Vegans? Vegetarians?

ahk · 10-06-2012, 03:15 PM

What about Sucanat? Has anyone used it--

Also, what about different flours-- quinoa, coconut, spelt--

I have been using spelt for a months now, and I like it-- but I also picked up coconut and quinoa to try. What are your pros/cons about different flours?

easygoingfemme · 10-06-2012, 04:35 PM

Spelt is nice as an alternative to traditional wheat flour because it still has a natural "gush" about it that helps give a good texture when baking. However, it is a relative of wheat so if you are branching into new flours to avoid gluten, spelt may or may not be a good choice for you.

When you get into flours like rice, quinoa, oat, etc, the missing gluten is generally an issue because without tinkering with them you get crumbly dry baked goods. You generally want to cut those with something like potato flour or xanthan gum which helps bond the flour together same as how gluten acts in wheat flour.

I like Sucanat when I'm baking for someone else who is used to regular white sugar and I want to use a more natural sweetener but keep the texture consistent with what they are used to. You would just substitute it for the amount of white sugar you'd be using in equal portions and everything else in a recipe, if you are using one, would stay the same.

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10-06-2012, 03:15 PM	#1
ahk Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: . Preferred Pronoun?: Male Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: NM Posts: 5,317 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,688 Thanked 8,538 Times in 2,630 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	What about Sucanat? Has anyone used it-- Also, what about different flours-- quinoa, coconut, spelt-- I have been using spelt for a months now, and I like it-- but I also picked up coconut and quinoa to try. What are your pros/cons about different flours?

10-06-2012, 04:35 PM	#2
easygoingfemme Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Lil' Miss Sassy Pants Preferred Pronoun?: She/her Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: My place by the river Posts: 3,692 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 7,023 Thanked 14,975 Times in 3,318 Posts Rep Power: 21474852	Spelt is nice as an alternative to traditional wheat flour because it still has a natural "gush" about it that helps give a good texture when baking. However, it is a relative of wheat so if you are branching into new flours to avoid gluten, spelt may or may not be a good choice for you. When you get into flours like rice, quinoa, oat, etc, the missing gluten is generally an issue because without tinkering with them you get crumbly dry baked goods. You generally want to cut those with something like potato flour or xanthan gum which helps bond the flour together same as how gluten acts in wheat flour. I like Sucanat when I'm baking for someone else who is used to regular white sugar and I want to use a more natural sweetener but keep the texture consistent with what they are used to. You would just substitute it for the amount of white sugar you'd be using in equal portions and everything else in a recipe, if you are using one, would stay the same.