Gluten is a protein found in wheat and some other grains–it’s what gives bread its springy, chewy character. Many people are discovering, however, that they have an allergy/intolerance to gluten. While I’m fortunate enough to able to eat any grains that catches my eye, some of my dinner guests cannot…and besides, I enjoy sampling non-gluten flours and flavors. Garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour makes wonderful sauteéd flatbreads (similar to Indian chapatis) and almond meal is a welcome addition to many cookies and quick breads. (You can substitute half the amount of wheat/white flour for almond meal without impairing the final texture of whatever you’re baking.) Injera–the traditional bread prepared in Ethiopian households–uses ground teff, a grain that is gluten-free. In fact, some of our most cherished American dishes are gluten-free: cornbread and 100% buckwheat pancakes, to name a few.
If you’re trying out a gluten-free diet or are cooking for someone who is, you should know that you need to avoid using any wheat products (including processed foods with starch/modified starch) as well as the other grains that contain gluten: barley, bulgur, couscous, kamut, rye, and spelt. Oats are on the questionable list. Wheat also sneaks into processed soy sauce, so don’t plan on serving soy-glazed chicken! (Soybeans themselves are fine; the wheat is only used in the sauce.)
Below is a zucchini bread recipe I developed for a gluten-free friend. While the final product isn’t as fluffy as the traditional wheat-based bread, the brown rice flour pairs very well with the zucchini and gives the texture a bit of crunch.
Note: you can glutenize this recipe by reducing the amount of baking soda AND baking powder by half and using whole-wheat flour rather than brown rice and buckwheat.
Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
In another bowl, mix:
3/4 cup sucanat
2 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil or melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Incorporate the dry ingredients into the liquid ones. Stir in:
2 cups grated zucchini, squeezed of moisture (squeeze first, then measure)
Bake in the greased pan for about 50 minutes, then do the is-it-done-yet? toothpick test. (Bread should be a golden brown.) Let cool before removing from pan.
Enjoy!
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Tags: baking, flours, gluten-free, zucchini bread
