Gluten, which has an important place in people’s nutritional processes, can also be harmful in some cases. Gluten is a substance that is directly responsible for the formation of chewy, extremely soft textures, which are a common feature of foods containing mostly grains, especially breads. Gluten, which is extremely harmful for celiac patients, is found in many foods. However, nowadays gluten-free foods are also produced.
What is gluten-free flour?
Gluten-free flour is one of the most gluten-free foods. The type of flour that does not contain gluten-containing foods such as oats, barley and wheat is called gluten-free flour. Gluten-free flour is made when flour is obtained from grains such as corn, chickpeas, rice and lentils that do not contain gluten. However, it is not possible to use a single food when producing gluten-free flour. Because these nutrients, which are evaluated when using gluten-free flour, do not carry enough nutritional value on their own. The situation is the same when it comes to taste. When purchasing flour, pay attention to the gluten-free warning on it.
What are the gluten-free flour types?
People who follow gluten-free diets from time to time benefit from these foods. Gluten is found in many types and numbers in processed or whole foods. The main grains containing gluten are barley, bulgur, rye, couscous and wheat bran. Some grain-based products that are processed and contain gluten include meatballs made with vegetables, bread, breadcrumbs, crackers, cookies and pasta. There are multiple types of gluten-free flour that can be used in different areas and in the production of different foods. The most preferred and produced gluten-free flour types are:
- carob flour
- coconut flour
- buckwheat flour
- chickpea flour
- quinoa flour
- hazelnut flour
- Rice flour
- Oat flour
- almond flour
- cornflour
- teff flour
It is possible to produce gluten-free flour from many different foods. Gluten-free products have various benefits for human health. If a gluten-free diet has been necessary for a period of time, various gluten-free products should be consumed. The known benefits of such products and the situations in which they are considered beneficial are as follows:
- intestinal problems
- Rheumatism
- Anemia
- focusing problems
- Losing weight
- Balancing blood sugar
- thyroid problems
- Edema
How to make gluten-free flour?
Gluten-free flour types can be used not only in bread making but also in the production of many pastries. Pastries such as pancakes, cakes and donuts can be made with gluten-free flour. This type of flour does not contain grains such as rye, wheat and barley. All types of flour that do not contain products containing gluten are called gluten-free. Gluten-free flour consumed by celiac patients who are hypersensitive to gluten contained in various grains is obtained from different products. It is possible to obtain gluten-free flour from gluten-free products such as potatoes, carob, coconut, almonds or quinoa.
In order to distinguish between wheat flour and gluten-free flour, some details must be taken into consideration. For example, gluten proteins absorb water and swell, resulting in a viscoelastic dough. When the dough is wetted with salt water, starch and nitrogen-containing substances remain.