Low-carb baking: a short, grim essay
 

So far, those eager to bake low-carb have found a reasonable sugar
substitute (Splenda) though it does not do much of what sugar does
(chiefly it lacks gelling function). The insuperable problem is flour.
The following flour substitutes have been tried:

Soy flour - tastes beastly; requires wildly strong counter-flavour to
block taste. Little gluten. Browns very quickly.

Vital wheat gluten: very, very strong, so creates elastic or rubbery
texture

Ground seeds: used alone, no gluten. Very heavy and dense (see nuts,
below). Flaxseeds have a texture some describe as 'like snot'.

Soy Protein Powder: no gluten. Dense texture, and somewhat gritty.

Whey protein powder: carbier, and see above. hard to get in flavourless
forms, and flavoured forms taste very aritficial.

Ground nuts: make baked goods dense and heavy

Coarse bran: used alone, the result is heavy and damp. Too many carbs
for some.

A mixture of the above: I have made acceptable bread from a mix of VWG,
ground flaxseed, whey powder and coarse bran. The gluten prevents the
other ingredients from being heavy and the whey tenderises the dough so
the gluten isn't too rubbery.

Generally, the following kinds of baked goods work reasonably well:

Biscotti and cantucci, brutti mar buoni and the like
Macaroons
Wholegrain-style breads
Custards and cheesecakes (though Splenda will make cheesecake 'weep')

What doesn't work at all in my experience is cake, biscuits, muffins,
anything that requires lightness. Yes, I've made the recipes around -
many, many of them - the results were - well, let's say nuggety. There
is no low-carb equivalent of cake flour, as all the above are either
hard or utterly gluten free. But it must theoretically be possible to
combine VWG and one of the gluten-free items above in such proportions
that they equal cake flour. Has anyone had any luck in doing so?
--
Jane Lumley

>There
>is no low-carb equivalent of cake flour, as all the above are either
>hard or utterly gluten free. But it must theoretically be possible to
>combine VWG and one of the gluten-free items above in such proportions
>that they equal cake flour. Has anyone had any luck in doing so?
--
Fabricating cake flour analogue by combining wheat gluten and other
ingrediets such as wheat starch will not produce the same result as
cake flour; theortically its feaslble but not from the practical
standpoint. In fact I did some trials on these line several years back
when I was still in the baking laboratory. looking for cake flour
alternatives.
The cake flour components are unique in itself from the ingredients
it ws supposed to be derived (theoritically.). Further the treatment of
cake flour trhough the chlorination( and bleaching) will further
improve its baking performance and it cannot be duplicated ( on cake
flour analogue) by subjecting the wheat gluten and wheat starch
compositiion to the same treatment. Although the controlled heat
treatment of bread flour could duplicate the many features of cake
flour with regards to cake baking performance.
This is likely the procedure you have to study and try looking at the
USPatent Files for past works in this area.I am sure you can find some
technical information about the feasiblity of duplicating the heat
treatment procedure in your home oven.
Use the subject heat treated flour and type that in the search box in
the http://www.uspto.gov site.


Roy

In article >,
Jane Lumley > wrote:

> What doesn't work at all in my experience is cake, biscuits, muffins,
> anything that requires lightness. Yes, I've made the recipes around -
> many, many of them - the results were - well, let's say nuggety. There
> is no low-carb equivalent of cake flour, as all the above are either
> hard or utterly gluten free. But it must theoretically be possible to
> combine VWG and one of the gluten-free items above in such proportions
> that they equal cake flour. Has anyone had any luck in doing so?
> --

A bakery just opened up near me, and they make gluten-free, low carb
cakes. I had one of their cheesecakes (a white chocolate mousse and
almond cheesecake) and it was very good. They also make layer cakes and
other leavened products; since it's all gluten-free, that obviously
rules out many possible ingredients (anything wheat based, bran, etc.).
Maybe I can find out what they do.

--
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