Tips for Successful Gluten-Free Baking
When a gluten-free bread or baked good doesn’t taste quite right, it’s usually because of the texture. Gluten is an elastic protein found in wheat (and barley and rye) that gives structure and a satisfying chewiness. Without it, gluten-free baked goods have the potential to be dense, crumbly, and disappointing even if the flavor is on point. But they don’t have to be! With the right recipe, you can end up with a final product that is just as good or, dare I say, even better than the gluten-filled version. The best candidates for easy gluten-free transformation are recipes that don’t rely on the structure and chewiness that gluten provides. Banana bread is a perfect example. It gets its moistness from the mashed bananas, structure from the egg, and chewiness from the melted butter—the flour contributes less than 50 percent of what it takes to make this loaf! Not to mention, one of the pitfalls of making gluten-filled baked goods is over-mixing the batter. This develops the gluten and results in an unpleasant toughness. With our gluten-free batter, this is a non-issue.
What’s the Best Gluten-Free Flour?
Years ago, you’d have to pull together different combinations of grains and ingredients for gluten free baking. These days, there are many brands that offer awesome all-purpose gluten-free blends. My current favorite is King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour. I also love Cup4Cup Multipurpose Gluten Free Flour (note that it contains milk) and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. One-to-one gluten-fre flours should work as an equal replacement for standard flour, but it’s always a good idea to double check the fine print on your Gluten Free flour to make sure you don’t need to mix in additional ingredients like Xanthan Gum.
Banana Bread Swaps and Substitutions
If you’re looking for a classic banana bread, this is it. But, if you want to jazz it up, the sky’s the limit!
Add some mix ins: You could add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, and/or 1/2 cup chocolate chipsSwap the sugar: You can also adjust the amount of sugar to your liking and even swap one sugar for another. Try raw or brown sugar for an added caramel-like flavor.Make it dairy-free: If you’re dairy-free and avoiding butter, use equal parts coconut, olive, or vegetable oil instead.
How to Store and Freeze Banana Bread
It’s best to store banana bread covered on your countertop. It should last up to 5 or 6 days that way, but it’s best within the first 3 to 4 days. It is still perfectly edible after day 4, but it might start to dry out. If you don’t think you’ll use it up in time, don’t worry. Freezing banana bread is easy.
Try These Incredible Banana Bread Recipes
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