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Making the switch to gluten-free baking isn't that difficult, but it does take some getting used to because the ingredients are more varied, with some new ones playing a major role in how the bread turns out. Whether you've been diagnosed with celiac disease or suspect you have a gluten intolerance (and yes, those are real), you don't have to give up your baking hobby. You do have to learn why certain ingredients are required and where to find easy beginner recipes that won't take long.

Try Using Both Xanthan and Guar Gum

One of the biggest changes when you start gluten-free baking is the use of xanthan gum and guar gum. These are powders that, when made wet and mixed with gluten-free flour and other ingredients, act as binders and add elasticity to the dough to make up for the lack of gluten. You can use either one of the powders in recipes, but you may want to experiment with using both. Recipes typically call for only one, so make the recipe according to the directions, test it, and then start switching out a little of one gum for the other. See how close the results are to a texture you like.

Check Your Flour's Ingredients

You will also need to check the flours you use for gum content. Some gluten-free flours have xanthan gum already added in a particular ratio, which means that, if the recipe you have mentions adding xanthan (or guar) gum, you'll need to adjust how much you actually add so that the final recipe doesn't contain too much gum. In fact, you may want to try making the recipe with the gum-containing flour and no extra gum to see how that works out.

Include Paleo and Keto Recipes

As you search for gluten-free bread recipes, give paleo and keto recipe sites a try. Many of the bread recipes for those diets are gluten-free, using almond and coconut flours in place of rice flour or another grain. These recipes tend to be very simple and more like quick breads, so they are fast to make. One thing to note if you're making bread from almond or coconut flour: sometimes using both almond and coconut flour gives you a better result. So, if you have a recipe that uses only almond flour, try it and then try it with a little coconut flour added in place of some of the almond flour. Gluten-free baking really is a giant, customized experiment.

Don't give up if your first few loaves or buns don't turn out to your liking. You really do have to play around with recipes that don't seem to be working. Luckily, many gluten-free baking recipes have been tested over and over and do work, so you'll be able to keep baking no matter what type of flour you have to use.

To learn more about gluten-free baking recipes, contact a company like gfJules.