Gluten is a combination of proteins that are found in all forms of wheat of different species and hybrids as well as in barley, oats and rye. Some people are sensitive to the presence of gluten in their foods; it may cause gastrointestinal symptoms for people that are suffering from conditions such as ceoliac disease, gluten ataxia, dermatitis herpetiformis or wheat allergies.
Gluten free baking involves finding substitutes for wheat and other ingredients that contain gluten in baking products. When buying foods it’s important to keep in mind that whilst they may be labelled ‘gluten-free’ it is possible that they still contain trace elements of gluten.
When baking you can use the following substitutes for gluten-based grains: buckwheat, millet flour, sorghum flour, black beans, amaranth flour, chickpea flour, coconut flour, teff flour, cassava flour, almond flour, potato flour, brown rice flour, sweet white rice flour and tapioca among others.