LAS VEGAS — The surge in customer demand for gluten-free baked goods is high, and to adapt, IBIE attendees packed into a classroom to tune into You Too Can Bake Deliciously Gluten Free Baked Goods, one of the sessions held during the Baking Expo’s dedicated education day on Sept. 13.
Jenae Cartwright, owner of Cake and Crumble in Auburn, WA, presented to bakers eager to learn about the benefits of baking gluten-free, the science behind the specialty, guidance on sanitation, recipe conversion tips and advice on marketing gluten-free goods.
“The demand is everywhere,” Jenae said. “We see it everywhere, and it’s not just a fad.”
She pointed to the uptick in celiac and gluten-free diagnoses in addition to a more widespread adoption of the product type.
However, integrating gluten-free offerings requires several considerations. For one, bakers need to understand the science behind gluten and how to replicate the effect with products that exclude it.
To achieve the proper elasticity and chew, Jenae suggests using an assortment of ingredients to support the bakes. Some options include xanthan gum, psyllium and ground flax or chia.
In terms of gluten-free flours, Jenae’s “secret weapon” is Steve’s Cake Flour Blend from Authentic Foods. The flour blend is made with a plant fiber-based protein chain that mimics gluten’s functions.
“I swap it one-for-one and it’s magic in my bakery,” Jenae said.
Over the last decade of baking gluten-free, she’s picked up a couple of tricks to achieve a successful bake. This includes mixing batters longer, incorporating extra liquid to improve texture and using binders for structure.
These tips and tricks help achieve Cake and Crumble’s tagline: secretly gluten-free.
“Making sure that it doesn’t taste gluten-free is really important to us, so anything I can do to make that help is better,” Jenae said.
