Everything you need to know about gluten-free flours, from production to use, up to the organoleptic characteristics
For those who are celiac or intolerant, find your way around the world of gluten-free flours it's not always easy. We asked for help from an expert, Aurore Ranchon, Head of Corporate Product Development Gluten Free at Dr. Schär, a company specializing in gluten-free products.
Swallowed flour and gluten-free flours: how can we define them?
"The term "swallowed”Refers to raw materials containing gluten, such as wheat or thebarley, from which gluten was eliminated during the production process. For example, this is the case of swallowed wheat starch. The case of our gluten-free flours is different: these are blends of naturally gluten-free ingredients. They contain flours like those of corn, rice, but also sorghum, linen or buckwheat, to which other ingredients are added (starches, vegetable fibers, thickeners) which allow to optimize the functional and sensory characteristics to obtain final products similar to those containing gluten .
How is gluten-free flour made?
«A recipe is developed to find the best combination of ingredients, the most suitable to be processed in such a way as to obtain the desired final result (bread, biscuits, cakes, etc.). The product is then brought to the production line. The process is relatively simple and consists of mixing of the various components, and therefore in the dosage in packs of 500g / 1kg. During the process, all the important steps for ensuring food quality are performed, such as sieving to check for the absence of foreign bodies and checking with a metal detector to ensure the absence of metal residues ".
What nutritional characteristics do these flours have compared to "normal" wheat flour?
"During the development of the product, the nutritional profile is evaluated in order to get as close as possible to that of a wheat flour, through the choice of a mixture of ingredients that brings fiber, protein and nutrients in a balanced way. The characteristics are therefore mostly similar to the traditional product, although depending on the reference of flour there may be differences (for example more fiber, or less protein than the equivalent "glutinous") .
It is said that gluten-free flour is more digestible: is it true?
“This kind of claim has to be supported by scientific evidence and we are working in this direction to understand if there are concrete differences with gluten-containing products. However, it is easier to refer this type of analysis to a final product (for example pizza, bread or pasta) than to the flour itself, as the ingredients added during the final processing play an important role (for example fats, eggs, milk, fruit, etc.) ".
What are the organoleptic characteristics, taste and yield, of this flour compared to the others?
«The different gluten-free flours proposed by Dr. Schär are developed to meet specific needs of the finished product. With this in mind we can say that the organoleptic characteristics of the finished products are very similar to those of the consideration cooked with wheat flour. The work of developing and creating the recipe is done with regular comparison with the gluten-containing product in order to select the most suitable blend of ingredients .
In the kitchen, can gluten-free flour be used as a "normal" wheat flour or are there any special instructions to follow?
«In general, considering the concepts expressed above, we try to be able to use the same recipes that are used for a traditional product. It is however recommended to follow recipes dedicated to gluten-free, as it may be important, especially for some more delicate products, to balance the proportions of the other ingredients to obtain the best result. For example, a difference of water absorption gluten-free flours due to both the absence of gluten and the presence of fiber, and it is right to take it into consideration to have a dough of the right consistency ".
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