Use it and you don't know it's there. Forget it, and you know it's missing. It's xanthan gum, the "wonder" ingredient for gluten-free baking. Xanthan gum is critical because it lends stability and prevents crumbling in baked goods, such as cakes and breads. I'm often asked for guidelines on how much xanthan gum to use. Here they are. When I say “per cup of flour” I’m referring to the total amount of gluten-free flour in the recipe.
Salad Dressings: 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per cup of liquid
Mix with dry ingredients first (e.g.; salt, pepper), then add liquids.
Cookies: 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour
Especially important when honey is the sweetener because honey makes a softer cookie.
Cakes: 1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour
Mix with dry ingredients first (e.g.; salt, pepper), then add liquids.
Muffins, Quick Breads: 3/4 teaspoon per cup of flour
Mix with dry ingredients first (e.g.; salt, pepper), then add liquids.
Bread: 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour
Mix with dry ingredients first (e.g.; salt, pepper), then add liquids.
Pizza: 2 teaspoons per cup of flour
Mix with dry ingredients first (e.g.; salt, pepper), then add liquids. The softer the dough, the better.
Thickener for Sauces: 1 teaspoon in place of each tablespoon of thickener (e.g., cornstarch) in original recipe
Mix with dry ingredients first (e.g.; salt, pepper), then add liquids.
If you prefer to use guar gum in place of xanthan gum, use 50% more guar gum. So, if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum, use 1 ½ teaspoons of guar gum.
Subscribe