Good without gluten

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The Australian-based nutritionist and owner of Wholegreen Bakery grew up in New Zealand with Tongan and Dutch parents, so a love of good food was imprinted on her at an early age.

"My mother's family always came together over a feast and all my early happy memories revolve around food — the eating of it for sure, but also the preparation."

Lyden, who was also diagnosed with latent coeliac disease, did not want her daughter Lucia to miss out on these experiences just because her diet was, necessarily, more limited.

When she began to investigate what gluten-free baking was available she was shocked to find gluten-free products were hard to find and those that did were lacking in taste and deliciousness. Gluten-free recipes were also hit-and-miss.

"So I experimented, tested and trialled various options until I had developed food that I was happy with and proud to have cooked."

"It has been such a joy to ... be part of bringing the pleasure of eating back for so many people who thought certain foods — like a good croissant, a decent loaf of bread or a delicious savoury (or sweet) tart — were no longer options for them."

In her book Lyden includes a chapter on her kitchen essentials and the flour blends she uses to bake and cook with. She makes up her own mix of brown rice flour, potato starch, cornflour and xanthan gum, which she finds to be more consistent for baking than shop-bought blends.

"I like to use brown rice flour here as it's more wholesome and results in moister baked products than white rice flour."

The book is divided into sweet, savoury and bread chapters including everyday favourites like muffins, biscuits and crumbles, tarts, flatbreads and focaccia. There are recipes for favourites like lamingtons and hot cross buns to pies and cheesy garlic pull-apart buns.

Images and text from Gluten-Free Baking Made Simple by Cherie Lyden, photography by Ben Dearnley. Murdoch Books RRP $55.00.

Grain- and dairy-free, light, soft and moist — this is one of the most popular lemon cakes we have made in the bakery.

Ingredients

⅔ cup (80g) coconut flour

1 cup (100g) almond meal

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

6 eggs, at room temperature

1⅓ cups (295g) caster (superfine) sugar

1⅓ cups (330ml) sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla paste

Zest and juice of 2 lemons, plus juice of 1 extra lemon for brushing

Toasted coconut flakes, to decorate

Lemon glaze

2 cups (250g) gluten-free icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus extra strands of zest to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 170degC (150degC fan-forced) with the oven rack positioned in the middle of the oven.

Grease a 20cm round spring-form cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Sift the coconut flour, almond meal, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl and whisk together thoroughly.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar together on high speed until pale and fluffy. Slowly add the oil and vanilla and continue to whisk for 30 seconds more.

Using the paddle attachment on low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients and fold in until everything is mixed together thoroughly, then add the zest and juice of two lemons and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, rotating roughly halfway through for even cooking, until the cake is dark golden, a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean, or the cake springs back when you press down gently on the top with two fingers.

Remove the cake from the oven and brush the top with lemon juice. Leave to cool completely in the tin before releasing the spring, removing the sides and peeling away any baking paper as necessary. Remove the cake tin base by sliding the cake on to a serving plate.

Make the lemon glaze by mixing the icing sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest together in a bowl until smooth.

Pour the icing over the top of the cake then use a flat-bladed spatula to quickly smooth the glaze out so it gently tips over the sides to create a drip effect.

Decorate with toasted coconut flakes and a little lemon zest. If you want the icing to set (which makes it easier to slice), place the cake in the fridge for 10 minutes before slicing.

- If the cake is looking a little dark on top towards the end of the cooking time, don't worry. That's how it should look. It won't be burnt.

- Be sure to sift the dry ingredients — the coconut flour in particular needs it, as it has a tendency to be lumpy and tricky to break down during the mixing process.

This cake will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It also freezes beautifully — simply wrap the (un-iced) cake in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month, then remove from the freezer when ready to eat and glaze and slice your cake while still frozen for perfect slices (allow 20 minutes to defrost after cutting before serving).

It's un-Australian not to be able to enjoy this iconic Australian cake! My recipe is both gluten- and dairy-free and will give you a beautifully light result that will make everyone feel included.

Ingredients

⅓ cup (115g) good raspberry jam

300g cocoa, sifted

100g gluten-free icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

⅓ cup (80ml) coconut oil

300ml boiling water

3 cups (195g) shredded coconut

Sponge

7 large eggs

¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar

⅔ cup (110g) gluten-free self-raising flour (see flour blends below)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) with the oven rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Grease a 32 x 18 x 3cm baking tin and line the base with baking paper.

For the sponge, whisk together the eggs and sugar in a saucepan set over a medium heat.

Once the mix is hot to the touch (around 65°C), transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for 7–8 minutes, until light, creamy and doubled in volume.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and gradually sift in the flour, folding it through gently with a spatula as you go.

Continue until all the flour has been added and everything is completely combined, then spoon the batter evenly into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden and lightly firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

Once cool, turn the sponge out on to a chopping board. Peel the baking paper off the base of the sponge and cut the cake in half horizontally using a bread knife.

Warm the jam a little and spread it generously over one of the sponge halves, then stack the other half of the sponge on top and even up the sides with your knife.

Cut the sponge sandwich into portion-sized pieces and arrange these on a plate or a wire rack. Transfer the plate or rack to the freezer and leave the sponge for 30 minutes to harden (this will make it easier to handle for icing).

Whisk together the cocoa, icing sugar, coconut oil and boiling water in a large mixing bowl until smooth and free of lumps.

Remove the sponge from the freezer and dip each portion into the chocolate icing, making sure it's completely coated on all sides. Sprinkle all over with shredded coconut, then transfer to a lined baking tray for the coating to set.

The lamingtons are best left to set in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before serving.

The finished lamingtons can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 week. Remove from the freezer and leave to sit for 20 minutes before serving.

- Be sure to freeze the sponge slightly before dipping it into the icing — if the sponge is too soft it can fall apart in the icing mix.

- Replace the raspberry jam with strawberry jam if you prefer.

Did this recipe have you at ‘cheesy garlic’? The delicious combination makes these buns completely moreish. Serve them hot while the cheese is still wonderfully gooey.

Ingredients

1¼ cups (205g) gluten-free self-raising flour (see flour blends document)

2 cups (250g) gluten-free cornflour (cornstarch)

2½ teaspoons salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon extra for sprinkling

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp xanthan gum

75g butter, melted, or 75ml light oil (e.g. sunflower, rice bran, canola, light olive oil)

1 large egg, at room temperature

1½ cups (375ml) full-cream milk (or non-dairy alternative)

1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder

½ cup (125ml) water

1½ teaspoons instant dried yeast

½ cup (50g) coarsely grated parmesan

2 cups (250g) coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

6 large garlic cloves, crushed

⅓ bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus extra to serve

Preheat the oven to 190°C(170°C fan-forced) with the oven rack positioned in the middle of the oven.

Grease a 22.5 x 33 x 6cm baking dish and line it with baking paper.

Sift the dry ingredients except the psyllium husk powder and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.

Whisk the butter, egg and milk together in a small bowl, then pour this mixture on to the sifted dry ingredients.

Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low for 1minute to combine, then increase the speed to medium and mix for a further 8 minutes to work the xanthan gum into the batter.

Stir the psyllium and water together to form a slurry, add to the bowl with the yeast, parmesan, half the mozzarella, the garlic and the parsley and mix for 1 minute more. (Alternatively, mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer.)

Leave the dough to sit for 5 minutes, then, using a ¹⁄3 cup spring-loaded ice-cream scoop, transfer slightly heaped scoops of dough into the prepared dish, keeping them 1cm (½in) apart, starting in one corner and working your way across the dish, repeating until it is full and there is no more batter to scoop.

Leave in a warm, draught-free spot to prove for 30 minutes, until risen by a third.

Once proved, scatter the extra salt and the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top, then transfer to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the buns are risen and golden, the cheese is well melted and the tops spring back when you press down gently on them with two fingers.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly for 2 minutes. Serve hot while the cheese is melted and gooey, with a little extra chopped parsley scattered over the top.

These buns will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat before eating.

- The salt sprinkled on with the cheese really helps bring out the flavours, so don't be scared to add it. And feel free to use whichever cheeses you prefer — though try to stick to a combination of gooey and sharp flavour profiles.

- If you’re not that keen on garlic, it's fine to leave it out.

Ingredients

850g brown rice flour

100g potato starch

50g gluten-free cornflour (cornstarch)

7g xanthan gum

Method

Sift all the ingredients together into a large mixing bowl, then whisk together well to ensure they are well mixed.

This plain (all-purpose) flour blend should become your go-to for almost all the gluten-free baking within this book. The ingredients are easily available (either online or in the gluten-free section of your supermarket or health food store), though just be sure that the cornflour you are buying is derived from corn and not wheat (as you’ll find some are). Because of the high ratio of brown rice flour to starch, I find this flour blend to be consistent in my baking, especially compared to a lot of the supermarket gluten-free blends, which are often high in starch and low in rice flour.

I like to use brown rice flour here as it's more wholesome and results in moister baked products than white rice flour, which I find to be quite drying. In this cookbook, when I refer to plain flour it is to this blend with the xanthan gum included — the xanthan gum helps with your bake's texture and creates lightness and elasticity, as well as preventing the pastry from crumbling. If you need a blend that's gum-free for whatever reason, simply omit it.

Ingredients

850g brown rice flour

100g potato starch

50g gluten-free cornflour (cornstarch)

55g gluten-free baking powder

7g xanthan gum

Method

Sift all the ingredients together into a large mixing bowl, then whisk together well to ensure they are well mixed.

For a good self-raising flour blend, all you need is a good plain (all-purpose) flour blend to which you add gluten-free baking powder in order to make it self-raising. This is the blend I refer to in this cookbook and it is the same as my plain flour blend above, with the starches creating lightness in the flour and counteracting the brown rice flour's natural heaviness. Simply omit the xanthan gum for a gum-free recipe and search for specifically labelled gluten-free baking powder, as many baking powders are derived from wheat.

Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 3 months.

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