook giveaway!!!
Disclosure: The thoughts and opinions in this post are my own. I received a free copy of this cookbook from ATK for review. This post also contains affiliate links, if you purchase an item through clicking one of these links you will not be charged any extra, but Beard and Bonnet will receive a small percentage of your sale. These funds go towards maintaining our site and we thank you!
Read Also: Is Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing Gluten Free
The Best Gluten Free Flour Blend
When diagnosed with celiac disease, I cried tears of joy and sorrow. Joy because the diagnosis proved I was not crazy sorrowful funeral tears for my life-long emotional relationship with bread. Since then, I searched high and low FOR YEARS for the perfect wheat-alternative flour blend. Being from the south, all I wanted in life was a biscuit that actually tasted like a biscuit! And, by gosh, I found it impossible to find a flour blend or recipe that could manage this feat That is, until 2 years ago when my mother gave me the Americas Test Kitchens gluten-free cookbooks.
All I can say is, thank you God for Americas Test Kitchen. Without you, I would never have rediscovered that bread and baked goods actually taste good.
Americas Test Kitchen has published two gluten free cookbooks:
The first, titled The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook: Revolutionary Techniques, Groundbreaking Recipes, starts with a comparison of what is currently available in the gluten-free market including, but not limited to, breads, pastas, and all-purpose flours. It then continues on to discuss their tested, tried-and-true, flour blend. Finally, they explain what works , so we, the readers, can effectively prepare and produce cakes, lasagna, pizza, and friend chicken in our own kitchens. I think they also break and reinvent some traditional baking rules along the way!
Heres What Spinach Tiger Says About This Gluten Free Flour Mix
If you are going to make your own gluten free flour mix, you may save a little money, but you will make an initial big investment and need to find room to store all the various flours and starches in your pantry.
You will still need to purchase the following products for various gluten free baking recipes:
Xanthum gum, used as a binder, and in almost all recipes.
Psyllium husk powder, especially good in bread recipes, creating an open and airy crumb, used in many of the bread recipes.
Golden flax meal, used in many of the recipes and adds structure.
Baking Powder, may be added to recipes like the gluten free pizza.
Baking Soda is alkaline and used when other acidic ingredients are used such as buttermilk, or sour cream.
Instant or Rapid Rise Yeast.
Also Check: Gluten Free Cookies And Cream Ice Cream Brands
Why This Recipe Works
While gluten development is less important in tender biscuits than in chewy bread, our gluten-free flour blend still fell short. As we did with other breads, we strengthened the protein network with powdered psyllium husk and added an egg t… Read More
- 2 chocolate bar biscuit croissant topping
- 1 jelly cotton candy
- 2 caramels tart gummi bears
- 6 butterscotch caramel lollipops
- ¼ cup sugar
Helpful Tips For Gluten
- It is very important to measure flour by weight, not volume, because different flours weigh different amounts.
- Roll pie crusts between saran wrap instead of on a floured surface. Flour must be hydrated in gluten-free baking , so excess flour will mess up the final product.
- Problem: gluten-free bread loaves are always tiny. Solution: Make a foil souffle collar to put on top of your loaf pan and fill it with double the amount of dough. This will allow the dough to rise without spilling over during baking.
- Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf life than foods that contain gluten. Therefore, its best to make recipes that yield less food. You can always double the recipe if youre expecting more people, but you never want to make too much.
- Gluten controls the spreading of cookie dough. Its common for gluten-free cookies to spread out on the cookie sheet and create one large, flat cookie.
Also Check: Is Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing Gluten Free
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Grandma Ts Gluten Free Pizza Atk Recipe Tweaks:
Our first gluten free pizza in all its glory.
Since I cook for two, I make three crusts instead of two . I use coconut oil which gives the crust a lighter texture. For the sauce , I use salsa-style fire-roasted tomatoes and add cayenne pepper to make it spicy.
Recommended toppings:
- red and green bell peppers
- mushrooms
- pepperoni
Recommended Reading: Are Dove Ice Cream Bars Gluten Free
How To Make Atk Gluten Free Pie Dough
- 1Combine ice water, sour cream, and vinegar together in a bowl. Process flour blend, sugar, salt and xanthan gum together in food processor until combined. Scatter butter over the top and pulse mixture until butter is pea sized.
- 2Pour half of sour cream mixture over flour mixture and pulse until incorporated. Pour remaining sour cream mixture over flour mixture and pulse until dough comes together.
- 3Divide dough into 2 even pieces. Flatten each piece into a 5″ disc and tightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Before rolling let dough sit out for 15 minutes to soften slightly. Dough can remain refrigerated for up to two days.
- Last Step: Don’t forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don’t forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
Reading The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook
The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook is just as much textbook as it is filled with recipes. If you crack it open, they immediately school you on the science of gluten, what it is, and what it does. The book is in depth and thorough. They explain their special flour blend for this book, as developed by Americas Test Kitchen , and the reasons why it works the way that it does. If you have an inner science geek living inside your brain , youre going to love it!
Beyond the science-y stuff, the cooks at ATK break down different gluten-free grains with a thorough description of each. There are charts comparing different gluten-free products on the market as rated by a tasting panel, determining things like which gluten-free breads and pastas they would recommend straight off the shelf. I had never seen something like that done before, so it was fun to read and gave me some good ideas on new products I might want to consider.
Read Also: Is Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing Gluten Free
How To Make Gluten Free Flour Mix From Scratch
Ive talked about the American Test Kitchens Gluten Free Baking Book many times now.
The recipes work and most of the time I dont use a from scratch gluten free flour, as I use Bobs Red Mill One to One Flour.
However, last week, I made the flour from scratch to make this strawberry tart. I ordered all of the various flours necessary, which is something a blogger will do, but Im still not sure a home cook will want to pursue.
If you do want to make your own gluten free flour mix, this fares well, as do all the recipes Ive tested so far from the cookbook.
The ATK book is very instructive is telling us why they use each ingredient.
The Good News When Baking Gluten Free
You may choose to order all of these flours or go with a store bought brand. I found the Bobs Red Mill One to One flour fared just as good, but I did add in a teaspoon of non-fat dry milk to many recipes.
Weigh Your Ingredients
You MUST weigh your ingredients to make this mix. I use a scale like this. The ATK recipe is stated in ounces. I like to weigh in grams.
Ive been baking gluten free for a few years now, and have some very successful recipes. You can use this flour made from scratch or the Bobs Red Mill one to one for any of my gluten free recipes.
The most popular here and on youtube is my gluten free biscuits and the feedback has been amazing.
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Heres What Americas Test Kitchen Says About Their Gluten Free Flour Mix
Tapioca Flour lends elasticity and structure.
Non-Fat Dry Milk, which adds to flavor, browning, structure and tenderness, while tempering starchiness. Also encourages hydration of starches and proteins.
Xanthan Gum helps with structure and stability. It is NOT part of the recipe, but will be needed in most recipes. They left it out in order to customize the quantity.
