Cooking with nut flours is like making concrete

forge

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Getting old and everything that goes with it. All the repeats on TV. The drongos who ring me up to sell me things. Religious havens for pedophiles and war-mongers.
When we are using no gluten flours to make cakes, bread and whatever the smart way to go is to make it like concrete - I do not mean hard as a rock.

When they make concrete they use cement and sand and cement is the glue (like gluten in flour)

To use less cement they add crushed rocks (called aggregate) so the expensive cement and the sand forms the same bond but this time it only has to fill the gaps around the aggregate.

Just imagine the aggregate is like bricks in a wall with the mixed cement and sand holding it together.

So the trick is finding the right sized aggregate and getting the mix right.

So things like crushed peanuts and desiccated coconut work like aggregate to bulk it out without too much glue.

Any suggestions for low carb "aggregates" will be appreciated by me at least.
 

Nyxks

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292
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Discrimination based on gender, age, medical conditions, etc.
I use a lot of Teff flour in my baking, same with Millit flour, sourgum flour, brown rice (white rice on occasion) and Amaranth … starch wise I arrowroot, flax, pea, potato or tapioca (mostly arrowroot and tapioca). I don't touch nut based flours/starches and will not touch coconut anything.

I don't use animal products in my baking either, if it calls for eggs I use flex eggs, if it calls for dairy I use soy or rice milk instead.

I've backed cookies, cakes and pizza bread and have yet to have anyone kids included say anything about them not tasting like their counter parts.
 

forge

Well-Known Member
Messages
512
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Getting old and everything that goes with it. All the repeats on TV. The drongos who ring me up to sell me things. Religious havens for pedophiles and war-mongers.
Thanks @Nyxks very interesting.

However, I am on a no major carbs specialist prescribed diet so I can't eat anything grain related or starchy or sugars of any kind or too much fruit. The diet has taken me from 130 units insulin per day down to zero units per day so I have a great respect for it.
 

forge

Well-Known Member
Messages
512
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Getting old and everything that goes with it. All the repeats on TV. The drongos who ring me up to sell me things. Religious havens for pedophiles and war-mongers.
A great link thanks @catherinecherub I just have to find xantham gum locally it is supposed to be in a couple of major supermarkets but I have not seen it.
 

lovinglife

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
4,537
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
A great link thanks @catherinecherub I just have to find xantham gum locally it is supposed to be in a couple of major supermarkets but I have not seen it.
I get mine from Lakeland, I haven't used it for baking as I don't bake very often but I use it for thickening sauces etc, make sure you sieve it as it goes gloopy
 

modesty007

Well-Known Member
Messages
567
Type of diabetes
Other
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Diet only
Baking with coconut flour (and some other flour I guess) needs a bit extra fluid. Also psyllium husks is a good binder. You could also try to increase the amount of coconut flour with almond flour.
Here's a couple of bread recipes (low carb)
White bread the LCHF way
Longing for the white loaf, here’s a LCHF version.
The original recipe was created by Birgitta Höglund

TOTAL 60:00

PREP 30:00

COOK 30:00

Servings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Metric US

INGREDIENTS

· 5 organic egg

· 50 g melted butter

· 1 dl coconut flour (Aman prana preferably)

· 1 tbsp psyllium husk (whole)

· 1 tsp baking powder

· 0,5 tsp salt

· Sesame seeds

· Nigella sativa seeds (black cumin, black caraway)or maybe Poppy seeds#

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the butter and let it cool

2. Heat the oven to 175 °C

3. Whisk the eggs thick and fluffy

4. Mix the dry ingredients except the seeds in a bowl

5. Use some of the butter to brush a loaf pan and sprinkle some of the seeds

6. Mix the flour mixture into the eggs and then add the rest of the butter

7. Make sure everything mixed well

8. Pour the mix into the pan, ensure it’s evenly spread

9. Sprinkle seed on the top

10. Bake for 25 minutes (at 175 °C)

11. Let the loaf cool in the pan

12. Use a turner so loosen at the side of the loaf and transfer it to a cooling wire

13. Make sure the bread has cooled off before slicing it

14. You can freeze the sliced bread, and defrost it in the toaster or oven

TIPS

· When choosing coconut flour, always check the carb content, the recommended brand Aman prana (amanprana) contains only 4 g carbs/ 100 g. If you prefer poppy seeds around the loaf why not try it.

Walnut loaf
A lovely walnut loaf combining the taste of sour dough and rye bread.
Original recipe created by Birgitta Höglund.

TOTAL 110:00

PREP 20:00

COOK 90:00

Servings


INGREDIENTS

  • 6 egg
  • 250 g cottage cheese (mash well) or cream cheese like Philadelphia (original kesella)
  • 150 g walnut
  • 100 g butter
  • 200 ml ground almond
  • 200 ml psyllium husk powder or psyllium husks (originally pofiber)
  • 50 ml psyllium husks
  • 50 ml linseed (dark or golden)
  • 3 tbsp ground bread spices (2/5 aniseed, 2/5 fennel & 1/5 carraway)
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1-1,5 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS

1. Set the oven to 150 °C degrees.

2. Grease a baking form with at least 1,5 liter capacity

3. Coarsely chop the walnuts with mortar & pestle, meat tenderiser or knife

4. Melt the butter together with the spices and let it cool

5. Mix the nuts with rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl, regarding the salt start with the lesser amount

6. Beat the eggs until thick and then add the cottage cheese, vinegar and butter

7. Mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture while running your electric hand mixer on lowest speed

8. Make sure everything is mixed well

9. Pour the dough into the baking form, press on the surface making sure the dough is evenly distributed in the form

10. Wet your hand in cold water and run over the surface making this even

11. Cover the baking form with aluminium foil before placing in the oven and let it bake for 45 minutes

12. Remove the foil and let it bake for another 45 minutes

13. Let the loaf rest in the baking form for a while

14. Remove the loaf from the form and let it rest on cooking rack

15. If you want to store the bread in the freezer, then slice the bread when the loaf has cooled completely and freeze the slices, then easily defrost them in the toaster

TIPS

  • If using psyllium husk powder the bread will have a darker colour, compared to psyllium husks and also using dark linseed will make the bread darker.
  • The bread spices used is very commonly used in Sweden, you might prefer other spices, but have try and discover something new.
 
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forge

Well-Known Member
Messages
512
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Getting old and everything that goes with it. All the repeats on TV. The drongos who ring me up to sell me things. Religious havens for pedophiles and war-mongers.
Thanks for that @modesty007 I am trying to cut back on eggs but it might help someone else.
Thanks @lovinglife I am in Brisbane Australia and I have not heard of that shop around here but it might help someone els
 

douglas99

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,572
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Other
I tend to use a mixture of soya, chickpea, and almond flour, the ratio depends on what I'm making.