Gluten, found in wheat, rye, oats and barley, gives some baked products, particularly bread, elasticity and stability. It also has binding and thickening properties, however, those of us with a gluten intolerance need to use other ingredients to replicate the performance of gluten.
This is where xanthan gum, guar gum, psyllium husks and even flax and chia seeds come in. They are all readily available products.
Xanthan gum is an industrially processed product. It is a powder made from fermenting corn sugar with a bacteria known as Xanthomonas campestris. It is simply added to the dry ingredients. Use the same amount of xanthan gum as guar gum or psyllium husks in a recipe.
Guar gum is natural product which comes from guar beans, the seed of a bean like plant also known as an Indian Tree. It comes in powder form and is added to dry ingredients. Use the same amount of guar gum as xanthan gum or psyllium husks in a recipe.
Psyllium husks are also a natural product and are portions of the seeds of the Plantago ovata plant. It comes in husk or powder form and is added to dry ingredients. Use the same amount of psyllium husks as guar gum or xanthan gum in a recipe.
Flaxseeds, also known as linseeds, are a product of the Flax plant and have great binding and thickening properties when ground and mixed with twice their amount of boiling water then combined with your other ingredients. Flaxseeds are rich in antioxidants and B vitamins and come in brown and golden varieties. The golden gives a more neutral colour to your baked products. You can use a mixture of flaxseeds and chia seeds (see below) together. Use the same amount of flaxseeds as xanthan gum, guar gum or psyllium husks in a recipe.
Chia seeds are derived from a member of the mint family reportedly first used by the Aztecs and has an unusually high omega-3 fatty acid content and 34% higher fibre content than flaxseeds. When ground and mixed with twice their amount of boiling water can be then combined with your other ingredients. Use the same amount of chia seeds as xanthan gum, guar gum or psyllium husks in a recipe.
Even though they are used in small quantities in baking, Xanthan gum and guar gum can be unsettling to more sensitive stomachs and if this is your case then avoid them.
Rosie
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